WTF membership cards

[Daniel Sullivan]

Someone asked about this on another forum. The article states that the WTF will be issuing its own membership cards.

http://www.mookas.us/media_view.asp?news_no=1497

Daniel

 

[terryl965]

So is this going to start the WTF into Rank certification once again? I mean if it is it will change what the KKW is for sure. I guess time will only tell.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I would welcome it if it means that Kukkiwon certs will be for Taekwondo and WTF certs will be for Taekwon-sport.

I would love to see the WTF do what USFA does; dispense with belts and rate members based on their competition record, dividing people by age, gender and weight categories.

Daniel

 

[terryl965]

That could be a answer but the problem with that Daniel is not everyone competes so how can one grow and have rank?

On the point about sport vs. KKW I really like that ideal, but once again the kKW has lowered it standards so much they would need a complete overhaul.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

That could be a answer but the problem with that Daniel is not everyone competes so how can one grow and have rank?

Not every fencer competes either. They have a U rating, which means unrated. Competing fencers ratings go from E to A, and they go up and down based on the fencer's win/loss record, frequency of competition, and the ratings of the fencers they compete against. In other words, if I compete once a year against e-rated fencers and always win, I will not be handed an A rating. Maybe a D rating if I'm lucky. On the other hand, if I have a 50/50 record against all A rated fencers, I might earn a C rating, and if I am competing year round, I may even earn a B.

The WTF regulates the sport of taekwondo. They should operate like any other athletic association. Basketball camps teach you to play basketball, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. The WTF could have taekwondo camps that teach kids to 'play' sport TKD, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. Also, how to ref, so that way, the organization is growing skilled refs for its future.

Colored belts? Perhaps a color denoting one's nation. Or let schools pick their own colors. Or design a dobok that is cut so that it doesn't need a belt? Its a sport, so why not colorful jerseys and pants? Stripes? Bring it on. Seriously. I would have no problem with that.

Make the sport a normal sport so that it might (wonder of wonders) catch on at a high school or middle school level. If you get the schools on board, the sport will be much stronger and your talent pool will grow exponentially. It would also enable students to compete at a local level as part of a school activity, like they do with football.

That way, USAT, which is part of USA athletics if I am not mistaken, can do what they do best and just focus on national competition and the olympic movement. They can even lose the forms entirely if they wanted. The USTC can then do the arty stuff.

On the point about sport vs. KKW I really like that ideal, but once again the kKW has lowered it standards so much they would need a complete overhaul.

Complete overhaul? I don't think things are that bad. Just a streamlining and a solid definition of what the KKW is supposed to be doing. Are they a general certification agency that sets minimum standards that all member schools must overlap on or are they a comprehensive curriculum creator? Huge difference.

Personally, I would like to see the Kukkiwon serve as the glue that holds smaller kwans/schools together, with a minimum set of standards and techniques. Then member schools would be much more diverse, and identifying your Kwan or smaller org would be of much greater significance.

Daniel

 

[Miles]

That article is over a year old. I am guessing the idea got scrapped.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Thanks! I had not even seen that. Ah well. Here I was hoping for better compartmentalization of the KKW and the WTF.

Daniel

 

[terryl965]

That article is over a year old. I am guessing the idea got scrapped.

Actually they are still considering the ideal and how to make it work across the competition on the international level.