Why does the IOC hate Taekwondo?
Youngest Kukkiwon 8th Dan at age 44 in the news
- Thread starter andyjeffries
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Why does the IOC hate Taekwondo?
MSUTKD
Purple Belt
Use "Google-Fu" for that one!
The IOC is europe based. The IOC takes tv money from the US but the american IOC members have almost zero influence in the decision making process. If the American IOC members were smarter, they would leverage that tv money into more authority and say, but they don't. Like a national team member with no hope of medaling, the US IOC members are just happy with their IOC title and are just happy to be along for the ride. The european countries don't win very many medals in Taekwondo at the Olympic Games. A cuban player kicked a european referee in the face in front of the whole world at the last olympics. Taekwondo is an asian sport, and they already have judo as the token asian sport, which gives them much less problems. Taekwondo does not generate much revenue for the IOC in the form of tv time, unlike track and field, gymnastics, swimming, etc. Plus, there are constant complaints, criticism, hostility, anger and resentment coming from within Taekwondo, amongst Taekwondo practitioners, including but not limited to questioning about Taekwondo origins and history. No one cares about or questions the origins of soccer, gymnastics or track and field. Then you have the current WTF leadership, which doesn't have many relationships within the IOC membership to smooth things over. Taekwondo is the adopted bastard step child of the Olympic movement that the europeans don't particularly care for, and we are standing at the precipice of maybe the most important time in Taekwondo's history, with maniacs at the wheel and ungrateful disrespectful passengers riding in the back.
What is there to like, from the IOC's point of view? If I were them I would get rid of Taekwondo too. If I were the WTF or for that matter a Taekwondoin concerned about the future of Taekwondo, I would be doing everything in my power to present Taekwondo as positively as possible, knowing that we are right on the edge of the cliff and can get pushed off at any time.
This is serious stuff, so much so that Dr. Kim is making the effort to warn us. We should heed that warning, instead of ignoring it.
ralphmcpherson
Senior Master
From a kukkiwon perspective, what would be the ramifications of tkd no longer being an olympic sport? I say from a kukkiwon/WTF perspective because I imagine from an ITF or independent perspective little would change, but how big an issue would it actually be? Is this something you guys should really be fighting for or would it really not effect tkd very much?
A lot of work and effort went into getting TKD into the olympics. Regardless of my personal opinion of the olympics and the IOC, to have put decades of work into getting in and staying in, only to have it all undone, well, yes, that is a serious blow.
It would damage the reputation of the art, cause greater schism and animosity between taekwondoin, and would probably leave a lot of people angry and bitter. Ramifications for athletes are fairly obvious.
As for taekwondo out here in suburbia? Probably would continue along, business as usual.
Daniel
ralphmcpherson
Senior Master
Has tkd become more "unified" since becoming an olympic sport? I ask because I never trained in tkd prior to it being in the olympics and I imagine there were more factions prior to it getting into the olympics.
Just quoting what we were told. Of course they did not talk about past promotions. Of course I Understand why they were promoted while living. I will ask about it @ the FIC I take after my 6th dan exam.
I hope this doesn't throw us off topic but this story -- http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/162030/2/Todays-THV-at-630-pm-Ark-woman-poised-to-make-history --
about an ATA style practitioner preparing for her 8th degree test is interesting. I know nothing about the ATA style and was wondering if creating your own 30 forms is a normal requirement for 8th dan testees of that style.
about an ATA style practitioner preparing for her 8th degree test is interesting. I know nothing about the ATA style and was wondering if creating your own 30 forms is a normal requirement for 8th dan testees of that style.
dancingalone
Grandmaster
Dunno about the 30 forms thing, but the higher dan forms are interesting in the sense that they come 'incomplete'. The individual is expected to complete the hyung with movements of their own design that have some personal meaning that yet ties back to the overall Songahm system ethos.
Maybe Balrog will drop in on this thread and let us know.
Very interesting concept
Just wondering did the 10ths come from Kukkiwon or did they come from WTF? Not that it really matters just wondering...
hungryninja
Orange Belt
I think the news article got it wrong. It should be ~30 movements and not 30 forms. In the ATA/Songahm style for 6th degrees and above, you complete the incomplete form by adding in your own segments.
I don't know personally, but it seems that within the KKW, it is more unified but as a whole, more fractious.
I don't see the olympics as the catalyst though; the passage of time and advancement of pracitioners seems to do that all its own. Often, people get to a certain level and just want to do their own thing.
Others will stay with the organization into old age. In taekwondo, these would be the pioneers that Glenn often refers to.
Not all of the peopel from that era stuck with the organziation. Hwang Kee went off and did his own thing, mainly because of a dislike for Gen. Choi from what I understand. Choi was forced out because of personality differences arising from him wanting to do things his way.
People subsequently broke of from Choi's organization.
And all of that was prior to olympic inclusion.
Daniel
When I refer to the pioneers, I am speaking mainly about either original kwan founders or students who trained in the 1940's under an original Kwan founder and who actively contributed to the development of Taekwondo in Korea. Generally the people who are mentioned as doing something in the Modern History book would be the pioneers I am talking about, the ones who developed Taekwondo in Korea. So for example, GM Jhoon Rhee wouldn't be a pioneer; perhaps he would be an American pioneer, but not in Korea. But GM SON Duk Sung would be a pioneer, even though he came over the the US very early like GM Rhee, because he did participate.
Missed these questions:
No there is nothing specific that would enable an individual to reach 10th Dan beyond time in grade. But you would have to do something spectacular in order to receive it, dead or alive. There is no limit on the number of 10th Dans to be awarded. Why would there be a limit? The people who have been awarded 10th Dan are outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly to Taekwondo's development and growth. For example, GM LEE Byung Ro, the only Taekwondoin who was not a kwan jang when he received his 10th Dan after he passed away, is credited with developing the steps as well as the conceptual framework for modern competition sparring.
No there is nothing specific that would enable an individual to reach 10th Dan beyond time in grade. But you would have to do something spectacular in order to receive it, dead or alive. There is no limit on the number of 10th Dans to be awarded. Why would there be a limit? The people who have been awarded 10th Dan are outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly to Taekwondo's development and growth. For example, GM LEE Byung Ro, the only Taekwondoin who was not a kwan jang when he received his 10th Dan after he passed away, is credited with developing the steps as well as the conceptual framework for modern competition sparring.
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