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Titles and Protocol: Their Necessity and Distortion

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Taekwon-do’s founder, General Choi Hong Hi, emphasized in all his seminars the importance of the correct use of protocol and recognition of titles or grades granted in the Art. Many reasons support and justify such emphasis.

Everyone should be aware that this activity includes close contact, and it implies the necessity of controlling aggressiveness. Without the correct use of protocol, the possibility of training and evolution in the discipline would be nonexistent. The absence of respect for Taekwon-do’s protocol and the loss of self control in sparring would bring upon the practitioner the possibility of sustaining serious wounds which nobody in sane consciousness would accept. A correct teaching method would impose learning of the protocol before any form of biomechanical martial training. A teaching method headed in the opposite direction would go against both the good health of the practitioner and the Founder’s mandate. As some would say, it would be equivalent to giving a knife to a monkey, expecting the primate to have good judgment to use it properly.

The correct usage of Taekwon-do’s protocol includes showing respect for socially established values that are permanently promoted, such as respect for parents, elders, a country and it’s symbols, emblems of the Art and an overall respect for all human beings.

Without the right usage of protocol, respect for the items above mentioned could be easily lost, and all contests would be given a violent and life-threatening nature. Evolution and improvement in self-defense would be null. In other words, it would be impossible to prevent the monkey using the knife in a wrong and malicious way.

Chariot Kiunne… Chariot Kiunne… a phrase uttered countless times in all training sessions. Coupled with an explanation by the Instructor, it compels the student to recognize other people and the place that they occupy. It pushes us to understand that we are “other people” to the rest as well.

Without the right handling of aggressiveness, a healthy social relationship between practitioners that runs parallel to the development of martial skill would be impossible. Aggressiveness is inherent to human beings, and is present in all human activity. Learning to coexist by controlling this aggression is the only way to progress.

It is important to understand that knowledge of martial biomechanics must not be transferred to people who don’t demonstrate a permanent respect for the social values mentioned earlier. Doing the opposite would be promoting bullying.

The adequate use of protocol inside and outside the place of practice (dojang) is essential, especially in championships. Many times, medals and trophies are considered more important than the mentioned values because the lessons were not transferred to the students in the correct way.

The Art is taught to children and adults, and the correct teaching method inevitably produces better human beings.

Titles obtained in the sporting area of the Art have practical use only in that specific field. Places obtained in a competition are only relevant in a competition.

Promoting the development of human intellect is a social priority.

In any field, titles are granted to denote proficiency and evolution in that specific area of knowledge. Academic titles obtained by practitioners indicate a special efficacy in a labor or, in some cases, their intellectual capacity, but not knowledge of Taekwon-do.

Knowledge of the Art, its protocols, its biomechanics and the experience acquired with time of the body working towards the mastery of self-defense, impose the use of grades or levels that every practitioner of the Art has to respect without exception.

As the Founder said, a superior intellectual capacity is a great help for a better understanding and a better usage of the Art. However, he insisted that practitioners, Instructors and Masters be named only by the grades obtained in the Art.

He explained that this is a way to avoid the wrong use of titles obtained in other activities that don’t necessarily denote a proficiency in Taekwon-do.

Practitioners with a college education owe respect and acknowledgement to those who probably have no academic grade, but have obtained a superior hierarchy in the Art due to their experience, discipline and physical ability. General Choi personally established in different seminars that only titles and grades granted in Taekwon-do would be utilized in meetings and places where the Art is being improved. This is why a particular salutation was developed and is only used in Taekwon-do.

Taekwon-do is a psychophysical activity. An adequate balance between the theoretical capacity and its correlative body handling must be present. The study of theory and the physical progress in the Art must be guaranteed for everyone equally.

The evolution demonstrated by the students will be equivalent to the grades granted to them, by which they will be recognized and named.

Grades granted to recognize the different abilities and knowledge in color levels (Gup) or in black belt hierarchies (Dan) were specifically established for the Art.

