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OwlMatt · 06-03-2010, 12:02 AM

Before I start, I want to make clear that this thread is not about the validity of taekwondo as a martial art or the compatibility of taekwondo training with aikido training. I have encountered strong opinions on both these subjects in the past, and I'd like to keep this thread from getting sidetracked. This thread is intended to address a specific ethical question that could be applied to any martial art, but which has arisen in my life in connection with taekwondo. Please keep this in mind as you read on.

The school where I work teaches taekwondo in place of more traditional physical education, and this has offered me the opportunity to begin practicing taekwondo alongside my students. Over the past few months, I have found taekwondo to be both enjoyable and fulfilling, and good exercise to boot. Practicing taekwondo at work has given me the unique opportunity to broaden my martial arts horizons without taking time away from aikido, which I consider to be my primary martial art.

I have recently begun to look deeper into taekwondo's history, particularly according to the Kukkiwon and WTF, whose style of taekwondo I practice. What I have found seems a little distasteful to me; the authorities of the WTF/Kukkiwon style of taekwondo tell what appears to be a nationalistic, propaganda-filled revision of the history of the art, largely inconsistent with what facts I have been able to uncover. I will not go into the specifics here, since that really isn't the point of the thread.

My question for my fellow martial artists is this: can a martial artist simultaneously be a dissenter and an honest practitioner? Specifically, in my case, can I continue practicing an art honestly when I believe the authorities of that art are being dishonest about something so fundamental as its history?

I suspect I am not the first martial artist to ask himself this kind of question, so I'd like to hear from more experienced martial artists than myself. Have you ever found yourself in disagreement with your superiors or your organization about your art (be it aikido, taekwondo, or something else)? How did you move forward?

06-03-2010, 12:02 AM	#1
OwlMatt Dojo: Milwaukee Aikikai Location: Wisconsin Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 401 Offline	TKD dilemma Before I start, I want to make clear that this thread is not about the validity of taekwondo as a martial art or the compatibility of taekwondo training with aikido training. I have encountered strong opinions on both these subjects in the past, and I'd like to keep this thread from getting sidetracked. This thread is intended to address a specific ethical question that could be applied to any martial art, but which has arisen in my life in connection with taekwondo. Please keep this in mind as you read on. The school where I work teaches taekwondo in place of more traditional physical education, and this has offered me the opportunity to begin practicing taekwondo alongside my students. Over the past few months, I have found taekwondo to be both enjoyable and fulfilling, and good exercise to boot. Practicing taekwondo at work has given me the unique opportunity to broaden my martial arts horizons without taking time away from aikido, which I consider to be my primary martial art. I have recently begun to look deeper into taekwondo's history, particularly according to the Kukkiwon and WTF, whose style of taekwondo I practice. What I have found seems a little distasteful to me; the authorities of the WTF/Kukkiwon style of taekwondo tell what appears to be a nationalistic, propaganda-filled revision of the history of the art, largely inconsistent with what facts I have been able to uncover. I will not go into the specifics here, since that really isn't the point of the thread. My question for my fellow martial artists is this: can a martial artist simultaneously be a dissenter and an honest practitioner? Specifically, in my case, can I continue practicing an art honestly when I believe the authorities of that art are being dishonest about something so fundamental as its history? I suspect I am not the first martial artist to ask himself this kind of question, so I'd like to hear from more experienced martial artists than myself. Have you ever found yourself in disagreement with your superiors or your organization about your art (be it aikido, taekwondo, or something else)? How did you move forward?