Some ask if I.T.F Taekwondo is dying a slow death...

[Thunder Foot]

Do you believe ITF TKD is dying a slow death? John over at 1TKD has posted some interesting facts and opinions:

ITF Taekwondo dying a slow death

Based on the article, what is your opinion and experience of these current events?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Since before any split there were probably more people doing Chang Hon TKD, the system often referred to as "ITF" than those who actualy belonged to the org. As JK points out the split has probably grown the numbers rather than redued them. As he notes, unification is rpobably out of the question. This does not mean that there could not be some cooperation. Some years ago what is oftne referred to as ITF V held a world cup in Orlando where all Chang Honpractitioners could compete. Great idea except with predominently ITF Judges, groups that had been out of the loop fr decades did not score well. I see it as no easy task for similar atempts in the future to face the same issues.

 

[Buka]

I have no first hand experience with any of this, but from reading the article, especially this part - "And to the casual observer, what has been accomplished has been little more than a few meaningless handshake photo ops, some meetings, and an agreement to stop suing each other."

"Stop suing each other". That ain't good. That's never good. I hope they all work it out and get back to teaching and training.

 

[Instructor]

I think Tae Kwon Do is a case of a system that is recovering from massive popularity. It's returning to something sane and reasonable again. It's a good thing. I expect their will be some turmoil as the system snaps back into itself.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Based on the article, what is your opinion and experience of these current events?

While I think there are several good points in the article (and I largely agree with his analysis of the situation), there are a few things that I disagree with, and one point where he is simply factually in error.

First of all, his claim that there are now six organizations that claim to be "the" ITF is false. The ones who do claim to be the original ITF are the organizations headed by GM Choi, Jung Hwa (Gen. Choi's son), GM Pablo Tratchenberg (who was voted in as President after GM Tran, Trieu Quan died a few years ago in the Haiti earthquake), and Prof. Chang Ung (a NK government official). The only other possible organization that makes such a claim is the "ITF HQ Korea" organization which was at one point ITF-Korea and a national body under the ITF headed by GM Choi, Jung Hwa. They now bill themselves as being the ITF "headquarters" in Korea, although there's no word on how they are the headquarters of an organization which their president disavows any relationship to (ITF under GM Choi) or any other of the ITF's, for that matter. As a matter of full disclosure, I am a member of the ITF under GM Choi, Jung Hwa and am well aware that there is a law suit between those two parties in South Korea.

There have been some "ITF" organizations that have developed since Gen. Choi's death. Notable among these are: Unified-ITF under GM Hwang, Kwang Sung whose stated goal is to (re)unify the disparate ITF bodies (ITF-Choi, ITF-Tratchenberg, and ITF-Chang). There is also ITFA under GM Rhee, Ki Ha. Neither of these bodies makes any sort of claim to be "the" ITF. Quite the opposite, in fact, as both GM Hwang and GM Rhee were members of the ITF under Chang Ung after Gen Choi's death and stted publically that they believed that organization was the legitimate ITF.

I don't know why Mr. Karstadt chose to claim that there are now six organizations claiming to be the real ITF. I believe he is a member of Unified-ITF under GM Hwang so this claim is doubly confusing.

I also disagree with his assertion that we should allow people from the different organizations to compete in each others national tournaments. I can see - and have seen - this happen at local tournaments and at various seminars. I have never heard any mention of their being a problem with this from any ITF higher up, in fact. This is good and I think fosters goodwill between members and a desire to continue to come together, which may one day pay off in a higher degree of unity between the organizations. But national tournaments are generally held for the members of a particular national organization to see who is the best in that organization and, often times, as a means of picking a national team to compete at an upcoming world championship. These types of events should, I think, remain "members only."

Master Weiss mentioned that the ITF now under GM Tratchenberg hosts an "ITF World Cup" which is different from its WC's. The first one or two world cups were actually open to any member of any ITF. Since this was an international tournament but not that ITF's WC's this, I thought, was a great idea. Unfortunately, after the first few they changed it to a members only tournament (I have no idea why this change was made).

Pax,

Chris

 

[Raymond]

I wish there was an ITF school around me.

 

[chrispillertkd]

If you PM me your location I can see if I know of any.

Pax,

Chris