Tae Kwon Do

expediateclimb

Couple of questions for anyone in the know...

I'm a 27 year old northsider (D5) who is interested in taking up Taekwondo. Firstly I'm a little confused at all the different Irish Associations for this particular martial art. There's ITA, RITA, ITU, INTA. Which is which and why so many organisations for one martial art? How do I know which is the correct one?

Also as regards the differences between WTF and ITF, is the art essentially the same or can you cross over between the two?

At 27 am I too old to start now, I would prefer not to be put in a beginner's class and be surrounded by kids, would private tuition be an option?

Anyone recommend a good club on the northside to start with that is affiliated with a recognised organisation (I had a bad experience with a Karate club when I was younger who were not affiliated with anyone and so never gave gradings etc.)

Thanks in Advance for any advice....

RealJohn

expediateclimb wrote:

Which is which and why so many organisations for one martial art? How do I know which is the correct one?

First of all, they all claim to be the correct one (or most do) so don't worry about it. It's just martial arts politics.

I would not say you're too old though you might have a hard time finding many beginners classes with many adults in them. Private tuition is probably an option but not one I'd necessarily recommend, at least not in the long run, as if you want to be effective in any martial art, you need to practice against a variety of people.

ITF and WTF were very different the last time I paid much attention to either of them but crossing over isn't unheard of and some people do train in both styles. If it's a question of choice, I'd be inclined to recommend ITF simply because you're not allowed to punch people in the face in WTF (though I think they're planning to change that) which doesn't exactly lend itself to realism.

As for what club or association, I'm afraid I can't help you as I don't live in Dublin and am fairly inactive in tkd these days anyway. Whatever club you join will almost certainly be part of some kind of organisation though and will be very happy to get you grading. I would recommend not getting to caught up in belts though. It's a good way to get distracted from what you want to achieve.

Unless getting a blackbelt is your goal, in which case they go for about 5 euros in most sports shops.:p

yomchi

expediateclimb wrote:

Couple of questions for anyone in the know...

I'm a 27 year old northsider (D5) who is interested in taking up Taekwondo. Firstly I'm a little confused at all the different Irish Associations for this particular martial art. There's ITA, RITA, ITU, INTA. Which is which and why so many organisations for one martial art? How do I know which is the correct one?

Also as regards the differences between WTF and ITF, is the art essentially the same or can you cross over between the two?

At 27 am I too old to start now, I would prefer not to be put in a beginner's class and be surrounded by kids, would private tuition be an option?

Anyone recommend a good club on the northside to start with that is affiliated with a recognised organisation (I had a bad experience with a Karate club when I was younger who were not affiliated with anyone and so never gave gradings etc.)

Thanks in Advance for any advice....

Well firstly, Taekwon-Do is huge in Ireland. So there is one reason why there are so many associations. The main TKD associations are ITF affiliated, an there being 3 main ITF groups each group has clubs attached to it in Ireland.
The ITA, INTA, RITA are all ITF as well as the IUTF. The ITU is WTF type, which you see in the olympics, this is a predominantely kicking art and in competition they are not allowed punch to the face. In the ITF you are allowed punch to the face. WTF wears body armour and ITF wear hand pads and foot pads. WTF is full contact, ITF is light. In ITF there is an emphasis o pattern training, in WTF there is not a big concentration on it. You can cross over in your training if you wish, there is no animosity between WTF and ITF, however cross training between some ITF clubs can be frowned upon, such is its history of fracturing and splits.

Private tuition in TKD isn't recommended imo, it takes away from the proper training and sparring.

And now the boring part;

In the beggining there was the RITA, then the INTA split from them, then the AITA split from the INTA, then the ITA emerged and the ITA merged with the AITA and so on

Where abouts on the Northside are you based?

darkskol

I used to go to classes in the sports hall in Ardscoil la salle on the raheny road D5, they were ITF. They used to have classes tuesday and thursday around 6/7pm. I dont know if they are still going or not.

Tim_Murphy

Don't worry about associations, there's is so many there so it's fairly ridiculous. Most of the time the differences are down to small time politics/personal disagreements than anything to do with actual training. The best thing to do is to try out a good few different clubs (and if you are interested in Martial arts in general don't just limit yourself to TKD) and see which one suits you.

