Korean Karate Taekwondo...uh??

[MissTwisties]

Ok, good news, I did register my little 5 yrs old daughter tonight in a Taekwondo academy (US Academy of Martial Arts, East Longmeadow MA). I got a pocket with infos and general infos along with the uniform they gave me. As I come home later, I sit on my couch and start reading their flyers...in different paragraphs, they call what they teach to the children "Karate", and in other sentences, they call it "Taekwondo". In one sentence, I read these words in this exact order, and I quote: "Self-Defense: Our program is based on Korean Karate Tae Kwon Do and is designed so that smaller and weaker people such as children and women can defend themself against someone stronger than themselves...."

So like, I am confused right now. I thought Karate and Tae Kwon Do were two different martial arts, they don't even come from the same country. I read again in a different paragraph: "Taekwondo Karate works on your major muscle groups like no oher activity can."

So my question is...I've never seen so far "Taekwondo" and "Karate" in the same sentence, being a martial art in itself, since the few days I have been reading your message boards or surfing the net in search of infos on different martial arts...is there such a thing as "Karate Taekwondo"??

Thank you.

 

[Brad Dunne]

One of the roots to Tae Kwon Do comes from Shotokan Karate, which is Japanese. To make a long story short, when the Korean Instructors first started coming to America to teach, they used the term karate. There are still a few of the older instructors around who have schools and still use the term karate. The early days of Tae Kwon Do's start, it was referenced as Korean karate. I would not worry about the terminology being used, it's not meant to confuse people, even though at times it does.

 

[MissTwisties]

Master Han came indeed from Korea years ago. He has been doing martial arts since a little boy, he said. I believe he is about 35 yrs old now. So maybe that's why he is using that term. I was starting to wonder in what type of martial arts exactly I put my daughter in...this is all new to me, and I want to learn. Lot of terminology, techniques, styles, etc...enough to feel dizzy!

 

[TigerWoman]

Well, just learn it slowly, like the rest of us in Taekwondo. The more I learned from my kids doing it, the more I wanted to do it for myself...but I joined thinking I was just going to be a white belt. haha! It then became a great opportunity to strengthen our ties especially in the teen years.

Karate is a term most people know but Taekwondo is getting more known because of the Olympics. Alot of schools throw it together as someone else said its roots come from there. But there are alot of different styles of Karate and different styles of Taekwondo too. What style is the new school? If her first form is Chunji, its probably ITF, if its Kibon Hyung or Taegeuk 1, its probably WTF. There are differences in the way that Taekwondo is taught but I don't think it matters too much. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. You are a good mother to get involved and try to understand it. TW

 

[bignick]

As others have said, Korean Karate was basically a generic name for what is now usually called tae kwon do. In fact, my judo instructor studied some tae kwon do back in the 70's and 80's and the school was still using the japanese terminology. There will be a lot of eccentricities from school to school but as long as it's a good atmosphere and it seems like a good school, it's no big deal...

As they say, different strokes....

 

[MissTwisties]

I believe it is a "WTF" school...which means...World Taekwondo Federation, right? (the WTF abbreviation is somewhat funny...always meant something else to me...lol)

 

[MissTwisties]

She got her uniform yesterday, she look soooo cute in it!! Today is her first day at school, for half an hour. It's gonna be fun to watch her!

 

[glad2bhere]

There ya go!!! Thats the place to focus right now!

You have the rest of your life to learn all about the various in-s and out-s of history, politics and language that have shaped Korean Martial Arts. You are learning TKD which has a connection to Shotokan, and right now thats about all you have to worry about. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[Miles]

She got her uniform yesterday, she look soooo cute in it!! Today is her first day at school, for half an hour. It's gonna be fun to watch her!

How did it go? Did your daughter enjoy herself?

Miles

 

[Jim Tindell]

When I first started taking TKD, our school's logo had the words "Karate Team" written on it. This always confused me, and I was always too intimidated to question my instructor's use of the term.

