After writing for many years about the development of the art in question (Taekwon-Do), I have concluded that, while my views were based on personal observations, they described the events in with absolute certainty.

Specifically, I am referring to the biomechanics employed by each and every organization that claims to teach the art devised by General Choi Hong Hi.

One might assume that each and every one of them currently perpetuates the teachings of the founder; however, reality does not align with that supposed truth.

The art evolved exclusively in hands of its founder, and that evolution came to an end with his passing, any alleged subsequent evolutions are manipulations.

Having served as his Spanish interpreter for countless seminars and interviews, as well as for his condensed encyclopedia (1996 version) and having had the honor of being his student and receiving direct instruction, corrections, and advice from him, I am in position to speak about the distortions his work faces today.

It is very difficult to make a meatless hamburger. To understand this reasoning, I must refer to the description of the art itself. It was conceived as a martial art with a sporting aspect, not the other way around. It features unique biomechanics within the realm of martial arts, and its founder systematized its pedagogy so that it could be passed on intact to people worldwide regardless of race or religion, and free from any political or philosophical agendas that might diminish its benefits. I would like to emphasize a specific point for a better understanding: the art was systematized by its creator. Failure to accept or adhere to this concept implies a distortion of the legacy. Even if one claims to be teaching his work, what is actually happening is merely the reproduction of the creation’s name without fully conveying its true substance.

This means that the path he outlined must be followed in its whole, rather than whatever some passing «guru» might arbitrarily propose as authentic when it is not.

They say tigers were once herbivores until they tasted blood; well, the leaders of the vast majority of current organizations claiming to teach what Choi Hong Hi created are a perfect example of that tiger’s conversion.

To maintain their leadership positions and avoid going back to eating plants, they have gone to great lengths to craft an identity that keeps them in power. They have sought ways to set themselves apart from the rest by introducing modifications that distinguish the entities they lead.

There is a wealth of recorded material (videos, publications, written works, interviews, and seminars featuring General Choi) that leaves no doubt about the path to follow, the movements to reproduce, and the methodology required to achieve this. Yet, there are those who are «more papist than the Pope.»

In an effort to make a name for themselves, they have altered biomechanical elements, disregarding what was recorded in the videos and other materials produced by the General himself. These techniques were originally conceived to be simple, easy to transfer and execute for the sake of effective self-defense. Yet, they have transformed them into a system riddled with rigidity, superfluous additions, and explanations that are difficult to assimilate. One could say they finally succeeded: they have given birth to the «Corps of Taekwon-Do Engineers.»

Of course, this wasn’t done strident, but rather subtly, organically, and persistently. Its implementation has involved complicated explanations regarding the famous «sine wave» adding concepts that don’t exist in General Choi’s own encyclopedia. The «down-up-down» movement is repeatedly misrepresented, failing to convey that, to execute the movement as it would be, they have to teach the right functioning of the supporting leg.

By following these instructions, they distort the originally designed movements, their biomechanics, and their intended purpose; they render them less effective for practical self-defense, reducing them to mere choreographed mimic.

Within all these entities, there are practitioners of great personal merit, distinguished by their skill and physical aptitude; however, they were trapped in the received distorted information, compelling them to repeat such assertions.

I’ve often asked myself why this is the case. I have finally found an explanation, though it certainly offers no justification regarding the destiny of the art or the movements and objectives that sustain it.

The answer lies in having created a form of identification that personalizes them and allows these “big shots” to continue occupying their positions and status.

The only benefit to emerge from this situation is that the current proliferation of entities has prevented the bad use of the art through a manipulation of it by politics, race, and religion. This fact is coincident with its Founder vision and wishes.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes

Looking back on the practice of our art, I am inevitably compelled to accept the inexorable passage of time. Through a twist of fate, I was among the students who took up this activity in the late 1960s and also part of the group of pioneering Western instructors who helped spread it in Argentina. Although many years have passed, it feels like only yesterday that we were contending with the Japanese arts (Judo and Karate)to gain acceptance for Taekwon-Do as a new martial art, introduced in 1967 by emissaries of General Choi to propagate his creation.