An academic title in other fields will not grant preponderance over other practitioners due to this condition. The addition of a title that does not belong to Taekwon-do to name or recognize practitioners, Instructors or Masters is not right, and must be not utilized.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

                        IX DAN

Patterns…..Utility and its obligated learning

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Patterns are an effective way to educate our body in self defense movements.

It’s essential to understand the necessity of a knowledge of theory and a training to apply it. THEORY and PRACTICE are reciprocal concepts, two sides of the same coin.

All movements executed without a scientific base not only reduce the power

looked for, but bring an unnecessary waste of energy without a practical utility.

The knowledge of theory without the support of practice is only a good intellectual exercise without utility in real self defense.

It is not a coincidence that all the Grand Masters in all Martial Arts have stated that without the right knowledge about patterns the absolute handling of the art is impossible.

Without the patterns’ handling and the principles that support it, all other targets are utopias.

Patterns were designed in accordance with the physical possibilities of the students and their progressive coordination.

Never try to develop a pattern from a more advanced level than yours. You will be surpassing fundamental steps developed to facilitate your evolution and not to delay it.

One pattern prepares for the next and facilitates the application of its movements in the sparring exercises.

It’s necessary to know the diagram of each pattern and it execution, however, the real importance is to apply the right biomechanics of the movements involved in each pattern.

An important detail to highlight is to not consider the pattern as just a requisite to apply in a test.

The movements involved in patterns were created to be applied in the real self defense, the most rigorous test.

The irony in the patterns’ training is that when you think  you have improved them, what you really did was improve your own self. Patterns are not empty and stiff, they take us to look inside utilizing our outside.

It is commonly heard between practitioners «I don’t know why there’s so much obstinacy with the patterns, I can’t see its practical utility. In free sparring the technical dealing is different».

The question is, which kind of free sparring?

The sparring (free combat) that normally is done in training classes is sportive free sparring. In this specific modality only 6 or 7 techniques are used which will be executed with control and sent to specific areas, avoiding any kind of contact with vulnerable points to keep the physical integrity of the opponent and allowing that Taekwon-do can «also» be considered as a sport.                                          

Taekwon-do was created as a martial art and its techniques were designed for self defense purposes.

Learning how to punch with the main knuckles is not only an Instructor obstinacy but the unique way to reach the target without personal damages.

Looking for a partial inclination of the outer forearm in the rising block is not a mere technical condition, but is the unique way to be effective with this defensive tool to protect the head against a downward attack against it.

The vertical alignment of the vertebral column not only will allow a better equilibrium, but will be the only way for fluidity in actual combat or to apply a sequence of different tools.

The height in the kicks is only important when they reach the height of the target, the exaggerated kick height sometimes shown in pictures or demonstrations is only exhibitionism without an effective application.

The actual self defense does not have a starting order, limits of the areas where it can be developed, no umpires and no rules.

To be efficient in that moment, any of the almost 3.200 techniques of Taekwon-do can be useful.

In an actual self defense situation, the unique possible champion is the one who solves the problem and the unique trophy is to stay alive.

Then, to learn the right use of the 980 movements included in the 24 patterns of Taekwon-do should become the goal of all serious practitioners who want to evolve.

If the patterns are thought as just a requisite to apply, they will have no practical utility to the people who think in that way.

However, if they are thought as a very important part in the self defense development, all effort invested and the knowledge acquired will be really appreciated.

Do you know some another way to incorporate the effective handling of the Taekwon-do techniques, its diversity and efficacy?

                        Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

                                                  IX Dan   

Something about Taekwon-do

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After translate the Taekwon-do’s Condensed Encyclopedia into Spanish and act as its Author’s translator and interpreter for many years, I can say that this detail established a differentiated connection with Gral. Choi Hong Hi that goes beyond the comments.

I was not interested in pictures taken besides him and commercially exploited as was done for many people. My interest was in learning from whom was my only Master in Taekwon-do, receiving details and information non registered in his literary work. His Encyclopedia is a technique and philosophical book. In it, were not included the countless anecdotes emerged from interviews, seminars, conversations about different items which improved and widen my knowledge, and of course the personal corrections received from him.

