Over on another MA forum, the subject of the impact that the Olympics have had on taekwondo came up. In general, in any discussion about traditional Taekwondo, the Olympics are generally frowned upon as they relate to taekwondo. Given the nature of Olympic sparring as compared with the full scope of what is included in taekwondo, I can see why. Of course, the Olympics have the seemingly positive effect of putting Taekwondo onto the world stage in a way that few other venues can. Olympic inclusion brings with it a great deal of prestige in the eyes of most people, and certainly, there are events which are out of place in the Olympics and who's inclusion I question. So certainly, Taekwondo should be recognized.
Frequently in these discussions, Olympic inclusion is blamed for the degredation of the art by either turning it into a sport or by making the sport side of taekwondo the end all/be all of taekwondo. The Olympics are blamed for the poor state of commercial dojangs and the "poor state" of taekwondo in general. Emphasis on Olympic sparring, it is argued, has thinned out or even eliminated the self defense aspect from the ciriculum of many dojangs.
But sometimes, I feel that the olympics get a bit too much blame in this. The level of dedication needed to go to the olympics in
any sport is much higher than the level of dedication than 99% of the population isn't even close to being able to put out.
I think that instructors who stress the olympics need to stress the level of training and dedication that an olympic athlete maintains. An olympic takwondoin, judoka, boxer or wrestler trains daily, vigorously and works tirelessly on the fine details of their technique as it relates to olympic competition. There's not McDojang-belt-for-sale blackbelt out there that does this.
The olympic debate has raged vigorously and acrimoniously amongst the fencing community for years, but classical fencers don't question the level of technique that the olympic guys have, but rather the veracity of the rules as they relate to fencing and what constitutes a valid touch. The athleticism of an olympic fencer is unquestioned.
Ultimately, McDojo owners use the fact that TKD is an olympic sport as a means to further promote their school. Nothing wrong with that, but by no means should the olympics be to blame for the sloppy training and subpar standards that define some of these schools.
Daniel
Tags: Olympics Sport Tkd
