AMA: K-Tigers

[TrueJim]

Ask Me Anything: K-Tigers

The K-Tigers are going to be performing outside D.C. and outside NYC in early August. I'm going to have the opportunity to interview them on video, and then post their answers to YouTube.

1. Let me know what questions you'd like me to ask the K-Tigers. You have until July 24 to post your questions here.
   
   
2. We're going to give the K-Tigers the written questions ahead-of-time (so that their translators can translate the questions into Korean, and so that the K-Tigers can ponder their answers).
   
   
3. Then my camera and I going to sit down with some of the K-Tigers in August, along with my Korean/English translator, recap your questions, and then get their answers.
   
   
4. Their answers will be posted to YouTube.
   
   WHAT QUESTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK THE K-TIGERS?
   Fire-away, between now and July 24.

 

[Headhunter]

My question is....who are they?

 

[TrueJim]

My question is....who are they?

Oft criticized for their combination of taekwondo + dance, the K-Tigers are arguably the most popular taekwondo demonstration team in the world. Their YouTube channel has over 670,000 subscribers, and some of their videos get many millions of views. They are essentially the "boy band" of taekwondo -- the Beyonce of demo teams.

K-Tigers TV

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I don't know much about them, but the obvious question to me just based off their name is regarding the "K". Do they have to be Korean? Have there been any non-Koreans?

 

[andyjeffries]

I don't know much about them, but the obvious question to me just based off their name is regarding the "K". Do they have to be Korean? Have there been any non-Koreans?

There definitely has been at least one non-Korean - Master Rondy McKee from Cary, North Carolina, USA was a white female member of the K-Tigers.

 

[drop bear]

I don't know much about them, but the obvious question to me just based off their name is regarding the "K". Do they have to be Korean? Have there been any non-Koreans?

They may not be actual tigers either.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Ask Me Anything: K-Tigers

The K-Tigers are going to be performing outside D.C. and outside NYC in early August. I'm going to have the opportunity to interview them on video, and then post their answers to YouTube.

1. Let me know what questions you'd like me to ask the K-Tigers. You have until July 24 to post your questions here.
   
   
2. We're going to give the K-Tigers the written questions ahead-of-time (so that their translators can translate the questions into Korean, and so that the K-Tigers can ponder their answers).
   
   
3. Then my camera and I going to sit down with some of the K-Tigers in August, along with my Korean/English translator, recap your questions, and then get their answers.
   
   
4. Their answers will be posted to YouTube.
   
   WHAT QUESTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK THE K-TIGERS?
   Fire-away, between now and July 24.

I would be curious about the typical person. Do all the members have the same story for the most part: started TKD at a very young age, was the best in their high school, majored in TKD in university, got their 4th or 5th dan, etc. Or, did anyone start late in TKD? Did anyone do extensive training in a different art, then switch to TKD?

 

[Tames D]

Can they fight effectively on the street?

 

[drop bear]

Can they fight effectively on the street?

 

[TrueJim]

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Thanks Jim.

 

[TrueJim]

So much of that info was surprising to me. They recruit some kids at White Belt and groom them all the way through Black in their own studios? Wow! I had a ton of follow-on questions I would have loved to ask, but we only had a 40-minute time-window between when they finished practice and when they had to run down to Washington DC for more interviews with local Korean media.

I had two teenage K-Tigers staying at my home while they were here in Virginia. (The team used "host families" rather than hotel rooms.) The kids were super-disciplined and polite. Even the little kids were super-disciplined. When the older kids would practice, the younger kids would sit on the side of the mats, sitting upright, focused, quiet, without fidgeting -- and I'm talking about kids as young as 7 here. The only time they "fooled around" was when it was appropriate (like at our pool party). Just an incredible amount of discipline, especially for young children. More photos and videos here: Majest Martial Arts Sterling Virginia

Last year I was a host family for the Kyung Min University demo team* when they were in Virginia -- those kids were a bit older, and they mostly wanted Asian food. This time, the teenagers were all about the hamburgers and pizza -- but they were burning through calories like you wouldn't believe with those practices. They'd fall asleep in the back seat of my car when I drove them home after practice, they were that exhausted. It was really amazing to witness.

