Problems in the ITF

[Chazz]

I know we all dont take TKD but i was wondering if any member has heard anything about the problems within the ITF

-Chazz
:cool:

[HKD]

tkd i a problem itself. i have trained tkd for 13 years. the problem is most instructors go for the money blowing there students through rank every 2 to 3 months like clock work. thats the problem. wtf more so thatn itf i think.

HKD

[LilBunnyRabbit]

I don't take it, but now that General Choi has died I'd imagine the various Tae Kwon Do schools are going to splinter.

HKD, if that's so then why did you take it for thirteen years?

[HKD]

i had lots of friends there that i liked spending time with. it wasn't till my instructor got really greedy in the last years and started riping people off left and right that i just couldn't take it any more. for years i was telling friends and students going for black belt that there is no way a BB test should cost $900. but they were sucked in and trusted him and not me...now they C i was right, BUT to late now. not all tkd schools R like this but i have been around many world class tkd instructors and grandmasters from jhoon rhee to h.k. lee to teh Pres. of the WTF and what i have seen, id never let my kid do tkd. i wouldn't even teach it to him they have alot to get fixed i don't think tkd will be here for the long haul. i know no art is perfect but tkd is at the bottom of the poll if U ask me. and i should say it's the instructors and not the art that make it so bad. the art itself is fine.

HKD

[TkdWarrior]

ITF or WTF... it doesn't matter wat it is... when MA starts to become into an organisation every kind of BS politics starts to creep in...

[grandmaster mat]

thats true tkd, some skools r gettin bad, its a shame it has to come down to money

[Labatt]

Like my school. It went to hell a long time ago. It wasn't always like that..........

It was awesome 6 years ago.

Im having serious doubts of whether Im waisting my time or not.

[TkdWarrior]

Im having serious doubts of whether Im waisting my time or not.
when in doubt, cut/slash everything that moves :D
-TkdWarrior-

[PsiCop]

I'm new here, but i think i can be your lifeline on this. I trained in the ITF for 2 years, before my school and a few others near us split away and formed our own organization. There was just too many politics and it was too structured by Master CS Kim. No offense to the man. In fact I went on on the Tae Kwon Do Times trip to Korea and China with him 2 years ago. There was about 80 of us including my instructor. After coming back, and for about 6 months after, our school wasn't really going anywhere. The students really didn't feel like they were learning anything new etc. So we all decided to break away, and now we practice under Master Donny Meadows. The core training is the same, only we made lots of smaller changes. One of the biggest changes was to the 1 steps of the ITF. they just aren't logical. The first red belt one for example, the right hand punch is coming in and you step to the right from choon bee, and open-hand check with your left hand and punch them with a straight reverse punch with your right hand. It isn't logical. 4 out of 5 times the guy wont get knocked down by your punch with a weak and awkward flow. He'll recover in about a second or less and punch you much harder with his other hand.

Get me right, im not bashing the ITF, but i am saying they need much reform.

[KickChick]

... are you referring to Tae Kwon Do or Tang Soo Do???
You got me confused with your previous post http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2989 asking what ITF stands for (???)
Argh!!!:confused: :confused: :confused:

[KarateKid1975]

There is an ITF for TSD, too. PsiCop was talking about the TSD one. But I think Chazz ment the Tae Kwon Do one ...... right????? Ok, now I'm confused, too. Chazz?

As far as TKD going to the dogs, in some cases, it's true. Mostly WTF schools (outta the ones I've seen anyways). My boyfriend's school is like that. They charge him a lot of cash, and he doesn't learn no where near as much as me (He does WTF TKD). They are pushing to get the students to BB, also.

My school (which is Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan) doesn't do contracts, and everything (including tests) are included in tuition, which is the cheapest in my area. My school is geared more toward self defense, also.

[PsiCop]

Ah, I think everyone was mixed up. I was talking about the TSD ITF and the original poster was talking about the TKD ITF. Don't they have patents on company names for this exact reason?

[Archon]

I agree, the politics are VERY complicated. I only truly became aware of them a few months ago. Now im starting to dislike the money grabbing higher up people who are taking advantage of us, who are trying to learn something that was never meant to gain people vast profits.

[Greg_G47]

The "belts for sale" WTF clubs are getting WAAY out of hand. I know people in the WTF who train twice a week and have a black belt after TWO YEARS. If they were some sort of prodigy I could see this, but they wouldn't stand a chance against some yellow belts I know.

The club I trained at in Antigonish graded at a rate of about a belt per year. 6 months almost minimum! They were non-profit (held in a school gym, charged $20/month to pay the rent), so they weren't swayed by money and angry parents living vicariously through their kids. You tested when you could do everything you were supposed to be able to do. I've always been a little slow to pick things up when it comes to TKD, so I trained six years for my first dan. I wouldn't have wanted a three year black belt because frankly, after three years I was nowhere near ready.

[mattsylvester]

So what is the score with the ITF now? All the site urls have changed and it seems that they're always announcing and denouncing each other on the sites.

[Twimyo Jirugi]

You just have to find a strong organisation taht stays true to the art and General Choi no matter. I'm glad to say that the RITA (Republic of Ireland Taekwon-Do Association) is one of those. We do go through gradings every 3 months, but that's at the student's pace. If a student feels they're not ready, then they can put off grading for a few weeks. Or if they feel they're ready, they can go sooner. My instructor is a living testament to the fact taht greeed isn't everywhere. Sure if a seminar or grading is on and you can't pay in time, all he worries about is you gettin' your license or forms in on time. The money always comes last which makes me proud to be a member of the RITA.