Now that I am an instructor myself, after all of these years, I finally got the opportunity to ask my now-Master instructor the reasoning behind the term. He laughed, and said it was just because at the time, nobody was familiar with Taekwondo, but if you said Karate, they would get the idea. Our school's name was always Northwoods Taekwondo, but the Karate Team sub-heading gave people the idea of what it "exactly" was.

We no longer have "Karate Team" in our logo. I believe we got rid of it quite a long time ago, but I can't remember for sure. Oh well, it sure sent my Master Instructor and I through a nostalgia trip! Oh, the good ol' days!

 

[MichiganTKD]

40-50 years ago, it was not uncommon to see Karate instructors advertizing their schools as "Judo Karate". The two are unrelated. But people in America at least were acquainted with Judo. Nobody knew about Karate.
Same with Tae Kwon Do 30-40 years ago. Many people knew about karate by then, but TKD was new and unfamiliar. Therefore, many instructors Korean and otherwise advertised their class as "Tae Kwon Do Karate" or "Korean Karate", using terms people were familiar with. It is not as common now since many if not most people have heard of Tae Kwon Do.

 

[deadhand31]

There is a TKD chain in Wisconsin that has the term "Karate" in their store windows. I believe it's an ITF affiliate. I once had an oppurtunity to ask the instructor of the local school why this is. He stated that even though TKD is the core art, he likes to mix Muay Thai, Judo, Hapkido, and several different types of weapons. He felt that this mixture made more of a "Karate" cirriculum, but he wanted to retain his ITF affiliation.
An instructor from ANOTHER branch said it was because more people knew the term "karate" than tae kwon do.
Basically, if you really wanna know, ask the instructor.

 

[Jim Tindell]

Where in Wisconsin?

 

[deadhand31]

The local branch I was referring to was in West Bend. It's called "The Academy of Martial Arts". The other instructor I spoke with worked out of the Grafton location. The school is all over the place, with Wisconsin branches in Middleton, Sheboygan, and Mequon as well.

 

[MissTwisties]

Well you can laugh at me if you want, but I had a few tears rolling down my cheeks because I was so happy to see her enjoying herself so much yesterday!! The kids were having a killing time!! They set up an obstacle traject (how do you say that?), and the kids were doing roll overs, going under a little bridge made of big cushions, going under a pole, running between cones, etc.. and they were yelling KIA KIA KIA KIA!!!! while doing it. They also started to practice kicking on a thin piece of plastic paper sheet that the instructors were holding. They have the kids bow to their Master, but also they turn around, and the Master tell them to bow to their parents and thank them for bringing them to TKD class...lol I was laughing watching them, it was so fun and so cute. She look forward going back asap, but unfortunatly, we have to wait til the next day, and let me tell you, half an hour goes by too quick!! After one month, she should get her "white belt", and the sessions will go up to 45 minutes. She got one stripe drawned on her belt at the end of this class, and the Master wrote her name in Korean on her kimono top.

 

[Jim Tindell]

That's great to know! Glad you both enjoyed yourselves!

 

[MichiganTKD]

Well you can laugh at me if you want, but I had a few tears rolling down my cheeks because I was so happy to see her enjoying herself so much yesterday!! The kids were having a killing time!! They set up an obstacle traject (how do you say that?), and the kids were doing roll overs, going under a little bridge made of big cushions, going under a pole, running between cones, etc.. and they were yelling KIA KIA KIA KIA!!!! while doing it. They also started to practice kicking on a thin piece of plastic paper sheet that the instructors were holding. They have the kids bow to their Master, but also they turn around, and the Master tell them to bow to their parents and thank them for bringing them to TKD class...lol I was laughing watching them, it was so fun and so cute. She look forward going back asap, but unfortunatly, we have to wait til the next day, and let me tell you, half an hour goes by too quick!! After one month, she should get her "white belt", and the sessions will go up to 45 minutes. She got one stripe drawned on her belt at the end of this class, and the Master wrote her name in Korean on her kimono top.