* Which, by the way, won first place in the World Taekwondo Hanmadang this year.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

They recruit some kids at White Belt and groom them all the way through Black in their own studios? .

I understood differently. It sounded to me like they have schools where everyone is allowed. Your take seems to be that they look for athletic kids to be future demo athletes. I will have to listen again when I have time...unless you can correct me

 

[TrueJim]

I understood differently. It sounded to me like they have schools where everyone is allowed. Your take seems to be that they look for athletic kids to be future demo athletes. I will have to listen again when I have time...unless you can correct me

Something may have gotten lost in translation, but the question was about how somebody becomes a K-Tiger, not about the K-Tigers-branded schools...so I think what they're saying is that they look for athletic and MUSICAL kids (even kids of zero rank), and then train those kids up in their own studio. I'm wondering if maybe they figure it's just as easy to train somebody from zero as it is to unlearn poorly-taught habits from other schools?

Two other things that I noted were:

1. That (at least in English) they seem to refer to their main location as a studio (not as a school) but that they do train there in both taekwondo AND dance/playing-instruments, etc.
2. That they made a point of mentioning that the training in the main studio also includes training in dance & music. Like, apparently they don't just "figure out" the dance part -- they actually get formal dance training? My interpretation is that their audition process is looking for dance/music talent as well as athletic talent.

I also thought its was interesting that really anybody can come up with a routine, if they feel inspired. Of course there will be a Natural Selection process where only good routines make it into a show -- but they don't have one person designated as a "choreographer" -- apparently their process is more collaborative than that.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I just got back from the Kukkiwon demonstration in Toronto. Having never seen one in person, I was surprised to see the amount of boards on the ground while they continued doing tricks. I noticed one person even stepped on one leading into a back handspring. Had I seen this earlier, I would have been curious to ask the K Tigers about how they avoid slipping on boards, or if it sometimes happens.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Can they fight effectively on the street?

What does that mean? I went to the doctor yesterday and today for an eye injury caused by a 15 month old toddler sticking her finger in my eye. Previously she hurt me by head-butting my nose. Although people think of MMA as "real fighting", I now think twice!

With no rules, would "real fighting" or "fighting on the street" be who can kick the groin, and poke the eyes first?

 

[TrueJim]

With no rules, would "real fighting" or "fighting on the street" be who can kick the groin, and poke the eyes first?

I've never understood the "street fight" thing either. A street fight usually isn't self-defense and it's not usually a "real fight" either. A street fight is usually just two hotheads deciding to square off, usually over something stupid. At any time, either party always has the option to just walk away. That's nothing like a real fight, in my opinion.

P.S. My 6 year old broke my front tooth by accidentally kicking me in the mouth while we were rough-housing. Oy.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

P.S. My 6 year old broke my front tooth by accidentally kicking me in the mouth while we were rough-housing. Oy.

I bet the worst part was and continues to be hearing about it from your wife!

 

[Jaeimseu]

What does that mean? I went to the doctor yesterday and today for an eye injury caused by a 15 month old toddler sticking her finger in my eye. Previously she hurt me by head-butting my nose. Although people think of MMA as "real fighting", I now think twice!

With no rules, would "real fighting" or "fighting on the street" be who can kick the groin, and poke the eyes first?

That's a pretty standard response when people see someone do something they can't do/ don't have the discipline to learn, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TrueJim]

That's a pretty standard response when people see someone do something they can't do/ don't have the discipline to learn, etc.

Kicking in the groin and gouging the eyes are legitimate martial arts techniques, no? Not for sport martial arts like MAA of course, but for actual combat arts.