Friend of TKD

[terryl965]

How can we as members of this forum bring our section to life. I for one would like to see this section be more of a focus here on Martial Talk, TKD has a lot to offer the Arts in general and we as practitioners of the Art should be trying to help the outlook of our Art, we have the sport aspect of being in the Olympics and the tradition of old style TKD, we or I have always tried to open my views and opion of this Art of TKd. I notice alot of people have taken tkd so they must have some knowledge to share with every body on this forum. All ideals to help bring this section to life. I will try and will do my best to bring some info. from around the world of the Art of tkd if any body else would like to send me info. on event or info. I will help.
Terry

 

[bignick]

Terry, as someone who has been around for a while, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the evolution of TKD competition...do you feel the changes over the years have improved things or made it worse?

 

[terryl965]

big nick first off since I'am like a pioneer in the Art of TKD are you talking tradition or sport aspect or would you like to know both opions. It will take me until tommorrow to give you my inital thoughts and then so on.

Terry

 

[karatekid1975]

How about if we bring the "benifits" of TKD in this thread. I see a lot of people that don't "truely" understand TKD asking the same old questions (from a "second hand" view). How about if we (the ones from non-McDojangs) explain to them that TKD can be more than sport.

How about if we give them a QA thread about how TKD really is. And Terry, you are a 4th dan and you know better than anyone that TKD is a good art. We can fill them in on the "juicy" details

 

[terryl965]

How about if we bring the "benifits" of TKD in this thread. I see a lot of people that don't "truely" understand TKD asking the same old questions (from a "second hand" view). How about if we (the ones from non-McDojangs) explain to them that TKD can be more than sport.

How about if we give them a QA thread about how TKD really is. And Terry, you are a 4th dan and you know better than anyone that TKD is a good art. We can fill them in on the "juicy" details

That is alright with me good point Karate kid 1975
Terry

 

[Raewyn]

When I first thought of training in the Martial Arts Tae Kwon Do seemed to be the first preference. Probabaly because in my country it is a well respected sport, very well known and there are certain aspects that you could proabably adapt into a self defence. Where I train now it is based on Willie Lims Tae Kwon Do. I presume some people know about Willie Lim?? Does any one here have any information on him, or about his style??

 

[mantis]

Im already very interested in TKD
but if someone wants to bring my attention to their art i'd say show me something
maybe you can upload a video of some forms, or the cool kicks and stuff like that
i know there's lots and lots of those videos out their.
then after you get their attention talk a bit about history, forms, and most importantly kicks. and bring up issues that you have run into in your experience.

 

[Gemini]

Terry,


As mentioned above, TKD offers many different aspects and I think the problem is the stigma that has become attached to it, narrowing down people's perception of what it really is and a larger scope of what it has to offer.

IMO, it would be a good idea to address each aspect separately and in detail. Highlighting what a versitile art it really is. Maybe an indepth overview of each separate aspect of TKD. Addressing specifically, only that aspect. If done well, they could possibly even be stickied. If this sounds like something you like to take on, I would be more than happy to assist.

I would love to see a greater volume of traffic in the Korean section, but not at the expense of the quality of the posts. Yes, we do run less volume here, but we're also not inundated with rediculous threads like "TKDers can't fight" "TKD is not an art, it's only a sport" "TKD can't fight on the ground" as I've seen on so many other boards.

That's why I'm no longer on other boards, and I have no interest in bringing that crap here.

I think it's a great idea in principle and if we pull it off successfully, I'm 100% behind you.

 

[terryl965]

Gemini, I agree I do not want my art better than yours crap either. I would good old fashion decussion. I believe the Art of TKD has so much to bring to the table as a whole and I also agree about breaking the topics down one by one first topic I'm working on is Poomse the heart and soul of TKD for me and I'm talking all poomse Tae Gueks, Palgwe, and the chonji systems, I'm putting together some video of the different poomse and will be down loading them next week. Any other Ideal about topics please bring them to the table.

Thanks for your reply very thought out.

