What's wrong to be a "sport"? I feel it's pretty useless to draw a line that some martial arts are more as a sport and some more like "art", If we look a definition of sport then perhaps every martial arts style goes with that definition?
/Markku P.
Nothing is wrong with sport. You've misunderstood me, I think. I was simply expressing a sentiment similar to RalphMcPherson, in that I have heard people deride TKD as 'just a sport, not a martial art', and I have watched TKDers (including myself) deny the allegations.
But if it is possible to know NOTHING about TKD other than how to win at sparring, and earn a black belt, then, at least in those cases, the people saying TKD is just a sport are correct, and I have to concede the point.
Which doens't mean I have to start practicing TKD that way, or concede that sport is all TKD can ever be, since it can be demonstrably more, and is for most of us.
Some TKDins practice TKD as a sport only, as mentioned above, some practice only as a self defense art, some only for spiritual gain or physical fitness. Most blend those aspects to greater or lesser degree, emphasizing what they value, and de-emphasizing other components.