Tkd in Korea as an adult is pretty much on the professional level. You need to get invited to or get permission to train with one of the pro teams or the university teams. You can’t just roll up into Korea and ask to do that unless you know someone in the teams. They don’t have clubs in Korea for adults because it’s on the professional level at that point. Korea’s still pretty much the best country for Tkd so it’s crazy you’re saying to not go there to train. Don’t go there to train UNLESS you have arrangements to train with a pro team or university team
it sounds like it might be like american football in other nations then? like there are clubs and amateur orgs for it in some (not a lot) nations. but it is accessible to learn and train it as an adult. But in America, as an adult, you're main option is the pros or semi pros.
@@thugitz1990 yeah, that’s exactly how it is. if you don’t have an opportunity to train with a pro team after the university level then they almost always retire as a competitive athlete
Having lived in Korea for 7 years and running my own TKD school in America for 15 years, I can tell you that what he’s saying is the absolute truth! I even sent my son to train in Korea 12 years ago for 3 months and they never sparred once. They played basketball in the dojang and just did forms every day. Sad but true....
Alot of my friends who do martial arts over 25 in Korea mostly do boxing, judo and now days bjj. It really sucks that the martial arts in South Korea is not flourishing as it should be. I feel Judo is far more advanced even.
Taekwondo is like what soccer is in America. Everyone did it as little kids but most of them aren’t MLS players. You have to find the pipeline dojos. The dojos that are actually grooming top talent for the junior national and senior national team
Private schools are daycare centers. The real athletes are at high school and colleges. He would need to enroll at a university that has specifically a TKD program such as Yong-in University
I started taekwondo at age 25 and I absolutely love it! I’m a former MMA fighter and amateur boxer and it’s a whole lot more fun than Muay Thai, boxing and BJJ !
That's interesting. I did TKD in my teens and 20s when there was literally no Thai boxing or BJJ in the U.S., and if those arts had been available to me to practice I'd never have bothered with TKD.
Man I wish I could still do martial arts the way I want to...I lost my leg in a work accident so I wear a prosthetic now, but I'll try to make the best of it.
@@p4l4d1n7 It's like, dead weight connected to your leg lol. Even though it's technically lighter than your actual leg, it doesn't feel like it. Plus the one I'm using now is a beginner's prosthetic and has limited mobility, but I'm getting a better one soon 🙏
@@IceC1 I feel for you, Man. I damaged my knee many years ago so cannot do full contact anymore but can still do some kicks. Have you considered trying grappling arts? Specifically BJJ. Look up wrestler *Zion Clark,* now that's what I call Warrior Spirit.
I started practicing this amazing martial art when I was 13 years old and I did my last competition when I was almost 19. Then I had to choose between university and sport because I couldn't find enough time to study and to be prepared for matches. But a friend of mine who continued to do taekwondo after having joined military academy, now he is a master. Maybe in South Korea, as in my country, there is the same problem, I mean, if there isn't a chance to become an athlete they don't invest on advanced classes for adults.
I left TKD in 98-99 when they started to guarantee black belts in 2yrs. It took me 7 to earn mine. Back then it was still about power and it shifted to just making contact. I still love the art and learned a lot from it that I took into mma. Glad to hear there are still legit gyms and instructors out there
I left, mostly for highschool sports, in 00. It took me 10-11 years to get 1st dan and that's even with two of the school's I went to had "extra" belts and with me being awarded (not testing) twice for belts it still took me that long.
In korea the black belt has different worth than in other countries. The black belt is more like sth that everyone has. If competing as athlete one must have at least first dan or first poom
I don't think he understands the taekwondo players are at high schools and colleges. It's a national sport and state run. He would need to go to Yong-In University or another program to find martial sport.
@@sangbeom6245I’m late to this comment, but yeah, I know this. I lived here for a long time. The point of the video is people should not expect to be able to find a good gym for adults just because this is Korea. I’m well past the uni age, so I’m not going to be able to train with them (plus I’m not driving all the way to Pyeongtaek to train with the military).
I noticed that too when I came here. I thought about starting taekwondo but then I realized there were only kids. That's the nice thing about bjj (as of now, it will probably change in the future), you know what a purple belt will roll like in any country. The promotions are pretty standard
BJJ is starting to to go the way of the McDojo too. That’s the price of a martial art becoming popular. The dirtier and seedier a BJJ dojo is, the more legit. If it’s this huge fancy complex to impress parents with different membership fee options (like a gym), stay away
The search for a good TKD school in Korea for adults is tough but through the guidance of a few people in the states I found a small TangSooDo school that trained hard and promoting isn’t easy.
I am a black belt TKD in other country but I also learn BJJ nearby. My BJJ teacher said that there are a lot of good BJJ players in Korea so I am in doubt about TKD too. Now, I understand it, thank you for sharing informative video.
I was having the same issue and I'm in the US. I am relatively new and all of the schools in my area are highly competitive but mostly teenagers. BJJ, Krav Maga and Kickboxing had older crowds but Taekwondo really was what I wanted! I finally just found a school I liked and just try to focus on my own growth :P
Hello, I really liked your energy and ability to stay humble describing your opinion of TKD in Korea. I can relate to your criticism of how the martial art has changed in philosophy and technique which naturally changes from one generation to the next. I learned my craft in the eighties and can no longer relate to the current TKD Olympic rules for competing at the national level. I love this sport but I guess it’s the nature of the beast as popularity increases it becomes difficult to find a good club for the serious learners of the art.
This kills me. I started TKD from 4th grade all the way through high school and MMA in college. I did it from the 80s, 90s, 2000s competed in the state and national Olympics full contact sparring. We use to send some our people to Korea as part of the Nationals Olympic team and things were totally different back when. They came back talking about how amazing the Korean Olympic team was and how they were doing 3 kicks in the air before landing on the ground. It blows my mind what has happened to TKD from when I was competing. So I know Korea does TKD in their military along with Hapkido and so maybe that has something to do with this. Man when I was growing up in middle school I was 100 pounds and I was fighting adults and people that were 300 pounds on a regular basis. So this is crazy to me. While you are over there I would recommend you checkout Hapkido. It is amazing and works in with TKD. I mixed it some with Wing Chun like cranes beak and allows you to intercept hand strikes and get people into locks. I think it would work well with your boxing and BJJ. Also have you considered trying to hookup with the Korean nationals team even for a day or two? I know the drive has to be long but I am sure they train on the weekend too.
It kills me too. TKD is not a bad martial art at all, but the way it is handled has slowed its growth. I think it’s a money thing. The high level folks here are either in college or in certain schools. TKD is very oversaturated in Korea because it’s TKD (national sport) and it makes money due to kids. I will eventually check out HKD since I’m so knee deep in BJJ. I always was curious of the likelihood of being able to grab someone’s wrist and doing all the crazy stuff with them.
@@MiKole86 The wing chung cranes beak is the best technique i know of for getting a hold of someone's arm from a punch mixed with a block first of course. Yeah I think that is pretty much the case in the US where the non fighters are basically keeping the school open and only a smaller portion of people are doing fight class and full contact sparring but it sounds like on a much bigger level in Korea since it is their national sport. Man I would have never have guessed. I wish you all the best and great Journey in martial arts.
I had this Korean friend. He was a die hard basketball player. His skills were on the semi-pro level. Anyway, he went to America for the first time. He didn’t know English but he was soooooo excited. He was going to the country where the best basketball is played, where the best basketball players are from. He got a job in Montana. It was hard to navigate without knowing the language or understanding the culture but someone pointed him towards a club basketball team. He was confused. They were all little kids and their coach let them play video games on Friday instead of practice. He ended up just shooting basketball in a gym by himself. Every once in a while, random people played against him but they weren’t very good. He was super disappointed. When he asked why they weren’t like the guys in the NBA, they were like “Dude, we played basketball league as kids. This shit is just for fun.” Anyway, they told him Montana wasn’t the best place to play elite basketball. So he went to North Carolina. He went to this place called Duke and tried to play with their team and some dude named Coach K said “You can’t just walk into a practice. You’re not even a student. I don’t care that you can dunk. Get the fuck out of here.” People told him to go Los Angeles or New York or Chicago where he could find top quality adult leagues and he got annoyed. Why would we go all the way to Los Angeles and New York? Going to North Carolina was bad enough and some loser Duke men’s college coach wouldn’t let him practice with his stupid college team. And He lived in Montana. Why couldn’t there be top level adult basketball in Montana? Los Angeles and New York was too far away. Yeah, no, he wasn’t doing that shit. He was so confused. When he came back to Korea, he uploaded a UA-cam video and titled it “Do NOT go to the United States to learn basketball” He was touched to see other Korean basketball die hards in the comments. One guy sent his son to America study basketball for three months. His son lived in a place called Alaska and when he came back, he didn’t learn anything. His son said hardly anyone plays basketball. They all shoot guns and fish and hunt but no basketball. Another guy sent his son to California but his son said that their AAU team just had pizza parties and stuff. The coach kept preaching about fun and then they played dodgeball to take a break from practice. His son was super disappointed. I mean, how do Americans create NBA players from this BS? Anyway, my Korean friend is back in Korea and he ran into this American who came all the way to Korea to study advanced Taekwondo. He had done it his whole life in America and my friend laughed. My friend said “What, you think this country is one big giant dojo? That kids have board breaking contests on the playground? I dunno how to help you bro. I did TKD as a little kid like every other Korean dude here. Oh and your basketball programs in America suck.”
