Aaron Cook #1 Welterweight in the World!

[Gorilla]

But you do resent the fact that he wins so much.

I resent the fact the fact he fights so little!!!

Diana Lopez has changed my mind by fighting!!! I really have regained respect for her because she fought allot in 2010 after an injury! She could have packed it in and quit. I will be hoping that she wins a gold medal in 2012!

Steven Lopez is a great fighter...He is very public image savy... He does not take risks in his fights and that carries over to when he fights also.

Aaron cook is a risk taker and a great athlete. He is also very charming and engaging. He will do more for TKD than Steven as long as he promotes the sport and himself. He promotes the sport by fighting. Steven motivations are self preservation. Steven will take a picture with your kid he understands how important that is but all his decisions are selfish in nature. Steven doesn't think of the Sport! If Steven thought of the sport he would fight at the US Open. He could inspire young athletes in our sport if they could see him fight(US OPEN). Instead my kids saw Levent Tuncat fight(2008) and Aaron Cook (2009). Thus they are inspired by them not Steven Lopez.

 

[texkwondo]

I am just awe'd by how professional their open looks. TV broadcast with commentary, raised ring with fans in stands and no one on the floor.

Have someone blind fold you and bring you to the US Open and take off the blind fold and you would think you are just at any other tournament. Fighters, coaches, relatives, and the homeless all over the arena floor. Just a world of difference.

This looks like something that should be on TV. Fighters become more focused as they know all eyes are on them. The U.S. better get it together.

I think part of it is financial, and part of it is size. US Open is a huge event. When you have 90 or 100 competitors in each weight class, all you are really concerned about is getting through the matches in a timely fashion, and don't put too much into how pretty the set up looks. The venue has to be huge as well. Decorating up something of that size would cost a lot. Much more than the USAT is willing to shell out.

 

[Gorilla]

I think part of it is financial, and part of it is size. US Open is a huge event. When you have 90 or 100 competitors in each weight class, all you are really concerned about is getting through the matches in a timely fashion, and don't put too much into how pretty the set up looks. The venue has to be huge as well. Decorating up something of that size would cost a lot. Much more than the USAT is willing to shell out.

I am not sure how large the British Open is but I believe it is not a small tournament.

The USAT could set up 1 or 2 rings like that for the finals. Which is what I believe the British did!

 

[Tez3]

Lists of competitors. The event went over two days.
http://www.ma-regonline.com/tournam...A-Class-International-Taekwondo-Championships

Alot of countries national teams members were there. can't see any Americans though?

 

[texkwondo]

I am not sure how large the British Open is but I believe it is not a small tournament.

The USAT could set up 1 or 2 rings like that for the finals. Which is what I believe the British did!

British Open had 604 competitors last time.

I don't see 2010 stats for US, but 2009 had 1,741 competitors.

USAT simply can not and will not finance a professional looking competition with raised rings and everything. They also do not hold competitions in stadium like settings. They are usually held in convention centers.

 

[ATC]

Lists of competitors. The event went over two days.
http://www.ma-regonline.com/tournam...A-Class-International-Taekwondo-Championships

Alot of countries national teams members were there. can't see any Americans though?

I even like their registration website vs. USAT's

604 competitors (BO) vs. 1199 competitors (USO). Almost 2 - 1 but still 604 competitors is a large event even by U.S. standards.

Oh and Stephen Lambdin from the US competed and won his division +87Kg.

Can't wait for my kids to start competing international. Me and Master Suh just talked about this the other day. Fun stuff to come.

 

[Tez3]

British Open had 604 competitors last time.

I don't see 2010 stats for US, but 2009 had 1,741 competitors.

USAT simply can not and will not finance a professional looking competition with raised rings and everything. They also do not hold competitions in stadium like settings. They are usually held in convention centers.

I think you may want to compare it to country size, instead of this we do it bigger thing you seem to have going on. Take it in proportion to the size of the population. It was also good enough for many national teams to come and play.

It's not hard to have a decent competition here, that's what sports stadiums and arenas are for. Sky television would have paid a considerable sum of money to broadcast the competition, Sky is the biggest satellite provider here, its a big organisation, it's the one that has all the big films, programmes, series on. ( Hey Oz ,it's showing the Ashes live where England win! Starts tonight for us) It also showed the World Judo Championships recently. Looking at the UK TKD site they are also being funded by the Sport GB, they are taking the Olympic thing seriously and giving grants to enable athletes to compete.

Here, it would be easy to set up a competition like that, even with a thousand or more competitiors, I've been to BJJ comps that are the same set up. I've run MMA fight nights and a comp like this is easy and not as expensive as you'd imagine especially if you are a big organisation. The key word for these things is organisation, it you can do that it doesn't matter how many you have competitors you have.

 

[miguksaram]

British Open had 604 competitors last time.

I don't see 2010 stats for US, but 2009 had 1,741 competitors.

USAT simply can not and will not finance a professional looking competition with raised rings and everything. They also do not hold competitions in stadium like settings. They are usually held in convention centers.

I believe it is an issue of "will not" than "can not". ISKA US Open, a sport martial art event is a fair size competition which may have the equivalent numbers of the USAT US Open, yet every year they are able to get coverage from ESPN. Why? Simple they did the ground work to make it happen.

So size of the tournament is not an issue, funds should not be an issue (ISKA US Open wasn't always a big event, but they were able to do it), the issue is motivation to make it happen.

