Having recently gotten a cable modem, I've discovered youtube & their many clips of TKD of all kinds. I've been watching a lot of the Olympic matches from 2004.
I started TKD before the use of head gear & hogus weren't used in sparring. I trained in suburban Chicago & 2 time Olympic silver medalist Juan Moreno was "that good young fighter" but no one special. One of the BB's at my dojang was 2nd in the World Championships in 1981. My 1st instructor was "old school" & the Olympic style wasn't his idea of TKD. "Olympic style" wasn't part of my training. Although I did get a front row seat for the '88 Korean Olympic team's tour of the US when they stopped in Illinois. (Their "lucky" American opponents musta thought they were hit by a truck! Think the Harlem Globetrotters using their feet!)
I like the Art, SD, & 5 tenents part of TKD. But, I must say these folks are really great atheletes! The arguement over what style is "best" is silly. The only thing I'd say we should add to Olympic TKD is for them to do Poomsae, also. (Like compulsary (sp?) figures in ice skating) That would make it a more well-rounded event for me.
I don't want to make this a this vs. that arguement thread. But just to get ideas from folks about the positive parts of Olympic style & connections with the other parts of TKD.
I started TKD before the use of head gear & hogus weren't used in sparring. I trained in suburban Chicago & 2 time Olympic silver medalist Juan Moreno was "that good young fighter" but no one special. One of the BB's at my dojang was 2nd in the World Championships in 1981. My 1st instructor was "old school" & the Olympic style wasn't his idea of TKD. "Olympic style" wasn't part of my training. Although I did get a front row seat for the '88 Korean Olympic team's tour of the US when they stopped in Illinois. (Their "lucky" American opponents musta thought they were hit by a truck! Think the Harlem Globetrotters using their feet!)
I like the Art, SD, & 5 tenents part of TKD. But, I must say these folks are really great atheletes! The arguement over what style is "best" is silly. The only thing I'd say we should add to Olympic TKD is for them to do Poomsae, also. (Like compulsary (sp?) figures in ice skating) That would make it a more well-rounded event for me.
I don't want to make this a this vs. that arguement thread. But just to get ideas from folks about the positive parts of Olympic style & connections with the other parts of TKD.