Tae Kwon Do is a 2,000-year-old form of martial arts that originated in Korea. Early Koreans (and other Asian nations) developed unique martial arts for unarmed self-defense to complement their skills with weapons.
The first recorded evidence of tae kwon do, according to the World Taekwondo Federation Web site, is a mural painting found in a tomb from the Koguryu kingdom (37 B.C. to A.D. 66) depicting figures practicing martial arts techniques. In later ancient times, the warrior class was trained in a military academy that taught taek kyon (the precursor of modern tae kwon do) as part of its regular training program.
[i]Iowa grand master followed humble path to martial arts greatness
By GLORIA ALEFF, Courier Correspondent
INDEPENDENCE — They stand at attention in bare feet. Their leader wears a crisp white uniform, his rank distinguished by a black belt.
The group acknowledges a Korean flag with a bow, a gesture of respect shown at the start of all tae kwon do classes.
Class begins at the Falcon Civic Center in Independence.
The name for the martial art — founded 2,000 years ago — means the art of hand and foot fighting. What is described as an action philosophy is designed as a nonviolent system for the entire body and way of life. The discipline goes beyond kicks and punches to include physical and mental conditioning[/i]
Full article and humourous picture at http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/regional/52905bbd454a1f03862570a300167134.txt
Back in 1988 - 1989, Black Belt ragazine did an article comparing, side-by-side, TKD and Shotokan. There were plenty of pictures demonstrating that the forms of TKD were in reality little more than poorly executed copies of the originally Okinawan kata.
Within 2 years, the Korean governing body of TKD presented their new and improved (and formerly “secret”) forms that have since replaced the older Dan Gun, Do San, etc., previously taught.
Seems interesting how a 2000 year old art was shown to be little more than a 30+ year old art, “borrowed” from the Okinawans by way of the Japanese…
History is a wonderful thing, especially when in quoting it you do so having actually been there when it happened… :icon_comp
OK, first off. Even the majority of Koreans know that WTF Taekwondo is Bullshido.
I don’t have the link but two major Korean history professors at Yongin University (where my girlfriend goes) totally called the WTF out on it’s supposed history. They completely debunked it, and said that by denying TKD karate roots, the WTF and the Korean government that put the WTF in place had hindered the development of the art.
This article is nothing new. It’s some stupid roundeye reporter just passing on whatever bullshit some WTF instructor fed him.
Ah, well I just mean that I don’t like them Koreans who do this stupid shit all the time. My sabumnim was one of these, he didn’t like it when I actually looked things up and researched stuff.
And I can’t be racist, DerAuslander108, I have color on my skin. That makes it okay apparently, and thus it’s just affirmative action on affirmative action… uh… action. Yeah.
Unless you are korean yourself.Then no you don’t.You don’t see many Irishman going around calling every Italian a Wop now do you?Not to their faces anyhow.
Don’t get all uppity…you post some BS without clarifying, expect someone to get in your face about it.
Sabumnim is not the equivalent of sifu or sensei.
師/사/sa means “Master” or “Teacher”.
範/범/bum means “Model” or “Pattern”.
님/nim is just an honorific, and is only used when referring to a person in speaking, not in writing.
Thus, a sabum is a “Master Model”, an example of someone who has learned to embody the principles and concepts of a given martial art. He is the person a teacher goes to in order to learn. He is not an instructor. He is an instructor of instructors. The characters 師範 are pronounced “Shihan” in Japanese.
If anyone under the age of 42 asks you to call them sabumnim, laugh in their face. Like so many modern Taekwondo practitioners, they have no clue about the ancient terms they are using.
師父/사부/Saboo means “Teacher & Father”. It connotes a personal relationship with the instructor. These characters are pronounced Shifu in Mandarin.
先生/선생/Sunsaeng means “Before Life”…more accurately “one who has lived before you”. It is used to address any sort of teacher, and is often used as just a term for “Mr.”. In Japanese, these characters are pronounced “sensei”.