I do find it unfortunate that someone who has studied TKD for so many years, there was no one in your organization that could help you find a proper instructor for your travels to RSOK.
Spot on! Unfortunately the way Taekwondo is promoted in Korea is being pushed worldwide through the Kukkiwon and WT. I definitely know though I’m old-school and love my TKD it’s sad to see where it’s gone!
omg is so true what you are saying. I live in Korea and it was so hard to find a place to keep up with my training since I am a gyeorugi athlete and it is really expensive ㅠㅠㅠ
I've had the same experience with Taekwondo in Thailand regarding age groups. There is on adult class, it's even my origin kwan... but it's 10 hours away! So, I started judo, did Muay Thai up to a full contact match, and now practice Wadokai Karate-do because it's mostly adults in class. I'll even go test for my Wado black belt in Japan when everything opens. I'll have to go back to the US to test for my next dan! So strange, eh?
I feel you! I really wanted to do more in TKD, but because it was so hard to do anything, I just tried different stuff. I will get my blue belt in BJJ sooner or later and I also tried boxing. Very pleased I branched out
@@MiKole86 you're the only other person I've known who went from a high rank in one martial art to pursue a hi ugh rank in another. It would be interesting to hear your experiences in that. Did you notice you did better faster than others beginning BJJ?
I’m gonna be honest with ya...mostly all the TKD classes with adults are in Seoul. There is the Kukkiwon Team but the one Ik the most is a place called Les Brothers in Seoul. It’s a very good place because my grandmasters brother runs that establishment and it will be very competitive... you can go check it out if you want
Great video. Thank you. I've lived in Seoul for the past 20 years and can agree that I really don't like the way the sport / art has evolved through the years. It's become big business and when I see these kids walking around my neighborhood in their dobaks, donning their 2nd degree black belts, I can't help but question the legitimacy. I grew up training in the 80s and 90s like you, competed at the state, national, and even international levels, but was turned off by the competitive nature of it with the advent of the electronic scoring systems. URGH. With that said, if you're in Incheon, I would recommend going to some of the local colleges that have teams and ask if you can train with them. When I came to Korea in the late 90s, I trained with some of the local university teams and they were a different level of skill. Not sure about now, but back then, I would say that the typical Korean college player was on similar ground with the US national team players. So fast & so furious. They even have TKD as a major in some universities and they have TKD clubs as well. Overall, I'd say not a lot of adults do TKD because it demands so much stress on your body. I think the peak age for most TKD players is around 22-23. BTW, have you visited the KUKKIWON yet? Worth a trip. They have a museum there as well. I've attended numerous competitions and belt testings there. Pretty fun. Sorry to hear about your disappointment, but if you look around, there are some decent schools around, even in Incheon.
A few years ago I did TKD at Yonsei in Seoul. There was a class for foreigners. Only cost 50,000W a month. For students and local workers, so all adults(and people from all over the world and different languages). I really enjoyed it. I was a beginner but the class was way more intensive than what I found in the US. So I actually had the opposite experience interestingly enough. A few years later I finally found a place I like, still not as intensive as my class in Korea and there is some fast belt ranking and hyper encouragement, but I wouldn’t call it a McDojang lol. I also set higher expectations for myself, which helps.
I loved HAPKIDO in Korea (13 years ago) but I don’t think you are far off about Taekwondo. 20 years ago- in the Army, I trained in Taekwondo at my Army base- they were quite tough. I pretty much agree with most of what you said-my Hapkido Master said the same thing you said...
I heard that in the ROK military, that Taekwondo sparring had less gear than Olympic sparring, and if one didn’t have a black belt in Taekwondo going in, then one learned it there and first degree black belt is compulsory.
Bro! This is factual. Mikole was actually my coach and cornerman for fighting in Taekwondo in Korea. When I came here and saw Taekwondo here my heart was broken.
Yeah, I happened to be in one of those quick dojos when I was younger and I did get my first degree black belt. We were mostly focused on forms and simple sparring rather than tournaments. I did get to learn sais, which was cool and I still have them somewhere. You could tell there was a difference in what we learned. I did a tae kwon do class in college and thought I had a good leg up. Hell no! That class pushed me more physically than I ever had been pushed before. The instructor picked volunteers to show how to do moves and fortunately I was only hurt once when he did a scissor take down on me, chest high. As much as that class pained me and pushed me, it’s one of the things I will always be proud that I finished. We also used nunchucks, I still have them too, and those babies hurt if you mess up. Just so many stories from that one 4 month class.
That’s interesting, I have never done Taekwondo in South Korea but I did compete for awhile back in the states. I’ve gotten more into boxing more now but one of my friend’s who is on the US Taekwondo Team he told me that when he went to Korea to compete in their University games, he said anyone who is serious about Taekwondo usually trains on a university team, typically at a Sport’s university. They don’t really train at individual schools/ Dojangs. I don’t really think the jump in rank is that much of an issue... My interest is more geared toward China personally but still I really like your channel and learning about Korea. Anyway Korea just like in China if you go to a Sport’s university those guys typically login about maybe 6-10hr days training. So I think you could reasonably jump up in rank pretty quickly doing that.
Yeah, I had no Korean when I came here. At first there were classes for the adults but eventually we were incorporated into the teenagers class. The training is fine and I've learned cool stuff, I'd just like to be able to spar and take things to the next level. Like you said in the video I never did Taekwondo before, so it was a great way to get back in shape and learn some new stuff.
I know an old school Tang Soo Do 4th Degree Black (Midnight Blue) Belt and he said it was the South Korean's Government "obsession" with getting TKD in the Olympics- WTF Style TKD- that watered down the art in South Korea and in many parts of the USA- my school over 20 years ago was all about tournaments and "kiddie Trophies" "Black Belt Clubs" "Birthday Parties" "Summer Camps"-and yes it was a WTF school, rhythmic gymnastics with Kicks thrown in.
When I was stationed in Korea in the ‘90s... I trained in Hapkido. There were adults in Tangsoodo, but a lot of the schools( public schools) had TKD and Judo( Yudo) programs. I think they did it instead of physical education. Then too, the TKD was for kids. My Korean friend told me that TKD in Korea and Karate in Japan was usually studied by children... it was a cultural thing. All my sons studied and competed in TKD as kids. They also do Judo and boxing. Great video.
Literally same here- in the army posts I trained for 2 years while serving it was military TKD & Hapkido. I did Hapkido as an adult as an English teacher- I disliked the Taekwondo schools I saw in The areas I lived in as a civilian English teacher in Korea.
@@kiaikarate5387 : from what I hear, it’s the same in China. My friend in China tells me it’s easier to train in BJJ and Muay Thai. It’s everywhere, but Traditional Chinese Kung Fu is hard to find. The top 2 martial arts in China are TKD and Judo. The Olympic sports.
@@jopalo31675 I liked the Military TKD & Hapkido I learned in the Army it was geared for realism ... I loved the Hapkido I learned as a civilian as well.... the Taekwondo schools in Deajeon I trained in as a civilian was Kid Kicks....
Anyone going to Korea for TKD sparring training knows that you should either go to competing High Schools or Universities like KNSU (Korean Sports University), Yongin, or Kyunghee. If you did a bit of research or asked fellow national level usa competitors you could find a decent place to spar even decently close to Incheon 🙃 it is true most local tkd schools in Korea are like day care centers LiKe AfTeR ScHoOl pRoGrAmS in USA. High level tkd is practiced in HS and Universities where their nationals and competitions are 10x the size as our own. Go to one of them and you'll see you ain't that good bro.
Very true. When I first got here I had the chance to go to Kyunghee Uni in Suwon. I got kicked out their gym because I wasn’t supposed to be on the mat lol. I spoke to the coach about letting me train but he was like, “Naaaah son”. Sad times
To anyone else considering training in South Korea, if you already have Taekwondo skill, I strongly recommend that you avoid going to the Dojangs. If you're interested in improving your skillset, look to the Korean High schools, the Universities and if you're in the US military, link up with their military teams (their division teams) don't be afraid to ask questions. Look to Facebook and talk with people like Steven Capener and Herb Parez (BOTH have connections in Korea) research the US Army and Armed Forces Taekwondo teams. (I'm a former member of both) there's quite a few guides who are more than willing to point you in the right direction.
@@Five-uy6xn you don't, you train with them, you learn from them. What you're missing is the way they train is NOTHING like the way any of us train outside Korea. They train to a point where it becomes a reflexive action instead of thinking before you act.
@@Five-uy6xn To be frank, you do learn a lot more when you train with the high school teams than university teams. The high school coaching is more focused on teaching athletes the necessary skills to take their craft to the next level. At university level pretty much everyonr knows their stuff and its a lot more self directed. Its more focused on gaining exposure and refining what you have learnt as opposed to teaching you stuff
Liked the honest & factual experience. I have experienced the same. However, getting into the sportswing of a reputed college/university can make the difference.
Right?! This was a very hard truth for me to take in. I’ve had more luck training in BJJ in Korea. I have national ranking people at my gym in Incheon. It’s crazy.
