What truly is "Traditional" Tae Kwon Do?

[Daniel Sullivan]

Daniel, thank you very much my friend, you are a truly gentelman and very prepared and versed about TKD.

Yes, it's true Kukiwon and WTF have make super efforts to separate TKD of Karate, the sparring is totally diferent and now I reallize why, Korean wants that every time a person (Tae Kwon Doing or just the regular guy) sees TKD sparring they wanted that people recogniced TKD as a Korean Martial Art/Sport and not a Japanese or Chinese one. For this KKW/WTF has set worldwide standars rules for kyorugi, poomsae (more latter),uniforms (V neck),etc,etc.

That's why TKD is mainly a kicking art, because they don't want any comparision with other Asian Martial Arts Like Judo,Karate or Kung Fu.

TKD has takedowns, but if TKD emphasis in this it will be not TKD, it will be somekind of judo, TKD has empty hand techs but if it emphasised in this it will be come some kind of Karate, etc,etc.

TKD has the largest arsenal of kicks in the world, no other MA has so many kicking techs or aerial licks or fancy kicks, this is a tarde mark of TKD.

TKD is a young MA that comes from older MA (inlfuenced by japanese/chinese), however even is young it has it's history and have old techs thar are very good for self defense, this is what we must to keep to not only see TKD as a full contact kicking sport.

About the poomsae, the taeguk 1 to 8 have little japanese resemblance, however from above kungam the poomsaes has some japanese moves (techs).

Even I don't like at all the WTF Sparring rules, I love TKD, that's why I am still inside it. When I was thinking about taking other martial art to COMPLEMENT my hunger of self defense techs, I have a first aproach to Japanese Karte but declined cause it was TKD but with more hands than feet, then I took Kenpo Karate but only with the goal of upgrated my TKD in the form of self defense techs that in my dojang are not taught, and let me write againg TO UPGRATE my TKD.

I am realicing those days that I will not change TKD, TKD is what it is, a heavily oriented kicking sport/martial art, that's it's sence, that's it's goal and I am changing my mind and way of thinking (slowly but I am doing it).

Daniel thank you very much for helping me to understand the facts of TKD.

Manny

That is high praise, Manny, and higher than I deserve, most likely.

Daniel

 

[terryl965]

Traditional TKD is a rare form of Korean Karate, which is Okinawa Karate. In the end of everything Traditional or sport TKD has only been around a few more years than myself, you see tradition is in the eye of each instructor and there instructor as well. I mean who here really knows how and what took place behind close door when the named it Tae Kwon Do, not me so my tradition TKD may look different form alot of other peoples. TKD is wonderful if you believe in the spirittual as well as the sport and self defense aspect of the teaching. I would also care to say that most if not all combine TKD with bits and pieces of other arts.