Akima

I agree with stll karateka. Make sure that it is really a Hap ki do school. I have seen a lot of Korean schools that claim to teach Hap ki do along with other korean styles. In a lot of these cases, they teach TKD or TSD with very elementry HKD. If they do teach other Korean styles, doesn't mean they are a mcdojo. It does mean more research on your part. Contracts....do they want you to sign a contract for a time period or a belt contract? Belt contracts are a very bad sign! It puts the school in a position to test and pass you. Do they want you to sign anything right up front? If they want any kind of trial fee or contract, that is bad. The only thing you should be asked sign for a tiral is a liablity release. They should not presure you into any contract until after 3 classes, at minimum. Watch the Blackbelts and advanced students...do they suck? I remember once I looked at a school, and there was the BB that was horrible. I found out later he had sign up for a BB in a year contract. Talk to other students...are they happy...how is the school about enforcing contracts if somthing comes up (school, work, moving)? A good school should be forgiving in certain situations. If they're not... that could be a red flag. Most of all, go there and sit in...see if YOU like. that's all that matters in the end.

John G, I like your points. My original point is that TKD is derived directly fro Karate. This article I posted (http://www.mooto.com/eng/webzine/news_view.asp?news_no=776) is in support of that. My point about choi is not to say that he's bad for being a communist ( if he was a communist). The point was to illistrate the differeneces and changes in they way TKD history is taught. TKD history has been changed in the past fifty years for political purposes. For Political/marketing purposes, many TKD schools leave out the fact that choi did in fact move to North korea. Aurguments about Korea's turbulant history only go on to show how politics have truly dictated policies.

He should hold his rank!!!!! If the new school has highter standards, then he should work until he meets those standards. But to knock him down and then retest him (at a testing fee, I am sure) is Mcdojo-ish. If they were totally differnt styles, like going from korean to Kung-fu or Aikido, I would understand.

lol

I saw soemthing along time ago. It was a village near the temple where ex-monks would train you in Shoalin. I don't recall the site. it was a long time ago.

Oh lord, are you getting your gi in a bunch again? Thanks for proving my point.

First let me say, while it is okay to find us attractive working out,..... I REALLY HOPE YOU AT LEAST REPSECT THESE WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Sorry I hate being a sex object when working out. At the same time, I'd say you guys have an attraction to a woman who can possible kick your but. Plus, Woman MA who really work at it are flexible, strong, and very very fit. And I don't mind guys being turned on by me in class...makes me blush. But I do get very pissed when guys just think of me as a sex object

Spookey, May I ask How old you are? My comment was not with regards to Choi being right or wrong. It was more to point out that many TKD schools that teach bad histories tend to leave out the part about him moving to North Korea. Let's examine the North Korea thing a little more. Imagine you live in a country that has been brutilized by 50 years of occupation. Then just as freedom and liberty begin to take place, your own people come running over your land to place you under another tyranical regime. Years later, as you begin to rebuild on the ashes...again...one of you more celebrated leaders begins playing nice with your most recent invaders. Regardless of his intentions, think about it. Then think about it from a political point of view as leaders try to stablize a war torn land, and a hot spot for nuclear threat from two empires with you in the middle. They cannot have that and Choi falls out of favor, goes to Canada to avoid persecution, and possible prosecution. By then returning to North Korea, for whatever reason, all Choi did was give validity to the fears and cliams that forced him to leave in the first place. Choi's biggest mistake, was timming. He may have been a communist, maybe not. But the leaders of the South, and the pople of the south were not ready to play nice with the North. They were still cleaning up the mess they left. This is why I asked about mcDonnalds in Moscow. As I recall that was done in the 1990's. I do not think it would have happend, say, 6 months after the Cuban missle crisis. Finally, Here's an article I have looked up regarding the actual question of this thread "Is TKD considered Karate?" http://www.mooto.com/eng/webzine/news_view.asp?news_no=776

Why was choi in Canada? When did Mcdonnals open in Moscow? Your replies have drifted very far from my original point that TKD and other Korean arts have a garbled and often politizied history.

aes, when a fighter holds a kick out, or a leg up, they have only one leg on the ground. You can rush in, but if they are are good (and they better be to be doing that crap) they will have to do something. I like taking a hop in, get them to trigger the kick them hop outn and back in. It doesn't get points for me all the time, but it often stops them from doing the one leg thing.

