Affiliated to TSA Taekwon-Do South Africa
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Quick interesting notes
The two main governing bodies of Taekwon-Do internationally are I.T.F (International Taekwon-Do Federation) and W.T.F (World Taekwon-Do Federation). , I.T.F. Being the original. There are also many other smaller styles also named Taekwon-Do. The founder (General Choi Hong Hi) only ever acknowledged I.T.F.
The I.T.F (Traditional) and W.T.F (Olympic rules) are very different to each other. I.T.F known for its traditional military roots, steeped in among other aspects, practical effective self defence. The W.T.F is known as a martial sport and the fact that it is an Olympic sport, makes the competition side its main focus hence it has been criticised for not being as practical.
The I.T.F also has a major competitive side with different rules to that of the W.T.F Olympic rules. Both of these organisations hold the most status in terms of medals in International competition & world championships. Some of the smaller organisations also hold world championships, but the two main organisation’s medals hold the most status in competition.
The fact of the matter is that Taekwon-Do branched off, splintered and was imitated to a degree over the years to become the most widely practiced martial art group in the world today. General Choi the founder never acknowledged any of the other styles,having said that imitation is the ultimate compliment, but not in the case of Taekwon-Do. He could not control the wild fire effect Taekwon-Do had on the world. Therefor there are many styles under the Taekwon-Do name.
Generally if there is a club or organisation in SA with bucket fulls of international medallist's /world champions, they are either affiliated to a smaller organisation or were at some stage affiliated to a smaller organisation. Some however are definitely more credible than others though.
International medals from high profile senior(black belt) I.T.F. and W.T.F. tournaments are much more rare, and would belong to an elite athlete, more so than to a recreational practitioner.
There are three main governing bodies for I.T.F Taekwon-Do in the world, each in their own right being some of the largest martial art organisations in the world. We followed the one we believe to be closest to the source. Our club is a proud member of I.T.F. under Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa, the son of the late founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi. We are the youngest I.T.F. group in Sounth Africa, having started in 2004. We are also the fastest growing. The Magua Taekwon-Do club, is the largest Taekwon-Do club in SA , having said that our TSA (Taekwon-Do South Africa) organisation is not the largest yet....
Our clubs focus on all aspects of this art. The style balances members out with the practical, controlled aggression on one side and the artistic on the other. In order not to breed possible undesirable character traits. This is what separates a true (traditional martial art) from many ring sports. Focusing only on the aggressive side of a style leaves a practitioner compromised to possibly, being unbalanced in terms of controlling aggression etc. One of the main reasons martial arts have been a very popular activity for young and old over the centuries was not only the fighting side, but the positive effects it had on peoples lives, through all of the aspects. Giving people respect, even in applying for new jobs etc, because of the fact that people recognise the practitioner would be well controlled, disciplined and focused.
The fact now that so many fighting styles/sports are perceived under the martial arts banner can sometimes show a less respectable side to the public, unfortunately. The true traditional arts still emphasise the other values.Our club does this without sacrificing the effective self defence aspect, that many begin their training to achieve.