As a resume, an special opportunity to acquire a differentiate  learning (with the book alone is not enough as was explained by the General in his job).

I think that there’s no another way to learn than doing. The learning process is the base of the future proficiency.

In those times, the only mention of such stories would be the mortar for malicious attacks from other people who always thought their nearness with him as a possession.

However, Jealousy, notoriety and of course the potential economic earnings, brought attacks and refuses against me due to the mentioned nearness and never imagined by the good will.

The Taekwon-do’s Encyclopedia is the guide to follow which cannot be modified in none of its terms. Today this is more than a literary job or a technical book, it is a testimony.

History is past, present and future at the same time. To understand this concept makes the difference.

However, a new edition produced after his Author’s passed away, not only include wrong modifications never agreed by the highest categories, but a joke to the General Choi’s memory.

Believe me  that I’ve researched the Encyclopedia several times from its beginning till the end and vice versa only to build the index into Spanish, without mention to study the technical details to put into play with my body. Yes with the body. Because if you can’t do it, you don’t know it. That is the surprise of the Taekwon-do’s knowledge.

Thousands of people say that they know this or that technique or exercise, just because they read it or saw it performed by another person. Under this wrong criteria they intent to teach the art.

In Taekwon-do you know something when your body can perform it . After this, you are in conditions to teach that knowledge to another person.

The cycle of Taekwon-do or the Composition of Taekwon-do, is a chapter to take into consideration. There, is very clear explained that the study of the Art is not only patterns, sparring or the sport area. Other items must be fulfilled on training for a correct development.

 

Some tales about General Choi’s teaching could be pertinent to be mentioned due to the wrong interpretation frequently used about aging or training.

Age is commonly used to justify apathy. However and about it, Gral. Choi in self contradicted such attitude. At his 83 years of age he did pushups over the stage (Buenos Aires – Argentina on September 2001). He demonstrate the right basic job to develop the knuckles and a general strengthen of the hand, compulsory to all black belt to justify his rank.

At this stage and over the same scenery (about 1 m or 3ft high) he jumped to the floor to correct a student’s blocking tool repeatedly performed in a wrong way. What the young Masters present there did? rushed to avoid a possible injury of the General in his jumping, but…going down by the stairs, a shame of the age and the training if this is the case we are talking about. That story can be remembered by all the students present there and checked in a note published in a well known magazine about martial arts.

In another seminar held in Tegucigalpa – Honduras (Central America) on 1989 and giving an example about the compulsory physical job that an Instructor have to do to justify his rank, he stroke his hand many times against the wall. After this, he asked to several attendance black belts to show their hands. As a result: he could check that nobody had their hands trained. He finished his teaching  with a laconic «these are not Taekwon-do’s hands».

«With them you can to be a good pianist, a doctor, a construction worker or whatever you have chosen to do in your profession or job, however, if you have chosen being a Taekwon-do’s Instructor, you need Taekwon-do’s hands» he sentenced.

Taekwon-do is a psychophysical discipline. If you only want to speak or tell your personal experiences, write a book. If you want to teach, you have to move about it.

You will give only what you have.

Taekwon-do only is where the knowledge is. The permanent psychophysical improvement and its revalidation is the only way to follow.

Was always proposed as a matter of relevance that Taekwon-do developed and systematized by his Founder, General Choi Hong Hi, would never have any identification with a race or Country. So is written in his literary work (Taekwon-do’s Encyclopedia Vol. 1 page 11)and so was tireless explained by him in all verbal or written interviews.

About knowledge, it will be in hands of the people who really trained over the years. The oblique eyes don’t guaranty proficiency.  If this would be true, why to do any effort in learning if you’re occidental?

The sport area?, well,…another diversity using the same initials. Official,..none.

There are so many world, continental and national champions as organizations exist. Don’t go in depression and train, if you dare to make the effort, you may become in one of them.  I wish you all the best . Thank you for your time

An academic event

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On April 19th SGM Desimone, ITO‘s President, gave a seminar in Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

This was designated an academic event due to the place where it was developed. The students present made possible the appropriate explanation of the theory of power applied in Taekwon-do’s techniques. The answers were physically supported by the demonstrations of the seminar’s conductor.

