The movie: Best of the Best
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MichiganTKD
Master Black Belt
Just another way to make money. No different than those guys in the Black Belt advertizing section who peddle "Learn aikido/samuraijujutsu/street self defense/BJJ by video."
Look, people get upset when I call people prostitutes. But lets be honest. If the broad definition of a prostitute is someone who does something just to make money, then all these guys, Cho included, are prostitutes. They make and sell these videos to make money. Nothing more. They don't care who sends in the order, what kind of a mentality he has. As long as the check clears they will gladly send you a video of their knowlege. There is no "If you want me to teach you, come down to my class and put in the effort."
I'll admit-I go to work strictly to make money. But the difference is, I'm not sacrificing something that is supposed to be honorable for a buck. A tae kwon do Instructor, or aikido Instructor, or whatever, is supposed to be above just making money.
Look, people get upset when I call people prostitutes. But lets be honest. If the broad definition of a prostitute is someone who does something just to make money, then all these guys, Cho included, are prostitutes. They make and sell these videos to make money. Nothing more. They don't care who sends in the order, what kind of a mentality he has. As long as the check clears they will gladly send you a video of their knowlege. There is no "If you want me to teach you, come down to my class and put in the effort."
I'll admit-I go to work strictly to make money. But the difference is, I'm not sacrificing something that is supposed to be honorable for a buck. A tae kwon do Instructor, or aikido Instructor, or whatever, is supposed to be above just making money.
D
dosandojang
Guest
All I can say is that he is a TRUE GRAND MASTER. I have an old Ins. Manual from him, and it is half ITF and WTF.
MichiganTKD
Master Black Belt
I admire Hee Il Cho for his formidable technique. I also admire him for promoting Tae Kwon Do around the world. In one sense, this is the mark of a Grandmaster. However, there is one area that I connot and do not admire him. On many levels, he has turned Tae Kwon Do into a marketable commodity to be bought and sold.
From what I have seen, Cho will appear in any magazine that will have him. He apparently is not concerned about protecting his image-as the old saying goes, the most dangerous place to be is between Hee Il Cho and a camera. In fact, in the last issue of Black Belt, he was the focus of a story that used Cho and his son in the photos, while his daughter wrote the article. Not exactly hard hitting and honest.
Second, Hee Il Cho thinks nothing of selling videotapes of his technique to anybody with a checkbook or credit card. I do not fault Instructors for videotaping themselves to see their mistakes; or even distributing videotapes of themselves to students to standardize forms, basics and whatnot. However, my technique is not for sale to anybody who writes a check and covers the cost of S+H. I don't know your mind, I don't know your manners, and if you take what I show you and use it to hurt people, I should be held responsible. Besides, if you come to my class and practice, I know you, your mind, and your life. I am your Instructor. If I sell you a videotape I am just a guy on a TV screen who doesn't care about you.
His mentality is, "if I sell videotapes of ITF forms, I can make X amount of dollars. But if I also sell videos of WTF forms, I can make X times 2 dollars. If I sell videos of point fighting AND Olympic style, I can make X times 2 dollars." It's pure economics.
I could just as easily read some books or watch videos, learn ITF forms and fighting, and make more money for my extra knowlege. But I don't. I'd only be lying to myself and my students. Better to say "WTF (or ITF) is what I know and WTF is what I teach."
And it's not like Hee Il Cho is the only one to do this-he just happens to be very prominent.
From what I have seen, Cho will appear in any magazine that will have him. He apparently is not concerned about protecting his image-as the old saying goes, the most dangerous place to be is between Hee Il Cho and a camera. In fact, in the last issue of Black Belt, he was the focus of a story that used Cho and his son in the photos, while his daughter wrote the article. Not exactly hard hitting and honest.
Second, Hee Il Cho thinks nothing of selling videotapes of his technique to anybody with a checkbook or credit card. I do not fault Instructors for videotaping themselves to see their mistakes; or even distributing videotapes of themselves to students to standardize forms, basics and whatnot. However, my technique is not for sale to anybody who writes a check and covers the cost of S+H. I don't know your mind, I don't know your manners, and if you take what I show you and use it to hurt people, I should be held responsible. Besides, if you come to my class and practice, I know you, your mind, and your life. I am your Instructor. If I sell you a videotape I am just a guy on a TV screen who doesn't care about you.
His mentality is, "if I sell videotapes of ITF forms, I can make X amount of dollars. But if I also sell videos of WTF forms, I can make X times 2 dollars. If I sell videos of point fighting AND Olympic style, I can make X times 2 dollars." It's pure economics.
