Is the patterns’ competition modifying Taekwon-Do?

 

Dissimilar rules are applied due the several entities organizing the tournaments, doesn’t matter if these are domestics, continental or world championships. I’ve already written about the particular interests that move these entities to use different rules or distinct uniforms to distinguish one from another; doesn’t matter if they use the same name to call their administrations and proclaim to be descendant form the same teacher, in this case the Founder of the Art (See “Taekwon-Do and it offers” in this same web site). They are using the General Choi’s name and his patterns (Tul) as a common factor to reach their particular targets; however they are not the same thing, just something similar.

The present concern is that their different sportive rules and other identifications have modified the biomechanics of the legacy. The modifications established nowadays in all and each entities of the “style” have reached all ranks, categories and all ethnics, which mean that Oriental and Occidentals teachers are involved in this alteration.

Is at present Gral Choi Hong Hi the guide and reference to follow in the use of the biomechanics of the movements?

Today’s technology and the social Medias let us see several videos about the Founder in action and explaining the proper techniques and its applications. These are clear enough to understand the disparity with the different biomechanics used by all and each one of the entities that utilize his name. Stiffness and unreal movements were always mentioned as wrong (I can assure it as the Gral Choi’s translator into Spanish in many seminars during many years and also of his condensed encyclopedia), however today these wrong performances apparently are the path to follow.

Are patterns (Tul) only a demanding execution for tests? Is it just another item in competition? They never had such a destiny in their creation. All the movements involved in the 24 patterns were designed to solve different self defense circumstances, then its performance must be done free from stiffness and accompanied by the right biomechanical to keep the utility of their movements. A good kick has to be done following the pre-established steps or details and at the required height; a 180 degrees in the height of the “supposed” side kick is not a remarkable right performance but an error.

Today the sine wave has a capricious or fanciful use, including an extra bending of the knees where it is not required; sometimes this additional flexion seems a funny reverence or a courtesy salutation. Their application is forced due to the bad use of the knee spring. This is basic biomechanics. Do you remember Gral. Choi when he advised never to extend your leg when the movement is in motion? When a person is extending their leg while the movement is in motion, there is no other option than to bend the knees additionally and fancifully to create an unnecessary and “forced sine wave” to apply the current requirement. This detail makes the movement unreal because it is supposed that you’re in front of an opponent and there is no time or opportunity to do that.

Curiously the people that are teaching such things are the same that, until a couple of years ago, were calling the sine wave as “undulating movement”. It is evident that they never understood that the undulating movement only exists in Hawaiian dances but never in Taekwon-Do.

Furthermore, I’d commented to Gral. Choi about that curious manner to name the sine wave and in that time he told me that those who use this erroneous manner to describe the movement didn’t know the scientific use of the sine wave and it particularities. The human body produces it naturally without any necessity to compel its implementation. To apply this benefit it is only necessary the appropriated use of the knee spring.

A Sine wave wrongly applied, with stiffness and kicks that don’t follow the required details, modifies the right biomechanics already established as a legacy. In other words this wrong utilization of the motions is modifying Taekwon-Do.

Every time that a championship or a tournament is programmed or organized, a meeting with Judges and umpires is required to standardize, between other things, the evaluation of the techniques used in the pattern’s competition.

The approval of the errors mentioned above is a very good way to induce the judge’s criteria to reward a wrong biomechanical.

It’s normal that the participants try to imitate the champions of different categories, then and after several events organized under this commands, becomes right what is wrong and vice versa, which is worst. Thank you for your attention.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

To be aware read again the previous notes.