Best of luck with it!

expediateclimb

I'm currently living in Artane. I've been told that there is a club beside the church in donnycarney (Mst. Dandy). I have no idea what affiliation they are but from your comments I guess it does'nt matter. Anyone know of this club?

Cake Fiend

expediateclimb wrote:

...were not affiliated with anyone and so never gave gradings etc

Why is that important? Getting a coloured belt will not make you good at martial arts.

I'll echo the recommendations to forget about the organization BS - try a few clubs nearby, and stick with the one you like best.

Black Swan

Recommend that you shop around before you commit to a TKD dojang. Some give free or discounted introductory lessons. The most important thing is the quality of the instructors, not the associations they may belong to.

Private tuition is an option, but the value of it would be better realised after you have conditioned/stretched out, gotten past the basics, and developed a moderate level of skill.

WTF and ITF have their differences. The tournament (regulation) sparring mat/ring is a different size, which I believe influences how you fight. WTF is 12 x 12 meters, while ITF is 9 x 9 meters. Some have suggested on this forum that WTF does more kicking than ITF as a result of the larger area, while ITF does more punching. Also, for advancement WTF uses Taegeuk and/or Palgwe poomse (forms/patterns), while ITF uses others. For me it would be a real pain to have to go back and learn a host of different poomses if moving from WTF to ITF. More punching would be an improvement for WTF, but as I started in KB before TKD, it would not be a big difference for me.

27 is not too old to begin. TKD is for a lifetime.

expediateclimb

Coloured belts are not that important to me put I would prefer a club that follows a proper syllabus so that I feel like I am getting somewhere as opposed to a club that just does the same thing week after week. This is the experience I had when I was younger and it put me off martial arts for quite a while

yomchi

The club in Donnycarney was started by Master Dandy, he no longer teaches there but his student does and I believe he is a great instructor. Master Dandy is a true gentleman and was the person who brought Ri Kee Ha to Ireland and so began TKD on this island. He is with the RITA.

ColinJennings

Jon wrote:

The club in Donnycarney was started by Master Dandy, he no longer teaches there but his student does and I believe he is a great instructor. Master Dandy is a true gentleman and was the person who brought Ri Kee Ha to Ireland and so began TKD on this island. He is with the RITA.

Master Dandy was on his honeymoon when he tracked down GM Rhee. Now that is dedication... and a bad beginning to a life as a TKD widow.

For the other Dublin RITA schools look here. If you want any more information, just ask.

Pride Fighter

27 is not to old to start anything. Have a bit of confidence and you can do anything. TKD can be a very poor martial art to take up as some instructors talk the talk but dont walk the walk. I have heard it called take ones do (referring to stealing money) as a result of this. So if you are taking it up dont be afraid to ask questions such as what are your qualifications, do you have an up to date first aid course behind your belt and will there be regular seminars etc. If the instructor dismisses you never go back. Keep an open mind and dont limit yourself to one art, they are all good.

buck65

OP
its a great art
took it up 2 yrs ago at the age of 31! and there are alot of older guys in my class so its never too late.

expediateclimb

Thanks Buck,

Where abouts do you train?

yomchi

I have 2 mothers who took up TKD at 40 and 41, they are both loving it!

As for TKD instructors 'stealing money'... meh whats the point in even responding.
OP best of luck in finding a club.

TKD SC

Jon wrote:

I have 2 mothers

You have 2 mothers?!

yomchi

ho ho ho :cool:

memphis

I am currently 26 years old, and took up TKD again (did it as a kid for awhile) about 3 and a half years ago. I'm hoping to grade for my black belt in October all going well. You are never too old to take up a Martial Art. The eldest in my club is in his 40's, and when I started there was a chap training with me who was 46... he graded at far as Blue belt, befre leaving us.

TKD is a great art... regardless of the politics and affiliations...... by all means give it a go. I know you will enjoy it. Best of luck!

TKD SC

For ITF clubs near you, google the different assoc's (INTA, IUTF, ITA, RITA) - you'll find their homepages easily and they all have club sections so you'll see which clubs are near you.

You'll probably get bigger variances from club to club rather than from assoc to assoc. So, try out a couple and see how you get on...

Black Swan

Pride Fighter wrote:

TKD can be a very poor martial art to take up as some instructors talk the talk but dont walk the walk. I have heard it called take ones do (referring to stealing money) as a result of this.

This can be the case with any MA or MMA, not just TKD, so shop around for the best instructors.