Taekwondo’s Trip Abroad
Imagine casually wandering along a street in Namsangol Hanok Village, South Korea. In front of you, atop a flight of stone steps, looms a traditional Korean house: a hanok, its jagged corners and rippling green roof reassure you that you are in fact standing in the historical hub of the nation. In front of the hanok, a vibrant blue-green mat lines the floor and twenty or so athletic artists dance across the stage. These aren’t merely any artists, but professional martial artists who have devoted their life to studying the traditional ways of Korean Taekwondo. Suddenly, a young man is flung in to the air by his peers; with perfect poise and superhuman control, the athlete leans into a backflip and extends his legs, before safely landing among a shower of wooden shavings from the two wooden boards he successfully cleaved in mid-air (“Visit Seoul”, 2015). Since Taekwondo demonstrations are often celebrated for their intensity and show of power, one might assume the aggression-loving culture of America would hungrily embrace such an event. But it is evident that we do not. Why aren’t there Taekwondo dojangs hidden around every street corner, with students spilling out the door? I argue that Taekwondo has failed to translate well into the United States, because of its complex history in Korea and widely held American beliefs that contradict the fundamental premises of the art.
Initially forged as an unarmed fighting style for the armies of the old dynasties of Early Korea, Taekwondo has an inseparable link between the history of its origin country and the very identity of Koreans themselves. Apropos for an art that preaches perseverance, Taekwondo has endured thousands of years of cultural oppression and outlasted periods of regional unpopularity to eventually secure the title as the National Sport of Korea (“Taekwondo”). Combining the intense physicality of a warrior, the strategic mentality of a chess player, and the rigorous discipline of a monk, traditional Korean Taekwondo emphasizes all three realms of human existence, while successfully remaining deeply rooted in historical tradition. Thus, the current mission of Taekwondo dojangs within Korea has centered around furthering the spread of the art. Modern approaches to this goal conveniently relate the traditional styles of the art with contemporary pop culture hits; for example, public demonstrations in which Taekwondo martial artists exhibit careful mastery of the technical and mental aspects of the art have become widely popular. One demonstration team, the K-tigers, has gained an immense social following by performing complex physical routines to popular K-pop songs, a further indication of the evolved linkage between traditional martial arts and modern Korean culture.
Nearly 7,000 miles away in the United Sates of America, the very term “Taekwondo” incites as reaction as if it is not the same word as the traditional Korean martial art. Much like the immigrants who formed the initial population of America, Taekwondo’s presence within the States is owed to immigrating Masters and Grandmasters who felt there was potential for the art to gain traction in 20th century America (USTW, 2011). Eventually, Taekwondo adapted to survive within a highly specific American society. Almost immediately, the focus of Taekwondo dojangs in the States shifted from spreading awareness of the art to maintaining a profitable business. American society has become increasingly commercialized, to the point where modifications are being made to the traditional styles of the art to increase consumer retention. For instance, some American-run dojangs have adapted the belt ranking system to have more belt ranks so each student can test for a new rank in a shorter period of time. This modification of the traditional art appeals to the reward-oriented Americans who necessitate a constant supply of satisfaction in order to continue spending money at one’s dojang. Furthermore, different dojangs in America have established Taekwondo styles with their own “unique emphases” in attempts to appeal to specific aspects of American culture: Olympic-style facilities focus on competition and speed, other Academies have tried to reincorporate the brutal fighting styles into the art, and still other dojangs have marketed their academies as solely bully-proof schools for students to learn self-defense techniques. While some of these modifications may temporarily aid the dojang’s business, the commercialization of American Taekwondo as a whole has redefined the meaning of the traditional art to focus more on monetizing the business than on the beautiful, historical philosophy of the art.
Now, one might ask, if Taekwondo has evolved to fill its own niche within American society, why has the art failed to explode in popularity within the States? Lets begin with the fundamentals of American culture. America is often called the land of opportunity, in which people from all over come in search of their own American Dream. For instance, most Americans look to the future, always working to achieve something better. Entreprenuer, Bedros Keuilian, summarizes that the American Dream has evolved to encompass the simple idea that one must take “ownership of [their] own destiny” (Keuilian, 2018). Americans praise constant movement and they often believe that the bustle of everyday life will propel them into the upper echelons of society. However, this bustle does not escape the average American as they transition to their leisure activities, and all too often, relaxing activities are frowned upon. Thus, Taekwondo’s focus on patience and calming the mind inherently seem out of place in an American society. On the other hand, South Korea has a very traditional mindset. Confucius ideals and ancestor remembrance often govern the actions of each integrated familial unit within Korea (Commisceo, 2020). Just as Koreans look to the past, it would make sense that the traditional art of Taekwondo is held in such high regard in its country of origin. Furthermore, Korean men are required to serve for two years within the military, in which Taekwondo is taught to all recruits (Kasulis, 2019).