A great deal of time has passed since then, and we have gained a wealth of experience along the way. Everything was conveyed to us in the broken language spoken by those who introduced the activity. There was no theoretical information available until the early 1970s, with the arrival of a small batch of books from the fledgling ITF; however, since they were written in English, only a few of us could read them. By and large, we had all accepted the idea that we were learning and teaching Korean Karate, as that was the only way to gain a foothold in the martial arts scene of that era, which was still in its early years.

The technical aspect was idealistic; while patterns were indeed practiced, they were treated as secondary to the practical application of techniques for self-defense. Since the early training venues featured canvas mats laid over sawdust (originally installed for Judo) the instruction included the rudimentary throws we practiced. Competitions did not exist until 1975, when the first national tournament for blue/red belts and Dan ranks was organized; held on a single ring side, it drew an unexpectedly massive crowd—so large, in fact, and that many people were turned away because the venue (the old Obras stadium, which no longer exists) was packed to capacity.

The demographic shifts and the evolution of skills from that time to the present have been so profound that only those of us who experienced both eras can truly grasp them. Consider elements such as protective gear and uniforms—which, in the early days, were essentially *karategis* (standard karate uniforms). The early 1980s saw the establishment of the first legally recognized organizations and the development of more sophisticated teaching methods. The proliferation of schools across the country was remarkable; the growth in participation was such that the art came to be regarded as the most significant sporting phenomenon of that decade.

To better appreciate this evolution, one must remember that from the art’s introduction until the 1990s, neither the internet nor mobile phones existed. Promoting an organization required methods far more rudimentary than today’s—such as distributing flyers, advertising in the few specialized magazines available at the time, and holding demonstrations, practices that have since fallen out of use.

What has been said is a concise summary of the events of the last 58 years regarding the system created in 1955 by General Choi Hong Hi. The history of the art in Argentina mirrors that of the rest of the world, as the country gradually became part of the rapid expansion of the international federation that governed Taekwon-Do until 1973. Due to political decisions that remain difficult to unravel even today, the discipline split at that time into two regulatory bodies. The new entity introduced a different sporting biomechanics that curiously also use the name Taekwondo. Efforts to promote the art have always been driven by individuals who went to extraordinary lengths to make its practice accessible; demonstrations, typically conducted without the backing of a formal methodology, required participants to rely on imagination and personal risk-taking demonstrations (a practice that has since then fallen out of use).

Old 24mm film footage and black-and-white photographs still bear witness to this whenever they are recovered from archives or the personal collections of long-time practitioners. For today’s generation—saturated as it is with digital technology on personal computers and modern mobile phones featuring built-in cameras and video capabilities that were unimaginable back then, the absence of such methods seems almost incredible yet, that is simply how things were. Nowadays, young children handle these tools more adeptly than the adult professionals who had to learn to use it and incorporate them into their lives as the new innovations of progress.

The observations presented here offer a concise overview of the evolution of technology and life itself. «Everything changes, everything changes,» went the lyrics of a song from that era.

I believe that one reason demonstrations of the art have fallen out of use is that the skills displayed in such settings can now be recreated by artificial intelligence.

However, in the face of this new challenge and potential skepticism, we must bear in mind that while we cannot teach to artificial intelligence but we certainly can teach the human beings who wish to join us. Art is learned through practice and the guidance of a qualified instructor, not by watching a screen. Digital information can never replace the guidance of the person who helps a student evolve during every training session. And while AI can contribute concepts, it cannot replace an opponent in combat or the instructor. Thank you for your time.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read the previous notes

One of the most demanding and, at the same time, frustrating areas of training is the practice of the patterns or Tul of the art. When the practitioner invests time and effort in this element of the art of Taekwon-Do, developed and systematized by Gen. Choi Hong Hi, they must keep in mind the conditions and implications that it carries.