My son started tkd at 5 in Canada. As a BB myself, i made sure his colour belt tests were with moderation and earned. He is now 13, is the most likely student to go to most annual tournaments to fight and is still a red black belt. I want him to earn his BB. I have seen too many fake BBs in this sport and it is killing the sport.
::Sigh:: All true.... I remember an article in the Korea Herald newspaper, way back in 1997 titled "The Hakwon-isation Of Korean Education." The gist of the article was that hakwon basically serves two purposes: entertainment or babysitting. "Hakwon" is hard to translate: it's generally a tutorial topic based for profit business, focused mostly on elementary aged school kids, offering extra instruction from Math to Science, English to Korean, and/or Soccer to Tae Kwon Do. That article affected me to open my own "hakwon", but not by its definition. I wanted to teach (and I still do teach) kids who WANT to learn, and to bring them to another level. Your (@Mikole's) experience here in Korea so far is a reflection of the 'hakwonisation' problem...kids need supervision whilst mum and pop are at work (hint: there is no babysitting culture here). Yes, there are adult classes, but they're hard to find. As for what I do, it's only for a very small area, in a small corner of a small city. Will it change the bigger problem? Most likely, no.
At least it is something though. I was heartbroken when I came here expecting one thing and was completely shocked that it didn’t live up to my expectations. I used to learn Korean instructors were the best.
You brought up a loooot of good points man. Im a black dude living in korea myself right now, in 대구(daegu) currently for school. Been wanting to do taekwondo for a while but was never really sure if it was a good idea or not. I personally want to go more into the tricking side compared to the competition side though. Regardless thanks for the info! Also how are things currently in seoul with corona? Here in daegu people are slowly starting to go back outside, hell schools even starting again tmrw(not for me tho lol) how's it like in Seoul?
Did TKD for 15 yrs 2 yrs got the BB then the rest teaching always kept telling my instructor we need some BJJ in the school so he hooked it up and he got hooked on it. LOL Great times did two years of BJJ/MMA and new some other guys in Krav Maga did that for a little while. Love it It was good times back in the day. If I had to get my son/daughter into it, Id tell them to get into BJJ/MMA its a good match you have your ground game and your stand up.
Im not seeing this in the comments so heres probably why. South Korea has mandatory military service for able bodied men (conscription), so a commercial market for adult martial arts probably doesnt exist.
You need to train with a good high school or uni team. You’re right about clubs but they are club level and mostly kids. High school & uni teams train really hard & you’ll get good training partners to spar with.
If you are good, you will be recommended. As it happened to me. Sadly, I was there with really good fighters. Damm, they punch and kick my ass. They were too good.
In Sweden it is the same. TKD is mostly based on children's classes and youth classes. You don't spar so much, some clubs almost only have poomse. Some clubs have mixed ages, but if you are an adult it can feel strange because most are teenagers.
You have to go to kukkiwon and take a course there . Thats where advanced practitioners like you go. I did the Masters course at kukkiwon in 2016. If you plan on staying more than a couple weeks, I suggest getting to know some of the Kukkiwon masters. They can direct you where to train long term .
I'm a 2nd degree black belt holder from ITF, but I was planning to switch for Judo when I reach 3rd Degree, probably within 3 years. Several years ago, I do have a thought to train overseas.
Solid video. Keep it up!👆 It's funny. That's been one of my biggest fears of starting level 1 taekwondo in Korea. I'm just gonna be the only person above the age of 12 in the class
Very sad to see this video. I really feel for your let down experience. Taekwondo is fucking hard and aggressive, it should be challenging. I bet you there is old ass Taekwondo roots in South Korea but very far and few between, not to mention expensive. It is an amazing art that sadly died off after time and lack of oh idk, connectivity. I fought Nationals too brother, Colorado represent! You ever seen the show “Fight Quest”? They go to amazing places just like that. It’s the coolest shit ever man make sure to watch it. Thanks for the video too it was insightful
Always been attracted to Taekwondo but never had the chance to do much yet... Thanks for your insight :) I was given the name of a Taekwondo school in the middle of Korea that seemed very interesting to go to... and of course, impossible to remember the name or where it was exactly... I'll come back to you if I ever find the name again.
Haha, you should see if you could train with collegiate Taekwondo athletes at the local universities. I know that Incheon has a university there. Whenever we have Masters visit from Korea at my dojang, they’re almost always university athletes. The level they spar at is amazing and almost mesmerizing as to how they can control their movements and footwork so well.
I was introduced to Taekown-do from a exfriend who didn't want want to do it by herself. Though i haven't gone in years due work schedules. Only got to blue belt- red strip (3rd Gup).
Not just South Korea, martial arts in the Asian mindset is to cultivate oneself. If you want to walk around thinking you're the best and looking for tough fights to see who's the best take Muay Thai and go to Thailand you'll get a taste of Asian martial arts.
Doing Taekwondo in West Texas, I see the same thing attendance wise. The teens and adults have the same class together and when it comes to sparring, there are no other adults to spar against, so mostly it's teens who are red, and black belts while I'm a brown belt. It does get annoying for me because it feels like I'm not being challenged especially if I know their skill set.
wow things have changed a lot in the last 20+ years. I went to Korea in 2000 and we trained in a few schools as well as competing in the KIDO tournament. I was half way to getting my 2nd dan at the time and we sparred hard, trained hard and had heaps of fun.
Korea is mainly looking for young champions in taekwondo, so it is very difficult for them to focus on teaching adults. The difference with Japan is that many people decide to learn or relearn a martial art in middle age, so it is easier to find dojos for adults.
I did see a lot of adults there doing karate. It was cool to see…well, it is now since I’m much older and I see why having older people do it is a must
Very interesting/surprising info about the culture of this martial arts in its own country! I would love to take Taekwondo classes if I ever moved to Korea but don't think I would feel comfortable/motivated taking it with a bunch of kids. I don't know if you do video requests, but would you consider doing an in depth video about getting a job/working at an international school in Korea? I know you've done one briefly mentioning it in the past but it's so hard to find info about the process of applying, which schools are legit, what to expect for a salary/benefits, etc.
I started doing ITF Taekwondo two years ago, I’m 24. In Seoul there’s a dojang which offers classes to adults (whatever your belt is) and also to international students that go to Korea and want to keep training (the instructor speaks English). They have a really good technique!
I would say it isn’t Korea itself as it’s the direction the Olympics and new rules have taken the game. There are many people here who still don’t follow it and prefer the old style.
@@MiKole86 I hope that I didn't offend you with my statement. I am simply saying that the politics that got involved with TKD ( and other arts) are reason why I am glad that I am not involved in any of the big TKD organizations. The arts have become very diluted.
My question is. Do you think it’s too late to start at the age of 20. I took a few taekwondo classes when I was 18 & 19. I loved it. I injured myself from basketball so I had to take a break and I planned to start up again months ago but then corona hit 😭
Nah bro my dad started at 20 and became an ABSOLUTE beast!! Like think tyson beast. Im not exaggerating, the dude would work out like him, and his kicks were well over a ton of force. He could touch the rim of a basketball with a kick and had to hold back during tournament matches bc once he broke a dudes ribs during a match. The protection didnt do jack to the man. So no never too late, what he taught me is "if you think your opponent is doing 200 kicks, do 400. If he is doing 500 push ups do 1000, etc." Never too late
A friend of mine teaches in Korea and found a couple of good clubs, she's in Seoul though. One way to find a good clubs around the world is to look for clubs associated with a university as they're often 18+ and competitive (just depends on the college rules if you can join).
He’s not willing to move to Seoul, which is where 80% of the population lives, where the Kukiwon is and where the national teams train and compete. If he’s unwilling to move to Seoul, he shouldn’t complain about not finding what he needs. It’s like going to Montana and complaining about not finding semi-pro American basketball players to train with but being unwilling to live anywhere else
Taekwondo in Korea for adults is mainly in Universities and certain dojos. Taking classes as a kid is the equivalent of taking soccer or playing Little League in the US, while many children do it they grow out of it. Those that are dedicated to it will continue in their high schools and finally at the college level. Those that do well there can then advance to the national team.
For many martial arts schools, they have a big financial incentive in awarding belts. Many people just like to be able to say they are blue/brown/black belts, though they aren't necessarily any good. In general, boxing and wrestling schools (just to give a blanket term, since there are so many different ways to approach combat), that have an emphasis on sparring against someone actually putting up a fight, those are the places that teach you actually useful stuff. If the fights are based on "scoring points", that usually means the combatants learn to score points, not to fight. Anyone looking into maybe getting into martial arts, it's worth thinking about what you want to get out of it. Pretty much anything can give you a good workout. From what I've seen, there tends to be less injuries with non-striking focused arts, so wrestling, BJJ and so on are probably a bit safer. If you intend to learn some self-defense, or compete even, you need to learn how to take a hit first, you need to feel what it's like to receive a punch or kick, and how hard it can be to pull of any submissions, when your opponent is resisting, and what it's like when someone ties you up like a pretzel. Sparring is essential, since it teaches you how to not get shocked when getting attacked. There is no set of techniques that will always work, and sometimes raw strength and mass - or dumb luck -will negate even a skilled practitioners moves. Pretty much all the so-called "self-defense" classes teach, is how to pay too much money for something not worth it.
i wonder why its like that?..may be a majority of the instructors dont really know taekwondo fully? idk u would know more..or maybe they want them too just be energetic n loosen up..but ya its surprising to me about the subject..good vid mike
From what I learned, there are only a few clubs for adults. They are typically good but very rare. Many just have a school for the $$$$$. It sucks, I know. I miss the beauty of the art
I agree with what this man said. Karate is the the same in Japan. Watered down. Their techniques are very weak when I watch them spar. Karate doesn’t penalise you when you hit the body hard. But I see then throwing weak kicks and punches to the body. Also they don’t look athletic at all
Yup. Korea pretty well soured me on TKD. Loved it...... until I came and "trained" here. Trained meaning hitting a heavy bag by myself. Two things I learned - nobody cares if you're anything less than 3rd dan. Once told someone I practiced. They asked what dan I was. I'll never forget the look of disappointment when they found out I was only a 2nd dan. The other was, most adults who train anything tend to train in kumdo - Korean sword.