There are sports where guys shave, never seen it MA. I shave my legs I also get a pedicure before tournements

You need to learn to get your head around at the last second, or lead with your head and spin very fast. Depending on the rules, blind techniques can cost your points. Or, I have seen fighters take blind techniques personal and hit back, hard DQn themselves. Spinning tehcniques are great, learning to use them in competition takes time.

Choong Mu. As a judge, I would expect to see at least that from a 1st dan. Remeber, they will only see the belt, not how long you have had it. If you must, do hwa rang, but work it hard, many hours to perfect it. pick a form, and perfect it, even "spice" it up with added flash. If you find you really like forms competition, check out some TSD forms. The techniques are very similar. Pick a form that makes you feel something, not one that is just on your test list. Pick something that fits you physically and mentally. Or do what crash says...make one up. Good luck and congrats on your dan.

Delta, I agree I don't mean to be lumping all TKD schools into one category. There are still some good ones out there. I do feel that over the years, many more are becoming watered down Mcdojos, karate day cares, areobic kickboxing. etc I agains stress that not all are doing this. It sounds like you found a good school.

Spookey, Choi didn't just meet with the North, He moved in. I really don't understand how S. Korea's turbulant political history appiles here, other than to, again, help support my point that the politicans have rewritten history to erase what they do not like. Sush as erasing Japnese influence from the record.

Nice job

True. I do not believe the ture liniage of the Korean MA can ever be verified.

Spooky thanks for helping me out here. Choi was born is N. Korea. So was my mother in law, and you don't see her running for the boarder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are a whole bunch of Cubans in the US, you don't see them building rafts to go south!!!!!!!!! I am Quite aware of the WTF issues right now. This proves my point that the governing bodies of TKD are corrupt. Perhaps you can go look up the history of Korea, particularly from the japanese ocupation to now. Learn about the political climate and learn how and why the histories of Korean MA have been altered by forces way beyond dojos in Seoul to romove the Japanese influences. Regarding the '99 games, South Korea has been looking to ways to warm up to the North, Open a dialogue, and possibly open the boarder. This was all before the current crisis. Sports historically have been an olive branch to diplomatic relations. I really do not have a problem with TKD guys, Just want people to understand the truth. Just don't come in here an read off without at least trying to learn the real story here. Thanks spooky for helping me out here, you can have a seat now.

Sir, I am a Maam! Understand, I do not have a probelm with TKD. There are schools that do teach traditional TKD. But by an large most teach WTF SPORT TKD. While many of the students are good tounemnt fighters,They are not learnning SD. I don't have a problem with that. I DO have a problem when some WTF instructor is telling people that the jump spining * kick they just did 500 times will save them on the street. Finally, Go read learn some real history of TKD and you will see you have been taught propoganda!

Hey tom, I don't have a chip. Just think that guys in here should resepct other martial artisit, regardless of sex. Something you need to learn too obviously.

Stay with TSD. it hasn't been corrupted by the politics.

TKD is a sport. Especially now the WTF has had it way. It is still a Martial art, and it all depends on the school as to which is taught. If it's a WTF school, it is a sport. Boxing is a sport, but also a Martial art. People train mainly for competion fighting, but the hand techniques and speed of boxing do make it effect for defense.

Toast, You have no idea what you are talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TKD and TSD are derived from Japanese styles. Choi had a Black belt in shotokan long before he "created" TKD. After the liberation, Koreans renamed everything to erase the japanese names from the record. One of the reasons TSD was not made the Official sport was that they did not want to rename everything. Everything you have learned is political *. Did you master mention that Choi defected to North Korea?

CFirst, she doesn't look like she really trians. And from the coments I have seen I guess you guys don't take women martial artists seriously. Figures.

Because the WTF should stand for what the F!@#. Sorry, but I associate them at the top of the list for runining korean arts. Go find a school that teaches real korean MA.