If such dedication is directed toward a sporting competition in this area, the emphasis will be placed on the obsessive development of the details that must, without exception, be included in these confrontations. The judges have been trained to verify that the details dictated in the various seminars of the organizing body are present in the performance carried out by the participants.

These technical details tend to obsess competitors because they know that, if they fail to comply with them, their relationship with success will be short-lived. However, this has led to the execution of robotic movements whose practical use is highly questionable.

There is no doubt that the control of coordination, balance, and the definition of kicks are conditions that must be kept in mind to be included among the leading positions. The mind-body relationship is unavoidable; therefore, intention plays an essential role in each execution.

In competition, the purpose of each movement is centered on obsessively complying with the technical requirements indicated in seminars and bibliographic references.

There is no doubt that the performances of those ranked among the top places have a significant choreographic development. Judges, and even the public, expect to see this panorama. When it is absent from a competitor’s performance, the deduction of points to be awarded becomes demanding.

The development of each and every one of the movements involved in the 24 patterns, or Tul, contains the mathematical and choreographic details already mentioned. However, one must not overlook that each and every one of them also has a specific purpose.

The geometric details contribute to improving the balance, power, and benefit of each of these movements. Nevertheless, it is imperative not to neglect the purpose for which each one of them was designed. Considering that the mind-body relationship is unavoidable, the focus we give to this relationship will condition the result.

If a practitioner knows 20 movements, but in reality has only put 4 of them into action against an opponent, only those four will be useful for self defense. The rest will become part of anecdotal knowledge and will be profitable only within the structure of sporting competition.

Based on what has been stated above, it is necessary, when training patterns or Tul, to keep in mind the purpose for which the movements are executed, so that they do not become merely part of a choreographic development.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes

Questioning the diversity of entities that claim to represent, promote, and teach Taekwon-Do, created, disseminated, and evolved by its creator, General Choi Hong Hi, is pointless. This has been discussed ad nauseam, to the point that the existence of an indefinite number of entities claiming such authority is now universally accepted.

Of course, none of them are. None of them is an extension of the original because the real one, with its context, organizational structure, administrative order, unity of criteria, pedagogical system, and technical development, died along with its founder in June 2002. If this weren’t true, the years that have passed since then have been enough to clarify the issue. But reality continues with the expansion of the obscurantism.

In the overwhelming diversity surrounding Choi Hong Hi’s creation, the lack of a charismatic leader, the unequivocal guidance of a single protocol, pedagogical clarity, and the necessary unity of purpose are evident. Today, everyone is playing their own game in the name of who put the ball in motion, the ball they all play with. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. How many presidents of organizations with the same acronym are there? Too many. How many were there then? Just one. Which one of them can replace him? None. So why don’t they stop occupying the position he held?

My dear friend, I was told that tigers were herbivores until they tasted blood, and since then, none have eaten plants again.

Each administration uses promotion timelines according to its internal needs. Each entity uses protocol criteria according to its own understanding. !!!But some are led by people of Eastern origin!!!… Race doesn’t guarantee the correct use and destination of what has been created, except for the correct use and destination of what has been created by each of them. They use philosophical phrases and methods attributed to the Founder, even though this has nothing to do with him.

Eastern leadership is very useful for those who need to feed their personal fantasies about that race, without this having anything to do with reality, effectiveness, knowledge, or pedagogical ability.

General Choi clearly established that his art should not belong to any country, nor should it be associated with any religion; however, there are those who claim this kind of heritage.  Art opens its doors only to those who honor the vision of its founder. Associations, Federations, and Confederations are merely administrative systems that are only valuable if they comply with the laws that govern their constitution. For this to happen, as with any system of government, the constant renewal of its authorities is necessary. When this doesn’t occur, it ceases to honor the administrative name it bears and becomes a mere reign. In other words, Associations, Federations or Confederations can’t inherit.