I had this Korean friend. He was a die hard basketball player. His skills were on the semi-pro level. Anyway, he went to America for the first time. He didn’t know English but he was soooooo excited. He was going to the country where the best basketball is played, where the best basketball players are from. He got a job in Montana. It was hard to navigate without knowing the language or understanding the culture but someone pointed him towards a club basketball team. He was confused. They were all little kids and their coach let them play video games on Friday instead of practice. He ended up just shooting basketball in a gym by himself. Every once in a while, random people played against him but they weren’t very good. He was super disappointed. When he asked why they weren’t like the guys in the NBA, they were like “Dude, we played basketball league as kids. This shit is just for fun.” Anyway, they told him Montana wasn’t the best place to play elite basketball. So he went to North Carolina. He went to this place called Duke and tried to play with their team and some dude named Coach K said “You can’t just walk into a practice. You’re not even a student. I don’t care that you can dunk. Get the fuck out of here.” People told him to go Los Angeles and New York where he could find top quality adult leagues and he got annoyed. Why would we go all the way to Los Angeles and New York. Going to North Carolina was bad enough and some loser Duke men’s college coach wouldn’t let him practice with his stupid college team. And He lived in Montana. Why couldn’t there be top level adult basketball in Montana? Los Angeles and New York was too far away. Yeah, no, he wasn’t doing that shit. He was so confused. When he came back to Korea, he uploaded a UA-cam video and titled it “Do NOT go to the United States to learn basketball”
De facto; I have no time to train myself on any Martial Arts Schools, I have further interest to redevelop myself I will practising to be the coach in my martial arts
I stopped training tkd in the US when I started seeing that the style of sparring change. It's now a love tap game with the feet. It's no longer whay it used to be like it was in the late 80s through the early 2000s.
I live in Miami and most tkd schools teach kids too. When you go to an adult class, the average age is like 16. However when you take karate class for adults, the average age is like 30+
Dang man you should def go to Seoul because I had a very different experience when I was there. I had options for where to train and the type of experience. Im sorry there isnt great options for adults in Incheon :(
I wonder what the Tang Soo Do (not Soo Bakh Do) scene is in South Korea. I get the feeling in terms of popularity its at the bottom rung, with judo, hapkido and taekwondo vastly surpassing it.
@@MiKole86 That sucks to hear. I know the headquarters for both the World Tang Soo Do General Federation and World Tang Soo Do Union (not affiliated with either) are based in Seoul and Pyeongtaek, but I think that's it as far as schools go. Even the Moo Duk Kwan (even though they're now called Soo Bahk Do) is based in the U.S.
I have been a virgin for long. Now 29 years old Chinese guy born in non-asian country. Always hardly get chance with girls and had only one ex Asian gf who broke up with me. I used to get teased or bullied a lot even as a adult but I did fought in primary school as a kid with no fighting style just with bullies. I have anger issues so would like to learn taekwondo in Korea too to use some time of my life.
TKD in Korea is taught to kids because they start martial arts there very young. Nearly every kid learns TKD its even part of their elementary school curriculum for some. 10-12 year old black belts in TKD in Korea is common. Adults who then want to continue learning martial arts generally switch to Hapkido, Tang So Do, or something similar. I'm generalizing of course but that is the case for the most part. TKD as we knew it pre year 2000 doesn't really exist anymore.
Many Americans have studied Tae Kwon Do in Taipei Taiwan, they have good schools PR China also had great TKD schools But in South Korea mostly it’s children’s classes
interesting video, I'm planning to visit south Korea in the future and I had really high hopes for training there, thanks for sharing this info!. So I started taekwondo when I was 13 and went up to 19. I was forced to stop because of a knee injury (chondromalacia patellar). Have you ever had any injuries? how did you handle that?
Glad that i stumbled upon this video. I was actually planning to learn Hangul and go to Korea when I'm like 20+ yrs, but this video saved me from future disappointment
Mmm sort of the same here in Ireland, mostly kids and young teens training in TKD, u see alot of girls and men in their 20s like to train in MMA , in my day their was was lots of guys and girls training in TKD but we diding have MMA clubs back then 😮😮lol
Hi,same here in malaysia. All class just for kids and teenagers. Im 28, and never learn taekwondo but interested to learn taekwondo but people often suggest me to take BJJ or muay thai or MMA. But I like taekwondo.
You will learn impressive abilities in taekwondo, like being fast, agile and have explosive strength, and the most important body intelligence. Then, if you wanna learn the other martial arts techniques, those will become easier for you.
It's hard I did it in 1999 as a kid with Korean Master till 2013 cus my parents want me to finish and focus school. If you mess up get the bamboo stick. I think korea is more strict then America teaching.
So... Theres a bit of misinformation. To be able to goto truly be in a competition scene, you have to be in the SCHOOL clubs. Not public gyms/dojang but actual schools or colleges with TKD clubs which will open a way for local/national competitions. Then invites to colleges specializing in TKD for national tournaments. Korea has an TKD College that teaches not only focusing on TKD but also philosophy and other things related to TKD.
That sounds very exclusive. I’m not it’s misinformation but I do appreciate your added info. While here though I have seen individual/private schools/hagwons attend tournaments
Tkd in Korea as an adult is pretty much on the professional level. You need to get invited to or get permission to train with one of the pro teams or the university teams. You can’t just roll up into Korea and ask to do that unless you know someone in the teams. They don’t have clubs in Korea for adults because it’s on the professional level at that point.
Korea’s still pretty much the best country for Tkd so it’s crazy you’re saying to not go there to train. Don’t go there to train UNLESS you have arrangements to train with a pro team or university team
Exactly that’s what I was trying to say but thanks alot for taking the word out of my mouth my friend
Real. Only national sport team, university, army and police. No more.
it sounds like it might be like american football in other nations then? like there are clubs and amateur orgs for it in some (not a lot) nations. but it is accessible to learn and train it as an adult. But in America, as an adult, you're main option is the pros or semi pros.
@@thugitz1990 yeah, that’s exactly how it is. if you don’t have an opportunity to train with a pro team after the university level then they almost always retire as a competitive athlete
@@JoshuaVuong32 I see! Thank u for putting us on game
Having lived in Korea for 7 years and running my own TKD school in America for 15 years, I can tell you that what he’s saying is the absolute truth! I even sent my son to train in Korea 12 years ago for 3 months and they never sparred once. They played basketball in the dojang and just did forms every day. Sad but true....
WOW!!!
Alot of my friends who do martial arts over 25 in Korea mostly do boxing, judo and now days bjj.
It really sucks that the martial arts in South Korea is not flourishing as it should be. I feel Judo is far more advanced even.
Taekwondo is like what soccer is in America. Everyone did it as little kids but most of them aren’t MLS players. You have to find the pipeline dojos. The dojos that are actually grooming top talent for the junior national and senior national team
@@youtubecommenter37 thank you for the informative comment!
Private schools are daycare centers. The real athletes are at high school and colleges. He would need to enroll at a university that has specifically a TKD program such as Yong-in University
I started taekwondo at age 25 and I absolutely love it! I’m a former MMA fighter and amateur boxer and it’s a whole lot more fun than Muay Thai, boxing and BJJ !
That's interesting. I did TKD in my teens and 20s when there was literally no Thai boxing or BJJ in the U.S., and if those arts had been available to me to practice I'd never have bothered with TKD.
Joe Oleary Yeah the only MMA gym in my area did zero sparring in Muay Thai so I started turning towards karate and TKD.
@@TyEdward1924 thats usually the polar opposite of what happens lol
@@joeoleary9010 FACTS
@@TyEdward1924 LLOLL WHAAAT?! thats a weird Muay THaI GYM... ive never heard of that
Man I wish I could still do martial arts the way I want to...I lost my leg in a work accident so I wear a prosthetic now, but I'll try to make the best of it.
Might be easier to take low hits with a prosthetic, but then again im ignorant about how it even feels using one.
Best of luck to you man!
@@p4l4d1n7 It's like, dead weight connected to your leg lol. Even though it's technically lighter than your actual leg, it doesn't feel like it. Plus the one I'm using now is a beginner's prosthetic and has limited mobility, but I'm getting a better one soon 🙏
@@Dalmoon98 thanks
@@IceC1 I feel for you, Man.