 

[Gorilla]

British Open had 604 competitors last time.

I don't see 2010 stats for US, but 2009 had 1,741 competitors.

USAT simply can not and will not finance a professional looking competition with raised rings and everything. They also do not hold competitions in stadium like settings. They are usually held in convention centers.

The USAT could and should hold more professional competitions. The US Opens(in Las Vegas) have been more of an anomaly. The US Open that we attended in New Orleans was about the same size as the British Open!!!! The USAT would have to be committed to the development of the Sport. The USAT is committed to the development of the Lopez group and their friends and Peak Performance(Juan Moreno) and his friends. Bringing a more professional look to our sport might bring in more competition which may in turn threaten the stranglehold that they have on our SPORT!

The only people in TKD who support the current state of things in our NGB are those who benefit from the patronage that the USAT bestows on these Two Organizations.

I would like to point out that the USA Athletes that attended the 2010 British Open are from Team Jiro Scot Fuji's team a part of the Progression. Steven Lambdin won a Gold Medal. Steve also won a Gold Medal at the Spanish Open. I saw his fights in Spain he was quite impressive. He as won several international events. This year and in the past.

It was stated by other posters that he has not won anything Internationally this could not be farther from the truth!

And By the Way Steven Lambdin defeated MICKAEL BOROT French National Team Member and the 2008 Olympian who replaced Pasqual Gentil.

 

[Tez3]

The USAT could and should hold more professional competitions. The US Opens(in Las Vegas) have been more of an anomaly. The US Open that we attended in New Orleans was about the same size as the British Open!!!! The USAT would have to be committed to the development of the Sport. The USAT is committed to the development of the Lopez group and their friends and Peak Performance(Juan Moreno) and his friends. Bringing a more professional look to our sport might bring in more competition which may in turn threaten the stranglehold that they have on our SPORT!

The only people in TKD who support the current state of things in our NGB are those who benefit from the patronage that the USAT bestows on these Two Organizations.

I would like to point out that the USA Athletes that attended the 2010 British Open are from Team Jiro Scot Fuji's team a part of the Progression. Steven Lambdin won a Gold Medal. Steve also won a Gold Medal at the Spanish Open. I saw his fights in Spain he was quite impressive. He as won several international events. This year and in the past.

It was stated by other posters that he has not won anything Internationally this could not be farther from the truth!

And By the Way Steven Lambdin defeated MICKAEL BOROT French National Team Member and the 2008 Olympian who replaced Pasqual Gentil.

Looking at the amount of national teams that were at the UK comp that sounds like pretty good going!

 

[Gorilla]

Oh gosh. Don't believe what you read on the internet. I don't know where this idea that Steven is cocky came from. Mark, hell yes. Jean, absolutely. Diana, a little. But Steven? Not at all. Oh gosh the ignorance

And by the way this is a direct quote of Steven's after he lost to the Italian in 2008 Olympics

"They know the power we have as a family and bringing limelight to our sport.” Steven Lopez

Sounds pretty cocky and arrogant to me!!!!!

 

[terryl965]

And by the way this is a direct quote of Steven's after he lost to the Italian in 2008 Olympics

"They know the power we have as a family and bringing limelight to our sport.” Steven Lopez

Sounds pretty cocky and arrogant to me!!!!!

Well the only place they have power is in the USAT, that is because everybody there kisses there behinds about everything.

 

[Gorilla]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...Cook-still-has-Steven-Lopez-in-his-sights.htm

Quotes from the above article it appears that Aaron feels that Lopez has been dodging him also!!!!


Cook will have few chances to face Lopez in the build-up the London Olympics as the elusive American picks and chooses his competitions very carefully.

Realistically, the next opportunity for Cook will be at next year’s World Championships in South Korea, the home of taekwondo.

“I’ve been to a few competitions where he’s been at but he’s dodged me a bit. I’m sure we’ll meet again – maybe at the worlds and Olympics,” Cook adds
.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to stop Steven Lopez at the worlds – no one has done that in 10 years at a World Championships.”

 

[Gorilla]

One of my all-time Taekwondo favorites is the no-flash rock steady Hadi Saei of Iran and I was disappointed he and Steve Lopez never got to duke it out at the Beijing Olympics, in what I think would have been a fantastic bout, loaded with lots of diplomatic tension and intrigue. What do you folks think would have been the outcome of a final between the two? How would have Saei -- in his prime -- performed against Cook?

Hadi Saei was on the top of his game! He would have beaten Lopez that day. Two great fighters.

We have not seen Aaron's prime yet! Interesting question. At this point I think Lopez and Saei are better in their prime than Cook is right now(before his prime). If Cook progresses he will surpass both of them. He will not be able to put together the run that Lopez did 5 World Championships and 3 Olympic Medals because the competition is getting much better.

The quality of athlete in TKD is going to double over the Next 6 years. It is going to be hard for the athlete of 2012 to compete with the athlete of 2016 and beyond.

 

[Gorilla]

Well the only place they have power is in the USAT, that is because everybody there kisses there behinds about everything.

It has lead the Lopez's to a feeling of entitlement. The actions of the Lopez's and the support they are given by the USAT has them acting like the have the right to win. You get the feeling that they take offense to anyone who would attempt to beat them. This is a problem because Jean is a National Team Coach and with that attitude how can he really develop TKD in the USA! Everything they do is to gain advantage(Team Selection Camps ETC...) That is why we are getting passed by countries like Mexico and England.