And Captain America is...

And Captain America is....Veteran trainer Frank Couzo, from Best of the Best.

 http://www2.journalnow.com/sports/2012/jun/25/1/areq-taekwondo-instructor-named-captain-of-us-olym-ar-2383314/

Just kidding! it is Woo Sup Kim out of Winston-Salem. 

He hails from South Korea and was on the Korean Tigers Demonstration Team. They have some pretty cool stuff, if you don't know them, check them out. I searched for picture of Woo Sup Kim, other than the one on the article, but came up short. I’m sure there out there, if you find one post it, he is bound to have beautiful flying kicks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYoHwc5Ks0M&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL045406CE93DC780A

peace.

But what there's more!

After posting this news, I was informed by an anonymous comment that this was not an appointment to position. Instead he apparently purchased this spot on the team, either way I'm not too invested in this story and don't by any means wish to discredit Woo Sup Kim, as I don't know him, and find it hard to locate any picture of him doing cool flying kicks. I suppose it's more of an Honorary title/ fundraiser. Below is a quote from the article I sourced.

"Woo Sup Kim, the owner of Tiger Kim's World Class Tae Kwon Do, based in Winston-Salem, said in a news release today that he has been named captain of the U.S. Olympics Taekwondo team."

here is a PDF link that the Anonymous commnter posted.

www2.teamusa.org/~/media/USA_Taekwondo/Documents/Board%20of%20Directors/Board%20Reports/2012%20June%2022%20Board%20Report.pdf

Informal, yet I saw no direct reference to Woo Sup Kim, maybe that was the point.



For anyone that wants to clarify what they believe might be a dis-truth on this blog, I thank you for reading and partaking, and actually adding to the conversation.

Now with all that being said, when I speak of the "truth" in TKD I am not referencing the many forms of politicism in TKD as a modern sport. I have a general interest in the sport, as I sparred ITF, and WTF styles for years. I like to keep up with what is gong on, if I come a cross an article I find interesting I will post it. To set the record straight though, the "Truth" is the Patterns, the Tuls, the Pawlge of Taeguks, Hyungs or what ever you want to call them. I lean towards the belief that forms must be broken down and understood on the highest level atainable for each practioner. The art is in the forms and I speak of implamenting the moves from the forms into the structor of class work.
That is my main focus in TKD.

Thanks to all my readers.

peace. 

BOA Wants changes to the selection process; Andy Hunt

http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=37833

One can read this article and believe it is of hopeful tone, I however am a skeptic. What exactly does Andy Hunt mean with his comments here? For an ITF Hybrid guy, I think that sounds hopeful for more style to excel in the Olympic contest, but this is just Great Brittan, this has nothing to do, and may have no impact on the AAU’s selection process in the US. So hopefully he has more clout than I think he does, and ends up making the selection process in GB better but for everyone else, I think it will stay the same.

for a more in depth article go here http://sport.uk.msn.com/olympics-2012/news/boa-chief-criticises-taekwondo-policy

peace.

The Saga of Aaron Cook; Conclusion

So now it ends, a TKD insider brought up from nothing, an invention destined for glory. That’s all until he turns and bites the master’s hand. Politics in the sport at their zenith. He made someone mad because he went off to privately train and they snubbed him, just like that! Well that’s modern TKD for ya’.

Please read and decide for yourself how you feel.

Here is Aaron Cook vs. Steven Lopez, watch Lopez take it right in the nuts @ 1:32 into the fight. 

Peace.

TruthIn TKD is can now be read in 60 languages

I have added the Google Translator for international viewers. Please share the good news, my senseless ranting on TaeKownDo can now be read in 60 languages!!!

La-Just couldn't cut it...

http://en.mastaekwondo.com/2011/09/lajust-is-no-longer-a-brand-recognized-by-the-wtf/

“On August 27, 2011, after many twist and turns, The World Taekwondo Federation terminated the contract that certified LaJust as a recognized brand by the WTF. Therefore, the Daedo PSS remains as the only official system.”

This just goes to show that big business is in everything. At the end of the day TKD is still about the bottom line. I don’t have a school; I have a school of thought. I was raised by some amazing martial artist and a mind that roamed free. In my martial arts journey I have done TKD, Karate, kick boxing, BJJ, misc. militant style trainings e.g. Krav Maga, Wing Chung, boxing and fencing. I’m not taking into account the hundreds of videos I have watched on all sorts of martial arts.