I damaged my knee many years ago so cannot do full contact anymore but can still do some kicks.
Have you considered trying grappling arts?
Specifically BJJ.
Look up wrestler *Zion Clark,* now that's what I call Warrior Spirit.
I started practicing this amazing martial art when I was 13 years old and I did my last competition when I was almost 19. Then I had to choose between university and sport because I couldn't find enough time to study and to be prepared for matches. But a friend of mine who continued to do taekwondo after having joined military academy, now he is a master. Maybe in South Korea, as in my country, there is the same problem, I mean, if there isn't a chance to become an athlete they don't invest on advanced classes for adults.
SUPERFACTS
I left TKD in 98-99 when they started to guarantee black belts in 2yrs. It took me 7 to earn mine. Back then it was still about power and it shifted to just making contact. I still love the art and learned a lot from it that I took into mma. Glad to hear there are still legit gyms and instructors out there
I left, mostly for highschool sports, in 00. It took me 10-11 years to get 1st dan and that's even with two of the school's I went to had "extra" belts and with me being awarded (not testing) twice for belts it still took me that long.
In korea the black belt has different worth than in other countries. The black belt is more like sth that everyone has. If competing as athlete one must have at least first dan or first poom
i got my bodan belt within like 3-4 years, and that's from training hard. i stopped though, but i'm gonna start again soon
I agree with u as it become a business
Bro I'm Korean. I only watched your first point and that was enough to be convinced 😂 but I've never thought it to be weird growing up
I don't think he understands the taekwondo players are at high schools and colleges. It's a national sport and state run. He would need to go to Yong-In University or another program to find martial sport.
@@sangbeom6245 true true. Most parents send their children to taekwondo place so they can have their free time for a while lmao.
@@Nswoqhqoqb ㅋㅎㅋㅎㅋㅎㅋ 어리이집 ㅋㅎㅋㅎㅋㅎㅋ
@@sangbeom6245I’m late to this comment, but yeah, I know this. I lived here for a long time. The point of the video is people should not expect to be able to find a good gym for adults just because this is Korea. I’m well past the uni age, so I’m not going to be able to train with them (plus I’m not driving all the way to Pyeongtaek to train with the military).
Yeah everything you said sounds about right. Taekwondo has been going down a weird route these past decades.
I noticed that too when I came here. I thought about starting taekwondo but then I realized there were only kids. That's the nice thing about bjj (as of now, it will probably change in the future), you know what a purple belt will roll like in any country. The promotions are pretty standard
BJJ is starting to to go the way of the McDojo too. That’s the price of a martial art becoming popular. The dirtier and seedier a BJJ dojo is, the more legit. If it’s this huge fancy complex to impress parents with different membership fee options (like a gym), stay away
The search for a good TKD school in Korea for adults is tough but through the guidance of a few people in the states I found a small TangSooDo school that trained hard and promoting isn’t easy.
the adult schools are at police training, you as 4th degree black belt 🥋 opens door at any training police school mate
I am a black belt TKD in other country but I also learn BJJ nearby. My BJJ teacher said that there are a lot of good BJJ players in Korea so I am in doubt about TKD too. Now, I understand it, thank you for sharing informative video.
There are a LOT of good BJJ folks here. I know one of them out in Incheon. Come train here when you can!
I was having the same issue and I'm in the US. I am relatively new and all of the schools in my area are highly competitive but mostly teenagers. BJJ, Krav Maga and Kickboxing had older crowds but Taekwondo really was what I wanted! I finally just found a school I liked and just try to focus on my own growth :P
Hello, I really liked your energy and ability to stay humble describing your opinion of TKD in Korea. I can relate to your criticism of how the martial art has changed in philosophy and technique which naturally changes from one generation to the next. I learned my craft in the eighties and can no longer relate to the current TKD Olympic rules for competing at the national level. I love this sport but I guess it’s the nature of the beast as popularity increases it becomes difficult to find a good club for the serious learners of the art.
This kills me. I started TKD from 4th grade all the way through high school and MMA in college. I did it from the 80s, 90s, 2000s competed in the state and national Olympics full contact sparring. We use to send some our people to Korea as part of the Nationals Olympic team and things were totally different back when. They came back talking about how amazing the Korean Olympic team was and how they were doing 3 kicks in the air before landing on the ground. It blows my mind what has happened to TKD from when I was competing. So I know Korea does TKD in their military along with Hapkido and so maybe that has something to do with this. Man when I was growing up in middle school I was 100 pounds and I was fighting adults and people that were 300 pounds on a regular basis. So this is crazy to me. While you are over there I would recommend you checkout Hapkido. It is amazing and works in with TKD. I mixed it some with Wing Chun like cranes beak and allows you to intercept hand strikes and get people into locks. I think it would work well with your boxing and BJJ. Also have you considered trying to hookup with the Korean nationals team even for a day or two? I know the drive has to be long but I am sure they train on the weekend too.
It kills me too. TKD is not a bad martial art at all, but the way it is handled has slowed its growth. I think it’s a money thing. The high level folks here are either in college or in certain schools.
TKD is very oversaturated in Korea because it’s TKD (national sport) and it makes money due to kids. I will eventually check out HKD since I’m so knee deep in BJJ. I always was curious of the likelihood of being able to grab someone’s wrist and doing all the crazy stuff with them.
@@MiKole86 The wing chung cranes beak is the best technique i know of for getting a hold of someone's arm from a punch mixed with a block first of course. Yeah I think that is pretty much the case in the US where the non fighters are basically keeping the school open and only a smaller portion of people are doing fight class and full contact sparring but it sounds like on a much bigger level in Korea since it is their national sport. Man I would have never have guessed. I wish you all the best and great Journey in martial arts.
This is like learning that Santa Claus doesn't exist! =P
This is the truth. I went to Korea and trained there. Earned my 4th Dan in Korea and master instructor license.
I had this Korean friend. He was a die hard basketball player. His skills were on the semi-pro level. Anyway, he went to America for the first time. He didn’t know English but he was soooooo excited. He was going to the country where the best basketball is played, where the best basketball players are from. He got a job in Montana. It was hard to navigate without knowing the language or understanding the culture but someone pointed him towards a club basketball team. He was confused. They were all little kids and their coach let them play video games on Friday instead of practice. He ended up just shooting basketball in a gym by himself. Every once in a while, random people played against him but they weren’t very good. He was super disappointed. When he asked why they weren’t like the guys in the NBA, they were like “Dude, we played basketball league as kids. This shit is just for fun.”
Anyway, they told him Montana wasn’t the best place to play elite basketball. So he went to North Carolina. He went to this place called Duke and tried to play with their team and some dude named Coach K said “You can’t just walk into a practice. You’re not even a student. I don’t care that you can dunk. Get the fuck out of here.”
People told him to go Los Angeles or New York or Chicago where he could find top quality adult leagues and he got annoyed. Why would we go all the way to Los Angeles and New York? Going to North Carolina was bad enough and some loser Duke men’s college coach wouldn’t let him practice with his stupid college team. And He lived in Montana. Why couldn’t there be top level adult basketball in Montana? Los Angeles and New York was too far away. Yeah, no, he wasn’t doing that shit.
He was so confused. When he came back to Korea, he uploaded a UA-cam video and titled it “Do NOT go to the United States to learn basketball”
He was touched to see other Korean basketball die hards in the comments. One guy sent his son to America study basketball for three months. His son lived in a place called Alaska and when he came back, he didn’t learn anything. His son said hardly anyone plays basketball. They all shoot guns and fish and hunt but no basketball. Another guy sent his son to California but his son said that their AAU team just had pizza parties and stuff. The coach kept preaching about fun and then they played dodgeball to take a break from practice. His son was super disappointed. I mean, how do Americans create NBA players from this BS?
Anyway, my Korean friend is back in Korea and he ran into this American who came all the way to Korea to study advanced Taekwondo. He had done it his whole life in America and my friend laughed. My friend said “What, you think this country is one big giant dojo? That kids have board breaking contests on the playground? I dunno how to help you bro. I did TKD as a little kid like every other Korean dude here. Oh and your basketball programs in America suck.”
I do find it unfortunate that someone who has studied TKD for so many years, there was no one in your organization that could help you find a proper instructor for your travels to RSOK.
He needs to get to Seoul. He won’t find what he needs in another city
Spot on! Unfortunately the way Taekwondo is promoted in Korea is being pushed worldwide through the Kukkiwon and WT. I definitely know though I’m old-school and love my TKD it’s sad to see where it’s gone!
omg is so true what you are saying. I live in Korea and it was so hard to find a place to keep up with my training since I am a gyeorugi athlete and it is really expensive ㅠㅠㅠ
I've had the same experience with Taekwondo in Thailand regarding age groups. There is on adult class, it's even my origin kwan... but it's 10 hours away!
So, I started judo, did Muay Thai up to a full contact match, and now practice Wadokai Karate-do because it's mostly adults in class. I'll even go test for my Wado black belt in Japan when everything opens.
I'll have to go back to the US to test for my next dan! So strange, eh?
