Purely American additions to Tae Kwon Do

Jphtkd

Orange Belt
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
95
Reaction score
3
Might just be a rumor, but I heard they were adding drive-thru windows to all ATA locations.
 

Jphtkd

Orange Belt
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
95
Reaction score
3
My favorite part is that they rename the weapons something in korean, as if they were not stolen from the japanese or okinawan styles.
 

granfire

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Messages
15,980
Reaction score
1,594
Location
In Pain
My favorite part is that they rename the weapons something in korean, as if they were not stolen from the japanese or okinawan styles.


Better a good steal than a bad invention!
 

clfsean

Senior Master
MT Mentor
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jun 15, 2004
Messages
3,687
Reaction score
400
Location
Metropolitan Tokyo
Better a good steal than a bad invention!

True but at least acknowledge the origins & say we did "this" to make it better or ours. Not a complete fabrication or ignoring of the truth when it staring at you...
 

miguksaram

Master of Arts
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Messages
1,971
Reaction score
32
Location
Aurora, IL
True but at least acknowledge the origins & say we did "this" to make it better or ours. Not a complete fabrication or ignoring of the truth when it staring at you...

What fabrication are they saying? Where can you find it on their sites?
 

clfsean

Senior Master
MT Mentor
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jun 15, 2004
Messages
3,687
Reaction score
400
Location
Metropolitan Tokyo
What fabrication are they saying? Where can you find it on their sites?

Not any one group in particular, but the acknowledged culture of "borrowing" things... and not giving proper credit for the origin, then ignoring the originating culture altogether or creating a back story to fill the necessary sense of cultural importance.
 

dortiz

Black Belt
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
667
Reaction score
23
Location
Northern VA
Oh there are plenty,
Judo became Yudo, Kendo became Kumdo, HD Gumdo appeared out of thin air (kuk sool) Hwarang Do born of Monks and caves ; )
Thats not even touching on about 5 monk styles which are now all the rage. Witha liitle bit of looking one could make a list about 20 or so long quite easily.

Dave O.

Mind you, thats what I love about the Koreans. So for me it is what it is.
 

miguksaram

Master of Arts
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Messages
1,971
Reaction score
32
Location
Aurora, IL
Oh there are plenty,
Judo became Yudo, Kendo became Kumdo, HD Gumdo appeared out of thin air (kuk sool) Hwarang Do born of Monks and caves ; )
Thats not even touching on about 5 monk styles which are now all the rage. Witha liitle bit of looking one could make a list about 20 or so long quite easily.

Dave O.

Mind you, thats what I love about the Koreans. So for me it is what it is.

Yudo and Kumdo are Korean pronunciations based on the Chinese kanji of the arts. They did not change them to be specifically Korean origin. Koreans recognize that these are Japanese in origin so I am not sure they would be included in your little list. As for HDK and HRD, I would agree that they do a nice mixture of fact mixed with fabrication. What are the 5 monk styles?
 

dortiz

Black Belt
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
667
Reaction score
23
Location
Northern VA
Sadly I know plenty of folks who now swear they are and were independent. I agree with you but can only point out what I now see.
Heck in Hapkido Myung wrote in his first book that Choi came out of a cave after 9 years with the art. Its just everywhere. In TKD there are more teachers claiming its 2000 years old and telling tales of Hwarang warriors and Monks passing it down then teachers talking about Mas Oyama and others studying Japanese Karate.

Dave O.
 

clfsean

Senior Master
MT Mentor
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jun 15, 2004
Messages
3,687
Reaction score
400
Location
Metropolitan Tokyo
Heck in Hapkido Myung wrote in his first book that Choi came out of a cave after 9 years with the art.

Dang...

Choi on par with Dat Mo...

Choi = Dat Mo... Dat Mo = Choi ... 9 years in a cave to 9 years in a cave... is there a relationship??

AHA WAIT!!!!!!!!!! Did Choi cut off his eye lids & where he dropped them tea plants grow? If not then Dat Mo still has him one upped...

<<just having fun here>>:D:D:D
 

Mark Lynn

Master Black Belt
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
1,345
Reaction score
184
Location
Roanoke TX USA
I do find it funny that pretty much everything being mentioned here is negative, one severe case of "grass is greener..." going on in this thread.

I noticed this as well.

So here is a positive. Jhoon Rhee developed sparring gear that has revolutionized TKD and martial arts training the world over. Cheap dipped foam hand and feet pads, later head and shin guards. The introduction of cheap and comfortable sparring gear made it safe for women and kids to join in martial arts training.

How about things like western nutritional science? Sports psychology? Modern training equipment? Mass publishing of resource material? Kinesiology? The benefit of having cities that have martial arts from all over the world with all sorts of different focuses within a short drive?

How about Full Contact Kickboxing (WKA, PKA etc. etc.). Many of the early kickboxers came out of TKD or Americanized TKD schools such as Jhoon Rhee's schools, Roy Kurban's, Demeterius "The Greek" Havanas's school and others.

How about the blending of other systems into the arts. In a time (back in the early 60-70s) when it wasn't popular to mix styles, Americans who lost contact with their Korean masters worked out with various people of other styles and blended techniques, strategies, concepts, and grafted them into their systems. I believe what fueled a lot of this was the early sparring in open tournaments, and the lack of higher education or learning from the higher ranked Korean masters. So needing to find their own way they found a different way to do things.

Last but not least I think that business practices being applied to martial art schools is a good thing in the long run. If these practices allow students to have a better more well rounded education in the martial arts, if these practices allow hobbyists to get the opportunity to run a school full time and support their family doing it, if these practices allow students to practice longer at a school (because it is still in business) with an instructor that they enjoy, then I'm all for it.

While I know there is abuse in running a school, or we can all lament about how things have gotten watered down in training etc. etc. It is a given that in any business or any hobby there is good and bad, good schools and bad schools etc. etc. In the end it is all about what an instructors or organizations standards are and how good the quality control is. It is all about the intergerity of the instructor or the organization; are they going to screw over the student or be a benefit to them. The application of business principles or business practices isn't a good or bad thing based on how some might apply them. Rather it should be viewed as can it help more people be successful at running a school, and can it help improve the students overall experience in the martial arts.

Mark
 

Latest Discussions

Top