At the end of the day, all I ever noticed was that it did not matter, bills had to be paid. Rent was key at the TKD school, it was fundraiser this and DIY that, the boxing gym was the most interesting…and questionable. I don’t ascribe to that style of thought though; I really just love the training aspect. The philosophy and the theory, the discussions of a culture’s history and the ever so over flowing cup of opinions I possess.

It’s hard for me to harp on the WTF for switching, and being completely political, when the ITF has behaved in the same fashion since I have been a part of it. TKD, like anything else, is really political and extremely competitive, and not just on the mat. The financial side of things is sometimes more brutal than the kicks to the face. Just look at the way the UFC has gobbled up their competition and the way ITF split into three. It’s all just a perpetual juxtapose of position and political posturing for power, but it’s also what keeps TKD in the limelight. One more thing to talk about I guess.

Out with the old and in with the new, fencing has already seen this shift. Money in the end wins on the global stage, and in this case Daedo was, for the money, willing to do a better job. Time will tell if the WTF made the right decision until then keep kicking, because that’s all that matters.


Old: http://www.lajustsports.com/default.aspx

New: http://www.daedo.com/shop02/skin/shop.php


Peace.

More on Canada's TKD Gold aspersions.

More on Canada's TKD Gold aspersions. 

http://www.mrtimes.com/sports/Taekwondo+Golden+girl+takes+Olympics/5711509/story.html


After reading about Ivett Gonda I learned about the clothing line that she, I guess, has some sort of sponsorship agreement with. IDK, but the clothing looks great for TKD, martial arts, yoga or just being comfortable in general.



check it out;
http://us.webstore.mpgsport.com/default.aspx

The Disrepute of the Great Britain

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/07/olympics-taekwondo-britain-idUSL3E8H76HT20120607

This is really interesting, that they would question him. From my perspective he stepped aside so someone else can get the glory. I might be wrong, but Aaron Cook may also have not been the better, I tend to think he was. It does not matter, that is the final disision and I have never sparred with either of them. My hat is off to Aaron if he was just being humble and my heart goes out to him if he was just another victim of TKD's political side.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/disrepute
here is a definition of the word Disrepute if you need to know. 

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/taekwondo/story/2012-06-07/aaron-cook-fights-british-taekwondo-decision/55447914/1

Sweet Video From TKD Park

ITF Vs WTF On a Much Larger Scale

The Game changer: Then back to the way it was.

TKD Sanctuary

Below is an article from the Korean Times, which tests the waters of this soon to be global discussion. As of now it seems that mostly the discussion is in Korea but TKD Times also has been reporting on this for a long time. Basically the North, which runs the ITF, decided they wanted to put together the best architectural display of what they believe TKD is. I, being from an ITF background, will probably want to side with most of their reported perspectives, but will more than likely support my own national heritage (USA) over their end all decisions.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/05/120_109420.html

What I mean is that the North seems to be like a road paved with good intentions, yet always manages to create a road that’s paved to Hell. Kim, Jung ll spoke sincerely about uniting the TKDs but that never happened. We must understand that there will always be more than meets the eyes to this type of discussion. The North and the South have been at odds since before I was borne, and may still be till the day I die, but if I were to predict the future I would say that; yes it will be only though the North’s initial move that the countries will re-unite, but that it would only come on the South’s terms. There are too many national interests and global interests involved in SK as of now and I don’t see that changing. Why would they want to change a working economy?

The North as we all know motioned toward the socialism route, which again is based on good intentions, but was overcome by corruption and now is a full scale communist state. The South however moved toward the global platform and embraced the capitalism structure. Long story short, the South is doing much better.

But big ups to the TKD Times for sticking to it’s motto. They reached out to the North’s effort to unify the TKDs, and have embraced this move as a hopeful change in the right direction. 

http://www.taekwondotimes.com/news/news_detail.php?gal_seq_i=517

Above is the TKD Times Magazine’s article on the North Korean Taekwondo Sanctuary.

So then the South Koreans, the WTF, came out with their plans to open the TKD Park. They later renamed it the Taekwondo Won, or Institute, and seemingly have one upped the North. 

http://www.wtkmedia.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=164

The sheer beauty and imagination alone is light years beyond anything the North will be able to complete, but that just tells me the efforts are in vain. Neither side is trying to unite the TKDs, instead they are still competing with each other as to who is TKD. 

http://freshome.com/2009/07/15/the-taekwondo-park-world-headquarters-in-muju-korea/

I would have to say that South Korea wins this battle. I judge this based on the idea of what they are building being more impressive, but will the North play their cards right? If they do, and open the ITF sanctuary up to the world, and to competitions, then over all they will have the opportunity to expand on what is the ITF Empire. However if they don’t and they go all recluse then nothing will be gained. Nothing except South Korea hosting the Olympics in the future and if they did that a structure like this would make TKD the Olympics main stage. 

