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Originally Posted by TRIANGLEFROMGAURD  Do they still have the rule that no points can be scored on the back? |
Yes, they still have that rule. Even after many competitions adopted 'continuous kick boxing' rules to a void the point-stop-point-stop flow of competitions. (Incidentally it is the point-stop method which allowed you to beat your first TKD opponent so easily.)
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Originally Posted by TRIANGLEFROMGAURD I think this going a bit to far for the average person off the street. I'm sure all that is good stuff but, myself and 99% of non TKD practioners don't know what a KukkiWon is, but it sounds delicious  . You should be able to walk into a school and off the bat know if it's a good place to train just by watching the training methods of the other students. Also I don't think requiring meditation is a smart idea for any art, I know that it's not a religious thing but, most people don't take a MA for the meditation. You have to realize you're a fanatic about your MA most people aren't. If you focus your school towards the fanatics you'll produce a good product but, only have two or three students at most and make no money. The converse of that is a black belt factory which no one wants either so you have to find a balance. |
I would agree with you for two big reasons.
First, certification at the Kukkiwon (which is basically TKD HQ) is excellent for many schools to have as it shows it hasn't gotten too far away from its roots. However, it would be useless if someone was running an ATA school or the like.
Second, the well known aspect is just vague and unimportant. Lots of people know me in my community, but that is because I work as a substitute teacher and so come in contact with 90% of the children in the school district. Very few know me as a martial artist. That being said, I would like to think that despite the relative obscurity of my school we still teach decent martial arts. (Soccer moms or no soccer moms.)
However, I disagree about the meditation. The aspect of mind body control and concentration is huge in Tae Kwon Do philosophy, especially for children. (Also it impresses soccer moms when I get their little kid to sit quietly for 5 minutes.
) Beyond that, visualization drills are quite useful to help someone improve their technique and coordination. Although, I will grant that nothing replaces doing entirely, being able to see is the first step to doing. This, incidentally, is why there is very little 'new' stuff after black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Anything new you give to a student at that point gets done, mastered and boring within 15 minutes... then they look for something newer.