TKD unity

[terryl965]

My question is to everybody that studies TKD, why do you think the general population of TKDers can't seem to see eye to eye about the Art that we study. My answer is simple to many ego's to be stroked, not enough people stroking them. GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Hanzo04]

i think it is to many tournaments. once you win a big championship your ego is sky high. also very good athletes tend to brag about their skills to people who can't do anything fancy and they get jealous. that's what i think.

 

[Galvatron]

Any organized gathering of people will have disagreement and dissent, whether it be Taekwondo, Baseball, Labor Unions, Political parties, or the PTA. Not everyone sees things the same way. We all have opinions and views on how things should be, it's part of human individuality.
It is impossible to get everyone to see things the same way.

 

[Zepp]

Any organized gathering of people will have disagreement and dissent, whether it be Taekwondo, Baseball, Labor Unions, Political parties, or the PTA. Not everyone sees things the same way. We all have opinions and views on how things should be, it's part of human individuality.
It is impossible to get everyone to see things the same way.

I agree. I also have to say that the diversity of opinion we have here is a good thing. You can only learn so much by have a disscussion with someone you agree with.

More specifically, the martial art we call Tae Kwon Do was never really unified to begin with. Terryl, if you're interested, you may want to search this forum for some past threads on TKD's history. Most of the disagreements we have here didn't start recently.

 

[Martial Tucker]

My question is to everybody that studies TKD, why do you think the general population of TKDers can't seem to see eye to eye about the Art that we study. My answer is simple to many ego's to be stroked, not enough people stroking them. GOD BLESS AMERICA

I think your stated reason is probably the main cause. Too many "would-be warriors" want to wear the headdress with all the feathers, because they're to damn insecure with themselves to admit that perhaps they could learn a thing or two from others. This problem is compounded by the history of TKD and the fact that it is primarily an art that has been distilled down from several other disciplines/kwans/systems over a long time. This makes it easy for someone to come along and claim mastery over a variant of an ancient, obscure system. Then you have the fact that the name "TKD" itself was more or less created by a single individual to describe the art as HE interpreted it. However, the problem is AT LEAST as bad in the hapkido world. Too bad...if every martial artist would follow the axiom: "Every man is my superior in that I may learn from him", we would have a lot more growth with fewer pissing contests in our art, however you may interpret it. Peace!

 

[jfarnsworth]

My question is to everybody that studies TKD, why do you think the general population of TKDers can't seem to see eye to eye about the Art that we study. My answer is simple to many ego's to be stroked, not enough people stroking them. GOD BLESS AMERICA

Amen, brother. Since I don't do any strokin' sometimes that's the only way some people get through in general. It's just like the company I work for. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay tooooooooooooooo many chiefs and certainly not enough indians.

 

[glad2bhere]

I think the answer is pretty obvious, don't you?

The mainstay of TKD is competition. Call it "friendly" as in "sport" or make a claim for solid S-D and maybe its not so friendly. The fact is that competition wherein there is a constant differentiating between who is "good" or "bad", "winner" or "loser", "competent" or "incompetent", so on and so on, is only going to produce folks who use their fellows as tools to pave their own road to high regard and recognition. Now lets be honest, folks. If you spend all of your time learning to use the guy across from you to further your own ambitions how likely is it that you will grow-up to be a "joiner" or submitt to the authority of someone else? There won't be a unification of KMA because the arts proceed from a Survival mentality and the basis for that is a constant splitting the world up into "US" vs "Them". So whats the answer? "Take the competition away", you say? Fine just how many folks do you think will show up to train hard for the simple goal of learning how to perfect an age-old art for no other reason than to see just how perfect they can get themselves to do it and no other reason. Not enough to keep the bills paid, I'll give you that. FWIW.

Best Wishes.

Bruce

 

[Marginal]

Not all TKD is sport. That particular perception drives the friction as much as various egos etc in the various discussions. Want to practice TKD traditionally? That's nice, too bad no matter how you practice, it's "just sport". Really, really, irratating.

 

[kwanjang]

As we can see, there are possibly a number of good reasons why there is constant strife. I might add that the desire to make money seems to have a big impact on the relationships between organizations as well.

For example, if we were to take the two big orgs in TKD. Having one of these orgs suggest to people to check out the other org in order to see if it suits them better is akin to the owner of one store telling people to go shop at another store to see if they can get a better deal.

I just can't see many folks do that, even if it IS in the best interest of the consumer to get the better deal. It is far more likely to tell prospective customers that the other organization has this, that, or the other problem in order to keep the prospective customer from going there.

 

[TigerWoman]

"Take the competition away", you say? Fine just how many folks do you think will show up to train hard for the simple goal of learning how to perfect an age-old art for no other reason than to see just how perfect they can get themselves to do it and no other reason. Not enough to keep the bills paid, I'll give you that. FWIW.

Best Wishes.

Bruce

I don't think there is one person in our adult group that goes to class only to compete or even with competition as a motivating factor. We go for exercise first, for fun second, for some family togetherness, and lastly for self defense. I don't think any of us are under the delusion of becoming great as a martial artist but all of us 40-50+ somethings certainly work hard nevertheless to become all that we can be.... TW

 

[Han-Mi]

My question is to everybody that studies TKD, why do you think the general population of TKDers can't seem to see eye to eye about the Art that we study. My answer is simple to many ego's to be stroked, not enough people stroking them. GOD BLESS AMERICA

How do you mean can't see eye to eye? You mean all making new associations and federations and so on, or you mean just saying, "IM BETTER THAN YOU CAUSE I DO IT THIS WAY!" Just wondering.

 

[terryl965]

How do you mean can't see eye to eye? You mean all making new associations and federations and so on, or you mean just saying, "IM BETTER THAN YOU CAUSE I DO IT THIS WAY!" Just wondering.

Han Mi I mean between all the difference organizations, Me I do not care about, my student I do certification and what type of credintial you need for this organ.to the other(AAU,WTF,ITF,USTU)so many different rules, if we are TKDers then we should be unified in some way, not I'm better than you because I belong to such and such group....GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[XxTKDPenguinxX]

I don't think there is one person in our adult group that goes to class only to compete or even with competition as a motivating factor. We go for exercise first, for fun second, for some family togetherness, and lastly for self defense. I don't think any of us are under the delusion of becoming great as a martial artist but all of us 40-50+ somethings certainly work hard nevertheless to become all that we can be.... TW

Amen! I am in my thirties and had started TKD when I turned thirty. I started TKD for the Martial Art. Secondly, it was for family. Then it was for self-defense. When I saw that I did well in class, I took it on the road for compitition. I did extremely well in the ring. I still do well in the ring, but I don't even think about the ring until a couple of weeks before I compete (unless I have to travel and find a hotel, etc.).
What I'm saying is... I do it to do it. It is an individual thing. If I don't do well.. its my fault, not the team's. I lose a match, I guess I train harder. Everyone is different and we all will disagree on one thing or another. I disagree with my orginization and my school on several things... but I remain for me. Nothing else.