What is going on with the Taekwondo world? ( UK-fiasco )

[Markku P]

It seems we can’t get rid of scandals in the taekwondo world. The latest thing is now from the UK where they didn’t select Aaron Cook for the UK Olympic team. I have been really disappointed but not really surprised about that. I had heard rumours about this much earlier. What is striking, is how much earlier UK Taekwondo had started to work with this. They had already fixed their ranking points so it doesn’t as badly affect UK fighters, for example.What is sad to see is that they seem to be lying all the time with a straight face.

It’s also very strange to see that one of selected fighter’s husbands was on selection committee! And of course, the fighter who is replacing Aaron Cook- his coach is also a member of the selection committee!(Of course they might not vote when they handle their fighter’s case, but it will be naive to think that they don’t have any influence)What is quite obvious is that after the OS London, UK Taekwondo will explode.


I have heard that many people have been upset about this for a long time.I personally love the sport aspect of Taekwondo but as a school owner, I can’t be part of it. Too many egos and too many problems! Many tournaments have been poorly organised, unfair referring and an unfair selection process for national teams. It just looks too unprofessional and unhealthy.

I prefer to just grow my schools, focus on my students and not care about competitions! I start to believe that this will be last time that Taekwondo will be at Olympic games and perhaps that is a good thing for Taekwondo?


Yours,

Markku Parviainen​

 

[terryl965]

No Markku TKD will be in the 2016 for sure and it probaly will be at least in the next four after that simply because of the money that will get thrown at the IOC. Britian is making a huge problem the number one rank athlete in TKD not at the Olympics that say politics plan and simple. All countries have this same problem we do here in he states for sure, but all we can do as instructors is do the very best that we can to help build a solid foundation for TKD.

 

[Manny]

It seems we can’t get rid of scandals in the taekwondo world. The latest thing is now from the UK where they didn’t select Aaron Cook for the UK Olympic team. I have been really disappointed but not really surprised about that. I had heard rumours about this much earlier. What is striking, is how much earlier UK Taekwondo had started to work with this. They had already fixed their ranking points so it doesn’t as badly affect UK fighters, for example.What is sad to see is that they seem to be lying all the time with a straight face.

It’s also very strange to see that one of selected fighter’s husbands was on selection committee! And of course, the fighter who is replacing Aaron Cook- his coach is also a member of the selection committee!(Of course they might not vote when they handle their fighter’s case, but it will be naive to think that they don’t have any influence)What is quite obvious is that after the OS London, UK Taekwondo will explode.


I have heard that many people have been upset about this for a long time.I personally love the sport aspect of Taekwondo but as a school owner, I can’t be part of it. Too many egos and too many problems! Many tournaments have been poorly organised, unfair referring and an unfair selection process for national teams. It just looks too unprofessional and unhealthy.

I prefer to just grow my schools, focus on my students and not care about competitions! I start to believe that this will be last time that Taekwondo will be at Olympic games and perhaps that is a good thing for Taekwondo?


Yours,

Markku Parviainen​

Hi Markku nice to read you. Yes, TKD have been plagued of politics and this most of the time is a bad thing, politics can ruin almost anything. For this matters I am not inside sport tkd, because a) I don't have the time and b) Because I don't care because the politics. As you are going to do, I prefer teach the martial art of TKD without caring the sport side, and I think that maybe the soprt side of tkd will fade away from the olimpics and maybe this will be a good thing for the martial art of the tkd.

It's sad but true, maybe the tkd went out of the hands of the WTF and maybe will be see in the future the resurection of the TKD with maybe the soprt side but at another level, maybe without olimpics TKD can focus in a new set of rules and still in the asian games, FISU, and international competition but nothing more about olimpics.

Manny

 

[Markku P]

No Markku TKD will be in the 2016 for sure and it probaly will be at least in the next four after that simply because of the money that will get thrown at the IOC..

I hope Taekwondo will stay in the Olympic games but personally I don't believe it anymore. ( I have heard so many telling so.. )

/Markku P.

 

[ETinCYQX]

To be fair Sarah Stevenson was a lock anyway.

 

[Markku P]

To be fair Sarah Stevenson was a lock anyway.

Yes, You are right but she has been injured and I felt they should give

Bianca Walkden opportunity go to London
​

/Markku P.

 

[Kong Soo Do]

I prefer to just grow my schools, focus on my students and not care about competitions! I start to believe that this will be last time that Taekwondo will be at Olympic games and perhaps that is a good thing for Taekwondo?

I completely understand your desire to focus on the growth of your school. Here is my question (to anyone in general), if TKD is dropped from the Olympics (be it this time, the next or whenever), how would it really effect you as an individual school owner (or even as an individual practitioner)?

