TaeKwonDo???

[isshinryu5toforever]

I have been thinking about officially taking TaeKwonDo to receive an actual rank. I have competed on the college team using an arbitrary rank given to me by the coach, because I have a black belt in Karate, but no official TKD rank. My question is, would if be beneficial for me to get formally ranked in TKD? I have done Isshin-Ryu Karate since I was about 5, so about 15 years now. The TKD poomse seem extremely easy to learn, I could do Koryo after watching someone do it twice. So, would it be beneficial for me to take TKD or would I just be collecting another belt?

[ninjanurse]

I suppose that depends on what you have in mind for the ranking. If you intend to teach TKD, you may want to hold an official rank but if you just want to continue to compete (and presumably do not need an "official rank") then I'd say why? Just learning a few forms needed for BB doesn't really mean you have learned the art...and yes, most forms are easy to imitate when you have had several years of "martial arts"...so you may want to formally study and come up through the ranks in that respect. I guess you have to decide who would benefit and take it from there.

[Ottman]

I agree with ninjanurse. There's really no reason to be formally ranked in TKD unless you plan on teaching, officiating or competing in major TKD tournaments that are sanctioned by big TKD orgs. I'm not sure how much more you would get out of TKD training considering your previous MA experience, and you have to think about the costs of training as well. Will it be worth the money just to get another belt? Again, if you seriously want to be involved in TKD organizations and major tournaments, then go for it, but if it's just for the 'peace of mind' (for lack of a better term) of actually having a TKD rank then I don't think it would be worth it for you.

[danbong]

I would say that you don't need to pursue TKD ranking unless you intend to "convert" and do TKD indtead of isshin ryu - which I'm pretty sure is not your intention.

[isshinryu5toforever]

It's definitely not my intention to convert. I don't know about teaching it either. Although, it is definitely easier to market than Isshin-Ryu Karate. The big concern I have, would be the politics involved in TKD. They exist in Isshin-Ryu, but not to the same extent they do in TKD. You have the ATA, WTF, and ITF associations. You can't compete internationally without being Kukkiwon certified. It just seems like a lot of unnecessary red tape. Since I've been participating on the team, I can take the classes through NYU free. I don't think they charge for testing up to red belt, so I would only pay for the black belt test. But here again, I feel like I'd just be collecting a belt from an association just for the heck of it.

[Ottman]

I understand where you're coming from. The politics involved in TKD are quite tiresome, and I surmise that they exist to the extent they do because of TKD's current mainstream popularity. As you mentioned, it very easy to market TKD at the moment, and where there is money, there is always politics.

I didn't know, however, that you had to be Kukkiwon certified to compete internationally. I don't think that this is the case with the Olympics, and I'd find it hard to believe that the Kukkiwon can control every international TKD event. Perhaps they control the World Championships, and the qualifying tournies leading up to it, but I doubt that they're involved in every international TKD tourny. I'll try to find some more info on this.

If you do plan on teaching, given the popularity of MMA right now, it wouldn't hurt to have BB's in multiple arts, but it looks like you have quite a lot of experience, and mixing TKD with Isshin Ryu, like I mentioned before, probably won't further your MMA experience too much. I'd mix either of these arts with BJJ, Judo, Aikido or Hapkido (or maybe wrestling) to get a broader spectrum of skills and techniques.

There is an Isshin Ryu school near my TKD school and we get together to spar pretty frequently. There is certainly a difference in the strategies, and style that each art uses, but as I'm sure you've noticed in your experience with TKD, there isn't much more of a broadening of experience you can get by mixing these two arts.

[tkdman102088]

alright being a tae kwon do instructor and teacher myself i would be biased to say "take tae kwon do" but i think that u should not...if u do take another style take a chinese style that has fluid movements such as tai chi, kung fu, qing yi, etc.. because it will up ur skill and make u more fluid...also the forms look artsy and look great in competition. make your choice wisely...

[aefibird]

Well, if the test doesn't cost too much then I'd say take it. I don't think you'd be belt collecting - you seem way too mature and sensible a MAist to be in it just for a shiney new blackbelt - but I do think that it may help you in your MA training to have the official rank.

At the moment you have an awarded rank by the coach, I presume that the rank will mean nothing when you leave university? If that's the case and you want to continue competing in TKD tournaments (something you obviously enjoy doing, or you wouldn't be on the college team) it would be of benefit for you to have an 'official' TKD rank.

As for the politics...don't even go there...