2005 Hanmadang - anyone going?

[Kill Jill]

Is anyone here going to attend the 2005 Hanmadang held at Seoul's Kukkiwon this first week of November?

I can get time off work hopefully on Tues or Fri afternoon to go and check it out. Although - it sounds like Thursday will be the highlight of the event.

I unfortunately don't have a digital camera, but can maybe get some shots made up somehow on crusty film to post here at a later date. Is anyone interested?

[coralreefer_1]

Hey Jill, could you give me more information about this. I've never heard of it, and when i did a quick search for it, all i could find were videos for sale. If there is some kind of competition going on..i might swing up there sometime this week. If you have a schedule, or a link to more info..please post it.

Todd

[Kill Jill]

It's an annual international TKD event, kind of showcasing the 'demonstration' aspect to it - the poomsae, block breaking and spin kicks, with some sparring comps. Check the Kukkiwon's website for programme details.

I think Tues and Wed are individual events, and Thurs and Fri are team events. I'm expecting the Korean Tigers to open the event. There is supposed to be a TV crew there Wed and Thurs, so if you can't make it up to Seoul, perhaps you can view some of it on TV.

[aefibird]

Sounds good!

Kill Jill, if you could get some pics of it then that would be great - thanks!

[Kill Jill]

Just come back from day 1 of the Hanmadang...

It's pretty much a goodwill event rather than a truly serious competition.

Day 1 saw breaking, breaking, and yet more breaking... No wonder half the world's rainforests are depleted.

Virtually all participation was Korean only. I only spotted 3 'foreigners' participating. One poor foreigner doing granite breaking had to sit for about 1 hour on the floor awaiting his turn in fairly cold temperatures, with no one giving him any support. Needless to say, he only broke one block probably as a result of stiffness.

Some of the breaking was good, but somehow it seemed also on the whole - sadly - run of the mill stuff. I know I would be nervous to break in a competition, but even so, I think there was a basic lack of discipline on the part of many of the Korean participants. One university team failed to break just about every board, for example. I saw countless boardholders shifting their position at the last moment to ruin the competitors chance. I would feel pretty peeved off if someone holding a board lost concentration.

There also didn't seem to be much applause for anyone who performed well, and sadly, the bigscreen cameras were solely focused on the mens event, whilst there was a female breaking category going on on one sector of the court. Kids, as usual, running disrespectfully rampant - should have put the whole lot of them on a leash...

Also of lament, is the poor old Kukkiwon venue. It was so cramped inside, it really made the WTF headquarters a bit of a sports dinosaur - much better when Korean tournaments here take place in the Seoul Olympics gyms.

I could recommend the event for anyone wanting a 'feel' of what it's like to try for breaking competitions. But just to come all the way here as a spectator is not especially worth it. You'll do just as well to cosy up at home with a Korean Tigers demonstration video.

[Kill Jill]

p.s. I forgot to mention - I took about 5 pictures of some 4 man high tower breaking. The pictures won't convey the impressiveness of them, although in anycase, you'll need to wait until I finish my whole film - in a place like bleak winter Seoul, that won't be soon!

[coralreefer_1]

Sorry to hear about the lack of thrilling demonstrations there. After reading your description, i don't feel like I missed out on anything. I would had had to take KTX on Monday afternoon, pay for a hotel, and watch competition today(Tuesday) which would have meant I would have skipped my 4 hours of sparring class, and then endure a long busride back.

Again, I know what you mean about the Kukkiwon. I visited it in the spring, and frankly I was shocked at what I found there. I guess since Taekwondo is world's most popular martial art, and that place is the center of it, I was expecting to find some large place with manicured bushes, and an outstanding training facility. But I found a small and run-down area, everything seemed old. The museum and restaurant were closed. The day I was there, there was a poomse tournament going on, and as you describe, kids were running all around with no control. I left there thinking that the 2 little stores that sell Taekwondo gear just off the grounds was the best thing I saw about the place. I was so desperate for pics, but really nothing to take pics of, so i took pictures of the framed pictures down in the hallways where the offices are...haha

I hope, in 2008, where this huge "Taekwondo Park" will open, and the Kukkiwon will be moved to there, that i can be better that what I found there in Seoul.

Todd

[Kill Jill]

you're right, Coralreefer, the Kukkiwon is surprisingly small for a center of TKD. I guess you have to keep in mind that the building is some 30 years old now. But I wonder why it was never considered in the light of construction of the Olympic stadiums and later the World Cup stadiums to build a new premises before now. Even the plan for a new, state-of-the-art TKD center in Korea seems a bit sketchy, and I wonder how convenient it would really be in terms of access considering that most TKD competitors come from the Seoul area, and that any foreign visitors would have the hassle of (probably) transferring via Seoul to get there. It doesn't seem so thought through to me.

[Kill Jill]

I finally got my pics back from the photo shop of the Hanmadang 2005 event...

I uploaded one of them to the 'Photo Album' section of this site (see red bar above) if anyone is interested...

[aefibird]

Thanks Jill!

but even so, I think there was a basic lack of discipline on the part of many of the Korean participants.

One of the local TKD groups invited a Kuk-based Korean group over for a competition and sort of "goodwill" even recently.

My club participated, as did quite a few others from the area and many many people commented that the UK and European teams that entered seemed far more disciplined, focused and better trained than the Korean participants.

I know that this was only one event, but quite a lot of people were shocked at how "uncaring" the Korean team seemed about the whole thing. The kids were a nightmare, (but kids often are at competitions) but even the adult Korean participants seemed to lack effort, entheusiasm and 'spirit', as well as respect for the whole thing. it just seemed a bit odd to me that they'd flown half-way around the world for something they didn't seem to care about.