A Legal TKD?

Human inventiveness is constantly surprising. The martial art known as Taekwon-Do, founded and developed by Gen. Choi Hong Hi, has undergone all kinds of modifications since his death: biomechanical, procedural, systemic, and administrative. However, a new way of referring to it has emerged from one of the many organizations claiming to develop it.

Until recently, this group claimed to be the official Taekwon-Do, but once it became clear that only an entity funded by public money and representing the state can be called official, they stopped using this adjective. One implication of claiming to be official was that selected competitors could demand coverage for travel and accommodation costs to represent the country (as part of an «official» delegation). Consequently, they stopped being official.

In response to this speculative mislabeling of a federation whose registration status is uncertain, a new ruse has emerged to differentiate itself while retaining a similar connotation. The new term used by this organization is «legal.» They self-proclaim as the legal Taekwon-Do, implicitly labeling others as illegal.

If we analyze the meaning of the word legal, the dictionary indicates it is an adjective meaning prescribed by law and in accordance with it. The question arises: what law has been enacted that designates this company as the heir to the founder’s legacy, disregarding all others (48)? Where and when was this law promulgated?

These questions have no answers. Therefore, there is no legal Taekwon-Do related to the creation made by its founder.

The only sporting activity under the name Taekwondo included in the Olympics is developed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WT). This federation can be called official and legal because its representatives are official representatives of their respective countries, and the entity itself is legal because it has been legislated to be recognized as the representative of the Olympic sport called Taekwondo.

This truth is painful for those of us who have supported and developed since its early days in the West the martial art called Taekwon-Do, founded by Gen. Choi Hong Hi. However, it is the truth; the rest is speculative. The rapprochements between South and North Korea are only goodwill missions (these countries have been in unresolved conflict since 1953) but have yielded no concrete results for the martial art or the sport.

The Founder of the art wrote an encyclopedia and his memoirs. Among the many interviews he gave and the many videos of his seminars, he is shown without double-talk. For me, what he narrated about the art’s history is sufficient. To doubt what is written in his books is to doubt his person. Why should I believe him when he talks about technical or philosophical development but not when he writes the history of what he did? If a 15-volume encyclopedia is not sufficient credit, it would be good for those who deny it to show their own.

In fact, speculative notes have recently appeared that cast doubt on what the Founder narrated in his literature. A political tinge emerges from them, contributing nothing to the practitioners or the body of instructors and Masters who develop the activity. While the General was alive, he had many critics, but none of them were significant. Moreover, none dared to confront him, despite his willingness to answer any questions posed to him.

As his translator into Spanish for interviews, seminars, and meetings with authorities, I can assert that he never had double-talk. However, there are always people willing to disparage his work and question his assertions now that he has passed away.

SGM Ricardo Desimone

 

Biomechanics

It is publicly known that the biomechanical diversity is one of several factors that feed the unnecessary creation of entities that claim to teach the art founded by General Choi Hong Hi.

In a note written some time ago, I’ve described how evolutionary has been the art over the years. However, this necessary evolution has contributed to several mischievous to do their pranks.

It is evident that Taekwon-Do offered by General Choi to the world in the late 60s and early 70s, has nothing in common with the biomechanical, aesthetic, protocol and pedagogical development instituted in the 80s and 90s in his hands “exclusively”. In the term exclusively is the key to what happened after his death.

The 15-volume encyclopedia of his authorship and with an exceptional photographic and narrative profusion leaves no room for doubts about how to move, the parameters to follow and the reasons that feed them. Quantities of videos of his seminars in different countries confirm what he said there. As a translator into Spanish of his condensed encyclopedia (1995 version), and assisted him in more than 10 of his seminars or IICs, and having received direct instruction from him, I can attest what I say.

The objectives to be achieved were the trigger for these evolutionary factors. The objectives haven’t changed in their unique martial destiny. In other words, if you don’t follow the pre-established parameters of that evolution, if you change something, the objectives inexorably will change. Yes, the goals have been changed. Who did it? The naughty ones mentioned above. And why have they changed them? Because they are more papist than the Pope, and they consider that the Pope didn’t know as much as they do, considering that necessary arrangements had to be made to improve the matter. The other reason is to put their heads out of the bag and say, here I am, in their need to advertise something that differentiates them from the rest and produce a better capture of members.

It’s very difficult to see what happened if you haven’t been, as it is my case, practically since the beginning of art in the West. To order the narrative, let’s say that the biomechanics, the aesthetic, the protocol and its pedagogical system have been altered, modified after General passed away.

The emphasis placed on the creation of a misunderstood sine wave has been exacerbated, to the point of take away the practical usefulness of certain movements and kicks. It is very easy to see the exaltation of exhibitionism and not the effectiveness. The semantics of the words corroborate this, the exhibitionist dedicates himself to exhibiting and show their “abilities” without caring too much if what he does is useful or not, if he can apply it or not in actual self defense. On the other hand the practitioner is who uses what he has learned to reach the targets, who sets in motion the mechanisms based on effectiveness.

The necessary, inevitable and natural sine wave that feeds the creation of greater power in performances is produced in a static and dynamic way. When it is well understood and well taught, movement retains its naturalness. When pedagogically the opposite happens naturalness disappears and the power is reduced due to the use of an erroneous methodology.

The human body is provided with several joints in its lower extremities, therefore we are a walking sine wave without realizing it. The General insisted in his seminars on the need to be relaxed in the execution of the movements.

There are biomechanical teachings that erroneously incite to forcibly muscle tension to maintain the vertical of the spine. With an unnecessary cervical and shoulder muscle stiffness and with the execution of a robotic, unnatural movement you’ll obtain the opposite result than those looked for. Until the present, I still hear the voice of Gen. Choi insisting in his seminars: «both arms and both legs must be properly bent while the movement is in motion.»

Today, however, the opposite is taught. In order to transfer the body weight in a dynamic and descending way (from a walking stance to another walking stance), the performer is asked to raise his structure by extending the knee of the supporting leg when he moves, creating with this erroneous execution the saw tooth wave, considered from theory and practice as a factor to reducing power, in other words contrary to the desired result.

With a single action is enough to show what happen. Look at a performer’s posture when making a power break with their hands and you’ll notice the absence of cervical and shoulder muscles tension when he moves toward the target. If this were not the case, its execution would be a failure due to the lack of speed.

Patterns (Tul) are there to help us to improve our biomechanics and not to hinder it. Patterns should help us to know and execute movements that we can’t find in combat with a single oponent.

For some years now, unnatural biomechanical parameters have been created and competition judges have been trained in this regard. Therefore, when the judge does not find the absurdity that has been sold to them as good in the performers, they deduct his score. In other words, stiffness, never taught by the founder of the discipline, is rewarded.

Would you use for your actual self-defense against one or more opponents the robotic movements you have been told to do when training patterns? If the answer is no, I think something is wrong with the biomechanics of your training.

SGM Ricardo Desimone