While searching in the phonebook and the internet today, I noticed that about 95% of the schools where I live are TKD. Is this the same all over the US? Is TKD the most popular art in the US? Why or why not?
Jason
Jason
Is this the most popular art in the US?
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stoneheart
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I believe TKD far outstrips karate or Chinese martial arts (let's call it gung fu) in popularity in the US. Why? The pioneering work of men like S. Henry Cho or Jhoon Rhee or any other early instructor who came specifically to America to teach martial arts as a profession. Some activity from the JKA (shotokan karate) notwithstanding, the other arts did not have such a focused wave of emigration of professional teachers, and they tended to pass along their knowledge as a side activity to their actual breadwinning rather than feeding their families through MA instruction.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
TKD is very widespread in the US, and in some parts of the country it may be almost all that is available.
But this is not true everywhere. Here in San Francisco, we have A LOT of different things, and while we also have our share of TKD, it is not nearly such a large portion of the whole.
But this is not true everywhere. Here in San Francisco, we have A LOT of different things, and while we also have our share of TKD, it is not nearly such a large portion of the whole.
Omar B
Senior Master
It's also an Olympic sport yet not taught in schools so of course there will be a lot of gyms. If wrestling was not in schools I'm sure it would be as wide spread.
You have to remember that many schools in the 70's and 80's that were called Karate were really TKD schools, for some reason they just called them Karate.
Even Ernie Rayes use to call his schools "West Coast Karate". He then changed the name to "West Coast Taekwondo" and now just "West Coast Martial Arts", as he now teaches Taekwondo, XMA and MMA.
Even Ernie Rayes use to call his schools "West Coast Karate". He then changed the name to "West Coast Taekwondo" and now just "West Coast Martial Arts", as he now teaches Taekwondo, XMA and MMA.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
It is especially so in the South East. The further West or North you go the more choices you have.
That's a sad fact I learned many moons ago while in the military.
Uh...no. TKD didn't start gaining the popularity it now enjoys until the mid 80's. :wink1:
Not true. Schools just started to change the name from Karate to TKD in the 80's. Most schools that were called Karate were really TKD schools. Do some research and or talk to some of the old master that has schools back then.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
Not sure how old you are and no offense is intended, but I bet I was probably practicing before you were a gleem in yer daddy's eye. I've been around a bit and talked to the "seniors". I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I know a little about martial history. But hey...it's a free country so believe what you like.
Here in this part of NJ, there's not many TKD Schools. Alot of Tang Soo Do. But even so, Many schools across the country call themselves Taekwondo, but unfortunatley they most definately are not equal to each other and most definately do not resemble TKD. reguardless of which forms or poomses they teach, basic techniques should be similiar. But sadly they are not. Thats why we are getting a bad rap for becoming too impractical. Crappy schools, and crappy teachers everywhere misrepresenting what TKD truly is. The stongest, fastest, most dynamic kicks of any other MA. A true TKD person could knock thier opponent out with a kick. what have we become....
Well if you were practicing in the early 60's then yes.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
Ahhh!!! that be me daughter. Don't want my ugly mug up there.
Frostbite
Blue Belt
Man, that's one thing I miss about living in San Francisco. A ton of variety in terms of martial arts.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
Could be worse...you could live in the South East!
Earl Weiss
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To a certian extent it is a matter of degree. In the early 1970's in Chicago, TKD outnumebered all other schools put together many times over, but there were not as many of any type of school. Now there is more TKD as well as more of everything else, MMA, BJJ, Krav, karate etc.
Biggest isue is defining TKD. Anyone can and often does use the label. So, saying it is the most popular type of art is is really not referring to a single art at all despite what some "All inclusive" people consider as anyone having a link to a Korean who kicked and punched as being TKD.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
Yeah...it's not fair 'cause you guys get to include all those ATA schools. :uhohh:
stoneheart
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I wonder what everyone's definition of TKD is here on Martial Talk. Given that the name was coined way back during the kwan unification talks, it seems that the term TKD would and should be broad indeed. KKW, the ITF, ATA, all the non-org folks... etc. It's probably not too far off the mark to say that anything that involved a Korean kicking and punching is tae kwon do. The name tae kwon do was designed to be a new representative name, after all, of the Koreans' national martial art, formed by the contributions of the various major schools at the time. It's supposed to be inclusive.
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stoneheart
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Ever watched an ATA class or viewed one of their instructional videos? They're real big on distinguishing themselves from the crowd as "Songahm Taekwondo". There seems to be a real effort to differentiate their style from other TKD systems.
blackxpress
Green Belt
Depends on where you are in the Southeast. There's a lot of Wado Ryu in Tennessee and Alabama. When I started I lived in a small town in N. GA. There were 2 MA schools in our town. One was TKD and the other was Wado Ryu. Just over the line in Murphy, NC the biggest and best school was a Shorin Ryu dojo.