Americans’ intense focus on progress and continuous motion fundamentally contradicts the very philosophy and lengthy journey of personal growth, which Taekwondo emphasizes. Similarly, while some may say that Taekwondo’s physicality and aggressive nature may relate to American ideals, I argue that Taekwondo does not stress the aggressive style that other popular martial arts do. For example, UFC has become widely watched across the States, because if its intense brutality and competitive nature. Very rarely do UFC fights finish without a significant portion of both competitors’ blood covering the mat. On the other hand, traditional Taekwondo philosophy stresses violence as a last resort and, specifically, the “use of judgment and just cause in making all decisions” (including violent actions) (USTW, 2011). Thus, Taekwondo appeals more to the Korean culture, in which historical importance and identity are held in higher regard then brute violence and athleticism.
Taekwondo is inherently a sport of contradictions; while the sport is in itself a martial art, Taekwondo frowns on unnecessary violence. Furthermore, the emphasis of the art focuses heavily on crafting a diligent mindset through perseverance and hard work. These key identifiers of the art often mislead many Americas who view Taekwondo as a direct substitute for karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Many of the defense-oriented martial arts such as BJJ, MMA, and krav maga, have found strong support foundations within the United States partly due to their aggressive styles. Having personally participated in both Taekwondo classes and BJJ lessons, I vividly recall contrasting principles being taught to me. For instance, in one of my Taekwondo classes, I remember the instructor halting our sparring round to reiterate the importance of controlled breath in relation to a calm warrior’s mindset. On the other hand, being smaller than my opponents, BJJ taught me from day one that I needed to approach a practice fight (colloquially called “rolling”), with 100% aggression. Thus, when I rolled with someone, up until the critical point in which my opponent’s (or my own) arm was about to snap, we were able to exhibit full power against one another. Furthermore, Taekwondo emphasizes a journey within each of its students, a material one (from white belt to black belt), a technical one (from untrained to skillful), and a mental one (from chaos to discipline). Although class may appear fast-paced and intense, the true desire for many to continue participating in Taekwondo is reflected in one’s dedication to continue on this personal journey. This patience and intense emphasis on long-term growth is often not reflected in mainstream American culture.
Moreover, Taekwondo’s minimal integration into American culture has been significantly reflected by its failure to become an identifying activity with many Americans. The vast majority of Americans explore hobbies and interests which they associate with their own personal identity. While many Americans tend to appreciate the physicality and competition of sports, these characteristics only superficially exist within Taekwondo. For instance, while an artist may use a sidekick to smash a wooden board, Taekwondo’s lesser known focus is on developing the perfect technique, combined with the warrior’s mindset to complete the board break in the first place. Thus, the identifying trait that binds the art to the Korean culture is severely lacking within the States. Not only did Korea initially lay the foundation for the physical techniques and the written philosophy of Taekwondo, but Korea also resisted cultural oppression, especially during the Japanese Occupation, in order to preserve this essential aspect of their identity. In the early 20th century, Korean martial arts became “suppressed” by Japanese influences. This oppression eventually led to a rekindled movement to relearn traditional Korean martial arts (“History of Taekwondo”). All throughout Korea, there is rarely a debate on which martial art to participate in. Taekwondo’s prominence in the Korean military and as the national sport contributes greatly to a consistent popularity among all age groups. In contrast, in the United States, Taekwondo is often seen as just “another martial art,” because the extreme depth of cultural history is not prevalent outside of Korea. Furthermore, the difference between various ethnic martial arts is not widely known in the United States; for instance, very few people know that Karate is historically Japanese and Taekwondo is historically Korean, much less that Taekwondo emphasizes kicking techniques more so than the hand-based fighting style of Karate (“TaeKwonDo Vs Karate”). Unlike in Korea, where people often gravitate toward Taekwondo because of its rich philosophical history and cultural importance, Americans interested in martial arts often find the coolest, closest, or cheapest style, because each art is viewed as an interchangeable substitute for one another.
Just as the ability for Korean Grand Masters to travel to America facilitated the spread of Taekwondo into the United States, the increasing interconnectivity of cultures has its own consequences. There is something to say for the creation of new, hybrid cultural ideas. Traditional Taekwondo still exists in Korea, and to a lesser extent within the US, but the notion of an Americanized version of Taekwondo is equally exciting. Who is to say one version is better than another? Instead, one can look at the hybridized object as purely a blend of two cultures. Thus, the new form may evolve to reflect the similarities between the two cultures, while highlighting some of the important cultural values of a new society. However, as with Americanized Taekwondo, much is lost during the translation. Taekwondo within the United States lacks the abundance of historical tradition as in Korea, and as a result, the focus of the art has shifted. This notion becomes exponentially more important when placed in the context of the United States of America, a country built on the immigration of ideas; our living in this country, raises the question: “what other cultural important ideas have been forgotten during their adaptation to American culture?”
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