Why hang a Korean flag in your Taekwondo dojang?

[mastercole]

I have been to a lot of Taekwondo schools. From coast to coast in America, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. I usually see a Korean flag hanging in most dojang. These days you can see thousands of dojang photo's on the internet. I usually see a Korean flag hanging in most dojang there as well.

Why have a Korean flag hanging in your Taekwondo dojang?

Is it important, or not?

 

[ralphmcpherson]

It does seem odd. Do they have an aussie flag in a zendokai dojo?, do they fly the flag of origin in training halls of other sports like cricket, soccer or rugby league? In saying that, we do have a korean flag on most of our dojang's paperwork, flyers etc. I dont have a problem with it, but dont really understand the concept.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I see it as acknowledging the origins of the art and showing respect to those who developed it.

Is it important? As important as hanging the US flag, I'd say.

 

[Cyriacus]

Dont Karate Dojos tend to hang Japanese Flags?
Dont some MMA and Boxing Gyms hang National Flags?

Its just acknowledging the origin.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Dont Karate Dojos tend to hang Japanese Flags?
Dont some MMA and Boxing Gyms hang National Flags?

Its just acknowledging the origin.

But do all mma and boxing gyms hang the same flag? I think thats where its different. Tkd clubs in any country may well have a korean flag hanging, whereas those flags would tend to be the flag of the country you are training in as opposed to a flag of the origin of the actual art being practiced.

 

[Dirty Dog]

But do all mma and boxing gyms hang the same flag? I think thats where its different. Tkd clubs in any country may well have a korean flag hanging, whereas those flags would tend to be the flag of the country you are training in as opposed to a flag of the origin of the actual art being practiced.

I generally see both the US and Korean flags, not just the Korean.

 

[Cyriacus]

But do all mma and boxing gyms hang the same flag? I think thats where its different. Tkd clubs in any country may well have a korean flag hanging, whereas those flags would tend to be the flag of the country you are training in as opposed to a flag of the origin of the actual art being practiced.

Good point. Upon further reflection, Theyre both doing it for different reasons.

We have an Australian Flag and a Korean Flag, anyhow.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Is it important? As important as hanging the US flag, I'd say.

AFAIAC - not even close.

However, if someone chooses to do this I have no problem with it.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

In our traditional Okinawan karate dojo, we have a US flag and a Japanese flag on the Shomen (wall of honor). I have no problem with it at all. They are both displayed properly and respectfully.

Sometimes I laugh because I see people get wrapped around the axle about a Korean or Japanese flag in their training facility, but they have a US flag on their gi or dobok, which is actually incorrect and should not be worn on athletic uniforms.

 

[MAist25]

Yea, we have a Korean flag in our school. I think it is just something to show respect to the country that the art came from. It also is good for new people who dont know anything about martial arts and think everything Asian is always "Chinese" to realize that what we practice is a Korean martial art.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Both a Korean flag and an American flag hang in our dojang, although neither hang in our KJN's dojang. As a side note, the American flag hangs higher than the Korean flag. My SBN is a marine, and he states that it is a sign of respect/patriotism of our country. Not sure if this is a trend outside of our dojang though.. .

 

[Manny]

I see it as acknowledging the origins of the art and showing respect to those who developed it.

Is it important? As important as hanging the US flag, I'd say.

Agree. In most Mexican dojangs if not everyone you have the mexican flag at the right and the korean flag at the right, this is the grade of importance, firsth is the mexican flag then the korean, we bow and salute both flags.

Manny

 

[Master Dan]

It has always been done with both US and Korean Flag in any of our association's Do Jang's and seems to me many that I have seen nation wide it.

It would seem proper to do so in other countries with thier country flag as well as the Korean flag for obious reasons already stateded however.

We have a large Taekwondo festival in Alaska run by a young Korean master wonderful man that encourages fellowship and non political rangling ect and there was alot of negative comments from military people especially tkd masters ( some jelous looking for something to complain about) that the US flag and the Korean flag would be arranged in a certain left right pattern.

How many of you know which is first US flag then Korean or Korean flag then US or has it even mattered to you??????????????

 

[Earl Weiss]

How many of you know which is first US flag then Korean or Korean flag then US or has it even mattered to you??????????????

