Does this mean techniques will be referred to in english from now on? That would be pretty strange and will surely lead to confusion.
i liked when he said "strengthen further globalization". Yes. we must maintain and expand our colonization of the planet. grip the globe by its balls. but besides all that, i dont really care that move of dropping the language either. we need to do a petition or something
That's earth-shattering... And very surprising. Do you have a link to the article? I'd have to agree with others on this thread, Tae Kwon Do is Korean and it should remain so. Granted making English the official language will open up the sport more to the wider public(read more players, more funds/money), but is it worth the cost of irreversibly eroding the Korean cultural aspects within the sport? Although there is no mention of it on the WTF website, which is odd. http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/news/wtfnews.html
I can see why they are going this way as a lot of clubs i have trained with here in Australia barely use much Korean until B/B, some of the guys i've talked to in NZ say more than a few of their clubs are the same way,but i guess it will still be sad to lose some tkd's traditions.
I think in this case it's kicking the globes balls This doesn't mean that the techniques etc will be spoken in english- remember the distinction between kukkiwon/WTF. This means general assembly's/meetings/speeches at opening and closing ceremonies etc will be conducted in English rather than Korean. At least that's what I have gathered!
This is what it sounds like and hopefully more official documentation will be released or made freely available in English.
I'm in favour of this move. Taekwondo is a universal sport and needs a universal language. I can't remember the number of times English-speaking friends watching Tawkwondo at the Olympics said to me, "What the hell is that judge saying?"
http://www.mudokwan.at/index.php?id=503&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=368&tx_ttnews[backPid]=445&cHash=ff9f887c4d
Not unless South Korea is adopting French or Spanish as an official language! At my previous London club, it was essential to speak English due to the cultural diversity, and that English is the one common language. Can't see my Asian friends liking this move.
Time will tell! my classes are a pretty good mix of korean/english instruction, terminology is in the sylabus and is marked at kup gradeings but not for BB.....my instructor tends to think the change will only effect competitions and the like but class instruction will be left as it is.....maybe so but its not how I originally viewed the news.........maybe folks connected to the WTF will post any noteable changes. kamau
Is this not just a formalisation of an existing natural shift away from Korean? WTF is (as far as I know) the most sports oriented TKD organisation, so it makes sense that their priorities would be to draw sports people into the federation and to increase the number of spectators both at its events and through television coverage. And as VZ said, people who don't do TKD don't have a clue what the commentators are saying, half the time. I don't imagine this will change anything at club level for most people.
Or maybe they're just messing with everyone, you know how the Kukkiwon is always changing the rules and such.
This only makes sense if one asserts that taekwondo's roots of tradition and philosophy are, in fact, Korean. I think this is a good step, though I like the use of Korean terminology in training. Taekwondo is limited in how far it can move forward so long as people cling to largely false ideas of taekwondo's inherent Koreanness.
i could go with that. incidentally i just came from a Kukki ceremony. the Korean- English translations stretched it out to 3 hours.....that sure was a drain
What would Shakespeare have said? Since this is a British-based site, I feel somewhat compelled to reference "The Bard Of Avon" himself to give perspective on this terminology matter - one William Shakespeare: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo & Juliet quote Act II, Scene II) ... and a front kick to the testicles hurts just as bad whatever you want to call it Willy Boy!
eh what... what is this, marketing?! rofl it's great to see (/sarcasm) that while other martial arts stick to their roots proudly, taekwondo seems to be making a move to become some globally recognised sport like football (and nothing more?) sad.
What do you think Taekwondo's "roots" are? Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and sport rooted primarily in a Japanese martial art which, in turn, is rooted in an Okinawan martial art, which, in turn, is rooted in Chinese martial arts. It was practiced all over the world within a couple decades of its inception. Unless you're one of the purists who really, truly believes that TKD is a 2,000-year-old Korean martial art (and if so, I've got some stuff you should read), this move isn't a betrayal of any roots.
Eh, why would you even say that? Are you trolling me? I can't tell. Don't assume that I don't know where taekwondo's roots lie. I'm fully aware of what taekwondo is, so I don't appreciate your deliberate and unnecessarily condescending/provoking tone. Firstly, 60 years is plenty history. If taekwondo is made 60 years ago, with the intention of being a self-defence oriented Korean martial art, it is certainly betraying roots if decades down the line, some nut decides to turn it completely into some global sport like rugby or tennis, taking away history and culture in one thoughtless gesture. Within those 60 years it has developed uniquely, just like other martial arts, and it has without a doubt become a major part of Korea - this is almost a second point, referring to your suggestion that taekwondo shouldn't even be considered Korean. It would be a true fallacy to say that taekwondo is not Korean. Secondly, progress is about copying, it's what humans are made for. Look at all the martial arts out there today, and the fighters that come from those disciplines. Are you saying that they fight exactly the way that they fought some thousands of years back when the martial arts were first made? Muay Thai fighters are now doing back kicks and side kicks, karateka are doing 360 kicks. If you watch videos of martial artists from just 20 years ago, you can see changes in stance and techniques in the same respective martial arts, today. So what's the landmark point that you're trying to prove? Just because a martial art isn't 2000 years old doesn't mean it's somehow invalid, or without it's own integrity and culture. Not only because all martial arts are constantly changing all the time, but also because taekwondo is now irreparably "Korean", I can't see a case for what you're saying to me.
