Jan. 29, 2012, by
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I love "traditional Tae Kwon Do," or "Korean Karate," as it was called 50 years ago, when it first started. And I admire the many World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) masters who are great because of their original training (almost always with the International Taekwon-Do Federation or a Korean Karate gym). And I respect the Mixed Martial Arts fighters who are brave enough to admit that they studied TKD and/or Karate. And, most of all, I look up to the martial artists, such as C. K. Choi and Nam Tae-Hi, who stuck with their true history and tough techniques through thick and thin. Amen.
Tae Kwon Do isn't an ancient art
Jan. 27, 2012, by
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"Simple fact: Tae Kwon Do is not thousands of years old, nor did it spring from the Hwarang warriors. Rather, it's a derivative of Shotokan Karate..." Read more in a book review of A Killing Art.
Book review
Jan. 8, 2012,
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A good review of A Killing Art by a great historian, Eric Madis:
This book tells the story of taekwondo’s history from a perspective unlike any other. Rather than primarily focusing on the art’s origins in Okinawan and Japanese karate, or the influence of the ancient Korean sport of taekyon on its modern kicking techniques, it gets deeply into the drama and grit of what is the world’s most politicized martial art. Author Alex Gillis, a university writing instructor, investigative journalist, and long-time practitioner of taekwondo, who has trained with some the art’s pioneers and leaders, tells this story with depth, flair and passion.
...Much of the book also discusses the role of the South Korean military-run government to adapt the art and sport of taekwondo for geopolitical purposes.
Dec. 15, 2011, by
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I've started rewriting A Killing Art, with a new chapter about Tae Kwon Do in Russia -- the mafia, the politics and the power. I never forget about the empowerment in our art.
Multi-national, multi-style, multi-unbelievable. Last month, I watched one of the best tournamnets I've ever seen, a celebration of original Tae Kwon Do. During a book signing in Telford, England, at a world championship run by the Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB), more than 1,600 competitors from 23 countries sparred, demonstrated patterns and exchanged jackets, hats and shirts. What struck me was the camaraderie. Fifteen minutes after a Canadian competitor almost knocked out his Dutch opponent, he approach the recovering fellow with a present -- a tiny, Canadian-flag lapel-pin. The bruised Dutch fellow smiled in disbelief. I saw three children jump on their instructor, yelling with joy at the medals they won. He bear-hugged them, lifting them off the ground and laughing.
But the tournament wasn't all gifts and hugs. The fighting was hard, the bouts long. Grandmaster C. K. Choi was there. He once made a comment about old-style sparring and the TAGB that reminded me of the techniques in Telford. He told journalist Graham Noble: "Our kicks were very powerful, because our objective was to knock ou the opponent with one or two shots. Otherwise, you would be dead. We still have that principle in our training. Throughout my visit to the towns in the UK, I saw a lot of students focused on the development of not just skills, but power, speed, accuracy and endurance. This kind of training is not new. It was practised basically from the start...our objective was to develop the most powerful fighting skills to stay alive."
Sept. 6, 2010, by
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Next week, I'll attend a book signing in Telford, England, for A Killing Art. I'm going on the invitation of the Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB). Last year, Dave Oliver, TAGB's chairman sent an extraordinary email to me saying that he and his partners ran Europe's largest TKD association and that they stuck to the traditional fighting techniques developed in the South Korean military in the 1950s and 1960s. It was extraordinary because I'd been wondering if a new movement had started in my martial art, a movement committed to old-style TKD (a fighting style that works on the streets and in the ring), a style that minimizes politics, profit and the influence of egomaniacs (not to mention megalomaniacs). I'm used to reading about small groups practising off the radar. So, to read about a large organization sticking to traditions was...well, it was hard to believe; the TAGB has 600 schools in the U.K., with 360 instructors and 25,000 members. Equally, extraordinary is that Dave Oliver is writing a tell-all all book, Kicking Up a Storm, about his 40 years with leaders in this art. On Sept. 11-12, the TAGB will run the Tae Kwon Do IX World Championships 2010 for 1,500 competitors from dozens of countries. I'm going to attend to see what they're up to.
