On Real Tae Kwon Do

What we call Tae Kwon Do in America is a watered down version of what is real.  The practitioners of Tae Kwon Do in this video are clearly at a high level in what they do.  As an outsider looking in, I would consider them a black belt in their style.  Now can they really fight?  Can they really defend themselves in combat?  That remains a mystery, as the techniques demonstrated are more acrobatic and designed for entertainment purposes rather than simple, direct, & efficient for combat.  But regardless of whether or not they are truly capable of defending themselves in situations of great danger, fact of the matter is they are very talented & skilled in what they do. 

Their level of expression takes many years of hard work & dedication, they have great Kung Fu.  The demonstrations in this video I would categorize as part of Mystical Kung Fu.  But are they really Martial Artists?  I would consider them more of entertainers, performers, gymnasts, & practitioners of acrobats more than Martial Artists.  Acrobats, Martial Arts, & Gymnastics are all different; the expression in this video is closer to acrobats & gymnastics rather than Martial Arts.  Take away the uniforms, belts, & boards & you will see a bunch of talented gymnasts performing stunts. 

Real combat is not too flashy & not as entertaining.  TKD puts real combat in the backburner & focuses more on flashy techniques for entertainment.  Many speak negative about TKD because of McDojo’s & of the over commercialization & watered down candy cane belt system, but overall, TKD is much safer for society than Sport Fighting.  A TKD Artist is more of a performer than a Fighter.  Real Martial Arts is the ultimate way for society, but if there is no real Martial Arts & people have to either train in TKD or Boxing, TKD is safer for societies development.  It is less egoistic & less competitive than Boxing.