So....we're an Olympic Sport now....yeah..... What do you think about it? Should Kuk Sool be known as another Olympic Sport? Will we have the same rules as the WTF (World Tae Kwon Do Federation) governing our art/competitions? Will we have Nikke or Addidas plastered on our uniforms? What will become of the Tradition that we have so strongly fought for and worked for. What will we say now instead of "TKD is an Olympic Sport, WE are a Traditional Martial Art!" Not slamming the idea, but this will leave room for new Kuk Sool groups to spring up with the legal stand point of "WKSA is an Olympic Sport and the International Kuk Sool Federation Alliance" is a Traditional Martial Art without competition. Can't sue us!" Anyway, have had it fellow Kuk Sool practicioners!
don't see why its a bad thing. Now everyone can see how badass i am! Hahaha really don't see a problem with it. All about making money afterall................. You may see it as a traditional martial art others will see it as a business/livlihood. Can mean more ash for instructors with the growing group.
we do tkd sparring about twice a week at kung jung mu sul hq/chong bon gwan; grappling after class when we have the energy. i'm even competing in the jeju games in june. its fun, kids arms, legs, and feelings hardly get hurt, insurance is a steal, and it is a great work out....assuming your hips and knees work. sport is steeped the competitve spirit that makes people strive to be their best when they don't have the trait allready cultivated in themselves. the amount of obese people in traditional tourneys FAR outweigh the amount of even the slightly overweight at any boxing, wrestling, muay thai, tae kwon do, yudo, or bjj tourney. its almost depressing....
the martial art olympics is something seperate to the summer and winter olympics but is still sanctioned by the IOC. it is still in the planning stages at the moment. and the goverment of the participating countrys are in the process of working out which martial art organisation pass their strict criteria, and be put forward to participate in the MA Olympics. at the mo, the only orgs the korean goverment has given the ok to after a big independent investigation are TKD Hadung gum do and kuk sool won.
So does that exclude non "Won" former members of WKSA Matt? What is the criteria that qualifies a MA for participation?
I believe you have to be in good standing with "Kuk Sool Won" bc the gov't. doesnt recognize the break-offs.
it's way to early in the planning stage to even guess at the events or even when it will happen. and as hcl pointed out, the korean gov lay down the strict rules and criteria for participation which so far only tkd hgd and kuk sool won have passed. not any other kuk sool org, or any hapkido orgs or any other kma styles. you'll have to wait and see if the korean gov changes their entry criteria.
wait a minute....another KMA art is in the olympics? hehehe thats amusing. cause isnt Karate still like trying to get into the olympics? well congrats to the Kuk Sool community.
I'm a little confused. Is the Olympics sponsored by the Korean government? It sounds like that if individual countries decide which MA can participate, it would be up to the USA which martial arts represented it - in which case all Kuk Sool schools might be eligible. Non wksa athletes competing against wksa athletes. That would be interesting! The last I heard, the Korean government doesn't have jurisdiction in the USA.
Kuk Sool is Kuk Sool: why is only the WKSA allowed to go? last i checked, CJN In Sun Seo is the head of the Korean Kuk Sool Won Association. that would mean he gets to go too, right? and what about Kuk Sool of California? or even Kuk Sool Won of Spain (the one NOT under the WKSA). all those different styles of TKD get to go, that means, in all fairness, we should have the same right to go. anyway, just a little aggravated over here. there will be forms, weapons, and sparring. that much i know for a fact. however, will it be the sissy "touch and go back" point sparring or the continous point sparring with sweeps/finishes? i would much more perfer to just keep moving and counter instead of "touching" first. and taking out a guys leg would be nice instead of worrying he falls down and you get disqualified for it.
As Pugil asks, just exactly what competition are you talking about? You can't be talking about the main Olympics as the decisions on adding new sports were taken late last year and there was NO mention of Kuk Sool there. So just what event is being discussed? So far the only "evidence" I've seen is Hyeongsa's initial unexplained posting. Can someone fill the rest of the detail in please? Or do you meant this http://www.imacusa.net/index.php which is clearly nothing to do with the Olympics, appears to be primarily an attempt to get people to go to Russia, and is "open to all" according to the blurb
there is suppose to be a "Martial Art Olympics" sanctioned by the IOC. exclusively for the "best martial arts" and Kuk Sool is suppose to be among them. not unexplained since its been talked to death since the 50th anniversary.
"Supposed to be" : where? Where did you read or see this? To me sounds like the old combination of rumour speculation and bollox Can we have some proof that this exists before any more hyperbole is spent on it?
This is not new. An announcement about the martial art olympics was made some time ago by the WKSA and it was stated that Kuk Sool Won would be one of the sports taking part. That does seem to indicate that non-won practitioners would be barred from entering. Obviously they are afraid of the competition!:evil: But seriously, it does seem odd that the WKSA are so keen to have Kuk Sool Won made into a sport after so many years of making a very strong distinction between traditional martial ART and martial SPORT. I guess there is just too much money at stake to let the opportunity go! Of course they COULD have created a new name for the Sports side of KSW but then they wouldnt get the same valuable publicity and all the $ and £ and Won that will potentially go with it. I am not sure though, that the idea of having to belong to a single, privately owned organisation, in order to be elligible as a competitor actually sits very well with IOC ideals? Personally I have no problem with the idea even though I am non-won as any publicity for Kuk Sool Won also helps any plain ol' Kuk Sool schools like mine
preeeetttyyy sure Master Alex Suh announced it at the 50th anniversary and the masters are discussing it to people that ask. even to people that don't ask. lol course, they could be making up these rumors. and Master Alex could be having some secret agenda to confuse the entire Kuk Sool community ESPECIALLY since no one wrote it out and emailed it to everyone. and when i say "there is suppose to be" that means "there is suppose to be". the "Martial Arts Olympics" might not be the exact 100% deffinite term for it, but thats what is "supposed to be" happening: an Olympics for Martial Arts. i'm not sure how else to describe it without using markers and finger paint lol but the goal of this thread is "what do you think about it"? what do you think of KSW being another olympic sport that is goverend with rules. would you want an addidas logo or nikke logo on your sleeve? will that happen? will Kuk Sool uniforms be sold in century catalogs like TKD uniforms? what do you think about all that?
perfect post Kiwest. i agree 100%. though its strange to see the "high ranks" of kuk sool just abandon the art for sport, even though money would be made.
I don't think anyone will be abandoning anything, just trying to make extra money/gain publicity through what sounds like a prestigious event. It just happens to go against what has been stated in the past by the WKSA, but I guess we are all entitled to change our minds. And having thought about it, as far as traditionality goes, I guess the Olympic movement could be described as a traditional idea! Still not sure about limiting the event to members of one private organisation though.....(not that I am likely to have been a competitor anyway!)