The details mentioned there were followed by the attendants with great interest. Academic questions opened the door for the necessary answers to clarify the topic.

A brief explanation was given about the importance of the philosophical aspect of the Art and  its five Tenets. The Taekwon-do Protocol was followed at all times. The attendants who belonged to different styles of Taekwon-do are lead by their Instructor Sabum Nim  Mike Harb. Besides their diversity, everybody followed the original Taekwon-do protocol rules explained  by the conductor of the seminar to unify a universal criteria about this important matter.

The coordinated actions between the mentioned Instructor and the representing of ITO in USA, Sabum Nim Luis McDougall, permitted  this event to be possible. In a remarkable effort to attend the event, also present was the ITO’s representative from Mississippi, Mr. C. Avenaud and Mr. Christian Cuvillier from Puerto Rico.

Patterns (Tul), different type of sparring (matsogui) and self defense (ho sinsul) were the items developed in the occasion used to apply the theory mentioned above.  Participants of the event were a group of Professors, highly skilled Academics in their particular fields, who highlighted the seminar with their attention and interest on perfecting their practice of the Art.

The climate of camaraderie and the high academic level shared with the attendants was remarkable.

Official ITO certificates were delivered to all the attendants of this outstanding event.

Taekwon-do’s day

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Best wishes to all Taekwon-do’s practitioners on this new anniversary. My especial congratulations to all professional Taekwon-do Instructors of all categories who devoted their life to teaching the Art.

Thank you Gral. Choi Hong Hi for your legacy.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

                         President

International Taekwon-do Organization

 

 

ITO in the Rotary Club

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On March 25th SGM Ricardo Desimone gave a speech in the Rotary Club of PR.

He is a member of this international Institution and was asked by its Authorities about a Martial Arts explanation and its relation with the physical and mental wellbeing.

He based his speech in his experience of 46 years as professional Taekwon-do Instructor and the several places he internationally occupied as Chairman in different areas. Besides his responsibility as President of ITO, different classes and Seminars dictated by him, he is the Physical Fitness’ Chairman at Centro Medico Salinas. He has developed a method based in his studies acquired over the years about human bio mechanics. His conclusions are helping in prevention obesity at all ages and elderly people’s mobility.

The success of the mentioned method can be checked in the present wellbeing of patients who were derived to be treated in this area by Professionals of CMS.

Medical Doctors, Managers of different enterprises and very important people of PR and USA’s society were present at the meeting.

The unusual angle utilized to explain the martial arts in general and Taekwon-do in particular, permitted a better understanding about this item commonly darken due the erroneous and negative concept used by those who don’t know the matter.

The Rotarian members present at the programmed lunch, were very grateful for the explanation given. They asked to SGM Desimone for a workshop in the near future about the helping method developed by him.

This is another remarkable event in the ITO‘s objectives. ITO emphasize in developing and including the highest intellectual support in the Institution’s achievement and relationship.

A very important meeting

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S. Grand Master Park Joong Soo gave a Seminar to the students of the Martial Arts Institute lead by S.N. LLaugel Castillo in Coamo County in Puerto Rico – USA. Due to the mentioned event and to honor the presence of one of the Pioneers of Taekwon-do in the world, our President S. Grand Master Ricardo Desimone pay a visit to him for again shake the hands of so important guest.

Once finalized the official activity developed by S.G.M Park, our President invited him to dinner in a well known restaurant of Ponce City – PR. In that occasion and between other things they talked about the events shared in different places of the world and their actual responsibilities leading their own Organizations. The main point to highlight is their wish in a mutual cooperation in futures events to develop.

Was a common agree that a Taekwon-do’s requests at present in the entire world is unity and cooperation. Of course was remembered Gral. Choi Hong Hi as the Founder of Taekwon-do and their recognizing in following with his legacy and his teaching technical development, which in occasions is forgotten or distorted.

They remarked what he has written in his Encyclopedia, «Taekwondo knows no boundaries of Countries; it is a universal Art of Self Defense” (Vol. I pages 10/11).