I feel you! I really wanted to do more in TKD, but because it was so hard to do anything, I just tried different stuff. I will get my blue belt in BJJ sooner or later and I also tried boxing. Very pleased I branched out
@@MiKole86 you're the only other person I've known who went from a high rank in one martial art to pursue a hi ugh rank in another. It would be interesting to hear your experiences in that. Did you notice you did better faster than others beginning BJJ?
I’m gonna be honest with ya...mostly all the TKD classes with adults are in Seoul. There is the Kukkiwon Team but the one Ik the most is a place called Les Brothers in Seoul. It’s a very good place because my grandmasters brother runs that establishment and it will be very competitive... you can go check it out if you want
Great video. Thank you. I've lived in Seoul for the past 20 years and can agree that I really don't like the way the sport / art has evolved through the years. It's become big business and when I see these kids walking around my neighborhood in their dobaks, donning their 2nd degree black belts, I can't help but question the legitimacy. I grew up training in the 80s and 90s like you, competed at the state, national, and even international levels, but was turned off by the competitive nature of it with the advent of the electronic scoring systems. URGH. With that said, if you're in Incheon, I would recommend going to some of the local colleges that have teams and ask if you can train with them. When I came to Korea in the late 90s, I trained with some of the local university teams and they were a different level of skill. Not sure about now, but back then, I would say that the typical Korean college player was on similar ground with the US national team players. So fast & so furious. They even have TKD as a major in some universities and they have TKD clubs as well. Overall, I'd say not a lot of adults do TKD because it demands so much stress on your body. I think the peak age for most TKD players is around 22-23. BTW, have you visited the KUKKIWON yet? Worth a trip. They have a museum there as well. I've attended numerous competitions and belt testings there. Pretty fun. Sorry to hear about your disappointment, but if you look around, there are some decent schools around, even in Incheon.
A few years ago I did TKD at Yonsei in Seoul. There was a class for foreigners. Only cost 50,000W a month. For students and local workers, so all adults(and people from all over the world and different languages). I really enjoyed it. I was a beginner but the class was way more intensive than what I found in the US. So I actually had the opposite experience interestingly enough. A few years later I finally found a place I like, still not as intensive as my class in Korea and there is some fast belt ranking and hyper encouragement, but I wouldn’t call it a McDojang lol. I also set higher expectations for myself, which helps.
I also took the university Taekwondo course. There was a student who was an Olympic winner for poomsae who helped with the class.
Can u give me ur instagram I want to ask u about this
I loved HAPKIDO in Korea (13 years ago) but I don’t think you are far off about Taekwondo. 20 years ago- in the Army, I trained in Taekwondo at my Army base- they were quite tough.
I pretty much agree with most of what you said-my Hapkido Master said the same thing you said...
I heard that in the ROK military, that Taekwondo sparring had less gear than Olympic sparring, and if one didn’t have a black belt in Taekwondo going in, then one learned it there and first degree black belt is compulsory.
Bro! This is factual. Mikole was actually my coach and cornerman for fighting in Taekwondo in Korea. When I came here and saw Taekwondo here my heart was broken.
It broke me too, bro. I was beyond sad
Yeah, I happened to be in one of those quick dojos when I was younger and I did get my first degree black belt. We were mostly focused on forms and simple sparring rather than tournaments. I did get to learn sais, which was cool and I still have them somewhere. You could tell there was a difference in what we learned.
I did a tae kwon do class in college and thought I had a good leg up. Hell no! That class pushed me more physically than I ever had been pushed before. The instructor picked volunteers to show how to do moves and fortunately I was only hurt once when he did a scissor take down on me, chest high. As much as that class pained me and pushed me, it’s one of the things I will always be proud that I finished. We also used nunchucks, I still have them too, and those babies hurt if you mess up. Just so many stories from that one 4 month class.
Tae Kwon doe training camps is a whole other story though…military, camps, tournament, and university level tkd is torture and very difficult
That’s interesting, I have never done Taekwondo in South Korea but I did compete for awhile back in the states.
I’ve gotten more into boxing more now but one of my friend’s who is on the US Taekwondo Team he told me that when he went to Korea to compete in their University games, he said anyone who is serious about Taekwondo usually trains on a university team, typically at a Sport’s university. They don’t really train at individual schools/ Dojangs.
I don’t really think the jump in rank is that much of an issue... My interest is more geared toward China personally but still I really like your channel and learning about Korea. Anyway Korea just like in China if you go to a Sport’s university those guys typically login about maybe 6-10hr days training. So I think you could reasonably jump up in rank pretty quickly doing that.
K.drama🇰🇷🇰🇷
Mike has me wanting to practice MMA now.
I've only realised this after nearly two years training here.
It was tough to realize. The art is still beautiful but I’ve learned it is hard to find quality training.
Yeah, I had no Korean when I came here. At first there were classes for the adults but eventually we were incorporated into the teenagers class. The training is fine and I've learned cool stuff, I'd just like to be able to spar and take things to the next level. Like you said in the video I never did Taekwondo before, so it was a great way to get back in shape and learn some new stuff.
Frankly speaking, you’re right Mike👍 I’ve felt same things too after I get 4th dan in my country.
I know an old school Tang Soo Do 4th Degree Black (Midnight Blue) Belt and he said it was the South Korean's Government "obsession" with getting TKD in the Olympics- WTF Style TKD- that watered down the art in South Korea and in many parts of the USA- my school over 20 years ago was all about tournaments and "kiddie Trophies" "Black Belt Clubs" "Birthday Parties" "Summer Camps"-and yes it was a WTF school, rhythmic gymnastics with Kicks thrown in.
you need a sparing partner? Jina Kim lives close and you know she's a firecracker! 🤣🤣🤣
When I was stationed in Korea in the ‘90s... I trained in Hapkido. There were adults in Tangsoodo, but a lot of the schools( public schools) had TKD and Judo( Yudo) programs. I think they did it instead of physical education. Then too, the TKD was for kids. My Korean friend told me that TKD in Korea and Karate in Japan was usually studied by children... it was a cultural thing. All my sons studied and competed in TKD as kids. They also do Judo and boxing. Great video.
Literally same here- in the army posts I trained for 2 years while serving it was military TKD & Hapkido. I did Hapkido as an adult as an English teacher- I disliked the Taekwondo schools I saw in The areas I lived in as a civilian English teacher in Korea.
@@kiaikarate5387 : from what I hear, it’s the same in China. My friend in China tells me it’s easier to train in BJJ and Muay Thai. It’s everywhere, but Traditional Chinese Kung Fu is hard to find. The top 2 martial arts in China are TKD and Judo. The Olympic sports.
@@jopalo31675 I’ll be
@@jopalo31675 I liked the Military TKD & Hapkido I learned in the Army it was geared for realism ... I loved the Hapkido I learned as a civilian as well.... the Taekwondo schools in Deajeon I trained in as a civilian was Kid Kicks....
Anyone going to Korea for TKD sparring training knows that you should either go to competing High Schools or Universities like KNSU (Korean Sports University), Yongin, or Kyunghee. If you did a bit of research or asked fellow national level usa competitors you could find a decent place to spar even decently close to Incheon 🙃 it is true most local tkd schools in Korea are like day care centers LiKe AfTeR ScHoOl pRoGrAmS in USA. High level tkd is practiced in HS and Universities where their nationals and competitions are 10x the size as our own. Go to one of them and you'll see you ain't that good bro.
Very true. When I first got here I had the chance to go to Kyunghee Uni in Suwon. I got kicked out their gym because I wasn’t supposed to be on the mat lol. I spoke to the coach about letting me train but he was like, “Naaaah son”. Sad times
Oh yeah! Didn’t you compete in USA Taekwondo?! I remember seeing your name a lot! Featherweight or lightweight I believe.
@@MiKole86 lol you can't just show up. But hopefully you can connect with someone who can refer you in :)
@@MiKole86 ahh yes I've been on the brackets in USA middle and heavy as a junior and senior for sometime.
@@supersuhtkd sir have you ever heard of GM JIn Suh?
To anyone else considering training in South Korea, if you already have Taekwondo skill, I strongly recommend that you avoid going to the Dojangs. If you're interested in improving your skillset, look to the Korean High schools, the Universities and if you're in the US military, link up with their military teams (their division teams) don't be afraid to ask questions. Look to Facebook and talk with people like Steven Capener and Herb Parez (BOTH have connections in Korea) research the US Army and Armed Forces Taekwondo teams. (I'm a former member of both) there's quite a few guides who are more than willing to point you in the right direction.
How do you compete with Korean high schools when you’re an adult?
@@Five-uy6xn you don't, you train with them, you learn from them. What you're missing is the way they train is NOTHING like the way any of us train outside Korea. They train to a point where it becomes a reflexive action instead of thinking before you act.
@@Five-uy6xn I was a 33 year old man training with 14 - 18 year old and it was very humbling, BUT it also helped me mentally as a competitor.
@@Five-uy6xn To be frank, you do learn a lot more when you train with the high school teams than university teams. The high school coaching is more focused on teaching athletes the necessary skills to take their craft to the next level. At university level pretty much everyonr knows their stuff and its a lot more self directed. Its more focused on gaining exposure and refining what you have learnt as opposed to teaching you stuff
Liked the honest & factual experience. I have experienced the same. However, getting into the sportswing of a reputed college/university can make the difference.
