Maybe that is your perspective on the Olympics, that it is something that you only think about for a few days every four years, but that's isn't how any of the aspiring Olympians think. They think about the olympics everyday, and not just Taekwondoin. But obviously how they feel and what they do is no concern of yours.
Newest bombshell to drop at USAT
- Thread starter TKD_Stops_Tilt
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Maybe that is your perspective on the Olympics, that it is something that you only think about for a few days every four years, but that's isn't how any of the aspiring Olympians think. They think about the olympics everyday, and not just Taekwondoin. But obviously how they feel and what they do is no concern of yours.
The point is , just for some info. my oldest Zachary wants to make the Olympics in TKD he trains four to six hours everyday. Attends training with some of the best coaches the sport has to offer and in the end we send only two males and two females every four years. When he decides the dream is over if he never makes it I want him to also appreciate the S.D. principle of TKD as well. I will support him forever if this is what he wants but in the end if he only focus is sport competition that is all he will know.
And why would that be a bad thing?
Never said it was a bad thing, but I would like him to expand his training into all catagories of TKD as well.
He and his closests advisors have publically talked about the transition of USTC getting the NGB at some time in the future but more a case of by defalt in the hopes of developing a larger happier membership and the unspoken language while they do not wish to have any direct negative campaign against the USAT it may be given them in the case of a total colapse of the USAT or in fact because USAT and GM Lee over time will have a better relationship with KKW but since it seems KKW and WTF have grown farther apart possibly the USOC and WTF will also develop a better relationship with them. It really does not matter since I and the majority are leaning to Hanmadang and AAU type events. It would just be nice to have TKD under one roof again with fellowship for all.
There has been talk of the IOC putting presure on WTF to bring the ITF into the membership somehow in order to enlarge the base but that is another whole can of worms certainly USTC was making arrangements to accomidate the ITF with the USKKW but it would seem all that went sideways with the KKW take over.
No one has answered what ever happened to the stale mate between USAT offering and charging for skip and multiple skip dans claiming KKW sanction and then only issuing USAT certifications?
You make many good points especially from a informational basis but when it comes to total defense of sport and the Olympics and a total generalization of the Pioneers with respect I choose to disagree. I do understand your passion and you must have been contender as a fighter or had dreams of being one of he greatest so I can emphathise with your feelings but just as you do not like people to disagree with you on the basis of not having thier facts acording to yours or basless reasons it concerns me when you make the blanket acertation that TKD is majority based sport only and that any position that diminishes that in your eyes is some how wrong, or the person is uneducated or dose not know the intentions of the Pioneers seems harsh at best especially implying such opinions must come from a strip mall tkd dojang.
Yes sport has great importance especially in developing years but TKD has a large field of multiple layers that helps the whole person develop of any age and any ability. The large field of tkd is what will give a person health and healing in thier old age and life skills to the young. No one here means that those striving for Olympic Gold are less worthy or should not try. But can you not see that it has no bearing or value to the majority of poor and disavantaged youth. You see every person who may not agree that the Olympics is the holy grail of tkd as a direct threat to you personally You also state that the Olympics has improved the fighting well according to several of the original pioneers that worked hard to get it thier they lamented the fact that the quality and many techniques were poor and some in danger of being lost all together.
If there is only one TKD then thier should be room for the value of the entire art form. I think the main negative view is that yes by all means those few who have not only the abilty to train and go but also the god given genetics should but not at the cost of the 90% who are being told they have an equal chance or that they are some how less valuable if they do not go. Our main focus should be service, participation and dedication to personal training and education which you do a very fine job of posting in many cases.
Some of my students do not put forth much effort in forms or s/d all they want is to be on the "TEAM" .
I think at their age its ok, if they stick with the art they will have time to devote to these other aspects,if they don't stick around it doesn't matter anyway.
The majority of my students do not compete on a national level and they seem to be better at the all around aspects.
Now I also have quite a few students ,mostly bb's that only want to do poomse,they want to make the "TEAM".
I doubt these poomse experts will ever be fighters, so at least the good fighters may one day be good all around martial artists with good fighting skills.
I find there are niches for everyone and everyone is good at something, very few are good at it all.
No they haven't. I can tell you that USTC President Sang Lee is not interested in becoming President of USAT or anything of that nature. I specifically asked him this and he said that he already was the USTU President as well as WTF Vice President and so accepting USAT Presidency would be going backwards. I can tell you that many people have approached him and other close to him and have stated that things were much better than what we have now and that they wish he would come back. President Lee is quite flattered, but is not interested.
With the selection of GM KANG Won Sik as Kukkiwon President, Kukkiwon and WTF have grown closer. President Kang has appeared at several WTF functions. He is a Kyung Hee alumni, a University in Korea that was founded by WTF President Choue's father.
What stalemate? USAT is still issuing Kukkiwon certification, although you might have to wait a long time before they are processed. There are large issues between USAT and Kukkiwon over payment for certifications, which is yet another indication that USAT is right on the edge financially.
No problem. What is the basis of your "disagreement"?