Terry

 

[Gemini]

Gemini, I agree I do not want my art better than yours crap either. I would good old fashion decussion. I believe the Art of TKD has so much to bring to the table as a whole and I also agree about breaking the topics down one by one first topic I'm working on is Poomse the heart and soul of TKD for me and I'm talking all poomse Tae Gueks, Palgwe, and the chonji systems, I'm putting together some video of the different poomse and will be down loading them next week. Any other Ideal about topics please bring them to the table.

Thanks for your reply very thought out.

Terry

That's excellent. Even the mention of the forms posted such as "What is Palgue", or "Taeguk. What is it and why?" would blow most non-TKDers' right out of their socks. (And frankly, more than a few TKDer's, too). Maybe offering a breakdown of the forms, what they represent, and how they came to be.

Given that you and I both love the sport aspect of TKD, but to think so many people believe that's all there is. We could actually do some real good here. I'm gettin' psyched.

My experience is not as extensive as yours and I'm not too familiar with chonji. Let me start with Taegeuks or Palgwe's and I'll send you what I write to proof and approve/disapprove/edit. You can take point. I'll contribute through you.

 

[terryl965]

Gemini Pm me the info. and I'll pm mine for you to proof before posting.

This is what I'm talking about working together for the good of the Art.

Terry

 

[Brad Dunne]

The core matter of TKD has already been stated. There are Two very distinct venues for TKD. First, there is the sports version, which has given rise to the non-acceptance of TKD as a legit martial art. The vast majority of TKD dojangs are of the sport version. Now the second venue is commonly called "Old School", and they are hard to find. Contrary to what lots of folks may think, old school TKD has all the elements of serious self defense. Now for this aspect of the TKD forum to expand, I feel that it must be seperated into the two venues already listed above. In my opinion, they are so removed from each other that there would be little interface, if any, that would prove to be equally beneficial to everyone. This would eliminate the normal overlapping of posts in a same thread, which tends to have threads drift off subject and lose continuity.

 

[bignick]

big nick first off since I'am like a pioneer in the Art of TKD are you talking tradition or sport aspect or would you like to know both opions. It will take me until tommorrow to give you my inital thoughts and then so on.

Terry

Both please, I'd like to hear your opinions.

And yes, I'd love to see this section grow and I'm excited about the possibilities of this thread and the things already discussed.

 

[Marginal]

The core matter of TKD has already been stated. There are Two very distinct venues for TKD. First, there is the sports version, which has given rise to the non-acceptance of TKD as a legit martial art. The vast majority of TKD dojangs are of the sport version. Now the second venue is commonly called "Old School", and they are hard to find. Contrary to what lots of folks may think, old school TKD has all the elements of serious self defense. Now for this aspect of the TKD forum to expand, I feel that it must be seperated into the two venues already listed above. In my opinion, they are so removed from each other that there would be little interface, if any, that would prove to be equally beneficial to everyone. This would eliminate the normal overlapping of posts in a same thread, which tends to have threads drift off subject and lose continuity.

I'm not so sure that'd help matters. There's really very little sport discussion on here. There's politics, and general Q&A's like "What's traditional?" There's very little discussion outside of those two groupings. Technique discussions, application, strategy etc rarely come up. (The stuff that intersts me more personally speaking) Can't see much of use coming from the sport or the traditional side on their own. "How many times do you bow to your master instructors?" vs which "hogu is right for me?" tend to fall under the general Q&A stuff, die off quickly as threads, and aren't especially interesting.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I would like to here more about how it is taught in it's native country. Not what is taught to the Go's that study there but to the people of that country (yes I am asking if the "old school "is still taught thee and how it differs from the commercial stuff sold to non citizens..

 

[Gemini]

I would like to here more about how it is taught in it's native country. Not what is taught to the Go's that study there but to the people of that country (yes I am asking if the "old school "is still taught thee and how it differs from the commercial stuff sold to non citizens..

Studying under an "old school" Korean master and having many discussions with him has given me some good insights into their style of teaching. Some things are facts. Some are not. He is an individual and shares his opinions as such. Just like anyone who posts here though, they are only opinions and personal insights. Often what he tells me is open to interpretation. He likes to throw things out there for me to chew on. He's not one to talk just to hear himself.

Here's are a few things that I know to be true. I'll throw in more where appropriate.