In the picture headlines this note are present in the occasion S.G. Master Park, SGM Ricardo Desimone his wife, Dra. Maria del Carmen Padilla and her son B.S.N Christian Cuvillier who remembered his participation in another seminar given by the visitor in PR few years ago.

 

 

The beginning in all its terms

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Many people showed their interest in being part of the only and traditional Institution based on what was created by the Taekwon-do’s Founder.

Taekwon-do is where the knowledge is, and this is the way in becoming an expert in this activity. No race, no boundary. The International Taekwon-do Organization (ITO) satisfies this goal.

New members demonstrate their enthusiasm in being part of this Institution. The wide range of ages of the new students serve as a knowledge thirsty ground for the transfer of more than 46 years of pedagogic experience.

The above file of pictures is a sample of how a diverse group of individuals of varying ages and level of training merged in a wonderful activity.

Here the most striking feature was the desire to learn and to achieve the best of their individual capabilities using a scientific and advanced method of teaching.

The waiting time for using their official ITO uniforms, permits that informal clothes do not become an obstacle to learn.

A remarkable success

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Physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities are the main purposes of the International Taekwon-do Organization (ITO) for those who wants to be a member to this Institution.

In the priorities order, health has not substitute. The years dedicated for the ITO’s Founder, Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone to the study of the human body’s biomechanical and its health benefits, are granted to the members of the Organization.

As the first Chairman of Juniors & Veterans Committee for the whole world, he could develop serious conclusions about the human body movements.

That conclusions allowed to improve the competition rules for Taekwon-do’s practitioners in their 40’s years of age and over.  Their participation in the sport competitions was forbidden until that moment or their disadvantage inclusion in the Adults category .

To incorporate the mentioned ages, was necessary the study of their psychophysical possibilities, which with the time and its practical use, allowed the development of a systematized method. Furthermore the sport possibilities, this method has demonstrated the benefits in the psychophysical health in people of both sex.

An Institution dedicated to the health with professionals in all specialties, was interested to include this method because was considered coincident with the targets of this Institution and the program developed and registered by its Director, María del Carmen Padilla Internist MD.

Centro Medico Salinas from Puerto Rico-USA, is the name of that Institution who included and use as a treatment mode in patients of all ages, the biomechanical method already mentioned.

Prevention and control of obesity and the assistance in recovering of patients with difficulties in their moving, are the targets of its inclusion.

The results has surprised to all professional who checked the improvement.

Prevention is, as it always was, a medical concern. At present and furthermore of this concern, prevention is the absolute factor in the modern medicine. Then we emphasize the use of the mentioned method as a preventing tool against obesity, the sedentary and its consequences in the human physic and in its psychic. The proposed method and after to be used in the members of CMS, has demonstrated to be so effective that upsurges the petition to be extended to the community.

The interrelation with professionals who send their patients to be treated in the training area is essential and in this sense we are acting.

ITO is essentially knowledge. The adequate and scientific use of knowledge allow to the members of this Organization enjoy and train an advanced Taekwon-do.

Health is priority in this Art’s development. The teaching methods developed by ITO, permits to know a pedagogic way strongly related with the health of our members.

International Seminar of SGM Desimone in Brazil

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On September 20th/21st this year was held an International Seminar in Fortaleza City- Brazil.

This was dictated by  Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone (IX Dan), authorized to give this kind of Seminars in the entire world. The event was because the invitation of Brazil’s NGB International Instructor Teodosio Riveros  (V Dan). In the mentioned Seminar were also present students of Riveros and his Instructor Marcio Carvalho from Brazilia City.

The Event was developed with great acceptance by the students present and at the end they asked by a repetition in the near future. The course was about items very difficult to develop in normal training days as Taekwon-do Philosophy (Do), Biomechanics development, Patterns (Tul), Sparring and its sports rules applications and Self Defense (Ho Sinsul). At its end were held a meeting with black belts from Brazil where was emphasized the necessity in working all together and being autonomous in their decisions without acceptance the intromission of foreign people from other Countries which are not invited by the Brazilian people.