Not a Kung-Fu Kick

No kung-fu kick, karate kick or taekwondo kick either

I don't know about you and your view on this but personally I'm getting pretty sick and tired of reading about how kicks from karate, taekwondo, kung-fu and other martial arts are said to be in wide spread use.

It somehow seems every Tom, Dick and Harry knows how to execute martial arts style kicks in various sport events as well as in street type brawls.

A couple of recent cases: First you have the highly publicized NFL situation where a Pittsburg Steelers' wide receiver allegedly "kung fu kicked"a punter in the face on a kick return. You can bet your last dollar that terms such as karate kick have been used about the incident too...

Then there's a recent news brief from the UK, where a man has been convicted of murder after he was found guilty of "karate kicking" a homeless man to death back in 2013.

What intrigues me the most is how these halfwit sensational-seeking reporters and media outlets seems to be such experts in martial arts that they can distinguish a karate kick from a kung-fu kick or a taekwondo style kick - or even a Muay Thai kick - outside of training or strict competition. I dare say these folks have to be good! One kick and they can immediately say "Yes folks, this is a karate kick for sure!"

Kung Fu style kick - Image from Flickr.com

Sure there are instances where you can be pretty certain about the origin. When Swedish soccer striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic does one of his many acrobatic kicks and moves on the field, you can safely add taekwondo to that - after all he has a background from that martial art.

As for the vast majority of the rest... forget about it! It's just low level journalism and easy-to-spot attempts to generate clicks through attention-grabbing headlines when a kicking situation is tied to the martial arts.

Please stick to the facts. When someone haven't trained a a particular art for a lengthy period of time - it is just a kick and it has nothing to do with any particular martial art. Rant over...

Eric Cantona's so-called Kung-Fu kick

As we all can see, this infamous situation from 1995 in the UK is definitely a kung fu kick... he is flying isn't he?

Tainted Taekwondo Reputation

Is taekwondo seeing a tainted reputation?

It may actually be that the martial art of taekwondo is starting to see a bit of a bad rap, at least far when it comes to the Korean mainland (South-Korea).

It appears evidence is emerging, showing how taekwondo matches are being fixed and the results are being rigged in favor of one of the fighters. A former executive of the Seoul City Taekwondo Association is reported to give an interview with a South-Korean radio program where he talked rumors about bribery to manipulate the results of taekwondo matches.

"Bronze medal costs 10 million won, silver 20 million won, gold 40 million won…"
"(It is) just a tip of iceberg." (from english.donga.com)

One report talked about a father of one taekwondo fighter, a high school student. The judge in one of his son's matches clearly made a lot of bad and highly suspect calls - something which led to the opponent being declared winner of the fight.

A month later, the father committed suicide as a result of the important match in his son's career, writing:

"My son lost the match because of those warnings and he now wants to quit taekwondo. I cannot sleep and I don't want to eat .?.?. and now I am exhausted in the end."

Even though it is quite something else killing yourself over this, it get's worse... 

The father's suicide prompted taekwondo officials to carry out an investigation. It was concluded that the 47-year-old referee had evidently made a number of wrong calls. Then, a year later, authorities announced new findings clearly showing the match had been fixed. The father of the other fighter, as well as officials from the Seoul Taekwondo Association was behind the scandal.

Tainted taekwondo reputation in Korea - Image from Flickr.com

Best Martial Art for Children

What's the best martial art for kids?

It's a constant debate both within as well as out side of the martial arts community which art is best suitable for teaching kids martial arts.

Most of the times you will be recommended arts like karate, taekwondo, judo, aikido and ju jitsu (or jiu-jitsu). One example is this latest post from scifighting.com. And to be frank, there is absolutely nothing wrong with listing or recommending certain arts like this - we can certainly all agree that these 5 chosen arts (or 6 arts, depending on your point of view) can be absolutely great for children of all ages.

Are you picking an art or a school?

The way I see it, there is something vital missing in the approach of picking an art (or several arts) and stating that "these are the best martial arts for kids!". It is a general statement that may, or may not be true.

The point is that you may have a perfectly suitable art being taught in a way that is not at all beneficial to your child or even children in general. To me, the teacher and the whole environment at the martial arts academy/school/club is absolutely pivotal.

I will argue until my last breath that almost ANY serious martial art can be perfect for a child as long as it is taught the right way - adopted to children in a safe and caring environment.

Agree or disagree? Feel free to comment!

Best Martial Arts for Kids?

Disability Claim While Going for Taekwondo Black Belt

I suppose claiming disability while at the same time being fit enough for black belt exams in taekwondo isn't the smartest of moves ... unless you want to have authorities on your back faster than you can say 'kick and punch'.

Case in point being this 40-year-old mother from the UK who claimed £18.000 over a period of five years during which time she reportedly became a second dan black belt in the martial art and also took part in competitions.

