Tae Kwon Do History Books
- Thread starter Azulx
- Start date
My picks:
Taekwondo From A Martial Art to Martial Sport
New edition of "A Killing Art" in the works
http://www.kidokwan.org/articles/the-evolution-of-taekwondo-from-japanese-karate/
http://web.stanford.edu/group/Taekwondo/documents/tkd_history.pdf
And also, go to Associate Coach Quiz and scroll to the bottom for History of Taekwondo.
Taekwondo From A Martial Art to Martial Sport
New edition of "A Killing Art" in the works
http://www.kidokwan.org/articles/the-evolution-of-taekwondo-from-japanese-karate/
http://web.stanford.edu/group/Taekwondo/documents/tkd_history.pdf
And also, go to Associate Coach Quiz and scroll to the bottom for History of Taekwondo.
andyjeffries
Senior Master
A Killing Art to me always feels very biased. For example, he always used "General Choi" (with his military trial, even though he left South Korea under charges of treason - be they right or not - he kept the respectful title) but constantly referred to Dr Kim Un-yong as Mickey Kim. He also made a much bigger deal out of where the early meetings were held (private rooms in drinking houses where prostitutes were available), but in 1950s Korea that was just where business got done. It seems more scandalous now, but we can't judge history too much on current standards. Some things are wrong and we stop doing them, but it seems like he was just trying to make the book more sensationalised.
The tkd_history link is very good. I have the original book and it's as unbiased and factually accurate as I believe possible.
The tkd_history link is very good. I have the original book and it's as unbiased and factually accurate as I believe possible.
I agree 100%. It's a book that you have to read with a filter. Master Gillis definitely has a "point of view".
I felt the same way about his constant references to drinking houses -- it felt as though he was trying to discredit the credibility of the meetings? But as you say, that's just how business is conducted in some cultures. I feel the book's tone generally suffers from an "outsider" problem -- if you weren't living through those conditions yourself (occupation, civil war, torn families, poverty, etc.) it's too easy to adopt a superior tone.
Off topic: I grew up watching the television show Bewitched. Every time Darren Stevens walked into Larry Tate's office, they'd make themselves a drink. Like...they had bars...in their offices. And they'd drink, apparently multiple times each day, in the middle of the workday...in the office. How drunk were these guys getting at work every day? Oh to have worked in the days of the two-martini lunches! Different times, different times...
KabutoKouji
Green Belt
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it's not a history book - but I really like Man Of Contrasts by Hee Il Cho
Extremely...
Archtkd
3rd Black Belt
This book, which I mentioned in another thread, is the the best historical book I know covering Kukki taekwondo: "Taekwondo: From A Martial Art To Martial Sport" by Udo Moenig. It was published by Routledge in 2015.
Does that cover much history other than the devolution of the art?
Archtkd
3rd Black Belt
It covers some really interesting and deep history, especially about the karate curriculum adopted by all the leading kwan pioneers. It digs into kyorugi and poomsae creation, etc. It's well researched and cited, and even includes citation of a Martial Talk discussion. It explores in depth then nationalistic drive that led so many early Kukki and WTF pioneers to denying Kukki taekwondo's karate roots and creation the 2000-year history myth. It's a great follow-up on the works of Carpener, Burdic, et al.
Let's be honest. If it cites a MT thread, it's got to be good.
I want to know who's so devoted to research they're willing to read the million threads that go off-topic on this site to find the one that didn't.
Archtkd
3rd Black Belt
This is who: "
Dr. Udo Moenig was born in, Peißenberg, near Munich, Germany. As a young man, he studied various martial arts, and began taekwondo in 1979. During the 1980s, he was once a competition member of the German national taekwondo team, and trained professionally for four years as a member of the German, national military team, headquartered at the Sportschule in Sonthofen.
In 1988, after finishing military service, he traveled extensively in Asia and, in 1990, settled for further studies and training in Korea. A B.A. in Asian Studies (University of Maryland) was soon followed, by three terms of North Korean Studies (Graduate School for North Korean Studies), culminating in Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Physical Education (Keimyung University, ROK), with concentrations in taekwondo, history, and philosophy.
In 2005, professor Moenig was appointed by the Youngsan University Department of Taekwondo, in Yangsan, as the first foreigner in Korea to teach taekwondo at the university level. He researched, lectured, and published extensively in the field of Asian Studies, martial arts, and sports. He has authored (or co-authored) a variety articles about taekwondo and martial arts, published in various journals like Korea Journal, Archiv Orientalni, Acta Koreana. His latest publication is a groundbreaking work titled, Taekwondo – From a martial art to a martial sport (London: Routledge, 2015)."
Archtkd
3rd Black Belt
There used to be a time we had serious stuff discussed on this forum: This is the discussion cited:
Changmoo-Kwan and Kang Duk Won History - Photos available upon request
Gwai Lo Dan
3rd Black Belt
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I watched it as a kid. Only when I saw it 25 years later, in my 30's, did I come to realise how beautiful the lead actress was. So the show had something for the kids, and something for the dads!
Thanks. That was going to be my next question.
Earl Weiss
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I thought he was an equal opportunity basher.
Although I felt some critiques of General Choi were based upon erroneous conclusions due to limited observation. Some critiques of others may have been as well.