Right?! This was a very hard truth for me to take in. I’ve had more luck training in BJJ in Korea. I have national ranking people at my gym in Incheon. It’s crazy.
Now I finally understand why it is so hard to find proper TKD or Tang Soo Do material from Korea on UA-cam.
My son started tkd at 5 in Canada. As a BB myself, i made sure his colour belt tests were with moderation and earned. He is now 13, is the most likely student to go to most annual tournaments to fight and is still a red black belt. I want him to earn his BB. I have seen too many fake BBs in this sport and it is killing the sport.
::Sigh::
All true....
I remember an article in the Korea Herald newspaper, way back in 1997 titled "The Hakwon-isation Of Korean Education."
The gist of the article was that hakwon basically serves two purposes: entertainment or babysitting.
"Hakwon" is hard to translate: it's generally a tutorial topic based for profit business, focused mostly on elementary aged school kids, offering extra instruction from Math to Science, English to Korean, and/or Soccer to Tae Kwon Do.
That article affected me to open my own "hakwon", but not by its definition.
I wanted to teach (and I still do teach) kids who WANT to learn, and to bring them to another level.
Your (@Mikole's) experience here in Korea so far is a reflection of the 'hakwonisation' problem...kids need supervision whilst mum and pop are at work (hint: there is no babysitting culture here).
Yes, there are adult classes, but they're hard to find.
As for what I do, it's only for a very small area, in a small corner of a small city.
Will it change the bigger problem?
Most likely, no.
At least it is something though. I was heartbroken when I came here expecting one thing and was completely shocked that it didn’t live up to my expectations. I used to learn Korean instructors were the best.
I'm 13 and am taking taekwondo. I'm currently a white belt and want to go to Korea and do taekwondo.
You brought up a loooot of good points man. Im a black dude living in korea myself right now, in 대구(daegu) currently for school. Been wanting to do taekwondo for a while but was never really sure if it was a good idea or not. I personally want to go more into the tricking side compared to the competition side though. Regardless thanks for the info! Also how are things currently in seoul with corona? Here in daegu people are slowly starting to go back outside, hell schools even starting again tmrw(not for me tho lol) how's it like in Seoul?
I’m in Incheon and we are CLOSED! I’m surprised you are all going to school considering it’s DAEGU. Like HOW?!
@@MiKole86 lool well its mostly for public schools, unis are still just online. 학원s are reopening tmrw as well!
Did TKD for 15 yrs 2 yrs got the BB then the rest teaching always kept telling my instructor we need some BJJ in the school so he hooked it up and he got hooked on it. LOL Great times did two years of BJJ/MMA and new some other guys in Krav Maga did that for a little while. Love it It was good times back in the day. If I had to get my son/daughter into it, Id tell them to get into BJJ/MMA its a good match you have your ground game and your stand up.
Taekwondo has been watered down in America vastly already so if it's even worse in sk I can't even imagine what that must be like.
Im not seeing this in the comments so heres probably why. South Korea has mandatory military service for able bodied men (conscription), so a commercial market for adult martial arts probably doesnt exist.
Which is sad. I’m doing BJJ now and martial arts like that seems to be where most adults go. Only niche places for adult TKD practitioners
You need to train with a good high school or uni team. You’re right about clubs but they are club level and mostly kids. High school & uni teams train really hard & you’ll get good training partners to spar with.
Right?! The problem is they are so exclusive. Once you get in though, you’re good!
MiKole you’re right. You need to know a guy who knows a guy. I’ve been out there 7 times for training camps and all 7 times the teams were very good!
There is a sort of a thing of "not having fun" with working age adults in Korea..... cuz everyone's just TOO BUSSSYYYYYY.
If you are good, you will be recommended. As it happened to me. Sadly, I was there with really good fighters. Damm, they punch and kick my ass. They were too good.
In Sweden it is the same. TKD is mostly based on children's classes and youth classes. You don't spar so much, some clubs almost only have poomse. Some clubs have mixed ages, but if you are an adult it can feel strange because most are teenagers.
You have to go to kukkiwon and take a course there . Thats where advanced practitioners like you go.
I did the Masters course at kukkiwon in 2016.
If you plan on staying more than a couple weeks, I suggest getting to know some of the Kukkiwon masters. They can direct you where to train long term .
I'm a 2nd degree black belt holder from ITF, but I was planning to switch for Judo when I reach 3rd Degree, probably within 3 years.
Several years ago, I do have a thought to train overseas.
Solid video. Keep it up!👆
It's funny. That's been one of my biggest fears of starting level 1 taekwondo in Korea. I'm just gonna be the only person above the age of 12 in the class
There is a really good one out there near you. I would have joined them
Very sad to see this video. I really feel for your let down experience. Taekwondo is fucking hard and aggressive, it should be challenging. I bet you there is old ass Taekwondo roots in South Korea but very far and few between, not to mention expensive. It is an amazing art that sadly died off after time and lack of oh idk, connectivity. I fought Nationals too brother, Colorado represent! You ever seen the show “Fight Quest”? They go to amazing places just like that. It’s the coolest shit ever man make sure to watch it. Thanks for the video too it was insightful
Origins for TKD is North Korea. (Military) Not a surprise things have gone soft, look around, most disciplines have gone soft..
Always been attracted to Taekwondo but never had the chance to do much yet...
Thanks for your insight :)
I was given the name of a Taekwondo school in the middle of Korea that seemed very interesting to go to... and of course, impossible to remember the name or where it was exactly... I'll come back to you if I ever find the name again.
Let me know!
@@MiKole86 found it! www.tpf.or.kr/t1_eng/contents/t1_enginfo1.do
Haha, you should see if you could train with collegiate Taekwondo athletes at the local universities. I know that Incheon has a university there.
Whenever we have Masters visit from Korea at my dojang, they’re almost always university athletes. The level they spar at is amazing and almost mesmerizing as to how they can control their movements and footwork so well.
Great video. Do you know of any reputable schools out here in the states? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area
I was introduced to Taekown-do from a exfriend who didn't want want to do it by herself. Though i haven't gone in years due work schedules. Only got to blue belt- red strip (3rd Gup).
It’s something I would love to get back into, but I’m more into BJJ these days.
@@MiKole86 Taekwondo and BJJ is a good mix!
Not just South Korea, martial arts in the Asian mindset is to cultivate oneself. If you want to walk around thinking you're the best and looking for tough fights to see who's the best take Muay Thai and go to Thailand you'll get a taste of Asian martial arts.
Doing Taekwondo in West Texas, I see the same thing attendance wise. The teens and adults have the same class together and when it comes to sparring, there are no other adults to spar against, so mostly it's teens who are red, and black belts while I'm a brown belt. It does get annoying for me because it feels like I'm not being challenged especially if I know their skill set.
Btw- I like your OLE SCHOOL karate mindset!!!
wow things have changed a lot in the last 20+ years. I went to Korea in 2000 and we trained in a few schools as well as competing in the KIDO tournament. I was half way to getting my 2nd dan at the time and we sparred hard, trained hard and had heaps of fun.
Wow Mike you are Awsome. I didn't know that you have trained in Taekwondo otherwise i would have asked to teach me some basics. 👏👏👏
Korea is mainly looking for young champions in taekwondo, so it is very difficult for them to focus on teaching adults. The difference with Japan is that many people decide to learn or relearn a martial art in middle age, so it is easier to find dojos for adults.
I did see a lot of adults there doing karate. It was cool to see…well, it is now since I’m much older and I see why having older people do it is a must
Very interesting/surprising info about the culture of this martial arts in its own country! I would love to take Taekwondo classes if I ever moved to Korea but don't think I would feel comfortable/motivated taking it with a bunch of kids.
I don't know if you do video requests, but would you consider doing an in depth video about getting a job/working at an international school in Korea? I know you've done one briefly mentioning it in the past but it's so hard to find info about the process of applying, which schools are legit, what to expect for a salary/benefits, etc.
I started doing ITF Taekwondo two years ago, I’m 24. In Seoul there’s a dojang which offers classes to adults (whatever your belt is) and also to international students that go to Korea and want to keep training (the instructor speaks English). They have a really good technique!
Impressive. Did not know you were that great in the art! Great video as always!
For this reason, I am glad that I am not affiliated with Korea. I will not water down what my students learn.
I would say it isn’t Korea itself as it’s the direction the Olympics and new rules have taken the game. There are many people here who still don’t follow it and prefer the old style.
@@MiKole86 I hope that I didn't offend you with my statement. I am simply saying that the politics that got involved with TKD ( and other arts) are reason why I am glad that I am not involved in any of the big TKD organizations. The arts have become very diluted.
My question is. Do you think it’s too late to start at the age of 20. I took a few taekwondo classes when I was 18 & 19. I loved it. I injured myself from basketball so I had to take a break and I planned to start up again months ago but then corona hit 😭
It's NEVER too late! You can be an old man and start TKD. Go for it!
MiKole is correct! You are never too old to learn Taekwondo. I started at age 57 and will be testing for my 1st dan next year.
Lori Stewart omg congrats!! I can’t wait to start
Nah bro my dad started at 20 and became an ABSOLUTE beast!! Like think tyson beast. Im not exaggerating, the dude would work out like him, and his kicks were well over a ton of force. He could touch the rim of a basketball with a kick and had to hold back during tournament matches bc once he broke a dudes ribs during a match. The protection didnt do jack to the man. So no never too late, what he taught me is "if you think your opponent is doing 200 kicks, do 400. If he is doing 500 push ups do 1000, etc."