A majority based sport only. What does that mean and when did I say that? I think you are attributing things to me that I have not said. What I have said that there is no separation between "sport" and "traditional" Taekwondo, that there is no separation and that it all falls under the name Taekwondo, and that further separation into this or that goes against the original vision of the pioneers, who tried very hard to unify Taekwondo into one. That is not the same thing that you are saying, although I can understand how you reach that conclusion. But that still does not change the fact that I never said what you say I said.
I don't disagree with any of that. What I am trying to figure out is where you got the idea that I did disagree.
There is no direct threat to me personally if you don't think that the Olympics is the holy grail of Taekwondo. What I don't like is when people look down upon athletes who are striving for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics, that they are somehow superior to our competitive practitioners who are training longer harder and more consistently than they ever would, that their two/three times a week self defense workout routine is "real Taekwondo" and the competitive athlete's focus is not.
I do take issue with that just as I would take issue with the idea that the our special operation forces in the US military are somehow not real military, because their hair is longer or they are unshaven and don't engage in rifle twirling or close order drill. Those special forces soldiers aren't looking down at those that do twirl rifles, so why can't the rifle twirlers show the same respect? They are all in the military aren't they, in the same army, so aren't they all soldiers? THAT is my point, that it is all one Army no matter what your specialty, not the point that you are trying to make.
I don't disagree. Why do you think that I do, because I defend the special operations units by saying they are part of the army too, that it is all one army no matter what unit you serve in?
I agree. Again, why do you think I disagree?
Exactly. And the ones who are good at more than one area often times specialized in one particular area before moving on to another area. Nothing wrong with focusing on different aspects of Taekwondo during different parts of the journey.
Early on, I, like most people of my era, wanted self defense knowledge. We trained in martial arts, not because our parents signed us up for discipline, but because we wanted to learn how to fight. So to that end, I studied several styles at the same time, in an effort to create my own MMA. And I got criticized for it.
Later, after reaching a state where I felt like I could defend myself against 99% of what was out there who would attack me, I found that I had the hardest time against taekwondo competitors, due to their footwork. So I made a conscious decision to focus my taekwondo studies solely on competition sparring and stopped forms completely. And I was criticized for that because I was "sport" only and was ignoring all of the traditions of Taekwondo.
Then the Kukkiwon opened up the Instructor Course to non-Korean, which to me signaled a new and coming emphasis on poomsae, so I started focusing in on poomsae only, and I was criticized for that as well, advocating the short narrow stance and other things.
Now, I am focusing or trying to focus on the higher level thinking, understanding the pioneers and more importantly the why of what they did, and now when I attempt to explain their point of view, I get criticized again.
The consistent pattern? Me focusing on an area, and getting criticized for it, by those who cannot or choose not to understand what I am trying to do. So, having been criticized and judged for almost my entire martial arts career, I can honestly say that I really don't care about what others think. And if I did care, then I wouldn't have done all the crazy things that I did to get to where I am, and instead I would be doing the same things everyone else is doing, and thinking the same thoughts that everyone else is thinking.
Sometimes people forget that a martial arts journey is a personal journey of self realisation. We are all critics and being criticized in all manner of things. Funny how what you say about your journey is the same as the journey of life as we age.
You tell us what brought you to TKD,why did you stick with it. You are high ranked in Hapkido as well so the KMA's are your main study,yet your origins would seem to lead you down another path.I hope this is not too personal,if so feel free to disregard.I am leading us way off topic as it is.
You tell us what brought you to TKD,why did you stick with it. You are high ranked in Hapkido as well so the KMA's are your main study,yet your origins would seem to lead you down another path.I hope this is not too personal,if so feel free to disregard.I am leading us way off topic as it is.
Nothing more to say to me? Did I strike a nerve with you?
Yes, this is a public forum. Anyone interested in my minority opinion of the olympics is welcome to come here to read it. You came here after your website was mentioned. Any athlete is free to do the same. You really didn't address the thrust of my posts; you just spouted off about sincerity of the athletes (something that I do not question and have not questioned in any post that I have made on this board).
But I suppose we have nothing further to discuss.
Oh, sorry, apparently, you did have more to say.
You should read what you respond to more carefully before you respond. Or resist the urge to respond with knee jerk posts.
Obviously, the athletes who dream of going to the olympics don't feel that way and probably do think about it everyday. People tend to do that with regards to their dreams and personal goals.
However, I wasn't talking about athletes. I was talking about people who watch the olympics (hardly any of whom watch taekwondo in the olympics, as it isn't televised). Though that was pretty obvious in my post. However, my perspective on the olympics is not related to the feelings of the viewers.
I've already indicated why I am not a fan of the olympics, none of which has to do with the athletes. I stated that those things occur at the athletes expense.
I also stated that my opinion of the olympics is my opinion, nothing more. Feel free to disagree with it. Obviously, the olympics is your thing and you feel very strongly about it. Thats great (seriously, not sarcastically); you're a fine advocate for taekwondo in the olympics on this board and your views are well articulated.
Daniel
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