Your worst experience(s) of politics in TKD

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do' started by Van Zandt, Jul 5, 2009.

  1. paddy ska

    paddy ska Valued Member

    Originally from sunny Viewpark,started in '91 with the TAGB, in Coatbridge under Davie Murphy,stayed with them until '98 then joined the ITF with the UKTF, 3 clubs broke away from them to form the STA ( not the same as John Kirkwoods at the time) then in '03 we joined PUMA.

    Good job I'm not dyslexic....
     
  2. Lithanwif

    Lithanwif Human Punchbag

    yeah, sometimes I feel a little three and four letter acronym mad.

    I know a few peeps went to train with Mr Jim Love in Cumbernauld TAGB. They seem to be having fun. A few of our chaps also came from UKTF, Mr Ashley Dowden in Bathgate and of course ALEX87TKD who posts on here. TKD is such a small world.


    And of course here's Thomas who helped me through my previous experience mentioned here. I figured you'd still be posting fella.

    - As a side line to the above, Kukkiwon merely said "pay us the 'back fees' (including all of the costs of the fake ones) you owe and we will issue you rank at the current level". No action was taken to the offenders by Kukkiwon. - ??????

    -I seen many cases of officials at tournaments giving the win to their own students despite the outcome clearly being the opposite. - I have video from our previous organisation of one of our team being voted against. The corner judge turned to look at how his instructor was voting before holding up that flag. Pretty blatant really.

    -There are quite a few schools who enforce the "don't even look at other arts or you are gone" philosophy and even a major chain around here that will not accept students with prior training in another art. That same chain also requires "personal service" fr advancement (such as lawn trimming and etc.) - Man I couldnt train there at all could I? My instructor has discussed how I would have done things in Muay Thai/Karate/Kung Fu and the merits of doing it any other way.

    -I've seen senior people leave a group because they didn't get the rank they thought they should hold (without even meeting the minimum time in grade). I've also seen rank given and sold without tests. - And of course set up their own organisations upgrading themselves by comittee.
     
  3. Alex87tkd

    Alex87tkd Why all the jumps!?

     
  4. Spookey

    Spookey Valued Member

    Worst Political Experience in TKD...

    Dear All,

    I tested for Kukkiwon Dan Rank in November of 2007, however my certification was not registered until 2009, also it was not for the correct dan rank. This is one hundred percent the instructors doings and not the doings of the Kukkiwon.

    There was an article I may post link to at a later time, where a high level position holder admitted to "branch trimming" in international competitions in order to set easier matches for certain nations to have greater ability to succeed!

    Also, there is current in fighting at the upper level of the "Presidency" of the worlds Taekwondo community. The source of the fighting appears to be in direct link to the politics of the KTA back in the 1970's...a form of inner kwan rivalry.

    To agree with a previous poster and to give addition to his words...Commercialism (greed), and Politics (greed) = Greed, the single biggest facet of the current downward spiral of Taekwondo!

    TAEKWON!
    Spookey
     
  5. TKDstudent

    TKDstudent Valued Member

    Yes that is also right. Did they find a new president for the KKW?

    As a side note, i see you applied for a KKW certificate, but you label your self as Chan Hon & ODK
     
  6. Spookey

    Spookey Valued Member

    TKDStudent

    Dear TKDStudent,

    Question 1 - Uhm Won Kyu, President of Chung Do Kwan is now the President of Kukkiwon, there is also a new President of the WTF, however his name escapes me.

    Question 2 (two fold answer)

    1. I worked a consultant for a new Dojang that an affiliated WTF school. I ended up teaching at the school for a few years and serving as coach to some international students that came through. Have to have Kukkiwon certification to get a coach's card!

    2. Being Oh Do Kwan places me in a unique situation. Although created by General Choi, the Oh Do Kwan was originally the Military Gym of the Republic of Korea. They later became one of the nine kwans of Kukkiwon. So, we being the first Kwan of Chang Hun also serve as a member of Kukkiwon. The "Kukkiwon" propaganda explains that all kwan unified, follow the curriculum of, and issue certification through Kukkiwon, however the kwans are very much alive and well!

    Now, to link the first and the second question, there is much fighting within Kukkiwon, much like the "war between the states". The Kukkiwon being the equal of the federal government, and the kwans fighting for "states rights"!

