Video On The Origin Of Tae Kwon Do

[PhotonGuy]

This is a video on the origin of Tae Kwon Do. Is it a good video? Is the guy right?

 

[skribs]

Some of the details are different from what I read/remember, but that's not to say he's wrong. My understanding is that the controversy around General Choi is primarily political. That he WAS the founder of Taekwondo, but after his falling out with the government, the government wanted to hide their involvement with him, if that makes sense.

I'd also heard that he defected to North Korea before settling in Canada. But that could simply mean he wanted to include North Korea or North Korean arts.

I hadn't heard of Tae Soo Do. From a quick search, it appears that around the time there was the controversy between ITF and WTF, that many Taekwondoists used the term Tae Soo Do to separate themselves from the controversy.

He goes into the history of Korean martial arts, but my opinion is that they really aren't relevant, except maybe a small influence from Taekkyeon. My understanding is that, for the most part, Tang Soo Do was a port of Shotokan Karate into the Korean culture, to the point that the ITF forms are basically scrambled versions of most of the Shotokan forms.

Taekwondo primarily diverged from Karate for sport reasons more than any other, as the rules of WTF sparring evolved to focus on kicking (sort of how the rules of American football diverged from Rugby as they started allowing the forward pass and evolved into the passing game we know today).

That's my understanding anyway.

 

[pdg]

Taekwondo primarily diverged from Karate for sport reasons more than any other, as the rules of WTF sparring evolved to focus on kicking

I believe the divergence was more political or nationalistic than stylistic myself...

I'd also heard that he defected to North Korea before settling in Canada

Think more 'visit' or 'mission' than 'defection' and I reckon it'd be more accurate.

Also, visiting people around the area he was born maybe?

The visits to the north to spread TKD were (from what I gather) a massive part of the south effectively ostracising him - he certainly put ITF TKD into the north, but that pretty much wrote it off from continuing in the south too.

Naming a pattern Juche really didn't do any southern favours either...

Given what I've read about the political posturing of the time, I'm really not surprised to hear it referred to as a defection.

 

[skribs]

I believe the divergence was more political or nationalistic than stylistic myself...

Taekwondo itself, yes that's political. I'm talking about the techniques and how the techniques evolved to turn TKD into the kicking art.

Given what I've read about the political posturing of the time, I'm really not surprised to hear it referred to as a defection.

This is probably where I got my information from.

 

[pdg]

Taekwondo itself, yes that's political. I'm talking about the techniques and how the techniques evolved to turn TKD into the kicking art.

One possible explanation - and I'm not saying this is right, or even anything more than tenuously plausible...

It's a nationalistic thing too (with heavy political undertones).

To reinforce the notion of kkw tkd being a derivative of taekkyeon (which is popularly, but possibly incorrectly, referred to as the art of foot fighting), and to distance itself from the Japanese influence by having the competitions and demonstrations resemble karate as little as possible.

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ITF rules vary, but (afaik) across the board hand techniques (including but not limited to straight punches) score - not as highly as kicks, but still usefully.

 

[pdg]

This is probably where I got my information from.

My personal opinion is that the accounts from all tkd varieties and schools need to be taken with varying sizes of pinches of salt - some need to be sealed in a barrel of it

 

[dvcochran]

It is a good video. The first funny I noticed was using the word dojo instead of dojang since dojo is inherently Japanese. I have been involved in Moo Duk Kwan TKD and eventually WTF since 1984. WAY back we punched to the face and they were still called WTF tournaments but that quickly ended as the rules solidified. In my research of Taekyon, it is hard to draw a line to modern WTF style TKD but easier to the ITF. At least they still punch to the face. The ground fighting of Taekyon is something I wish most of the modern styles (MMA, etc...) were more aware of. Whether they like it or not it is a part of their history. I would argue that Hwang Kee and Tang Soo Do are much closer to Taekyon. I am very thankful that my GM, Seoung Eui Shin has most of his roots in Tang Soo Do and Kung Fu. The best of both worlds.
I think Subak has to stand on it's own.

 

[Balrog]

This is a video on the origin of Tae Kwon Do. Is it a good video? Is the guy right?

Not a bad video overall. He got most of it right. I do wish he had mentioned Grandmaster H. U. Lee and his influence on Taekwondo, but like he said, he couldn't cover everything.