We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering exceptional educational martial arts activities for children, teens, and adults throughout South Siskiyou County since 2001.
It's simple: we focus on improving health, confidence, and safety. Our mission is empowering children, teens, and adults with self-confidence and self-respect through self-training, self-discipline, and self-defense so that they have essential tools to succeed in whatever they choose: school, sports, work, more. Our vision is a community of physically and emotionally healthy people.
Enriching Experience. It is a primary goal of MSMAP that each participant enjoy, and be invigorated by, martial arts training. Our premise is that a physically challenging martial arts training and learning experience is both a unique and fun way to learn how to interact with others in more constructive ways.
Enjoy Your Life. Developing self-restraint, self-confidence, and self-respect enables individuals to be more self-assured and positive through broader awareness and improved assessment skills. These skills are applicable whether the person is in a physically threatening situation or a verbal disagreement at home, school, or work.
What you get. Participants learn cool, valuable skills from the most experienced, highest ranking instructors in Siskiyou County. Even online, children excel within our supportive environment (positive attitude and respectful behavior are priorities). Adults and teens enjoy great workouts developing powerful and effective techniques in addition to self-defense strategies.
Benefits. Everyone can expect improvements in strength, flexibility, and even self-respect. Our exercise and training emphasize empowering people to do their best — physically and mentally.
Age-specific Activities. We offer age-specific activities through our core activities of taekwondo and yongmudo along with other martial arts- and self-defense-related activities held on occasion. See below for more information about each.
Listen to local parents, teachers, others.
We know our methods have positive effects because of the clear, positive feedback from prinicpals, teachers, counselers, doctors, and parents right here in our own community. These are people that see the results of time spent in our program first-hand. We’re not saying our program works for everyone, but it’s definitely worth a try.
Don’t take our word about what we do—read what our parents say about us, what we do, and what they get from it.
“Our daughter is a very gentle being, so this competition took tremendous courage for her. She is now stronger emotionally and mentally — a major victory for her! Taekwondo has helped her expand her mature qualities, giving her focus and confidence to face anyone.”
— Ailita Saryon
“Not only has participation in MSMAP met our expectations, it has far exceeded them. Our children's self confidence is amazing, and they both take leadership roles on and off the mat. I have witnessed my son calmly stand up to bullies, not only for himself, but for others as well. I am so proud of all of the students successes over the years. It does not come easy, and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Master Buhs is an amazing instructor and role model.”
— Spring Cohen
“I see changes in both of our boys since starting taekwondo. Dylan has always been shy and I see him coming out of his shell more. Tiny Tigers helps Brayden feel important and has enhanced his loud and passionate personality. I see more confidence, better flexibility and balance.”
— Emily McIntyre
“MSMAP makes a huge difference in this community for both kids and adults. So many kids from exceedingly diverse lifestyles and households meet together on the mat and practice not only martial arts, but also respect, cooperation and tolerance.”
— Robin Weaver
“Tiny Tigers give our 5-year-old grand-daughter the confidence to be assertive in a positive way, to say what is on your mind, and if something does not feel right, it is OK to say, ‘No.’ Plus, the older kids that help are a group of sweet, kind role models.”
— Janice Johnson
“I have no doubt that being part of this group is what my son needs and is helping him to grow and become a better person.”
— Lourdes Schrievers
“Since starting taekwondo at the MSE After-School Program, I've noticed an increased ability for my daughter to focus on a task and an increase in her self-confidence.”
— Brian Witherell
“The instructors teach and encourage safety, manners, and respect while keeping it fun. Our sons have learned discipline, a new idea of what respect means, and how to deal with disappointment. They have discovered the joy and anxiety of preparing for a promotion test, and, most importantly, that focus and hard work pay off.”
— Amy Cambou
“Chuck goes out of his way to bring the students and parents together regularly, and to work with area schools to help the community understand the benefits of taekwondo — discipline, manners, respect, and peaceful conflict resolution. As parents, we watch this happen constantly in Chuck’s classes — an invaluable experience for our six year old son.”
— Paula Reynolds
“MSMAP provides a steady, reliable place for us to go and learn about safety, self-respect, teamwork, and also martial arts. I get exercise and confidence. I feel by training I am becoming my best self and a better parent. I can better protect myself and my children and that feels great. I feel confident that my children can protect each other and themselves as well as others. My kids are stronger, more confident, and more disciplined. They get out energy and aggression which makes arguments at home less frequent and more reasonable. I have found a family at MSMAP and so have my kids.”
— Autumn Dyke
“At competitions and promotion exams, I’ve seen the results of my son’s training at more levels than just the physical skills. He is focused and maintains his composure under pressure.”
— Mark Hough
“Having the opportunity to participate in this program with my son makes the experience special and unique. Not only are we practicing a healthy lifestyle, but also building self-confidence and strong minds together. As a Mom, I am thrilled to be in a program that is so family friendly!”
— Shannon Neuman
“After only two classes, I can already see a difference in my daughter’s self-confidence and the sense of belonging to something that she can take pride in.”
