
Taekwondo has been the butt of every McDojo joke in the martial arts, and apparently it has taught us nothing. Instead of a trophy or shiny medal, perhaps you really need a history lesson.

For decades following, Taekwondo spread worldwide yet retained its roots as an effective martial art. Yet in 1973, the Korean Ministry of Sports established the World Taekwondo Federation to spread the sport aspect of Taekwondo, culminating with its inclusion in the 2000 Olympics. The quest for Olympic gold and worldwide acclaim was too much to resist, and school after school abandoned their roots in favor of chasing after it. The art was stripped of everything that wasn't "tournament effective" and an entire generation of practitioners were promoted to black belt ranks that couldn't even defend themselves at the elementary school they attended. There's a reason the organization is called WTF.

While there is a sport element to karatedo (and yes, I have competed on the world stage as well), it is only one piece of the puzzle. The entire purpose of martial arts competition is to expose us to other practitioners so that we can better ourselves. However, in our shallow society where men wearing helmets defending a football make more money than a man wearing a helmet defending our country, I guess it's only natural to strive for athletic prowess. The age of the warrior has passed. It has been happening for some time now, and this latest "development" will be the final blow. Karatedo will be bled out, stripped down and sold for parts like a junk car. Champions will display their medals above the mantle like a hunter's last kill. Those of us who cling on to the essence of the art, who strive to preserve the integrity of this cultural treasure for future generations and who refuse to cast aside hundreds of years of legitimate combative applications for the chance to win a medal will be left in the dust to be dug up by archaeologists centuries later.