TKD seems to get aggro from both the sport side and the art side of MA. Sport focused people argue that it doesn't contain enough contact, has a restictive ruleset etc, hasn't produced a NHB champion etc. Art focused people think it has not enough self defense cirriculum, its patterns are new and have no ancient knowledge, and no grand history to draw on etc. Is this a result of TKD trying to have its hand in to many pies, is this a bad thing, should it decide what it wants to be and concentrate on that. Or is it a good thing offering people lots of variety and chances to try different things.
I think its down to the school/club. If you are a WTF club trying to get students to compete in the Olympics, then your school/club will concentrate on that. I train ITF, our school practices patterns, basic techniques, sparring, weapons, self defence and fitness in fairly equal measure. Obviously the majority of training is centred around the grading syllabus. Which, in the month leading up to a grading, will lead to a concentration of grading syllabus work. Its just as much use to a 3rd Dan to recap exactly how Chon-Ji works as it is for a 9th kup about to be tested on the pattern. Personally I am happy with the balance that the brand of TKD that my instructor teaches provides. Having said that, I want to expand into Hapkido or Jujitsu - mainly for the floor work and to further myself as a martial artist.
I'm just tired of people bashing TKD and wish they'd just shut up and train their own sports if they don't like it.
What about Karate? there are several styles of Karate and no one is complaining that Karate has to be one way or the other. There is both "traditional" and "sport" styles of karate and no one make a fuss about that as much as the styles of Tae Kwon Do.
good point, and anyway, whats this fuss about? if people want to train sport, let them, if they want to train trad, then let them! IMO martial arts is about personal development, comps are for fun, SD training is to help you if you get mugged. thats pretty simple to me!
I just think that a person that calls themselves a martial artist ought to be able to defend themselves, or be a representative of TKD. C'mon, doesn't it bother you when you meet a "blackbelt" that you just know couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag? Shouldn't they just take Tae Bo or cardio aerobics? I know that I'm nobodys hero, but I have always tried to open up and learn new things martial arts related... That's my three cents...
I'm sure in every art, whether it be TKD, Karate, Aikido, MMA or anything, there are those who claim to be experts who couldn't beat some newcomers to the sport. TKD just happens to be the current whipping boy.
Mr Taliar, I think your asking "real" serious questions now, comapred to some of the fluff people would rather talk about. I was asking the same thing else where as you know, I'm glad your thinking about it now. Just don't get upset about the answers you might get even if you don't like them.
Greetings I think Karate for the most part (shotokan, Goju, Wado Ryu, etc) have kept thier Budo Tradition strong, for that reason I think they're still considered a true MA not a sport and thus respected as such. Some American Karate's have become sport oriented but everyone knows where they stand. TKD does have many faces and no one knows what it is or isnt'. It's a serious Identity issue IMO
.... you are welcomed to have an opinion. There are quite a number of Sport/Tournament Karate schools & orgs about not just the traditional JKA Shotokan instruction ... ISKA??? Yes TKD has two major "styles" ... sport & traditional.... those that know it best know what it is and isn't ....
Just thinking out loud here.., my thoughts are that the addition of Tae Kwon Do as an Olympic event has everything to do with this so called “identity crisis” if there is one. Tae Kwon Do as an Olympic sport is really what I would consider to be point sparring. That a part of the Art of Tae Kwon Do has become what many consider to be the whole of the discipline is the ramification of TKD becoming an Olympic sport. I had to add this after reading my post,: don't get me wrong. I am very happy that some form of Martial Arts has gained a bigger foothold in the Olympics be it what it may, That TKD in any form has earned enough respect world wide to be included as an Olympic event is something to be proud of. Some of the flak the art of TKD is recieving may well be due to envy. Again just my late night thoughts on this.
It seems like this thread has gone from a having a really strong discussion point to bashing down Olympic/sport style MA. Now i train TKDI... thats the old ITF style, so i do a so called 'traditional' style. While i might not agree with some of the training the WTF do, thats more than likely because ive never trained WTF.... but i NEVER would have thought to say that WTF are any less martial arts. Just playing devils advocate
Haha! I'll tell you the reason (well, not the whole reason, but part of it) for all the flak. I am 6th kup at the moment, and have recently changed town. I went from a largish full time dojang to a smaller one in a school gym in the town that I am currently living in. The two are so phenomenally different! Whereas back home I could see everyone knew the techniques and deserved their rank, I'm not too sure about the new one yet. Granted, it is a relatively young club, but that's no excuse for sloppiness. What sort of sloppiness? I went to a grading the other day which was conducted with a few other clubs in the region, and I could have tied at least a red piece of cloth around my waist and done some pretty good masquerading! This isn't because I haven't graded for a couple of years (I haven't), but because of the low standard. Try red belts who advise juniors to put their arms down by their side when they kick because "it's easier", or someone grading for red tab who can't do a spinning hook kick over *HIP* height. Not one person did not use their arms to balance whilst kicking, NOT ONE!! Anyway, that rant had a point. Some people will see my old club, and say 'Yeah TKD is a martial art', and some will see the new one, and say 'TKD is a fitness-oriented babysitters club'. Phew... By the way, I totally realise that it is all what I make of it, and as long as I work hard at the new club and don't get lazy, I have a reasonable chance of getting a grade and deserving it.
.... and it should NOT. There are plenty of other martial arts besides TKD that have their "hands in many pies".....
Yeah, you know it's true, i can't fight for toffee.... On a similar line... just got 'The art of holding' by Marc Tedeschi... its fantastic... my 4th Kup g/f is baddass putting locks on It's a grappling book - maRtial arts not marItal arts.