Essentially both sides have much to gain for their federations assuming all hands are played right. Time will tell and no matter what happens one thing is for sure, I would love to see them both.

Peace.

Dana Hee - Olympic Champion #1

Dana in Mortal Kombat

Since we are on the topic of Olympics here’s a champion for you. Dana Hee, not only is she an Olympic champion in TaeKwonDo she was thefirst woman’s gold medalist in 1988. When TKD was first introduced to the Olympics, in Korea, she and the other 15 fighters brought home 11 metals; after it was over she was able to build quite the carrier.

While you might not know her name, you probably have seen her many times and not even known it. She took her martial arts abilities to the big screen as a stun performer, and was in many major titles. She really is quite an inspirational figure especially for women in martial arts. The former Olympic champion is now a martial arts hall of fame-er.

Some movies she did the stunts in;

Terminator Salvation, Legion, Spider-Man 2, Shallow Hal, Moulin Rouge!, Charlie's Angels, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (She played Mileena), Batman & Robin (She did Poison Ivy’s stunts), From Dusk Till Dawn, Mortal Kombat (Kitana) , Batman Forever, Demolition Man, and aside from movies she did stunt work for tv shows like Melrose Place, and Baywatch she also stared as a hostage in the 2001 movie Swordfish with John Travolta. Most recently she did stunts in the Avengers movie that just came out.

(more at IMDB)

She has had quite a successful life and is a great martial artist that I simply highlight today.

Peace.

South Korean Olympic TKD Team

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2012olympics/2012-05/25/content_15388988.htm

Very interesting article about the South Korean's Olympic team. Please read this, it's good stuff.

The Lopez Family at it Again

 London Telegraph is all over this, not the Lopez thing

http://www.click2houston.com/news/Lopez-siblings-show-off-stuff-at-media-summit/-/1735978/13380258/-/f4b27cz/-/index.html

They are at it again! So as the hype begins so does the training intensify. In Olympic TKD only the strongest survive and the question in Houston is Will the Lopez siblings be the strongest? Stephen Lopez has had quite the reputation in this city for many years, despite my opinion, and it looks like the local news finds it quite sensational.

Only time will tell who “trained” the hardest, but would much rather see some new guy step onto the mat that wipes the world clean of the same old thing. Although I enjoy watching the Olympic TKD fights, some fresh face from some country we barley know about winning, would be much more beneficial for that country than the Lopez siblings taking gold. I think I am about to start ranting on things I should avoid ranting about. That’s not the purpose of this blog, sorry.

Good for them, they have worked hard in training and are extremely talented, and thank God the rules comply with the inefficient style they know.

Peace.

Vietnam makes it in!

Looks like Vietnam has qualified two people, good for them, as the story goes they have come so close in the past.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=503200&Itemid=1

Vietnam has qualified two athletes

Le Huynh Chau	Men's −58 kg (130 lbs)
Chu Hoang Dieu Linh	Women's -67 kg (150 lbs)

Le Huynh Chau:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWUaEmze0ik

chu Hoang Dieu Linh

could not find videos on her. 

Good job.

Peace.

Terrence Jennings's Olympic Dream

I like Terrence Jennings's style, I also like that it's because of Ninja Turtles that he got into martial arts. I don't know for a fact, but I'd imagine they were a motivating factor for me too. Check out the link below to read the GPB's article on him.


http://www.gpb.org/news/2012/04/24/olympians-arc-from-ninja-turtles-to-london?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GPBNewsFeed+%28GPB+News%29



Best Ninja Turtle fight scene ever, in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdtM66SxZeI&feature=related

Funny thing about this fight scene is that I feel it's easy to relate too. Their comes a point, some times, when you surpass someone you, either regarded as better than you or, that trained you. It's a hard feeling to handle if you are the humble type. If you are the spit-fire proud type you may never understand this, but when you beat the ones you hold in high esteem it can actually break your esteem in some ways. It's almost humbling in the end and not at all fulfilling. If you ever come across this emotion remember; humility is the correct feeling to have that that junction.

Keiji Oxaki- What a BA