Quick update.. the association is starting to grow now we have things defined.
One of its founder members just completed an interview which I thought you may be interested in. (
http://www.pioneertkd.com/news-daveinterview.html)
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An interview with Dave Melton, 5th degree WTF, regarding
the Pioneer Tae Kwon Do Association
by Marek Handzel​
Marek: In some of your literature found on the Pioneer TKD Association website it is mentioned that the founders believe Tae Kwon do is “on a slippery slope and is losing its effectiveness as a martial art” . When you say that are you referring to the all forms of the art or only the WTF, for example? ​
Dave: It is in the mindset of the new students who know nothing about Tae Kwon Do mostly. It is not to put blame on a specific art necessarily, but when a student sees sport style of WTF or ITF, they think "that is Tae Kwon Do". Unfortunately, they do not see the martial side of it. However, it is also the responsibility of those teaching it to emphasize that sport is only a small part of TKD, and that the sport is NOT a substitute for self defense.​
Marek: Why do you feel this has happened - is it a natural process of dilution as something becomes popular and is this not a problem for all Martial Arts? ​
Dave: It is the mindset of the student that when they see something, they do not do their research before starting or making a judgement about it.​
Marek: Or has Taekwon do suffered more than most? ​
Dave: I have seen all styles suffer, but since TKD is arguably the most popular style of martial arts today, we see more watering down because we are exposed to it more often. ​
Marek: Do you believe that the Pioneer association can arrest this slide – or is it merely a ‘safe haven’ for like-minded practitioners? ​
Dave: I believe it is a safe haven, but there is no way anyone or any one organization can change the slide too much in say the next 10-15 years. When someone sees a potential way to make an easy living, they will take advantage of every opportunity even if it means selling out.​
Marek: Why have you limited the organization to TKD – or are there other associations similar to others in other arts that you can share ‘best practice’ with for example? ​
Dave: I cannot speak proficiently enough about other styles. TKD is what we have trained in and that is our specialty. I feel inviting other styles would mean watering down their style (or possibly vice versa) since Korean styles have fundamental differences in their practices than say Japanese styles.​
Marek: Why did you found a formal group? Could you not maintain standards and share ideas without the need for an official alliance? ​
Dave: Sure, we could have done it informally. However, by having a formal organization it gives credibility to the public and promotes growth for others to commit to our cause. ​
Marek: What do you ultimately wish to achieve as an organization? ​
Dave: Get back to the roots of the TKD pioneers. Keeping TKD as a well rounded martial art rather than just a sport. ​
Marek: When you say ‘martial’ - what does that mean to you? Is it even possible to run an ‘old fashioned’ type of school in this day and age of health & safety and rampant litigation? Has real Taekwon do gone underground? ​
Dave: "Martial" to me means warrior-like. That means everything starts with yourself - your spirit, your mentality. Without either of those, you cannot have true martial training. What does "old fashioned" mean? Obviously we cannot beat students with sticks or make put them in a dark room for a few days, but then again is that considered "old-fashioned". I run a very disciplined and rigid curriculum, yet we have pushups and situps as forms of incentive to stay focused and still keep safety as the focus. Then again, I have no clue how things were done 50 years ago so I just do what I think is best by keeping the students disciplined, respectful and training hard.​
Marek: Do you think it possible that your type of clubs will be the norm in the future? After all, if schools produce students unable to defend themselves properly when under pressure then they will naturally blame their teachers and look for instruction elsewhere won’t they? ​
Dave: No, but they will always be sought out. Most people will never have to defend themselves properly but more
importantly it is not just about the self defense. It is also about building the student to be a better person. ​
Marek: In your FAQ on the website there is a section where you state that you may run competitions “if and when the association grows large enough” Surely this is a slight contradiction as you would be encouraging the ‘sport’ element? ​
Dave: There is a difference between "encouraging" and "replace/substitute". When you see TKD schools (primarily WTF styles) training ONLY for tournament, then clearly that is wrong. However, TKD has evolved to include (but not limit to) sport, and competitions should be included as part of the art.​
Marek: If Pioneer grows and incorporates more schools in the future and for example gains a good reputation then how can standards be maintained? Surely you would just become ‘another’ group? ​
Dave: I do not believe we will just be another group UNLESS all or most other groups incorporate our standards. In which case we have achieved our goal. ​