— Heather Justice
“The students’ respect and focus is always felt in the studio. The level of performance by the students is a direct reflection of the high level of instruction they receive. We are so fortunate to have such a quality martial arts program in our area.”
— Kristin Carter
“After Competing in his first tournament and winning gold, my son now understands what training really means. It was awesome, a great experience!”
— Steve Alley
At my taekwondo classes, I learned that everyone should help each other. By sharing our goodwill, all of the MSMAP participants learn to step up and act.
Vitaliy Tveritin
The obvious physical benefits from participation and training in martial arts — strength, flexibility, coordination — can extend to improving mental and emotional health. These benefits and skills can be summarized as:
Children with lots of energy. They aren't bad, but they misbehave. They can’t quite focus enough in school. They struggle to make friends. They feel bad.
What children need. They need a time and place where they can release lots of energy. They need clear boundaries and expectations. They need lessons on how to work well with others. They need encouragement, guidance, and other positive role models.
What can you do? Participating in MSMAP activities can often provide immediate positive results in both behavior and attitude. Releasing energy — including running, yelling, and, yes, even hitting things — allows children to express themselves in a very basic way. When they do it with us, maybe they won't do it at home or school.
Really? Back it up. Okay. Local teachers, principals, and doctors see positive changes in children after the kids spend time in our program. They repeatedly recommend our program to help children find appropriate ways to express themselves. Back up and take a look under the section above, Does it work?, for testimonials about whether our program is effective or not.
Here's a short checklist of benefits that you can expect if you make the commitment and stick with regular attendance in our program.
Self-Discipline. Showing up on a schedule to train gets people in a groove learning new skills and abilities.
Self-Confidence. Developing new skills and abilities improves the impression people have of themselves and encourages them to learn more.
Focus. In order to learn more, people zero in on what is important and happening now and ignoring the distractions.
Check out the information on our "Children & Martial Arts" page. Hopefully, we do a good job explaining why martial arts is a great activity for kids that can lead to amazingly positive results.
Teens are often given a generic label of being wildly moody as if they're on an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows. They also care about what others think of them and this can dramatically influence what they think of themselves. Teen priorities include:
Identity. Teens struggle with determining who they are and what they stand for.
Self Image. This is the mental image teens have of themselves based upon their perceptions of themselves combined with how they think others perceive them — on a daily basis.
Friends. The feedback — actual or imagined — from their friends is extremely important. Sometimes this influence is helpful, sometimes it’s harmful.
Exercise Helps...A Lot. Exercise and movement helps to improve self-esteem as a dose response (the more, the better).
Leadership Skills. Martial arts training in a group also helps to develop the ability to take charge and lead others towards success for everyone.
Finding Their Swagger. In other words, they find their true voice and gifts inside themselves and using and sharing them without hesitation.
Healthy self-esteem is seeing ourselves accurately while still accepting ourselves — as we are — unconditionally."
This is very important: “Positive self-esteem is the immune system of the spirit, helping an individual face life problems and bounce back from adversity,” according to Nathaniel Branden, PhD.
Teens with high self-esteem have several key :
have better relationships with peers and adults.
feel happier about their accomplishments.
find it easier to deal with disappointments and failures.
In addition, they are more likely to ask for help and support from family and friends. They’re also more likely to do well in school, setting reasonable goals and accomplishing them.
Check out the following sections of our website for additional information about our activities and some resources that may help your family.
Feel Better. Exercise can inhibit or cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis. Any kind of movement will make you feel better: get up, get out, and do something — on a regular schedule!
Strength & Flexibility. Yongmudo relies on a variety of exercises to develop strength and flexibility. The equipment is often nothing more than our own bodies or those of our training partners. The result is that we learn how to move ourselves and other bodies with some grace and power.
Self-Defense. It’s not about being bigger, stronger, faster, or meaner than any attacker. It’s about dealing with aggression in a way that neutralizes physical, verbal, and emotional violence by controlling and redirecting the attacker’s power.
Here's a checklist of benefits that you can expect if you make the commitment and stick with regular training in our program.
Self-Confidence. Feel good about yourself and live life with less fear and more vigor.
Self-Discipline. Develop the ability to reject emotions, bad habits, and other distractions in order to achieve your goals.
Focus. Apply your energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished.
Get more details. Check out our yongmudo section and learn why yongmudo is so much fun and valuable.
A cornerstone of our program is RESPECT: respect for ourselves and respect others. The MSMAP program encourages children, teens, and adults to celebrate their own uniqueness and individuality along with the uniqueness of others through positive, healthy activities. We do not emphasize “racing” towards getting a black belt; we emphasize developing positive training habits — including social skills — to become much healthier and happier individuals. A black belt is a result of these characteristics, not the reason.
Our program is not about learning how to fight and then going out of our way looking for fights to satisfy some mistaken belief that respect is gained by hurting others. Likewise, standing up to bullies doesn't mean we need to embrace violence. Instead, our program is about using intelligence and confidence to choose an effective option to resolve conflict. We learn how to do this while having lots of healthy fun.
