Steve and Betsy Schwettman are the people behind Altitude Martial Arts, providing martial arts training at the Gilpin County Community Center. They currently offer training in Taekwondo, as well as a junior martial arts program for children ages 4-6 called Kinder Kicks. The Schwettmans are currently exploring other offerings such as Cardio Kickboxing and Self-Defense Seminars.
Both Steve and Betsy Schwettman have years of martial arts experience under their belts. Steve says, “My wife and I are Black Belts in the Gilpin Martial Arts system, so we are continuing a program that has been offered for over 30 years in this area.”
He continues, “Our instructors, Master Imy Rich and Master Jim Beasley, have both continued their involvement, attending many of our classes to help bring out the best in all of our students. We are also a member of the Mountain Academy of Martial Arts system of Taekwondo schools, which is headquartered in Lakewood. This means that our students have access to instructors from several Front Range martial arts schools, and can compete in tournaments with students from across the Denver metro area.”
They have not only continued the business, but their experience makes the classes even better. It has not always been an easy journey.
Gilpin County has operated a martial arts program for over 30 years. When the Gilpin County Community Center reopened after the pandemic closure, many fitness classes and other programs had to be restructured to operate by independent contractors because of budget considerations.
Steve says, “As Black Belts in Gilpin’s Taekwondo program, my wife and I both knew that keeping the program alive was the right thing to do. I had been a vice president of a software corporation before starting my own technology consulting business in 2001. My experience operating a business for 20 years has helped to relaunch Gilpin’s Martial Arts program despite the difficulties inherent in operating as an independent business.”
People working with the Schwettmans include Master Imy Rich, who has 25 years of Taekwondo training and is a certified Pilates instructor. Also working with Altitude is Master Jim Beasley, who has 25 years of Taekwondo and is a Tai Chi instructor. They are also members of the Colorado Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo Association, led by Grandmaster John Rankin. Grandmaster Rankin is an eighth degree Taekwondo Association Grandmaster.
They are all working hard to keep the business alive and to give participants the best possible experience. Seeing the faces when they advance in both experience and belt color is all worth it, say the Schwettmans.
The instructors also work towards being the best teachers they can be by continuing to train in multiple martial art systems, regularly attending seminars and self-defense training. They then bring the sum of that knowledge home to their classes here in Gilpin. They are always seeking out new training methods that increase the fun factor and keep every step of the process exciting for the students.
The pandemic shut down all activities at the Gilpin Community Center, and many of the former students moved away during that time. Due to the nature of Taekwondo training, the more students involved, the more fun the experience is for everyone. To get back to a pre-pandemic stage, more people must enroll to get the program back to a rolling status while still having innovative ways to move along in the process.
Steve says, “In the future, we hope to have enough participation that we can offer classes in focus areas such as self-defense, cardio kickboxing, and even split our Taekwondo classes by age groups. We’re seeing a resurging interest in Taekwondo all over the country, as the pandemic seems to have caused a mental shift toward a more healthy lifestyle.
“We hope that others will discover what my family has: that the balanced full-body workout and stretching that you receive in Taekwondo, as well as the mental benefits, are great for all ages.”
So what’s stopping you from this great experience?
They are located at 250 Norton Drive, Black Hawk, inside the Gilpin County Community Center. If you are interested in seeing a bit of what they can do, you can find them on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/MountainAdventures1. You can also contact them through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AltitudeMA or at the website https://www.AltitudeMA.com/.
Sponsored by Gilpin County Commissioners, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
