10 Misconceptions about Taekwondo

Just 10 years ago, the term tae kwon do was so unknown that South Korean masters would call their martial art "Korean karate." Today, however, most martial artists (as well as the general public) have heard of tae kwon do and recognize it as both a sport and a system of self-defense.

Despite its new popularity, tae kwon do is still misunderstood in many circles. Martial artists, in particular, seem to have vast misconceptions about the style. There are two primary reasons for this. First, some people are confused by the fact that within tae kwon do there exist substyles, just as there are different systems of karate. Tae kwon do was created jointly by masters of different Korean styles, and while it is theoretically a unified system, the training will vary somewhat according to each instructor's background. The second-and primary-reason there are misunderstandings about tae kwon do has to do with the South Korean ranking

system. While most Americans tend to think a black belt is the ultimate rank attainable in the martial arts, that is not true for tae kwon do. A first-degree black belt in TKD signifies that the holder of such rank is accomplished enough in the basics to begin serious training. Even second- and third-degree black belts signify only levels of skill in advanced training, not mastery of tae kwon do. In South Korea, you must possess a fourth-degree black belt to be considered an instructor, and you must have a fifth-degree black belt to be considered a master instructor. Although a first-, second- or third-degree black belt may be well-qualified to teach students of lower rank, that same instructor is not to be considered an expert who knows all there is to know about tae kwon do.

Most of the information about tae kwon do comes from people who have studied the style. Unfortunately, most of the people who study TKD do not achieve the rank of black belt. Consequently, most of the information about the style comes from individuals who have not even received sufficient basic training, much less advanced teachings. If your perceptions of tae kwon do have developed from contact with TKD practitioners under the rank of fourth-degree black belt, it is quite possible that you have developed some misconceptions about tae kwon do. Following are 10 of the most common misinterpretations about tae kwon do.

1 Tae kwon do is an ancient Korean martial art. This is not exactly true. Tae kwon do is actually less than 50 years old.  There is evidence to suggest that martial arts existed in Korea 2,000 years ago, but TKD is a blend of several of these systems, and it didn't evolve until just after World War II.

Because Korea was occupied by Japanese troops for approximately 40 years prior to 1945, some people make the assumption that Korean martial arts are influenced by Japan and are therefore not truly Korean, but instead mere imitations of Japanese combat systems. While there may indeed be some Japanese influence in Korean martial arts, to conclude that tae kwon do is a "pirated" system ignores the fact that, in centuries past, Korea conquered and occupied many parts of Japan. It could therefore be argued that Ko- rean styles first influenced the Japanese martial arts. Suffice it to say that tae kwon do is a Korean martial art developed within the past 50 years, with roots in the native Korean styles practiced more than 2,000 years ago.

2 Tae kwon do is a martial "sport," not a martial "art." Tae kwon do is actually both a martial art and a national sport derived from the martial art. Because the term "tae kwon do" is used to describe both the sport and the martial art, confusion is understandable. Do not, however, make the mistake of assuming that tae kwon do is not a combat art. To the contrary, it is a very complete self-defense system which includes hand, elbow, foot and knee techniques, as well as pressure-point strikes, groin and eye attacks, joint locks, throws and sweeps.

3 Tae kwon do stresses kicking, particularly high, flashy kicks that have little self-defense value. It is true that tae kwon do emphasizes kicks and that TKD practitioners are taught to use kicking techniques whenever possible since they are more powerful than punches. But while high, spinning, "flashy" kicks are part of the TKD arsenal, they are not necessarily recommended for self-defense purposes. Quick, strong kicks to targets below the midsection are, in fact, part of the self-defense curriculum at most tae kwon do schools.

4 Tae kwon do has few hand techniques, and a TKD stylist is helpless once you penetrate inside kicking range. Although training strategies vary from school to school, most tae kwon do instructors spend a lot of initial practice time on developing students' kicking skills. Because people use their hands for many tasks and their legs primarily just for walking, they generally have more hand coordination than foot coordination. Tae kwon do training attempts to reverse that condition by emphasizing the use of the legs, particularly in beginning and intermediate students. Hand techniques are taught during the first years of TKD training, but are downplayed in favor of kicking techniques. Once a practitioner is skilled at defending and attacking with primarily his legs, he is taught to integrate other techniques (hand, elbow, etc.) with his highly developed kicking skills.
Much of the misunderstanding about tae kwon do's close-range fighting techniques comes from martial artists of other styles, who believe that because TKD practitioners emphasize kicking, their hand techniques must be weak. This may be true of beginners, but not of advanced tae kwon do stylists.