When such actions occur, they are even more serious than institutional diversity.

Mentioning the diversity in clothing, regulations, pedagogy, philosophy, and biomechanics would be repetitive, and it’s clear that nobody cares.

However, despite what has been described, within the diverse institutional framework, a biomechanical distortion has recently increased, neglecting details that make the increase in power and effectiveness or practical utility of movements, a minor point. The sinusoidal wave has been replaced by the jagged wave. But…how can that be, if doing so culminates in opposite results? Very simply, they only preach “down, up, and down” for creating the famous wave, but they don’t explain how to execute it correctly.

They have institutionalized the opposite: replacing relaxation by contraction when performing movements. In other words, they’ve replaced practical movement with an unrealistically robotic and artificial one, but and being honest, beautifully performed.

Seminars have proliferated and increased exponentially. However, only the certificate and the mandatory attendance set by the organizations have something to do with what is actually taught. The distribution of promotional items (pins, badges, ties, certificates, photographs, etc.) is overwhelming. Currently, it’s common to give commands for executions involving combinations of kicks and punches exclusively for sporting use, devised by who is commanding the seminar, without such combinations being of any use to the participants. These highlights, the disconnection between the techniques, their practical utility in self-defense, and what is now taught with a single purpose: purely for sporting confrontations.

I would like to remind you that General Choi has never discussed or treated the sporting aspect in a seminar. He considered this a topic for a coach or trainer, not for a seminar that was meant to be exclusively focused on martial art aspect. Anyone, regardless of rank, can demonstrate combinations of kicks and punches; for the other items,…one needs to know how.

This clearly demonstrates the difference between the current diversity and the previous unity.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes

Time inexorably passes, and with it the repetition of events that confirm the accepted use of what has been avoided at all costs.

In each of the countless interviews done to General Choi Hong Hi, to whom I assisted with translating, he boasted of the conditions under which his art had developed and spread throughout the world.

“In contrast to other martial arts, Taekwon-Do is administratively structured within a single entity. Its technical development is unique, and its execution is the same in the entire world, unlike other arts that only retain unified the name but whose patterns and pedagogical systems are different,” he used to repeat.

This brought the founder a particular joy because he had been a great architect of this criteria through his constant travels around the world to achieve this result.

His death unleashed countless controversies that, from the very beginning, plunged the art into a state of constant turmoil. Numerous organizations emerged with the same name, each adding an adjective to distinguish itself from the rest. This differentiation through added adjectives also extended to the pedagogical system, the biomechanics of its movements, its sporting aspects, its uniforms, and, most recently, the absurd and politically motivated renaming of the most emblematic of the 24 patterns that comprise the art (Tong Il Tul).

They all claim to be, but none of them are. I’m referring to the entity that was supposed to be inherited. Some of us have made huge efforts to prevent this from happening, but it’s clear it hasn’t been enough. These efforts, as it is in my case, that I’ve assisted the founder in more than ten international seminars for Danes, having received direct instructions from him on the biomechanics to be used and his wishes and command to «preserve the patterns without modifications», it’s hard to accept this present that so unashamedly contradicts his legacy and wishes regarding his work.

In conclusion, I think it’s appropriate to mention that, over the time that has passed since the physical disappearance of the only one with unifying power, our current development demands the acceptance of facts that have become undeniable over time.

Which of all the existing entities can claim to be the one founded and presided over by Choi Hong Hi? None of the present entities are the chosen one.

However, it is necessary to accept that all of them, in their own way, defend the «style». None of them have accepted what is proposed by that phonetically called with the same name, because their biomechanics and intention have nothing in common with what the Founder proposed, no matter how much it is considered an Olympic sport.

Unification with that sporting activity, from which a staggering 53 years have passed, has been and it’s a convenient utopia used exclusively for political and economic purposes.

