Traditional TKD

[Sparks]

I am confused about 'traditional' Tae Kwon Do- what is it and why do I not see schools that advertise it as such?

I recently spoke to an instructor who is in another style and he said that when he was overseas in the military he met a man who practised a Tae Kwon Do unlike what we have here in the USA. Unfortunately I wasn't able to ask him what he meant by that.

If, for example, I am studying traditional TKD does this mean it's more defense oriented and less sport? Thanks.

 

[rainbows]

Mostly it's certain WTF schools which are very sports-oriented. If you're looking for 'traditional', you're probably looking for a school which concentrates mainly on patterns, self-defence and the more technical aspects of the art rather than promoting tournaments as the be-all and end-all of TKD.

 

[arnisador]

I have heard that in Korea you can find more self-defense oriented TKD more easily than here.

 

[Gemini]

I belong to what is considered a traditional TKD school. Though we certainly spend a good deal of time on kicks, we also spend equal time on patterns, blocks, punches, holds and take downs. It's very well rounded. Primarily geared towards self defense. We certainly have sparring, which I personally love, but it's treated as a separate entity with its own classes.

 

[JanneM]

I have heard that in Korea you can find more self-defense oriented TKD more easily than here.

Oh, so not true!!!!!

 

[searcher]

Please elaborate for us JanneM. I would like to hear why you say that it is not true.

 

[traz]

Alot of people put Korean training on a pedestal, but really, there are some bad schools in Korea just like in North America.

As a matter of fact, a guy recently joined my HKD school, saying that he was a blackbelt from Korea. My sifu started him out in the intermediate class to see where he was at, and I was watching at the time. Let me tell you, his techinuqe was AWFUL. He couldn't even compare to our intermediate kids, much less any advanced kids. Either he wasn't really a blackbelt, hasn't practiced since he was a kid, or he came from a terrible school.

 

[Sparks]

I have seen where a lot of schools combine other martial arts with TKD. For example, the school I used to go to incorporated Hapkido in our training. But I don't think that necessarily made it a 'traditional' school in the sense I was referring to. It was more like a hybrid school perhaps.

 

[Miles]

As a matter of fact, a guy recently joined my HKD school, saying that he was a blackbelt from Korea. My sifu started him out in the intermediate class to see where he was at, and I was watching at the time.

Traz, "Sifu" is a Chinese term for instructor, does your instructor also teach Chinese martial arts?

Miles

 

[MichiganTKD]

Tae Kwon Do in Korea is just as bad as Tae Kwon Do anywhere else. Yes, it is part of the grade school curriculum, but it is watered down to make it easier for kids to learn and turned into a recreational activity, much like here. Very few of the students reach the higher levels and achieve professional level technique. Also, the emphasis on tournament-style technique has eliminated much of the traditional training and the physical/mental strenghening that accompany it.
Actually, there is probably more traditional Tae Kwon Do outside Korea as the original instructors left to teach overseas. Not to say it is any better. But you'd probably have more luck finding a true traditional school outside Korea than in Korea. Much or most of the Korean schools focus on free fighting.

 

[D Dempsey]

Ok... I don't practice TKD, but while I was living in korea the gym I did Judo at taught TKD in the next room. They actually had 2 different kinds. The class that was mostly teenagers looked like olymipic style TKD. The other class which was police and korean military officers was a whole different animal. It had the look and feel of Muay Thai. Lots of boxing drills and hard sparring. The teacher, who was also my judo teacher insisted it was TKD.
-Dave Dempsey-

 

[ajs1976]

I have heard different stories about training in korea.

In a different forum (can't remember which one), someone said that there are belt factories. Parents will sign up their kids to a place that promises a black belt in a year.

One of my instructors is a 3rd degree from Korea. He is a senior in highschool and has been here for about a year. He said for their classes, they warm up and do some kicking drills and then for the rest of class they spar (aka beat the crap out of each other). Sparring is full contact, full force, arm and shin guards, no hogu, helmet optional. He said that you learn very quickly how to take a hit or how to get out of the way.