 

[Markku P]

I completely understand your desire to focus on the growth of your school. Here is my question (to anyone in general), if TKD is dropped from the Olympics (be it this time, the next or whenever), how would it really effect you as an individual school owner (or even as an individual practitioner)?

No effect at all. As a "sport" we don't get almost any media coverage so it doesn't matter.

/Markku P.

 

[ETinCYQX]

Yes, You are right but she has been injured and I felt they should give

Bianca Walkden opportunity go to London
​

/Markku P.

Sarah's a better fighter and higher ranked. If she's healthy it's her spot and rightfully so.

 

[ETinCYQX]

I completely understand your desire to focus on the growth of your school. Here is my question (to anyone in general), if TKD is dropped from the Olympics (be it this time, the next or whenever), how would it really effect you as an individual school owner (or even as an individual practitioner)?

Competition approach would change and I'm sure WTF rules would eventually change. It would become about Worlds rather than Olympics. Essentially there would be a different pinnacle of the sport so to speak.

 

[Markku P]

Sarah's a better fighter and higher ranked. If she's healthy it's her spot and rightfully so.

If she's healthy and got enough training but I am not certain..and about ranking.. Taekwondo GB says it's not so important

/Markku P.

 

[andyjeffries]

Sarah's a better fighter and higher ranked. If she's healthy it's her spot and rightfully so.

But British Taekwondo say that rankings mean nothing (otherwise Aaron Cook would be a shoe-in).

 

[Master Dan]

I completely understand your desire to focus on the growth of your school. Here is my question (to anyone in general), if TKD is dropped from the Olympics (be it this time, the next or whenever), how would it really effect you as an individual school owner (or even as an individual practitioner)?

WE stoped pursuing it in the late 90's becuase of the cost per student benefit is just not there beter things to focus on on traditional training/life skills behavior modification/education/ Cogantive learning skills/ on and on competition is for growth and fellowship exposure to other arts like open turnaments all styles cultural exchange and such. Could care less about Olympics now after so many of us paid so much through 70's 80's 90's thinking it was everything? Politics means nothing to poor disavantaged and abused students.

 

[ETinCYQX]

But British Taekwondo say that rankings mean nothing (otherwise Aaron Cook would be a shoe-in).

Maybe poor Aaron should marry someone on the selection panel...

I have a lot of respect for Lutalo, he's an excellent fighter and athlete and is Olympic caliber for sure, but Aaron is the best and it should be his spot. Lutalo is getting discounted here and maybe he shouldn't be, but realistically we are talking world number 7 (i think) or world number 1. Same issue with Sarah and Bianca, Sarah has been out but she is still better than Bianca overall.

Quick tidbit from Canada, all three of our team members come from Quebec. Big sparring province, sure, but I'd have expected west coast representation. Karine Sergerie, Sebastien Michaud and Francois Coulumbe-Fortier.

 

[Gorilla]

It would have no affect!

 

[andyjeffries]

Maybe poor Aaron should marry someone on the selection panel...

I don't think Bianca would be happy about that ;-)

I have a lot of respect for Lutalo, he's an excellent fighter and athlete and is Olympic caliber for sure, but Aaron is the best and it should be his spot. Lutalo is getting discounted here and maybe he shouldn't be, but realistically we are talking world number 7 (i think) or world number 1.

Lutalo is number 59 in the world at -80kg (number 7 at -87kg).

http://www.wtf.org/www2/board.php?b...e1&no=53&file=WTF_WORLD_RANKING_2012_JUNE.pdf

I completely agree...

Same issue with Sarah and Bianca, Sarah has been out but she is still better than Bianca overall.

I must admit, personally I'd go with Bianca. Although I think Sarah is better/has more experience, she's reasonably untested after her knee operation. If she'd have had time for a couple of tournaments beforehand maybe I'd change my mind, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Markku P]

"The World Taekwondo Federation is to review the selection process that has resulted in the world No1, Aaron Cook, being rejected three times for a place in Great Britain's Olympic team."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jun/07/london-2012-taekwondo-aaron-cook?CMP=twt_gu


/Markku P.

 

[Markku P]

"This review will not have the power to alter [the] decision, but will determine whether any rules of WTF Ethics Code have been broken.”

/Markku P

 

[Gorilla]

This is a fiasco!!! I feel sorry for everyone encipher in this mess. imagine what kind of position Lutlao is in!!!wow!!!

Cook should be selected but his is unfair for all!!!!

 

[Tez3]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jun/07/london-2012-olympics-aaron-cook-taekwondo?newsfeed=true

"The British Olympic Association, which is considering the unprecedented step of forcing the British governing body to pick Cook over Muhammad, said it would consult the WTF and its own board before deciding how to proceed."