She should have been a white belt from the first day.

Be careful of Tae Kwon Do classes for kids that are really glorified babysitting services. While martial arts for kids should be fun and enjoyable, there's a difference between a class that is fun and one that is essentially Romper Room.

 

[glad2bhere]

You know, this week alone I have had three calls from parents who want to know what I charge to teach their little darlings Yon Mu Kwan Hapkido. Now, I could be wrong but I understand that some of these child day care centers charge a couple hundred dollars a month. Furthermore, they need to be licensed, inspected and regulated. I wonder if these parents would be so all-fired anxious to have their little dears learn how to break someones' body if Martial Arts schools charged the same as daycare centers because THEY TOO needed to be licensed, inspected and regulated? Isn't that really what the parents are looking for--- cheap babysitting between the time Johnny and Janie get out of school and the time mommy can get home to make dinner and supervise their behavior around the house?

Excuse me, but I have been getting that magazine from John Graden for a little while now and while he talks about teaching Martial Arts, his method for keeping the bills paid is to simply sell babysitting services under the guise of Martial arts instruction. Is this the face of martial commerce? Moreover, is this the face of Martial Arts future in America? And how is it that I am getting these calls so soon after receiving a campaign by folks who want to market to me a program for setting up these ersatz baby-sitting services? I honestly don't want to rain on anyones' parade, especially a mother who is ecstatic about her little sweetie's nice experience. Just know that the whole time your child is cutsey, the guy running the school may have 30 years in MA, and maybe 20 years in Hapkido. And maybe he has standing in at least two different Korean martial arts and is gritting his teeth behind that smile as he prostitutes an art he loves in order to keep the bills paid. Thoughts? Comments?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[ajs1976]

MissTwisties' daughter is only five years old. even though she is probably a very mature 5 year old, I doubt she is ready to start learning forms, one-steps and sparring. The important part right now is that her daughter is enjoying the class.

My master has one of these pre-school classes. I think he describes it as a gym class with a Taekwondo feel. Even though the kids are not training in the traditional sense, the games that they are playing help to build skills that will help them when they progress to the next class.

Your right, some parents do leave and treat the classes like daycare, but like MissTwisties, most parents stay and watch. After class they will ask the instructor what they can do to help their child.

A number of these parents will start training. About half the adults in my class, started because they have kids that train.

 

[MissTwisties]

? I'm not sure if I understand the posts I just finished reading...? Do I understand right and that some of you are trying to say that I'm bringing my daughter to taekwondo classes only because I need "babysitting" services?? Let me for once, let you know about one thing: I am a Massachusetts licensed daycare provider MYSELF. I do daycare ALL DAY. I'm bringing my 5 yrs old daughter to TaeKwonDo classes twice a week, where she will learn sparing, techniques, forms and what not. They have a little dragons classes, but my daughter is not even part of it, because they want only 3-4 yrs old in that class. They told me to put her in regular kids class for beginners, where the age range from 5 to older kids (I've seen a little girl that seemed to be around 8-9 yrs old). I'm doing it FOR HER, not for me, and I will always stay and watch, never leave her. I do the same with my oldest, she goes to soccer twice a week, and I stay there to watch her. If anything else, I'm getting more tired doing this for them, because that means I'm out 4 times a week for them, instead of staying home after a long day and try to relax. But if they are happy, I am.

My youngest has a white belt now, but from what I "think" I understood, there is a different white belt after this one? Anyway...last time we were there, they did that obstacle traject yes, but they also did fist and feet kicking movements (sorry, don't know either yet how you call it).
I just don't understand how my message about my daughter being happy going to a Taekwondo class turned into "the parents are bringing their kids to be babysat by a Master who need to pay his bills" (again, that's what I understood but I hope I'm wrong). Let me tell you, the Master do not seem to be poor. His school is PACKED. His wife is american and seem to be THE business entity in there. It's a big dojo, and apparently from what I heard, they are building another one elsewhere to have more dojos...