Traditional Taekwondo...Can it be saved?
Over the last 20+ years, the sport side of Taekwondo has become a painful to watch display of exactly what Taekwondo is not...a game of tag designed to score points by way of deceit and tactics designed to score in as unexciting of a way as possible.
The last 10+ years has been about the ruling organizations and bodies who make the sparring rules panicking and trying to modify the rules to increase the excitement but failing miserably as the millennial generation find others ways to game the rules.
What many clubs, who are not heavily into the competition side and practice more traditional Taekwondo updated to modern principles of engagement but still holding true to the origins of this very robust Martial Art, are left with is a misbehaved child running off and trying to ruin the good reputation Taekwondo has carried for so long. What can we do to counter the lessening of Taekwondo in the wake of the new MMA culture and the loss of respect as an effective Martial Art? How can we survive the next decade? It has to come back home. Perhaps Taekwondo should be removed from the Olympics. Money should stop being given to the organizations who will only support what they would call the 'Elite' athletes. In reality 'Elite' only means they are being funded by some entity. They are able to gain points whether they are good or not, and the more points they can get, the better chance they have of making it to the big shows, the national events, International events and of course the Olympics.
It is a skewed system filled with skewed individuals who are not trying to support the Martial Art or even the sport, but their own self-interests. Provincial organizations are trying to force themselves down the throat of any Taekwondo clubs who want to hold tournaments by holding the power to sanction or not sanction these events, and all in the name of forcing membership so they can fill the coffers and can then, as usual, support their own chosen 'Elite' athletes.
It is wrong and it is immoral and it is disgusting and it MUST be stopped at all costs so we can bring back the honor and the traditions of Martial Arts...the main tenet being Integrity.
(This post is the thoughts and feelings of Mauro Biefeni and in no way reflects the opinions or thoughts of K.S. Cho Taekwondo College or anyone else associated with it)