question about origins of Tae Kwon Do

[Haruhiko]

No Universally accepted definition of "Martial Art' for common current usage .

As far as a universal definition, I don't think there will ever be one.

Definition of MARTIAL ART

any of several arts of combat and self-defense (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Martial art | Definition, History, Types, & Facts | Britannica

Martial art, any of various fighting sports or skills, mainly of East Asian origin, such as kung fu, judo, karate, and kendo. The primary unifying aspect of the East Asian martial arts, which sets them apart from other martial arts, is the influence of Daoism and Zen Buddhism.

www.britannica.com

martial art

1. a traditional Japanese, Chinese, or Korean form of fighting or defending…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Interesting in that they define it rather differently.

I think it's contextual. There's nothing artistic about UFC fights in my opinion, for example. And I'm sure someone would be of the same opinion of there being nothing martial to be found in iaido.

It was when I started training for the Commonwealth Games in TKD that I lost sight of any art within the system. It became a sport.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Interesting in that they define it rather differently.
became a sport.

Exactly, - Some years ago I had an article published addressing the issue. Some activities might be better categorized as "Martial Sport", "Martial Science" , "Martial Exercise" etc. Combine those with some philosophy and aesthetic components and then you have "Martial Art" which encompasses all those elements. I had no hope of generating a consensus on how to define the term - only to start a discussion.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We are very careful to set a realistic tone (don't bring a knife to a gunfight)