To paraphrase a legal maxim which says that time’s passes is the rushing truth, I would like to adapt the phrase to our activity by saying that time’s passes is the reunifications’ flees.

If those of us who claim to respond to the biomechanical, systemic, and pedagogical mandates of General Choi Hong Hi are gathered in institutions that are difficult to unify among them, joining forces with those who only share the phonetics of a name is unthinkable.

Definitely, Taekwon-Do is not the same as Taekwondo.

In the case of the countless organizations that claim to follow the dictates of General Choi, we have to reach the following conclusion, stated many times before but undeniably necessary to reiterate:

The uniform (dobok) is unique to each organization. The biomechanics are unique to each organization. The sporting rules are unique to each organization. The pedagogical system is unique to each organization, as are the promotion systems that have worshipped undeniable economic greed.

To stop swimming against the fluent, it is necessary to accept this reality that surrounds us and fight for all and each organizations that represent our “style”.

Just like with soccer teams, they all play with the same ball in the same type of game, but they defend the particular colors of their emblems and organizations.

In this universal institutional diversity, ITO (International Taekwon-Do Organization) is an international entity that promotes the Gral. Choi’s Taekwon-Do. ITO doesn’t use arbitrary technical modifications; however use to have an open door to integrate with other entities that follow the same principles. Thank you for your time.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

to be aware read again the previous notes

Time never stands still. A thought, intention, or claim should not necessarily be accepted as true simply because it is repeated endlessly in the media.

An individual named Joseph Goebbels, Nazi’s propaganda minister (1933–1945), popularized the famous phrase «lie, lie, and something will always stick» to achieve his goals.

Fortunately, societies around the world have prioritized training and knowledge in all fields over mere physical ability or racial or religious affiliation. While these latter factors still exist, they impose boundaries that limit global interaction among the beings that inhabit the planet. In fact, the founder of the discipline in which we are developing, imperatively proclaimed the need to avoid these detrimental factors because they negatively influence the growth, development, and evolution of the art we are concerned with.
Commenting on the lack of a single entity to unite practitioners is irrelevant, as the subject has been extensively covered. Furthermore, the mere mention of the numerous organizations that claim to govern the activity confirms the absence of that necessary single entity, which ceased to bring us together with the passing of its founder, General Choi Hong Hi.
His legacy is not an administration but a system of knowledge transfer that he developed and systematized for the use of the world’s inhabitants. He always spoke of those factors he considered neither obligatory nor necessary, as they were an impediment to development and global reach. He insisted on this verbally and in his writings (Encyclopedia and his memoirs). The racial, religious, or governmental affiliation of his art would lead to its use for political purposes. It is one thing for a country to include and recognize it within its activities (educational, sporting, or social benefit), and quite another for a country to centralize the management of that activity, which generally ends up being used politically and distorting the activity itself.

There are adjectives being used indiscriminately to attract followers, but without any authenticity.

Among them, we can mention that the art they claim to teach, manage, and protect is “original” or “official.”

I consider it illustrative and beneficial to unravel the meaning of each of these adjectives, to bring their scope and veracity to the forefront.

The dictionary states:

“Original”: 1) Belonging to or relating to the origin. 2) Said of a scientific, artistic, literary, or any other type of work: That which results from the inventiveness of its author.

“Official”: 1) That which emanates from the authority of the state. 2) Said of an institution, a building, a school, etc., that is funded with public funds and is under the control of the State.

Regarding the use of the adjective “original,” it can be said that as long as what is taught by its author is used systematically and without modifications, it is possible, albeit with reservations, to use it in advertising. However, it is important to clarify that this does not coincide with what is used in educational settings.

Viewed from another angle, the use of the adjective «original» is also inappropriate, since the Taekwon-Do promoted by General Choi in the 1980s and 90s until 2002 bears no resemblance to what was disseminated in the 1960s and 70s. Of course, to appreciate the marked differences between the two periods, one must have been present during those years, as I am.