Never too late
Dude, I got my First Dan at 53 :) I can't say I can hang all day with a 19 year old, but no one sells me short either :)
I am from Korea
That's quite true but that doesn't happen every where
I've never seen like that lmao
Maybe you could open your own school/club.
Would love to but I have no time!
@@MiKole86 or money!
A friend of mine teaches in Korea and found a couple of good clubs, she's in Seoul though.
One way to find a good clubs around the world is to look for clubs associated with a university as they're often 18+ and competitive (just depends on the college rules if you can join).
He’s not willing to move to Seoul, which is where 80% of the population lives, where the Kukiwon is and where the national teams train and compete. If he’s unwilling to move to Seoul, he shouldn’t complain about not finding what he needs. It’s like going to Montana and complaining about not finding semi-pro American basketball players to train with but being unwilling to live anywhere else
Taekwondo in Korea for adults is mainly in Universities and certain dojos. Taking classes as a kid is the equivalent of taking soccer or playing Little League in the US, while many children do it they grow out of it. Those that are dedicated to it will continue in their high schools and finally at the college level. Those that do well there can then advance to the national team.
You are right about playing soccer and jumping rope in dojang in korea. Haha
For many martial arts schools, they have a big financial incentive in awarding belts. Many people just like to be able to say they are blue/brown/black belts, though they aren't necessarily any good. In general, boxing and wrestling schools (just to give a blanket term, since there are so many different ways to approach combat), that have an emphasis on sparring against someone actually putting up a fight, those are the places that teach you actually useful stuff. If the fights are based on "scoring points", that usually means the combatants learn to score points, not to fight.
Anyone looking into maybe getting into martial arts, it's worth thinking about what you want to get out of it. Pretty much anything can give you a good workout. From what I've seen, there tends to be less injuries with non-striking focused arts, so wrestling, BJJ and so on are probably a bit safer. If you intend to learn some self-defense, or compete even, you need to learn how to take a hit first, you need to feel what it's like to receive a punch or kick, and how hard it can be to pull of any submissions, when your opponent is resisting, and what it's like when someone ties you up like a pretzel. Sparring is essential, since it teaches you how to not get shocked when getting attacked. There is no set of techniques that will always work, and sometimes raw strength and mass - or dumb luck -will negate even a skilled practitioners moves. Pretty much all the so-called "self-defense" classes teach, is how to pay too much money for something not worth it.
i wonder why its like that?..may be a majority of the instructors dont really know taekwondo fully? idk u would know more..or maybe they want them too just be energetic n loosen up..but ya its surprising to me about the subject..good vid mike
From what I learned, there are only a few clubs for adults. They are typically good but very rare. Many just have a school for the $$$$$. It sucks, I know. I miss the beauty of the art
I agree with what this man said. Karate is the the same in Japan. Watered down. Their techniques are very weak when I watch them spar. Karate doesn’t penalise you when you hit the body hard. But I see then throwing weak kicks and punches to the body. Also they don’t look athletic at all
슬프지만 맞는 말이에요-
Yup. Korea pretty well soured me on TKD. Loved it...... until I came and "trained" here. Trained meaning hitting a heavy bag by myself. Two things I learned - nobody cares if you're anything less than 3rd dan. Once told someone I practiced. They asked what dan I was. I'll never forget the look of disappointment when they found out I was only a 2nd dan. The other was, most adults who train anything tend to train in kumdo - Korean sword.
I had this Korean friend. He was a die hard basketball player. His skills were on the semi-pro level. Anyway, he went to America for the first time. He didn’t know English but he was soooooo excited. He was going to the country where the best basketball is played, where the best basketball players are from. He got a job in Montana. It was hard to navigate without knowing the language or understanding the culture but someone pointed him towards a club basketball team. He was confused. They were all little kids and their coach let them play video games on Friday instead of practice. He ended up just shooting basketball in a gym by himself. Every once in a while, random people played against him but they weren’t very good. He was super disappointed. When he asked why they weren’t like the guys in the NBA, they were like “Dude, we played basketball league as kids. This shit is just for fun.”
Anyway, they told him Montana wasn’t the best place to play elite basketball. So he went to North Carolina. He went to this place called Duke and tried to play with their team and some dude named Coach K said “You can’t just walk into a practice. You’re not even a student. I don’t care that you can dunk. Get the fuck out of here.”
People told him to go Los Angeles and New York where he could find top quality adult leagues and he got annoyed. Why would we go all the way to Los Angeles and New York. Going to North Carolina was bad enough and some loser Duke men’s college coach wouldn’t let him practice with his stupid college team. And He lived in Montana. Why couldn’t there be top level adult basketball in Montana? Los Angeles and New York was too far away. Yeah, no, he wasn’t doing that shit.
He was so confused. When he came back to Korea, he uploaded a UA-cam video and titled it “Do NOT go to the United States to learn basketball”
Doing the same since the 60 ,70s and '80s they used to fight with such power pretty much a way to win was by knock out
De facto;
I have no time to train myself on any Martial Arts Schools,
I have further interest to redevelop myself I will practising to be the coach in my martial arts
I stopped training tkd in the US when I started seeing that the style of sparring change. It's now a love tap game with the feet. It's no longer whay it used to be like it was in the late 80s through the early 2000s.
When I was in Korea, I trained with the college students. It's much similar to the US.
I live in Miami and most tkd schools teach kids too. When you go to an adult class, the average age is like 16. However when you take karate class for adults, the average age is like 30+
Great Content my brother!!
Dang man you should def go to Seoul because I had a very different experience when I was there. I had options for where to train and the type of experience. Im sorry there isnt great options for adults in Incheon :(
I wonder what the Tang Soo Do (not Soo Bakh Do) scene is in South Korea. I get the feeling in terms of popularity its at the bottom rung, with judo, hapkido and taekwondo vastly surpassing it.
It barely even exists here. Like, at all!
@@MiKole86 That sucks to hear. I know the headquarters for both the World Tang Soo Do General Federation and World Tang Soo Do Union (not affiliated with either) are based in Seoul and Pyeongtaek, but I think that's it as far as schools go. Even the Moo Duk Kwan (even though they're now called Soo Bahk Do) is based in the U.S.
I have been a virgin for long. Now 29 years old Chinese guy born in non-asian country. Always hardly get chance with girls and had only one ex Asian gf who broke up with me. I used to get teased or bullied a lot even as a adult but I did fought in primary school as a kid with no fighting style just with bullies. I have anger issues so would like to learn taekwondo in Korea too to use some time of my life.
TKD in Korea is taught to kids because they start martial arts there very young. Nearly every kid learns TKD its even part of their elementary school curriculum for some. 10-12 year old black belts in TKD in Korea is common. Adults who then want to continue learning martial arts generally switch to Hapkido, Tang So Do, or something similar. I'm generalizing of course but that is the case for the most part. TKD as we knew it pre year 2000 doesn't really exist anymore.
Many Americans have studied Tae Kwon Do in Taipei Taiwan, they have good schools
PR China also had great TKD schools But in South Korea mostly it’s children’s classes
interesting video, I'm planning to visit south Korea in the future and I had really high hopes for training there, thanks for sharing this info!. So I started taekwondo when I was 13 and went up to 19. I was forced to stop because of a knee injury (chondromalacia patellar). Have you ever had any injuries? how did you handle that?
Glad that i stumbled upon this video. I was actually planning to learn Hangul and go to Korea when I'm like 20+ yrs, but this video saved me from future disappointment
I think you still should give it a shot, it could be pretty good
Mmm sort of the same here in Ireland, mostly kids and young teens training in TKD, u see alot of girls and men in their 20s like to train in MMA , in my day their was was lots of guys and girls training in TKD but we diding have MMA clubs back then 😮😮lol
Hi,same here in malaysia. All class just for kids and teenagers. Im 28, and never learn taekwondo but interested to learn taekwondo but people often suggest me to take BJJ or muay thai or MMA. But I like taekwondo.
You will learn impressive abilities in taekwondo, like being fast, agile and have explosive strength, and the most important body intelligence.
Then, if you wanna learn the other martial arts techniques, those will become easier for you.
It's hard I did it in 1999 as a kid with Korean Master till 2013 cus my parents want me to finish and focus school. If you mess up get the bamboo stick. I think korea is more strict then America teaching.
Exactly why i dropped out of tkd here in the states... All the adults are in judo and bjj/boxing... 👍
You and Jina should do a crazy korean drama with her mom and a few people don’t waste any food tho ....
So... Theres a bit of misinformation. To be able to goto truly be in a competition scene, you have to be in the SCHOOL clubs. Not public gyms/dojang but actual schools or colleges with TKD clubs which will open a way for local/national competitions. Then invites to colleges specializing in TKD for national tournaments. Korea has an TKD College that teaches not only focusing on TKD but also philosophy and other things related to TKD.
That sounds very exclusive. I’m not it’s misinformation but I do appreciate your added info. While here though I have seen individual/private schools/hagwons attend tournaments
2020 hot take, lets not hope you piss off most of South Korea with this one