A new global movement? Canadian group hopes so.
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, August 1, 2010
The youngster with the wicked hook kick unleashed yet another barrage of techniques, ending with a reverse, whip-like hook to the head of his opponent -- who recovered and responded with a barrage of punches to the head. As you'll see in the video below, it was a fast, exciting sparring match at the 2010 Invitational Charity Martial Arts Tournament. The puncher won, but the two fighters looked evenly matched - and impressive. Through 12 hours of officiating, sparring, patterns, board breaking, and demonstrating self-defense, these two fighters and hundreds of others from Legacy Tae Kwon-Do demonstrated a traditional style of the art that originated in South Korea in the 1950s and 1960s.
Around the world, groups of TKD practitioners are maintaining the traditions of the art -- the hardcore style developed in the South Korean military. No fancy movie kicks and no sine wave. No South Korean gangsters. No North Korean agents. In Alberta, Legacy Tae Kwon-Do (www.tkdcanada.com) is into old-style TKD, the style practiced long before Olympic TKD began in 1973. Often, such traditional groups train off the radar, not part of a mainstream association. Maybe it's my imagination, or maybe it's only the letters I receive, but such associations seem to be on the rise. Are they part of a new, purer movement in Tae Kwon Do - a global one that's back to basics? I hope so.
I visited the Lethbridge tournament for a book signing for A Killing Art, and to get inspired by Legacy's new association, United Traditional Tae Kwon-Do Canada. In May, 2010, Master Darin Gibson and his partners who run six dojangs invited me to see what they were up to and to share stories about TKD's true history. More than a dozen schools were at the tournament. It was heart-warming to see a group of 200 participants from the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia kick and punch the bejesus out of each other without becoming psychotic maniacs. Most had trained under Grandmaster J. J. Lee, one of the pioneers of Tae Kwon Do. I receive hundreds of letters from around the world, many from groups who practice the traditional style of TKD, and the Lethbridge group stands out.
One reason is that they stick to the powerful techniques from the 1960s - no "sine wave," as it's called.
Also, they don't have money hang-ups. Profit from the tournament - about $6,500 -- went to KidSport, a charity that works with children (www.kidsportcanada.ca). In an art that's sometimes dubbed "Take My Dough" (for "Tae Kwon Do"), charity goes a long way. Through six tournaments, Gibson and his TKD partners have raised more than $30,000 for charitable works.
And the tournament was incredibly well organized -- and hosted in a new, world-class facility, the University of Lethbridge Gymnasium. There were clear tournament areas, clear rules for officials and food for everyone helping out. The sparring was clean and hard, with very little blood. The children fought well, and the patterns were popular. Dozens of winners held up trophies, and losers focused on what they had to improve. The tournament, as one coloured belt told me, was "integrity at its best."
In June, 2010, Legacy held its annual instructor-certification camp, reviewing patterns, self-defense techniques, etiquette, organizational planning and school marketing. Plans for the next year include developing a self-defense curriculum for blue and red belts, and looking for other quality schools who want an organization like United Traditional.
Tae Kwon Do isn't only about kicking and punching, as 500 spectators saw at the May tournament. The art is self-defense for the body -- and also for the heart and mind. It's a killing art, yes, but an art of empowerment, too -- physically, mentally and in terms of moral character. United Traditional is demonstrating that.
A tough talk with GM C. K. Choi
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May 6, 2010
Last week, my black-belt friends and I met Grandmaster C. K. Choi, and, once again, he amazed me with his sparring techniques, his tough stories from the 1950s and 1960s and, more than anything, his wise words.
South Korean government takes over TKD headquarters
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, March 1, 2010
The home page of Tae Kwon Do Times magazine notes this breaking news: "National Assembly in South Korea passes special law putting Kukkiwon under government control on Feb. 18, 2010. Anyone with a criminal record will no longer be allowed to be Kukkiwon president."
Knowing the criminal past of the current Kukkiwon president, Lee Seng-wan, the government announcement is no surprise.
