Purely American additions to Tae Kwon Do
- Thread starter IcemanSK
- Start date
Dave Leverich
Black Belt
Or any weapons for that matter.
I've seen a lot of 'Korean' weapons showing up in TKD orgs.
Dave Leverich
Black Belt
ITA too, and USTA, KKW. I heard it's global ;p.
But you have to steer with your knees, hands aren't allowed.
Truth...
True but at least acknowledge the origins & say we did "this" to make it better or ours. Not a complete fabrication or ignoring of the truth when it staring at you...
miguksaram
Master of Arts
What fabrication are they saying? Where can you find it on their sites?
Not any one group in particular, but the acknowledged culture of "borrowing" things... and not giving proper credit for the origin, then ignoring the originating culture altogether or creating a back story to fill the necessary sense of cultural importance.
dortiz
Black Belt
Oh there are plenty,
Judo became Yudo, Kendo became Kumdo, HD Gumdo appeared out of thin air (kuk sool) Hwarang Do born of Monks and caves ; )
Thats not even touching on about 5 monk styles which are now all the rage. Witha liitle bit of looking one could make a list about 20 or so long quite easily.
Dave O.
Mind you, thats what I love about the Koreans. So for me it is what it is.
Judo became Yudo, Kendo became Kumdo, HD Gumdo appeared out of thin air (kuk sool) Hwarang Do born of Monks and caves ; )
Thats not even touching on about 5 monk styles which are now all the rage. Witha liitle bit of looking one could make a list about 20 or so long quite easily.
Dave O.
Mind you, thats what I love about the Koreans. So for me it is what it is.
miguksaram
Master of Arts
Yudo and Kumdo are Korean pronunciations based on the Chinese kanji of the arts. They did not change them to be specifically Korean origin. Koreans recognize that these are Japanese in origin so I am not sure they would be included in your little list. As for HDK and HRD, I would agree that they do a nice mixture of fact mixed with fabrication. What are the 5 monk styles?
dortiz
Black Belt
Sadly I know plenty of folks who now swear they are and were independent. I agree with you but can only point out what I now see.
Heck in Hapkido Myung wrote in his first book that Choi came out of a cave after 9 years with the art. Its just everywhere. In TKD there are more teachers claiming its 2000 years old and telling tales of Hwarang warriors and Monks passing it down then teachers talking about Mas Oyama and others studying Japanese Karate.
Dave O.
Heck in Hapkido Myung wrote in his first book that Choi came out of a cave after 9 years with the art. Its just everywhere. In TKD there are more teachers claiming its 2000 years old and telling tales of Hwarang warriors and Monks passing it down then teachers talking about Mas Oyama and others studying Japanese Karate.
Dave O.
Dang...
Choi on par with Dat Mo...
Choi = Dat Mo... Dat Mo = Choi ... 9 years in a cave to 9 years in a cave... is there a relationship??
AHA WAIT!!!!!!!!!! Did Choi cut off his eye lids & where he dropped them tea plants grow? If not then Dat Mo still has him one upped...
<<just having fun here>>
Mark Lynn
Master Black Belt
I noticed this as well.
So here is a positive. Jhoon Rhee developed sparring gear that has revolutionized TKD and martial arts training the world over. Cheap dipped foam hand and feet pads, later head and shin guards. The introduction of cheap and comfortable sparring gear made it safe for women and kids to join in martial arts training.
How about Full Contact Kickboxing (WKA, PKA etc. etc.). Many of the early kickboxers came out of TKD or Americanized TKD schools such as Jhoon Rhee's schools, Roy Kurban's, Demeterius "The Greek" Havanas's school and others.
How about the blending of other systems into the arts. In a time (back in the early 60-70s) when it wasn't popular to mix styles, Americans who lost contact with their Korean masters worked out with various people of other styles and blended techniques, strategies, concepts, and grafted them into their systems. I believe what fueled a lot of this was the early sparring in open tournaments, and the lack of higher education or learning from the higher ranked Korean masters. So needing to find their own way they found a different way to do things.
Last but not least I think that business practices being applied to martial art schools is a good thing in the long run. If these practices allow students to have a better more well rounded education in the martial arts, if these practices allow hobbyists to get the opportunity to run a school full time and support their family doing it, if these practices allow students to practice longer at a school (because it is still in business) with an instructor that they enjoy, then I'm all for it.
While I know there is abuse in running a school, or we can all lament about how things have gotten watered down in training etc. etc. It is a given that in any business or any hobby there is good and bad, good schools and bad schools etc. etc. In the end it is all about what an instructors or organizations standards are and how good the quality control is. It is all about the intergerity of the instructor or the organization; are they going to screw over the student or be a benefit to them. The application of business principles or business practices isn't a good or bad thing based on how some might apply them. Rather it should be viewed as can it help more people be successful at running a school, and can it help improve the students overall experience in the martial arts.
Mark
