This was posted on another forum. "I have a question about the patches that many of us wear. In the organization that I belong to there is a requirement for two flag patches. We wear the USA flag on one sleeve and the S. Korean flag on the other. I never gave this much thought until this weekend. I went to a fairly large and open TKD tournament. There were people from the major organizations as well as a large representation of indy organizations as well. There were several people in official ITF dobeks and they had the USA flag on one sleeve and the N. Korean flag on the other sleeve. They had both flags hanging in the area where they set up so that winners could have their photos taken with trophies and such. This gave me some trouble as I don't have a lot of respect for government of N.Korea but is too much different from all the schools that have S. Korean flags either on the uniform or hanging? Does anyone else have trouble with this?" When the South Korean flag is sewn onto a uniform it is to show respect for where Taekwon-Do was founded. Some wear it because the WTF and Kukkiwon are both in South Korea. To wear the north Korean flag on an ITF uniform shows neither the place of TKD founding nor where the ITF is headquartered. North Korea didn't even have TKD until the early 1980's; 25 years after it was founded. North Korea is a member of the ITF under Professor Ung but his headquarters is in Austria. If anything they should be wearing the Austrian flag. The North Korean flag should not be on the uniform unless you are North Korean. Taekwon!! Mike
Osu, It is an American thing to put flags everywhere... If I was playing American Football or baseball, I would not wear an American flag! I also don't have a French flag on my pajamas... Osu!
I know people with Jacks tattooed above their cracks - interestingly, they're from Liverpool. As far as the little square ones everywhere, ya, you're right...
Does it really matter? It gives no advantage or disadvantage on the mat and it has no connotations outside of its use as a flag (a swastika on the other hand, has many other connotations). You've already wasted too much time thinking about this.
Wear whatever flag you want in my opinion, no one really looks at them that I know of. I've been at a tournament where I saw one guy with a pirate patch on his sleeve, didn't know what to think of that.
One of the three splinter groups of the ITF is based in North Korea. That is probably the source of the flag. Personally, I don't like flags on uniforms. In fact, I don't like anything on uniforms. A uniform ought to help us lose ourselves in the art, not proclaim our loyalties, beliefs, or individuality.
Ever go to tournaments and see a TKD or Karate guy covered in patches like some of the BJJ guys? Nothing says fail when you see some dude covered in patches and "National Champion 1986" type of stuff......
I don't believe in patches either! The point of a uniform, is the we're all essentially the same until our individual skills are shown.
I'm thick as a brick, but the flag thing on TKD uniforms may've come from the fact that nationalism ( and of course the symbolism thereof ) in the Koreas is a ubiquitious, expected fact of life over there. I remember going to a rocker night club in Asia, when I was last visiting in-laws, and God blind me, they were waving the flag all over the stage, and in the audience. Not the little, reasonable sized ones, but the regulation - sized ones. All those 'anarchists' ( approved by the local Revolutionary Party big-wigs, of course ) Stage diving right into a mosh pit full of Red flags... If that's true, then having a flag on ones dobok would be one of countless extensions of whats expected. I don't think anybody would give it even a moments passing. It'd probably kick up quite a stir, if, however, one didn't have the flag. Like goin' round without knickers or somesuch would be viewed here in the States ( Europe's by and large beyond the dribble ) He's right! I've spend way, way too much time on this, already.
