Yes, it doesn't make sense to lodge both charges at the same time. To be fair though, I don't recall seeing anyone here doing that. The bulk of the vitriol directed at the KKW by the likes of TF has to do with Olympic rules sparring. He also is fairly down on the KKW due to 1 year dans. Any ire from other people really has more to do with poor management ongoing with the US NGB, not with the KKW itself other than a vague desire that they do more to rein in the NGB.
Not so much recently, but at one point, the 'KKW isn't gonna tell me how to run my school' was a common rant against the organization and the sentiment is still made periodically. And those who beat that drum the loudest are also the same ones that want the Kukkiwon to ennact and enforce policies to curb errant school owners.
An organization can have many operating rules to follow along with a strong member certification and ongoing maintenance/verification process. While more intrusive, arguably this makes it a credible force to further the interests of its members as well as their united cause. Or it can go in the opposite direction and have minimal regulations and minimal membership review and thus be more of a networking and friendship group.
Which is the KKW I wonder? Which is it supposed to be - which should it be if it is not one already?
I think that it falls somewhere in between... or perhaps completely outside? There are no member schools; the KKW does not certify schools and school owners don't register their club with the KKW. The WTF also has no member schools and club owners do not register their clubs with the WTF. I do think that club owners can register their club with USAT, however, but I am not sure of this. Regardless, it is not a requirement.
The KKW sets standards and measurements essentially. Kind of like a TKD SAE. They offer continuing education in the form of instructor courses and offer a mechanism for certification and registry thereof. The process of carrying out the certification is left to the individual school owners; it isn't like kendo where ikyu and above are organizational gradings that require organizational representatives to be on hand. This is usually the area where detractors complain about lack of oversight, but would also be appalled at the thought of USAT reps being on hand, or 'foreign organizational officials' being on hand to administer gradings.
I believe TF has said many times in one way or another that he doesn't like Olympic sparring representing TKD in general to the masses.
He and others. But given that 'the masses' don't get to watch taekwondo during the Olympics because it isn't televised, it really doesn't represent anything to the masses. It is the local schools that represent taekwondo to the masses. So in essence, there is more credence to the arguments that one bad school makes all of them look bad, though I don't fully buy into that either.
Careful. Your joiner bias is showing again.
Not so much a joiner as looking at it through a ballanced lens.
My former kendo and hapkido GM was one of those who broke off and started his own 'federations' and might I add, with a lot of prodding from people that he probably should not have been listening to at the time.
When I separated from him, I aligned myself with the mainstream kendo curriculum, though I did not join the AUSKF. I have had some communication with the GNEUSKF (Greater Northeastern United States Kendo Federation) and have met with the people that I was directed to, but it has not gone any further at this point. I can definitely see the benefits in a competitive art to being part of the larger organization. At the same time, I am presently content in my independent status. I do, however make sure that my students are aware that I am independent and that if they wish to go to competitions, they would do well to connect with the kendo club in Rockville, which is a part of the GNEUSKF.
I have also become a part of Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu (paid dues and regularly attend and train, not just cross training). My former GM had a kenjutsu element to his curriculum, a factor that I liked, but he was not himself a kenjutsu instructor nor part of any ryu.
As far as hapkido goes, I joined a Moo Moo Kwan dojang, though mainly because I really like the school owner. She could have been independent and I would have still trained under her.