See;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code

It matters that there is a right way to do things which should be followed when possible.

 

[igillman]

See;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code

It matters that there is a right way to do things which should be followed when possible.

A lot of countries have a very short flag code, something along the lines of "Don't drop it and if you do then pick it up before someone else sees you.".

 

[sopraisso]

This is an interesting question. First, in the dojang where I train we used to have Korea and Brazil's flags, I don't remember wich in right or left, but I never cared about the position issue. About a year ago the flags were put out. I believed it was due to some repairs they were making in the painting, but the flags were not held back since then. Anyway, I'm sure in my city (and probably in my country) the dojangs usually have both flags, and it's a custom to salute both of them (here both at once).

I think it should be okay to have the Korean flag, once taekwondo's origins are set in Korea, but then... hey! I think: so why wouldn't we hang Japanese flag, too, due to the important influence of karate in taekwondo? Or maybe we should hang Okinawa's flag, or else Chinese flag, because of Chinese martial arts in karate (and maybe even directly in taekwondo). Thinking about this makes me believe the "it's country origin of the martial art" be not enough a reason. Anyway, I think it's okay to accept the reason: "it's where taekwondo was brought from to us". To me it sounds like a nice reason to hang and salute the Korean flag, then.

Maybe the Korean flag custom comes from military relations in taekwondo's foundation history, or from some kind of guidelines received by the pioneers before having gone to foreign countries. I think to discuss where this custom comes from would be as important as for why the flag should be held in the dojangs. Does anyone know about it?

Finally, despite some kind of tendency of taekwondo becoming more universal, which I think is ok, I also believe it's good to keep a large part of tradition, so the martial art would remain as we recognize it, and the way it was shown us as a good thing. So to keep the tradition seems another good reason, in my opinion, to hold the Korean flag on the wall of the dojang.

 

[puunui]

I see it as acknowledging the origins of the art and showing respect to those who developed it.

We acknowledge the origins of the art and show respect to those that developed it by issuing kukkiwon certification to the students. All I have is an American flag up on the wall, no Korean flag. When the kwan founders opened their dojang during the 1940's, they did not put up a japanese or okinawan flag on the wall. In turn, the dojo in Japan did not put up an Okinawan flag, and in Okinawa, they did not hang a Chinese flag on the wall.

I don't put Korean flags on my dobok either.

Funny thing is, I have students who have their own dojang who put the Korean flag on both the wall and their dobok. My attitude is it is their school and they can do whatever they want.

 

[IcemanSK]

Like Dirty Dog, I have a Korean in my program to acknowledge the origins of the art I teach. I don't have the Korean flag, or the US flag on my dobok.

While I display the Korean flag to acknowledge the origins of the art, I also do it as an entre' into the Korean culture. (Even if it's just a little). I also have to admit that I do it out of my Taekwondo tradition. My first instructor displayed both the Korean & US flags, as did many other instructors I trained in over the years. There's a sense of it for me that says, "this is part of a Taekwondo dojang."

 

[Dirty Dog]

We acknowledge the origins of the art and show respect to those that developed it by issuing kukkiwon certification to the students.

Because of course, nobody outside the Kukkiwon could possible have had any influence on the development of taekwondo.

All I have is an American flag up on the wall, no Korean flag. When the kwan founders opened their dojang during the 1940's, they did not put up a japanese or okinawan flag on the wall. In turn, the dojo in Japan did not put up an Okinawan flag, and in Okinawa, they did not hang a Chinese flag on the wall.

Gosh, I'm shocked to hear that, given that until that time their country had been occupied by the Japanese military and their culture rigidly supressed.

 

[puunui]

Because of course, nobody outside the Kukkiwon could possible have had any influence on the development of taekwondo.

That's true, with respect to your lineage.

Gosh, I'm shocked to hear that, given that until that time their country had been occupied by the Japanese military and their culture rigidly supressed.

I suppose we could have a lengthy discussion about being "rigidly repressed"; but if that were the case, then why would the Korean pioneers study Japanese martial arts if that were the case? Why would the Korean people adopt anything from Japan, whether karate, judo, kendo, or Japanese karate innovations, uniforms, etc. ? And how about having Chinese flags in Okinawan dojo?