Michael Broadwater

"This is a great opportunity for our county," said Michael Broadwater, head of the Grantsville Taekwondo studio.

Michael Broadwater, owner and head instructor at Grantsville Tae Kwon Do, has several families taking classes together at the Grantsville studio.Broadwater has been practicing martial arts for 20 years and has found camaraderie in teaching classes to the community.

"The people who decide to do tae kwon do and other martial arts are a good-spirited group of people," he said.

Broadwater teaches Olympic-style tae kwon do, which gives students a chance to improve their physical and mental techniques through tournaments around the state.

"The sparring technique is a chess game," he said."It's one person against another and you have to think ahead."

Broadwater teaches his students to apply the principles learned in his studio to all areas of their lives, pushing them to be more disciplined in their schoolwork and more respectful in their personal relationships.

"It teaches students to look for the better side of every issue," he said.

The principles taught in tae kwon do are an underlying current in all martial arts, including judo and karate.

"I think today respect is a big thing in our society," Broadwater said "A lot of kids attitudes' focus on what they think they need instead of focusing on respecting others and what others need."

"The students were really happy, they did a really good job," said Michael Broadwater, head of the Grantsville Taekwondo Studio."It was a great experience for both the students and the community."

The high number of medals gave Grantsville a second-place finish at the state tournament.The school also took home an award for "Most Competitive."

"I expect everybody to do very well at nationals," Broadwater said.