It is also curious that those who proclaim such originality have been the last to adhere to the existing federation proposal, which originated in a different geographical location than the one they now claim to belong to. Regarding the adjective «official,» its use is inappropriate if, as the dictionary states, it lacks the recognition and financial support of the public funds of the state it claims to represent, and is not dependent on that state. This is very important because, when faced with sporting or training commitments, representatives should have the costs of such attendance covered by the state they claim to represent (hotel accommodations, travel, and meals). Since this is not the case, the use of the adjective «official» is misleading.

The use of adjectives in the media is abundant and not harmless, nor should it be accepted as natural. They are simulations of nonexistent support, aimed solely at recruiting members.

There has been an issue impossible to ignore, and its repercussions have led to consideration of the disrespectful and imprudent nature of the attempt because it affects the integrity of the founder’s work. There has been an attempt to modify the name of the most emblematic of the 24 existing patterns (tul – Tong Il).

To carry out this scheme, the nonexistent desire and request of General Choi Hong Hi’s family to make such a change was publicized.

The Founder’s family has stated in writing and on social media that this is not true and considers the attempt to carry out this act audacious and disrespectful. It is imperative to take into consideration the details in this note because the political intention of the entity carrying out these actions (misuse of adjectives and unauthorized modifications) is solely for fundraising and political purposes. Thank you for your time.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes

In a boring discussion about the different sources that usually support an information, I was able to corroborate what I knew yesterday, paraphrasing a poem, which turned out to be completely true.

Although the topic in question had nothing in common with our job, I couldn’t help but connect it to what brought us together.
Information, the fundamental base of theory and its implementation, identifies the practice and execution of a movement. In our case, it is the execution of the techniques of Art of Taekwon-Do developed by General Choi Hong Hi. This information is supported by research and subsequent addition of scientific laws that allowed the Founder to position his creation as a unique biomechanical system within the martial arts’ spectrum.
Although it has been corrupted countless times by countless individuals who fueled the confusion, it is possible to rescue the original as long as a few scientific parameters related to the human body’s structure are followed. Even today, despite artificial intelligence, the control of balance, the transfer of body weight, and the use of biomechanical details allow us to establish a strict relationship with the nature of our bodies. Knowing its structure, the location of its organs and the critical points map, will allow us to understand with precision the mechanisms used in attacks and defenses. For those who consider the sport area as a whole, this knowledge will allow them to understand the reasons for protections and limitations on contact. For those who are not obsessed with this item, it will allow them to solidify their self defense procedures.

Now, in both areas, we can understand the inevitable need for information and knowledge, to avoid depending on the rudimentary field of imagination and invention.

In our art, information is usually taken from various pre-established sources, some of which have been modernized by the use and advancement of technology. Books, videos, lessons, and of course the necessary desire to acquire valuable content, will be the basic elements needed to build our store of knowledge. This is inherent at all latitudes of our planet. This last detail will allow us to fully understand the universality of the information accepted as reliable.
A racial disparity is usually found in the classroom attendance of all universities. None of the ethnic components that make up this diversity shows signs of inevitable superiority over others. This means that reliable and scientifically approved information is universal. It is given unconditionally and in this sense have to be incorporated. Today can be said that in our art, and after many years of traveling the world, the largest percentage of instructors are nationals from each of the countries whose membership contributes to make up the various entities whose diversity surrounds us.
However and despite the strict truth of the above, there are those who continue believing that Oriental instructors are better. For these people, racial difference constitutes a mystical necessity that validates their genuflection despite receiving no information from them that justifies such submission.

Football was invented and developed by the English, yet the best exponents of that sport are not of that nationality, nor are England the governing body neither.