Along with fitness and fun, self-defense is always an important component of training with the Mount Shasta Martial Arts Program. How is self-defense connected with the curriculum of our program?
Fulfilled Life. Martial arts is about competition. And the spirit and skill of competition is the foundation of our daily lives in society especially when confronted with agressors. The origin of martial arts is coping with physical, mental, and emotional aggressors. Successfully managing these points of conflict allows us to live fulfilling lives.
Self-Respect. Therefore, martial arts, through patience and spiritual refinement (righteousness and courtesy) is self-defense against injustice. And, in addition to striving for physical, mental, and emotional well-being, self-defense provides the basis for self-respect. Respect allows the cultivation of harmony, peace, and prosperity.
Learn for yourself. It is our underlying belief that martial arts training is a positive component to a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. Although martial arts is not something that everyone enjoys, we encourage all members of our community to at least learn more and try our program before making a final assessment.
Ours is an ‘action philosophy.’ It’s establishing a belief in ourselves through training. It’s learning to act with clarity and good judgement to accomplish our goals. MSMAP puts this philosophy into practice.
Chuck Buhs
MSMAP Executive Director
& Head Instructor
Connecting with the Community
How we do it: MSMAP does not operate in a box. Involvement with schools, organizations, and people throughout the community is an important element to making our vision a reality. MSMAP works with local schools and community organizations helping to develop skills for success.
MSMAP offers several ongoing activities, events, resources, and fundraising/outreach activities. Our mission is to offer unique, useful services to the community that help individuals live a healthy, vital life.
Here's a shortlist of what we have:
Open House & Holiday Food Drive
Our unique, annual celebration of the holidays: martial arts action, raffle prizes, and food drive for the Senior Nutrition Program. It's all about sharing what we do — and what we can do — with the community. (December)
Chuseok (“Korean Thanksgiving”)
Martial arts action and authentic Korean food. This is our way of saying "Thank you" for the support we get from the community. Plus, we provide $'s for the Senior Nutrition Program — nearly $1,000 in three years. (September/October)
4th of July Demos, Mini-camp, more
Summertime fun! A booth during the street fair, parade and Fun Walk & Run action, and mini-camp. (July)
“Try It At Lunch”
An activity program at Mount Shasta Elementary School introducing children to one of the best activities in our community that helps them live vital, healthy lives. (Fall / Spring)
Taekwondo Promotion Exams
This is how people get to black belt: passing periodic exams to assess skills and knowledge. It's a step-by-step process to success. (Winter / Summer)
Taekwondo Competitions
Competition is a great opportunity to test your skills against other of similar size and rank in both forms and sparring. (Spring)
Yongmudo Competition
The UC Yongmudo Championships is a safe way to test multiple skills — kicks, punching, throws, and groundwork — in a safe venue. (Spring)
Bully FAQ
A free, online-resource explaining the causes and offering solutions to this problem. A problem that can also be a teen and adult problem.
Teen Dating Violence FAQ
Another free, online-resource. This resource goes into a lot of detail about this problem and also provides a lot of information on how to prevent and successful deal with this problem.
MSMAP fulfills its mission and achieves its goals by connecting with the community, local schools, organizations, and families. Here are some of groups we’ve connected with to educate and help people lead healthy, happy, and productive lives:
We’ve been around since 2001. Dr. Peter Halt founded MSMAP shortly after moving to Mt. Shasta from Boston, MA. He tried the very few options for martial arts in the area before organizing an informal group that quickly grew into a more formal taekwondo club activity held at the gymnastics center for five years. In 2006, the group moved into the new addition of the Wellness Center. His goal was to offer an activity where people could learn how to defend themselves through taekwondo and other martial arts training.
Improving Year-by-Year. Beginning in 2004, Chuck Buhs began visiting from Washington, DC and leading occasional taekwondo and yongmudo workouts. Two years later, he was the camp director for the 31st International Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp held in McCloud. In 2008, he moved to Mount Shasta and began working with Dr. Halt to expand the program: more hours; the move into the larger Martial Arts Center of Mount Shasta; and; offering many more activities.
Committed to Excellence. The plan was, is, and will continue to be to offer quality martial arts instruction for the community if for no other reason than kids grow up with a strong sense of self-worth with the tools to live life with enthusiasm, confidence, and respect for both themselves and others.
MSMAP makes a huge difference in this community. So many kids from exceedingly diverse lifestyles and households meet together on the mat and practice not only martial arts, but also respect, cooperation and tolerance.
Robin Weaver
How to Contribute. Our program is dependent upon the support of the community through sponsorships and private donations. The best way to support us is to take advantage of all the services we offer. Your participation is ensures that we continue to provide a proven way for children, teens, and adults to grow and prosper physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Offer your support through a generous donation in any amount...today.
If you’ve made it this far, we encourage you to explore other parts of our website to learn more about what we do and why we do it.
Training Activities
Go to: Taekwondo
Go to: Yongmudo
What We Do
Go to: Frequently Asked Questions
Go to: MSMAP Schedule
Go to: Timeline of Activities
Children
Go to: Children & Martial Arts
Go to: Children & Taekwondo
