Are you a 9th dan like me??

[MartialArthur]

Hmmm...

I'm only a 3rd degree and I already have the power to change taekwondo. Since I own a school I can teach it exactly how I like as long as I include the core skills and forms of traditional taekwondo. How I teach and what else I teach is up to me.

I hope you guys that want to change taekwondo only want to change your own taekwondo and not mine. I like mine just the way it is.... Well, OK, I change it from time to time to keep it interesting or incorporate new things, but I get to decide!

[ramymensa]

Arthur, you do have a point

In the end it's not the style, but the teacher/practitioner. The fact TKD is so popular has it's downsides as it does have advantages. Still people can train AS they like and know. Those who don't like it in a place, can join another.

As a good change, though, getting it off the Olympics would indeed be good.

[niel0092]

Nice ideas guys, but I agree with MartialArthur. The TKD you learn is very dependant on where you learn it and who you learn it from. I dont see a problem with Olympic TKD as a sport or traditional TKD as an art if that is what you want out of TKD. And no, ITF or WTF doesn't necessarily put you in one camp or the other (sport vs Traditional).

Having said that, in my school I'd like to see: more contact with hands and allow sweeps and throws durring sparring as well. Keep the continious rounds ie no point sparring as well, but maybe stand a fighter up after a throw or sweep kinda like they do in San Shou fights.

I'd also like to see us drop the Taeguek forms, keep the Palgwe set, and do more of the Chong Bong forms that we do from time to time but make those a requirement for gradings.

[foofies]

Hmmm...

I'm only a 3rd degree and I already have the power to change taekwondo. Since I own a school I can teach it exactly how I like as long as I include the core skills and forms of traditional taekwondo. How I teach and what else I teach is up to me.

I hope you guys that want to change taekwondo only want to change your own taekwondo and not mine. I like mine just the way it is.... Well, OK, I change it from time to time to keep it interesting or incorporate new things, but I get to decide!

Nice, but when your students take the test for the black belt where do the take the test?? In your dojo by you, or at the federation??

see here when some1 want to test for the black belt, he tests for it in the federation, and the journey wont accept any forms but tuagek. What if you decided that you want to teach your students something else other that the tuagek form?? Or you didn't teach them the back hooking kick, simply becuse you think its a stupid kick. Your student will never take the black belt.

I hope this was clear. if not take O and put A add some -ings, take some word n put smthn else.

[MartialArthur]

Nice, but when your students take the test for the black belt where do the take the test?? In your dojo by you, or at the federation??

As I said in my post, I teach them all the core (required) skills. White belt through first degree black test at my school or another local school (the org has 4 schools in my area). Even testings at my school include a judging panel with instructors from at least two other schools.

Second degree and above must test at a national testing, and I can assure you my students are well prepared.

Outsside of the core requirements, it's up to me to make my school an excellent education and experience for my students. I like not having a lot of limitations so that I can teach how I want.

[Belasko]

Definately a lot of opinions have been expressed. To touch on a few... Why get rid of TKD in the Olympics? It promotes the art/sport (don't argue which it is, it boils down to semantics ). It also brings some of the best practitioners together in one place. IMO at least it doesn't make it entirely about money like boxing matches or UFC fights often do (although they are fill w/ great fighters). As for getting rid of certain forms I can't understand why you would want to do that either. They are a part of the style. If you remove them from the style it's like chopping off a finger or some other part. As for when TKD began or didn't begin I'm not even going to go there. To many thoughts about when it began, and all of them are to some degree correct. It just depends on which point you want to pick it up from to say it started. After all, isn't it believed MA are descended from the teachings of Bodi Darma? The one thing I think I would actually change is try to make the art more open to outside influence from other styles. Willing to accept pieces and techniques from other styles and not just say, "you can't do that! It's not TKD." I guess there is one other thing I would want to change some, the majority opinion that TKD is primarily high kicks.

[Ottman]

I don't mean to undermine this discussion, as a lot of the points expressed here have been very well thought out, viable, arguments, but I personally think this whole discussion is a moot point. Any of us would and can change things about our own training, but this doesn't mean that a whole style needs to change in order to coincide with what an individual practitioner thinks is best, even if that practitioner is a grand master. This type of idea that you can change the way a martial art is taught or practiced goes contrary to the whole idea of a 'Martial Art' as a way of expressing your own combative technique, whether it's for defense, offense, show, sport, or just because you like to do it.

Now their has to be some sort of organization in order to do things like host national and international tournaments, or set up a federation to support the growth and popularity of the art, and the people who teach and practice it. This type of organization is a good thing because it allows outdsiders to be educated about the art, and it lays down a foundation for people not familiar with the art so they know what they can expect if they decide to start training in a particular style. It also creates a forum for insiders to get together and support each other and the art they love.

This being said, the only thing you would ever need to change is the function and setup of this type of organiztion to make sure it is serving the art and the people who train in it and not the other way around. The 'Art' of TKD will take care of itself. Each practitioner will always have his/her own unique way of training and practicing, regardless of the style they practice, and no one can ever force you to change the way you do your MA's.

Therefore, it doesn't make a shred of difference whether you train based this master's standards or that organization's standards. Luckily for us martial artists, there is no one organization that controls who can and can't teach or train and how they must teach or train. We have the power to pick which school, which style, and which master we train under. If we don't like one or the other, we can always switch. If you don't like the way the olympics are run, you don't have to participate. If you don't like either ITF or WTF style sparring, you can enter a different style of tournament. There are so many MA's and MA organizations out there that anyone can find what they're looking for, if they get out there and pound the pavement to find it. It's up to each of us to make the best out of our own training, and if you're not happy with the way things are run, either switch styles, or make the decision to train your way, and no one else's. Who's gonna stop you? The power is ours already.

[jakmak52]

Unify ITF with the WTF

[MartialArthur]

Unify ITF with the WTF

Why??

..

[jakmak52]

Unify ITF with the WTF

Why??

..

It was just a joke....