I could just as easily read some books or watch videos, learn ITF forms and fighting, and make more money for my extra knowlege. But I don't. I'd only be lying to myself and my students. Better to say "WTF (or ITF) is what I know and WTF is what I teach."
And it's not like Hee Il Cho is the only one to do this-he just happens to be very prominent.
D
dosandojang
Guest
Great point. Well said MichTKD.
J
jakmak52
Guest
I like the old first Jackie Chan movies like "Fearless Hyena" and tne Jet Li flicks.
bobster_ice
Black Belt
philip rhee, one of my role models 
Hollywood1340
2nd Black Belt
The later movies however are an exellent showcase of Traditional Hapkido. Over the closing of the fourth movie, it's Rhree in a dojo setting against multiple attackers, joint locks galore! It's fun to watch them and and say "Hey, that's a 3/4 quarter turn!" And you are right about Street Knight, but who can forget Leaping Crane or Thundeering Wrenches?
Navarre
Master Black Belt
Best of the Best is still my favorite martial arts film. Despite the wooden acting, cheesy music vignettes, and the fact that almost everyone has a mullet, it still brings a good message to the martial arts. The fact that it tries to bring such heart to the film makes it worlds better than Steven Seagal killing everyone in sight as vengeance for the death of so-and-so.
I finally found it on dvd the other day. I bought it and rewatched it for the first time in a long time. I too found myself surprised that the quality was so much less than what I remembered.
I think in a time before many of us had really embarked down the martial arts road these films had more direct impact. We didn't find ourselves as able to analyze technique and subtlety. This is, no doubt, magnified by the fact that a lot of us were teenagers or young adults when we first saw the movie.
Still, like (the infamous) Karate Kid, if a movie even tries to express the true spirit of martial arts then I appreciate it. If it draws in young adults (or even older ones) to a reputable martial arts school and they remain, then it has served a good purpose.
I've trained many a person who first walked through my dojo door excited at the thought of breaking bricks, defeating 5 armed foes, and doing the cool back flip after running up the wall.
But a lot of those people remain and, over time, have become tremendous martial artists. I still regard Best of the Best as a good "recruiting" film.
I finally found it on dvd the other day. I bought it and rewatched it for the first time in a long time. I too found myself surprised that the quality was so much less than what I remembered.
I think in a time before many of us had really embarked down the martial arts road these films had more direct impact. We didn't find ourselves as able to analyze technique and subtlety. This is, no doubt, magnified by the fact that a lot of us were teenagers or young adults when we first saw the movie.
Still, like (the infamous) Karate Kid, if a movie even tries to express the true spirit of martial arts then I appreciate it. If it draws in young adults (or even older ones) to a reputable martial arts school and they remain, then it has served a good purpose.
I've trained many a person who first walked through my dojo door excited at the thought of breaking bricks, defeating 5 armed foes, and doing the cool back flip after running up the wall.
But a lot of those people remain and, over time, have become tremendous martial artists. I still regard Best of the Best as a good "recruiting" film.
bobster_ice
Black Belt
Yeah I have to agree with navarre.
BlueDragon1981
Brown Belt
I liked the movie when i first saw it..but as you get more in tune with martial arts and such you kind of see the major flaws...so our perception is different then say those who do not know a form of Martial Arts.
I watched the sequels...and i agree they are not the best...specially since they leave such large holes in the middle of each story....don't even tell you what happened to the rest of them between 2 and 3.
This if I remember might actually be the movie that got me to be serious about martial arts.
I watched the sequels...and i agree they are not the best...specially since they leave such large holes in the middle of each story....don't even tell you what happened to the rest of them between 2 and 3.
This if I remember might actually be the movie that got me to be serious about martial arts.
I also like it, & when I'm in the mood for some good MA cheese, I'll watch it on VHS (the first one only--can't bring myself to buy it on DVD yet). It's one of the movies that fed my interest in MA, & I think that even though our opinion of these kinds of films may change over time with our perspective, the fact that this film (amongst others) led me to the Art is something to remember & I'm grateful for.BlueDragon1981 said:
And I love James Earl Jones, Eric Roberts, & Philip Rhee--what can I say!
BlueDragon1981
Brown Belt
James Earl Jones...lol...i like him too....the man with the deep voice....darth vader....to....verizon commercials...he does it all.
hong kong fooey
Black Belt
that is a aswsome movie I have seen it like 10 times
bobster_ice
Black Belt
Navarre said:Thanks, Bobster. It's true; I really am wise beyond all comprehension.
Remind me later and I'll tell you how incredibly humble I am too.
Lol, ok