Image from telegraph.co.uk

Taekwondo, Foot Fencing

The art of taekwondo is apparently seen as Foot Fencing by some... So, when ever you're feeling ready and "feet for fight", why not jump into some toekwando action?

And as always, you're welcome to visit the Martial Arts Humor page on Facebook for more left-field views on the fighting arts :-)

Confuse-Us Speaks #29

So... It appears I was left in the dark once again, not knowing poomsae is a sport which, according to this article from eastlondonlines.co.uk is something separate from taekwondo.

The sport combines the the moves and choreography of the martial art taekwondo, (...).

And slap me silly, I was actually led to believe that taekwondo had various disciplines, of which forms/poosae was one. Well, it's apparently proven time and time again how I really knows zilch when it comes to the martial arts.

From Flickr: Children performing a taekwondo pattern (a poomsae)

Taekwondo Dispute Goes Too Far

A 44-year-old, British taekwondo teacher and Olympian reportedly admitted she was "hot-headed" and said "it was not a good idea."

I think you can safely say it is far worse than a bad idea when you wrongly accuse someone of being a pedophile, posting fliers all over the man's neighborhood. The end result is that the man gets attacked on several occasions.

Some times it is a good idea to take a deep breath (or two) and use your brain before you act like a real moron... just saying. Here's a news article regarding the case, supposedly going back a long time and being about a dispute at a martial arts school.

The Taekwondo Face-Block

Here's a video of the (oddly enough) ever-so-popular taekwondo face-block.

No one quite uses the head and face to block an attack like these guys... Great kicking though, I'll definitely give him that much.

The Suck-Factor in Traditional Martial Arts

Traditional martial arts sucks? From Flickr.

I'm sure you have heard a number of times how the suck-factor in traditional martial arts (TMA) can be very high?

It goes without saying that such statements in general comes from the people who don't do TMA, or who have done some bullshido/McDojo variety of it before - typically when they were children.

Those of us who find it very meaningful to do the more traditional arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and ju-jitsu, knows that there are lots of benefits associated with this type of training. Also, it should be quite self-explanatory that not everyone aim at being MMA fighters, or train the latest and greatest "street-approved combat style of self-defense.

That's all well and fine, but there still may be some elements of truth about the suck-factor in traditional martial arts. It appears that this is more than anything a problem in the USA, and you can read more about it here.

No Olympic MMA

No Olympic MMA - From Flickr.com

Whether you find it OK/fine, or you really get mad at the idea, here's the thing: There will be no Olympic MMA - or Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) for that matter.

Let me rephrase that a little bit before the hard-core mixed martial arts fans gets a full-blown seizure ... these sports will not be included in any foreseeable future.

Sure, the current fighting arts in the Olympic games are about as exiting to watch as drying paint - in other words extremely boring unless you're into that particular art/sport.

And sure enough, MMA is - whether we like it or not - a massive force to be reckoned with on the combat sports arena. It's action packed and intriguing in ways that say taekwondo or judo can never be.

Still, the chances that MMA - or other sports like BJJ - will be a part of the Olympic family any time soon is close to zero.

And no, I'm not the one saying so. I love BJJ (been doing it myself for some time) and I can't see why a modified version of MMA shouldn't be made to fit the Olympic program. There are others - people with more knowledge than me who says so.

Read more about it here.

Tae Kwon Do Instructor Charged

Tae kwon do - Illustration from Flickr.com

From Illinois, wgntv.com reports about another one of these rotten apples within he martial arts community.

A 36-year-old taekwondo teacher and soccer coach is accused of allegedly abusing boys sexually.

There are reportedly more than one victim in this case. One boy was supposedly 10 years when the abuse started in 2005.

Tae kwon do instructor charged

A 36-year-old soccer coach and tae kwon do instructor from Cicero was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail today after being charged with sex crimes that involved minors, authorities said.
Hugo E. Davila was arrested at his home on Wednesday evening and charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault, according to Cook County State's Attorney spokesman Andy Conklin.
Davila also was charged with one count of resisting arrest for allegedly injuring a Cicero police officer during the execution of a search warrant at Davila's home, officials said.

The nutcase apparently assaulted officers during a search at his home? Seems like a nice individual for sure...

Anyone out there with more information about this case - any sentiments perhaps? If so, then you're always welcome to post comments below.

Karate Instructor Accused

Karate grading - from Wikipedia.org

It may seem like almost an everyday occurrence that there's another taekwondo or karate instructor accused of a sexual crime of some sort involving a juvenile student.

However, considering the huge number of karate or taekwondo schools and instructors/teachers out there - it's more than anything a statistical thing that these arts are taking the spotlight more often than others.

Also, let us not forget that the vast majority of martial arts teachers are honest, dedicated and trustworthy individuals.

That said - one such case is really one too many, and it involves all martial arts in a significantly negative way.