To point, due in no small part to the fact that it is their national art, they take it very seriously. Especially, the sport aspect.
There are no McDojangs.
They are required to serve time in the military. TKD is taught in the military.
Testing is short and exact. Even the slightest mistake can and usually is cause for failure. No gauranteed belts.

From my own experience from tournaments where Korea is represented:
They do not loose with dignity.
They do not accept defeat as a learning experience. Defeat is defeat.
They have no tolerance for lack of obedience or decipline.

These are not necessarily bad things. That's just their culture. We would have a great deal of trouble learning from them if it wasn't "commercialized".

 

[bignick]

I would like to here more about how it is taught in it's native country. Not what is taught to the Go's that study there but to the people of that country (yes I am asking if the "old school "is still taught thee and how it differs from the commercial stuff sold to non citizens..

After talking to a few Korean exchange students that used to train. They said that almost everybody trains when they are younger. It's like baseball to them...I hate baseball, but I played it when I was younger because that's what you do as a young kid in America.

They said that as you get older though, the only people that do it are the high level competitors. According to one, there isn't really the schools like we have hear where you can just go to train, even if you aren't that great....you're either serious competition material or you probably aren't training. I don't know much about McDojang's there, but they said it is extremely sport oriented. And from what I've heard it'd probably just as easy to find an "old school" gym there as it would here.

 

[arnisador]

I've heard that the military trains in TKD there and that it's very effective. But, I have no first-hand info. Still, look at how CHuck Norris came back from Korea...though that was a variant of TKD, I think?

 

[terryl965]

Both please, I'd like to hear your opinions.

And yes, I'd love to see this section grow and I'm excited about the possibilities of this thread and the things already discussed.

Firsy Big nick I'll address the sport aspect of TKD

How has it benefitted or hurt the Art itself

The sport of TKd has brought so many people to the Art, without the push from the korean government to bring attention to it number 1 pass time, know one would give it a second thought it would have been a had been before it ever got started. Bringing it to the Olympics as a Demo back in the 88 games was a push for the Art high explosive kicks and the speed that it brought to the Olympics. Now adays it has begun a chess matched not what it was intended for in my opion, the Olympic committee is giving the sport a new fround life if they can bring the action back to the level it was before becomming a Olympic sport. As far as the Art itself the sport has all but driven the Art out of it,the Martial Art community has no respect for TKD anymore with the water down programs that are available out in the western culture. We as pioneers of the Art have got to mantain a way to bring the Art along with the sport aspect as a whole. One says you cannot teach both at a high level I dis-agree. I myself have been envolved with TKD for over 25 years, I've seen them come and go and when someone fron a different style see what we teach it is said it is not TKD and my question as always been not what you see as TKD, my instructors of the Art of TKD was always trying to re-invent the wheel to better the Art itself while keeping the traditional aspect alive in it as well. The sport is not to blame, people are not to blame for the downfall of TKD, TKD is to blame for it grew way to fast for qaulity instructors to keep up with the demands of society,If the governing body's would go back and re-define the criteria's of TKD and re-educate most of there instructors with the proper knowledge of the Art it would be able to breath life back into a Art that has the ability to be as profenant as any other Art out there. Is it perfect NO, is it the mean to an end again NO, is it wroth a second look from the masses only time will tell.

All in all the sport and the art is a whole TKD seperated it and society comdemed it, we as practionals of the Art or the sport need to bring the two together for the sake of TKD.

Terry Lee Stoker

 

[MSUTKD]

In Korea:



I have seen many McDojangs.

99% of the practitioners are children and Black belts are given to them after one year.

All military members get black belt after one year.

To be a Taekwondo instructor you must be a 4th Dan. It is not considered to be a “good” job.

Forms are rarely practiced.

Testing is easy.

College Taekwondo practitioners are amazing fighters.

You will almost never see anyone practicing it for the art, ONLY the sport.

Old school Taekwondo is only taught outside the country by old Masters who left in the late 50’s and 60’s.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Korea, but we have some of the best “old school” masters here. In Korea if you are not an elite fighter you will not be practicing.

There is one group that continues to practice forms and more “art” related stuff but I have never trained with them so cannot comment. My sport friends always joke about them. I was really interested in seeing them.

ron
www.msutaekwondo.org