Judo, despite having been developed in Japan, is governed by the IJF (International Judo Federation), based in Budapest, Hungary.
The most interesting aspect of about our art is that its founder, General Choi Hong Hi, consistently insisted on the universality of his creation and the independence of his art from any country or regime that would exploit it for political uses. However, today, we are urged to depend on one country and one race for reasons that may be politically understandable for the people of that country, but unacceptable from a scientific point of view. Reflection on this issue is always the means to avoid being trapped by dark outside interests.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes

The atomization of the system devised by General Choi Hong Hi has led to a remarkable diversity of criteria and information. Many of these expressions are based on uncertain, arbitrary foundations and are difficult to identify with the theory and practice proposed by the founder of the discipline.

At times, one hears complex explanations about the theory behind increasing power in techniques that verge on the delusional from a physics standpoint—explanations of biomechanics and the sine wave that would astonish any scientist.

As a direct student of General Choi and his Spanish translator for over 10 instructor seminars and for his Encyclopedia, I have never seen or heard such complex explanations from the founder himself, nor has he included them in his encyclopedia. This brings to mind the old saying: “some are more papist than the Pope.” Based on this, the current technical and biomechanical diversity becomes understandable. However, the outcomes of these interpretations must be seriously considered. The rigidity resulting from following them is a constant that renders movements impractical, as the muscle contractions these techniques demand occur in inappropriate areas of the body.

The excessive sport-oriented approach has stripped movements of their intention, turning forms (tul) into mere geometric executions, devoid of purpose. Those who have arbitrarily and absurdly imposed the lack of definition in hook heel-turning kicks (bandae dollyo gorochagi) in the Juche and Moon Moo patterns have yet to reconcile this erroneous and crude modification with the correct execution, which has been clearly shown in various videos by General Choi himself—explaining and demonstrating how they should be properly performed.

From a didactic standpoint, there’s now a trend of teaching courses, master classes, and seminars where the instructor lacks a pedagogical approach rooted in what Choi Hong Hi developed. Instead, they focus on showcasing their personal skills in warm-up drills or combinations used in sports techniques.

If we were to judge past classes, courses, and seminars through the lens of these modern pedagogical practices—ones often marked by an undeniable desire to demonstrate superiority over the average participant—then all of them, including those of the founder himself, would be deemed outdated and passé.

I would like to offer a reflection: if the goal is to hold a technical seminar, its true value lies in the effectiveness of the execution and in confirming the students’ understanding and application. One must clearly distinguish between a seminar conductor and someone simply showing off their performance acquired in occasional competitions or demonstrations.

Conclusion: The former must master both the art and its pedagogy (to teach), while the latter merely displays their abilities (to show off)—which, nowadays, are no longer surprising, since social media regularly features highly skilled performers, even at lower ranks.

SGM Ricardo Desimone   

To be aware read again the previous notes    

When questions are asked about Taekwon-Do, the answer is invariably that it is a martial art that can be practiced by everyone regardless of age.

This is only a half-truth, as certain conditions must be considered for this statement to be more than just a form of advertising. In the case of children, when asked, the Founder of the discipline responded that 8 years old was a good age to begin. Of course, that response implicitly assumed an understanding of the basic theory that supports the practice of Taekwon-Do — and before that age, it is practically impossible to transfer that understanding. Nowadays, that age has been done away with by the system that also calls itself Taekwon-Do, but which allows children as young as 3 or 4 to practice. Sure, the name is Taekwon-Do, but what is practiced there has nothing to do with what was founded by Choi Hong Hi — except for the greeting, the uniform, and the name of the activity.

However, it must be acknowledged that, without a doubt, it is a very useful way to instill a form of discipline in children within a society that, generally speaking, shows signs of the opposite.

In the case of adults, something similar happens, as what is often taught is a variety of movements with a sporting application, suited exclusively for people of both sexes but only within the age range of 14 to 40. All those beyond that age — with honorable exceptions — make great efforts to repeat the dictated movements without the possibility of truly incorporating them into their combat repertoire. The reasons are simply due to age, although no one mentions it outright. That is why I always speak with caution about those who deliver massive seminars on sports techniques without taking into account the age or physical structure of the participants.