5 All tae kwon do training is the same, regardless of the school. This is no more true of tae kwon do than of any other martial art. The only true similarity between all tae kwon do schools is that they teach a Korean martial art that emphasizes kicking. Every other variable, from the type of uniform worn to the way in which classes are conducted, is determined according to the desires of the school's owner/instructor. Dojang( tae kwon do schools) affiliated with larger organizations oftentimes will even differ from other member schools.

6 Tae kwon do is the most/least effective martial art. All practitioners like to think their style is the best, including tae kwon do stylists. The fact is, however, that any martial art taught by a competent instructor will greatly enrich your life, both mentally and physically. In that sense, tae kwon do is no better or worse than any other martial art

7 Because of tae kwon do's emphasis on kicking, it is best suited for young, athletically inclined individuals. This is not true. Although TKD does emphasize kicking techniques (some of which are extremely difficult to perform), it does not require that a practitioner be able to execute each and every kick taught.

Practitioners need only to have knowledge of each technique, not necessarily the ability to flawlessly per- form each one. Tae kwon do recognizes and rewards effort and inner spirit, not just physical ability. There are many instances of people attaining black belt rank in TKD who are aged, infirmed, or even physically handicapped. Tae kwon do, like most martial arts, is for everyone, both the strong and weak, and the young and old.

8 In the United States, tae kwon do is controlled by a small group of Korean Americans. This is a matter of perception. Because it is a relatively new style, there are a small number of quality instructors, many of them of Korean descent. The fact that many TKD schools and organizations are operated by South Korean-born instructors does not reflect any conspiracy by those of South Korean ancestry to control tae kwon do in the United States. Instead, it merely reflects the fact that there are many more teachers of Korean descent in the U.S. than there are those of American heritage. This is slowly changing, however, as more quality American instructors emerge.

9 All tae kwon do associations claim to be the "official" representative of TKD, making it difficult to determine which organization one should join. There are a great many organizations which claim to "officially" represent tae kwon do-some local, some national, and some international in scope. The two largest organizations are the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). When the South Korean government decided to establish a national martial art, the various TKD schools were combined under the banner of the ITF, and General Hong Hi Choi was named head of the organization. A few years later, Choi angered South Koreans when he made an unauthorized trip to meet martial arts leaders in North Korea. Both Choi and the ITF were subsequently shunned by the South Korean government, and Dr. Un Yong Kim then filled the resulting vacuum by creating the WTF. Under Kim's leadership, the sport aspect of tae kwon do has been greatly emphasized; it was a demonstration sport at both the 1988 end '92 Olympic Games.

Because the ITF was created first and was discredited only for political reasons' many people believe it is the "official" TKD organization. However, because the WTF is the only organization sanctioned by the South Korean government (and recognized by the International Olympic Committee), many people feel it is the "true" representative of TKD. There are also many smaller tae kwon do organizations which are not affiliated with either the ITF or the WTF. The bottom line is that it is possible to learn and practice quality tae kwon do without joining any parent organization. In general, joining a large organization means only that your certificate of rank may be more widely recognized.

10 Because tae kwon do forms are recent creations, are simple to execute, and are forever changing, they have no merit. While part of this statement is true, the conclusion-that TKD forms have no value-is absolutely false. It is true that tae kwon do forms are fairly new creations, and that they have been revised occasionally. This does not mean, however, that the forms are inferior and possess no merit. On the contrary, most modern tae kwon do forms are designed

to show actual fighting techniques. Although many of these moves are simple to execute, they are effective self-defense maneuvers. Most experienced martial artists agree that the most effective fighting techniques are those which are the least complex. A form that shows an exotic defense against a horse-mounted warrior wielding a double-headed spear may have been practical at one time. but has extremely limited application in today's world-which is, of course, why TKD forms are occasionally modified. The forms of most martial arts, in fact, have been changed or modified at one time or another to reflect the changing conditions of the world.

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These are but 10 of literally dozens of misconceptions people have about tae kwon do. And tae kwon do is not the only martial art that suffers from widespread misinformation. All martial artists would be better off if they refrained from passing judgment, good or bad, on any other styles and simply accepted each as a brother in the ways of the warrior.