    Taekwon!
    Spookey
     
  7. TKDstudent

    TKDstudent Valued Member

    Thanks
     
  8. WMAC

    WMAC New Member

    Mr Dowden was from the BITF not the UKTF
     
  9. andyjeffries

    andyjeffries Valued Member

    It should however, also be noted that there are thousands of letters sent out each year asking for nominations and that the number of peopled nominated each year is approaching 200.

    http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/nomination/

    Also, a Nobel Peace Prize nomination (especially as all it takes is a single letter from the 2,000 sent out that year) doesn't necessarily mean that much, given the controversies over some previous winners :

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Peace
     
  10. andyjeffries

    andyjeffries Valued Member

    Wow, I posted on an old thread... didn't even notice the date...
     
  11. SeeDarkly

    SeeDarkly Valued Member

    This.
    Various associations/individuals proclaiming what TKD "is." The gradual promotion and distortion of what TKD originally was into the "sport" it is now.
    The over emphasis on kicking techniques.
    Misrepresentation of what techniques actually are.
    Playing some dangerous games with student's safety via previous two points.

    Flameworthy I know, but it makes me so very angry to see pattern research attacked and crazy stuff like hands around waists...it belittles a great art.
     
  12. TKDstudent

    TKDstudent Valued Member

    The emphasis on the Olympic sporting rules has helped TKD greatly, while it has also had some downsides.
     
  13. TKDstudent

    TKDstudent Valued Member

    Quote: Originally Posted by TKDstudent
    "It should be further noted that Gen Choi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize"
    Yes I was aware of this information & thank you for pointing it out. I think it makes it even more impressive given that Gen. Choi was nominated for a Nobel Prize for Peace. The fact that only 200 nominations are received from a world of 7 BILLION people is a truly amazing accomplishment. Then when you consider that not just anyone can nominate someone, it is even more impressive. There is a narrow category of those eligible to nominate, like previous recipients & national Parliaments. So in Gen. Choi's case Canada's national Parliament saw fit to make such a nomination as they must have been so very proud to have the man that named TKD, first organized the systemization of it & worked tirelessly to spread his style around the world, with the main emphasis stated clearly to "build a more peaceful world".
    He did after all make Canada his adopted Country after he was forced to flee a terrible military dictatorship at the height of the brutality in 1972. Remember that the RoK was led 1st by an authoritarian autocrat, then 3 military generals, 2 of which took power by military coup. Gen. Choi, being an outspoken critic of governments not responsive to the people, paid a terrible price for his life in exile. But his work has helped south Korea to become a true democracy once another leading dissident took over as a civilian elected democratic president. Gen. Choi's TKD has done so much for so many around the world, bringing together many people of different backgrounds under the TKD banner. Why is this not celebrated more, along with the other Koreans that helped make this what it is today?

    I would like to add that I am not aware of any other martial artist that ever had such a nomination, do any other readers out there know of any? This I think makes it even more extraordinary!
    Gen. Choi was also awarded with many honors, doctorates, medals etc. from many governments & heads of state worldwide for his efforts, even south Korea, before his domestic politics & outspoken criticism got him & TKD into trouble. But then again, I also am not aware of many principle founders of a martial art that were also a founding member of a Nation's army, attained the rank of 2-Star Major-General & was his Country's 1st Ambassador ever to Malaysia. See Gen. Choi was an accomplished & complicated person. When a man of his stature & influence spoke out against a brutal dictatorship, the dictator wanted him silenced. Thankfully Canada gained when he relocated there. He became a good citizen that appreciated living in a real democracy & from there & using the ITF & the TKD stage it afforded him, he spoke out against the dictators, while he improved people's lives with his gift of TKD. Sadly the 1st part resulted in a terrible campaign to wipe him, the ITF & his TKD out, as a means to silence his criticisms. But Canada did not look to silence him & saw fit to nominate him for such a prestigious award.
    Thanks for reviving this thread! It is important that more know about his enormous contributions. I would like to hear more & about more figures who played such an important part of giving TKD to the world. Millions & millions have benefited through it. Don't you think?
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2012
  14. Kwajman

    Kwajman Penguin in paradise....

    The worst example I can think of is being told that the host school at a tournament had to win the overall grand champion trophy for best martial artist.
     
  15. Indie12

    Indie12 Valued Member

    From my experience, they only way to truly affect change in the way Tae Kwon Do (pretty much all the organizations, and individuals) is not within the industry itself, but rather from the external, in other words change has to come from the outside sources.

    I truly agree with you, politics is what's destroying Tae Kwon Do. I've studied Tae Kwon Do for over 23 years now, I've seen much changes (some good, most not) and it hurts to see the decline of the Art in terms of originality, technique, and purpose!

    But if you have any ideas I'm open and all ears! :)
     

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