Here's an excerpt from wtsp.com regarding a recent case from Florida:

A Sarasota teacher was arrested Friday on charges he had sex with a 14-year-old student seven years ago.
According to the affidavit, the victim, now 21, told her brothers that she had sex with John Garcia, a karate instructor at the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, when she was in middle school.
On Febr. 7, the woman told police in a statement that during the incident Garcia dismissed the class, locked the door, and sat her in his lap. He then began to fondle her and proceeded to have sex with her. The woman said this was the first time she ever had sex.

As always, feel free to comment below.

Taekwondo Instructor Molested Girl?

Georgia -- A taekwondo instructor has been charged and is being investigated by police after a teenage girl claimed to have had a sexual relationship with the 32-year-old man. This is according to northeastcobb.patch.com.

The alleged sexual affair is said to have occurred at the martial arts academy in Marietta as well as the man's Roswell residence.

Taekwondo Instructor, Sex Assault

Canada -- A former, part-time taekwondo instructor in Oakville is facing several charges stemming from a sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy, according to insidehalton.com.

The incident reportedly occurred at the taekwondo school in 2002. The victim was a student there and the accused was an instructor.

Improperly Collected Funds?

Japan -- The Olympic Committee in Japan is investigating whether the All Japan Taekwondo Association have improperly collected more than 20 million yen from national team officials over a four years period, according to mdn.mainichi.jp.

It is speculated that senior officials within the association have asked medical staff and coaches to hand over money because of financial problems the association are facing.

Taekwondo Champ Guilty

Canada -- A former taekwondo champ and father of one from Ottawa pleaded guilty recently to two counts of manslaughter, according to ottawacitizen.com.

The man admitted that his foolish drunken decision sparked a deadly 2009 Christmas Eve blaze that killed two female neighbors, aged 57and 79.

The defendant had reportedly been celebrating his 23rd birthday and was leaving a friend's second-floor apartment in a 15-storey apartment block when he stopped outside the door to an apartment at about 4:18 a.m. and held his lit lighter to a Christmas wreath hanging on the door.

Athlete Suspended

Colorado -- A 20-year-old taekwondo fighter has been suspended for two years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine at a tournament in San Jose, California, back in July.

You can read more on this story at: sportsillustrated.cnn.com.

"Sexting" Taekwondo Teacher

Arizona -- A 24-year-old taekwondo teacher from Mesa has been jailed following a sexting sting, police said.

The man, who according to kpho.com was a 12-year-old girl's instructor, allegedly began sending the girl nude photos of himself to her cell phone.

Following the arrest across on October 27,  Gilbert police said the man admitted to sending naked images of himself to the young girl's cell phone.

Taekwondo Official Detained

China -- Just months before the upcoming Olympics, a 51-year-old Chinese taekwondo official has been held on suspicion of corruption, according to google.com.

Chinese officials have not released details of the accusations and the arrest, and the sports ministry said it did not know the reason for suspect's detention.

Closing Martial Arts Schools

When martial arts businesses are closing down with little or no warning, it puts a bad name on the martial arts community as a whole and students and parents alike are left in the dust.

What is even worse is that some of these closed schools is down to criminal activities of the operators, or quarrels and disagreements among instructors and owners - often times "political" issues over power, control or money.

The following two cases are recent examples:

South Dakota -- A Sioux Falls martial arts school abruptly closed its doors Monday morning. Now, the owner of the school and parents of students taking lessons are accusing each other of wrongdoing.

Each side says the other took money and failed to live up to various obligations. And it's the kids who are being caught in the middle of a very different kind of fight.

The first word many parents of those students received about this dispute was notice during the school day that the vehicle that normally picks up their children to take them to classes wouldn't be showing up.

The Elite Martial Arts Academy was officially formed on August 1. Back in April, when it was called the Sioux Falls Martial Arts Academy, owner Tom Werner asked for $35 membership fees for students to join USA Taekwondo.

That membership allows kids to travel to national competitions. But according to former instructors, as well as some parents, those applications haven't been processed more than five months later.

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South Carolina -- When a Boiling Springs mom went to drop off her children at a popular martial arts business last Thursday she found a sign on the door that said "no more classes."

The woman (...) says she paid $1,132 to All-American Martial Arts Center in Boiling Springs on August 31. The money was paid as a six-month advance, but she says her children received only two and a half weeks of classes before the place closed.

The woman says another mother at the facility told her, "The owner's been arrested, and they're closing, and I said wait a minute. I just paid for six months! ... I paid in full.

Spartanburg County deputies did arrest (the owner) on August 16 and charged him with 2nd degree burglary, petite larceny and obtaining goods under false pretenses. Deputies say (the owner) stole jewelry from the home of one of his clients and later pawned it.

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What's your take on situations like this? Any experiences about martial arts businesses closing down you care to share with the rest of us? Feel free to comment below!