| Pattern Development |
Taekwondo has developed into a unique competition martial art style, substituting rapid, precise defensive footwork and kicking movements for the more rigid blocking and punching techniques of the past. Developing an official Taekwondo self-defense pattern of core techniques would furnish Taekwondo students with self-defense training within a Taekwondo context. Other patterns could preserve important technical skills, signify the historical aspects of Taekwondo development, or stress the Korean aspect for Taekwondo that is being diluted as Taekwondo enjoys increasing universal appeal. Patterns should not reiterate technical skills found in free sparring, where such skills are best practiced, but should furnish methods of practicing the dynamic movements of the martial art.
Having patterns that are unique to Taekwondo could provide a ready-made method to demonstrate Taekwondo to the public rather than the current method of ad-hoc demonstrations of "flashy" kicking techniques, which leaves the impression that Taekwondo is almost exclusively a kicking martial art with little depth into the broader aspects of self-defense. An example of how this has been done is the way Chojun Myagi developed patterns that made his style, Gojo-ryu karate, more understandable to the public.
As Taekwondo continues to evolve, major changes should be made to its patterns to reflect the direction of Taekwondo development, while maintaining a link to its past.
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