 

[D Dempsey]

In a different forum (can't remember which one), someone said that there are belt factories. Parents will sign up their kids to a place that promises a black belt in a year.

Actually this is exactly how it looked. Most of the schools(There is literally a TKD school on every block) are more like daycare centers. They all have a school van that goes and picks the students up from school and then take them home after class. It's more like an after school sport that everyone does when they are a kid. My father in law(He's korean) said that adults don't practice TKD in korea as its a kids sport. Of course there are adults that do train but I think he meant that its just something for kids. I actually met one guy in my judo class, he was maybe 30, who told me he was an 8th degree black belt and then showed me his WTF card. So I'm thinking that they just give rank away to koreans who stick with it. Of course I'm sure that there are also a fair number of schools that are pretty die-hard fighters.
-David Dempsey-

 

[searcher]

From reading the posts it sounds to me that if you want to be good at TKD you need to study outside of Korea. With so many masters from different styles coming to the U.S. it is no wonder that many of the asian schools are "giving away" rank. They are scared to have to answer to an American. Good for us, bad for them. TKD and the Koreans in general are not the only ones guilty of giving rank away and looking at the dollar signs all styles have groups that give the style a bad name and seem to dilute the style. So then are we saying then that America is the location that is keeping traditional TKD alive?

 

[traz]

No, we're saying there are good and bad schools on North America, just like there are good and bad schools in Korea.

And to whoever asked, my teacher does not teach any Chinese arts, however he's from Hong Kong and a chinese person through and through...so to me it makes sense that he wants to be called teacher in his language.

 

[JanneM]

Please elaborate for us JanneM. I would like to hear why you say that it is not true.

I am in korea at the moment. This is my second time in here and I have never seen any selfdefense oriented taekwondo dojang here.

If you know any. Please tell me and I'll go and see it out.

 

[JanneM]

Actually this is exactly how it looked. Most of the schools(There is literally a TKD school on every block) are more like daycare centers. They all have a school van that goes and picks the students up from school and then take them home after class. It's more like an after school sport that everyone does when they are a kid. My father in law(He's korean) said that adults don't practice TKD in korea as its a kids sport. Of course there are adults that do train but I think he meant that its just something for kids. I actually met one guy in my judo class, he was maybe 30, who told me he was an 8th degree black belt and then showed me his WTF card. So I'm thinking that they just give rank away to koreans who stick with it. Of course I'm sure that there are also a fair number of schools that are pretty die-hard fighters.
-David Dempsey-

Its not possible to be 30yrs and 8.dan. Kukkiwon has age limits to every dan and at 30 you can be aroun 6.dan if I remember right.

In korea it is commont o get 1st degree in ayear or two. As it is in Japan with judo and karate. Mystification of dan grades are inveted only by us westerns.

 

[D Dempsey]

Its not possible to be 30yrs and 8.dan. Kukkiwon has age limits to every dan and at 30 you can be aroun 6.dan if I remember right.

In korea it is commont o get 1st degree in ayear or two. As it is in Japan with judo and karate. Mystification of dan grades are inveted only by us westerns.

I'm serious when I say this. The guys was in his early 30s. In korea the instructors carry an ID with their rank and organization. He showed it to me because I didn't believe him. Also I noticed that the ranking system was different for americans in TKD, that way the koreans had the advantage. What part of korea do you live in? I was in Pyongtaek.
-David Dempsey-

 

[searcher]

I am in korea at the moment. This is my second time in here and I have never seen any selfdefense oriented taekwondo dojang here.

If you know any. Please tell me and I'll go and see it out.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Sparks]

I think that since TKD is so widely practiced one will find many different interpretations out there. For myself I visited 5 schools in my area. One school had a 25 year old 8th degree black belt running it. Another had over half children (some with black belts) in the adult classes. One other one was very hard core with sparring and lots of self-defense study which I liked the best Yet another school had a "black belt program" that was very costly and guaranteed you a black belt. lol. Maybe to answer my original question there really is no traditional TKD out there. (??)