World Tae Kwon Do Academy

Each year, Grand Master Sun Mo Yi takes some students on a trip to South Korea, the birthplace of Tae Kwon Do. The trip runs from Busan to the demilitarized border with North Korea, with Korean history, Korean food and traditional buildings along the way. Master Yi came to the United States in 1983 and first moved to Colorado, training members of the American air force in hand-to-hand combat there.

The academy sums up Tae Kwon Do in one word, “self-improvement,” and teaches a balance of fighting and poom-sae (traditional forms), combined with practical self-defense and life values. Each class is set by belt level and covers forms, mako-chigi, self-defense and sparring. Friday is sparring day, when students bring their sparring gear. Every month a belt test lets students show their forms, self-defense, board breaking and kicking in front of the masters. Children train in their own classes, also grouped by belt.

Adult classes are for teenagers and older and meet in the evening, Monday to Friday, split by belt. On Tuesday and Thursday an Adult Beginners class starts at 7:30 pm, and Friday's adult and teen class is a longer sparring session. Private lessons are one-on-one with Master Yi, on request and at the Master's discretion.

The academy doesn't describe a trial class or list prices, so a phone call before the first class is how you'll learn both; the school takes calls, not text messages.