Does this mean that there are multiple Taekwon-Dos within Taekwon-Do? The Founder developed a single art, not two. Nevertheless, as instructors, we must take the aforementioned details into account. It is well known that only 20 to 30% of students may become interested in the sporting facet; the rest simply follow the given instructions.

Martial art and self-defense are intimately linked — both conceptually and in terms of the techniques to be executed — which is why it is said that Taekwon-Do is a martial art with a sporting aspect, not the other way around.

Those who have practiced one or another technique for escaping holds or defending against armed attacks have likely realized that if these are not practiced regularly, they have no practical application. The lack of repetition with opponents of different sizes prevents them from working as they should. In tests for advanced ranks, when asked to deal with such attacks, it often becomes clear how ineffective the practitioners are due to a lack of training in that area.

In the sporting realm, there have always been trendy techniques — movements effectively executed by a few skilled competitors. Immediately afterward, the other competitors and instructors present try to incorporate those techniques into their classes without considering the underlying details that make such executions effective. The age of the performer is a fundamental factor to consider when trying to imitate them. The problem arises when one tries to execute them with an unsuitable body or at an inappropriate age.

I believe the best way to get the most out of the art of Taekwon-Do is to recognize within oneself what goals we want to achieve — always bearing in mind our personal limitations.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

to be aware read the previous notes

We can talk until tiredness about the biomechanics of Taekwon-Do movements. These are just a variety of tools that we can use for self-defense.  The practical usefulness of each of them is closely linked to the circumstances we have to face. For this reason, the vast majority will be of practical use in situations that cannot be reproduced in sports because they have been designed to solve situations with several opponents.

Normally, the confrontation with a single opponent is trained, as the only one possible to be included in the sport field. The pedagogical aspect and its methodology have a central influence for success in this area.

Usually in the teaching of art, students are compelled to execute this type of fight from the very beginning of the practice; I mean that due to an erroneous pedagogy a beginner is required to perform this type of confrontation without an adequate handling of his body for such a commitment.

The beginner is compelled to acquire his experience on the trial and effect of his own blunders. They had not time enough to acquire a better control of the necessary tools.

He is encouraged to execute foot works that include reverse turning kicks and jumps when he is still clumsy for direct linear movements.  The reason for this error has a name: tournament.

The «need» of the instructor to take as many students as possible to a sporting event has determined this pedagogical mistake.  To illustrate the enormous difference between the bodily employment of an advanced belt and what is done by beginner ranks can be clearly seen in competitions. Not only do they badly hit each other, but they also show the lack of effectiveness in what they do.

Free combat against a single opponent, which is what is taught and executed in daily training, would be used to develop, among other things, tactics and strategy in this type of circumstance. However, the beginner student is forced to not be able to develop them because he doesn’t manage his tools appropriately.

In sport combat, just 6 or 7 techniques out of the almost 3200 existing are used in the best of cases and in hands of a highly skilled person. The regulations, the prohibitions and the type of opponents make it so. The application of these will also depend on time and distance to be successfully executed.

If the student does not yet have mastery of his tools to be able to use them when the occasion demands it, the evolution of his tactics and strategy will be significantly affected.

The solution would be very simple to implement, but unfortunately it will depend on the «need» of the instructor to take his beginner students to a tournament. He must understand, among other things, that if his novice students win, the students of other instructors will not run to enroll in his class.

It should also be clear that if a low-ranking competitor has been a winner in a sporting event, they do not have the development or experience to compete with the more advanced ones, just won in that competition with the occasional opponents of his rank.

The student has always been told that he should not practice a more advanced pattern (tul) until he has mastered the one at his level. This truth is a dictum of the founder of the art himself written in his literature; however this criterion is not applied to the training of sport combat. If the student had not the necessary time to develop the tools, he or she is built on poor foundations, with great ambition but at the wrong time.

SGM Ricardo Desimone