Dominant U.S. styles vs. the films that promote them

[humble monk]

A quick review of the phone book in my area reveals that the predominant styles school-wise in my area are Korean. I've traveled a bit, and see the odd Kung Fu school, but can find at least two dojangs in any city in the U.S.

What strikes me as odd is the sheer number of Kung Fu movies as opposed to the rare one or two Korean arts movies. Even Japanese art movies outnumber Korean movies in a big way.

So my question is how did Korean arts gain the popularity they have with no media support? I appreciate your thoughts.

[bushido_man96]

Korean arts gained popularity because Gen. Choi made a concerted effort to sprikle his black belts around the world to start TKD schools and organizations for each country that they went to. He also tried to get ITF Taekwon-do into the Olympics, but the KTA/WTF won out in the end. The KTA made a similar effort to expand globally, like the ITF did.

I believe this is why Korean styles are so popular. They were so suppressed during the Japanese occupation, and afterwards, they went out into the world, propogating themselves.

[humble monk]

Good point. Have any other arts actually made a concerted effort to spread outside their country? I hadn't thought of it that way.

Thanks Bushido Man!

[DWx]

Bushio_man96 pretty much sums it up. Gen. Choi and the ITF used to send their demo team out to various nations and then send their masters to go out and set up schools. The other Kwans also promoted their styles in order to promote Korea as a separate nation.

[humble monk]

So why has this never caught on in movies? I can only think of one TKD movie, and Steven Seagal was in that. I'll give half -points to the Billy Jack movies, those were Hapkido. If we throw in Chuck Norris, that still doesn't come close to the Kung Fu movies, which were largely responsible for the popularity of the arts today.

[DWx]

What about Best of the Best? You don't really get Korean MA movies at all. Most Kung Fu movies come out of Hong Kong and the whole wuxia and wire work style looks good even if you don't do MAs. Plus the Koreans don't really have stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li; I think the closest they ever came would be Hee Il Cho.

[humble monk]

Good call, forgot that one.

[bushido_man96]

Keep in mind that Korea was closed off in occupation up until the 1950s, was it? So, they didn't have much to do that was theirs. I don't think that Korea was a hotbed for filmmaking, so you have to consider that as well.

[humble monk]

Bushido Man has great wisdom!

[tenshinka]

A quick review of the phone book in my area reveals that the predominant styles school-wise in my area are Korean. I've traveled a bit, and see the odd Kung Fu school, but can find at least two dojangs in any city in the U.S.

What strikes me as odd is the sheer number of Kung Fu movies as opposed to the rare one or two Korean arts movies. Even Japanese art movies outnumber Korean movies in a big way.

So my question is how did Korean arts gain the popularity they have with no media support? I appreciate your thoughts.

One Word: Marketing...

Look at the American Tae Kwon Do Association, and the like...The Korean Styles were not afraid to do what the "traditional" other systems would not...Achievement patches, screen printed uniforms, 500 belts (so you always feel like your progressing, hell ATA has a "camo" belt)...The squared the market on "krotty" and keeping mommy and daddy happy...If I remember right, the concept of the "jr black belt" came from the TKD camp...Joon Rhee (of TKD) invented the popular foam dipped gear, that made sparring more palatable to the masses, who would not want to endure the knock out, bloody kumite matches of 1970's karate. Early TKD, was VERY simply, and easy to grasp, which allowed many practicioners to quickly become proficient, open their own franchises, and spread the art like wild fire.

Everyone is worried about that "black belt" the Korean arts knew that, and in addition to the jr black belt, they began allowing practicioners to achieve a BB in as few as 2 years, whereas traditional karate is take 4-10 years. They allow you to be called "Master" at 4th dan...There is so much...

Granted this is not true of ALL KMA, or TKD...Hapkido for one, is not easy to progress in, and they dont care so much about the marketing and the like...But TKD simply saw early on what was needed to succeed with westerners, and were not afraid to adapt to make it work...It was not hard for them, as *most* Korean Martial Arts modern history dates to 1945, not too much tradition to change lol

fwiw,

--josh