Back To Article Brief
Back To Article List
LEADER BY EXAMPLE
Author: A.T.M
A.T.M: Could you please tell us a bit about your background.
MT.: I started TKD in 1973 where I grew up in Melbourne. 1 was inspired by my father Dr David Tan who was heavily involved in promoting the local club. My first instructor was Mr. Young Youl Oh who had recently migrated to Australia from Korea. At the time Mr. Oh was a 5th Dan black belt and could speak very little English. He was highly regarded and I was fortunate enough to learn at the branch where he taught. In those days juniors were few and far between. In fact all martial arts in the early 70s were mainly practised by adults. My brother and I were some of the first juniors to obtain black belts. Even now, though I have been training continuously for 20 years. I am considered young for a 4th Dan. In 1983, I moved up to Queensland to join my parents and family. Upon arriving in Queensland, I was surprised at the small number of clubs and instructors around. In a quest to promote TKO, my father established a school and I began to assist in running the club. With this added responsibility, I started to mature from being a student to an instructor.
In a short space of time, we had established clubs in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We also had an active role in the State Association and executive council. In 1988 I returned to competitions. In preparing for the 1988 Olympic trials, I visited Korea to endure 4 weeks of intensive training at Kyung Hee University. This was a turning point for me. Training with the best, I began to realise how much more there was to learn about TKO, This trip also gave me an insight into Korean culture that assists in appreciating the origins of TKO, Although unsuccessful in making the Olympic team, I did win the Australian featherweight division for the next 3 years. The highlight of my fighting career was being selected to compete at the 1989 World Championship in Seoul, Korea. I was elected State technical director and coach after retiring last year from competitive fighting. This year I was elected President of the Queensland Division and celebrated our club's ten year anniversary.
A.T.M: Has training altered since you started?
MT.: Enormously I, But then again so has society and the way we live. When I started, there were only a handful of junior. Nowadays the numbers are predommantly juniors say 701l1o. TKD is definitely more popular amongst the youth. Because of this, instructors have had to alter their approach a little to cater for the young. The young have shorter concentration span, and less physical strength and mental understanding. So when people comment that it was harder in the old days, they must keep in mind that society has changed as well.
The movies have had a tremendous influence on the popularity of martial arts in the western world. Unfortunately it took the death of Bruce Lee to really spark things off. Although other martial arts believe TKO is easy and soft, I believe it merely caters for a wider range of people. TKO may not be as physically tough as some styles. However at the elite level, international fighters are training just as hard as any martial artist or professional sports person. 1 believe this is one of the benefits of TKO and why it is such as universal martial art.
A.T.M.: Do you think TKD is a Sport or Martial Art?
M.T.: In my opinion it is both. The Yin and Yang of oriental philosophy, denotes the universe as being made up of opposites. Together they combine and keep everything in balance. In TKO, sport and martial art are opposites. Sport can be defined as competing against others for improvement of oneself. Martial Arts can be defined as competing against oneself for the improvement of oneself. By practising both, we are able to keep TKO from losing its meaning. In other words maintaining balance or equilibrium. For example, sport TKO has introduced new techniques and training methods never before imagined. Like technology, it is progressing at such a fast pace it is hard to keep up with. There is no doubt TKO has progressed further due to sport than martial arts. In terms of promoting TKO, sport has lead us into regions and countries not possible if it was only a martial art. The sport side has enabled us to participate in two Olympic games as demonstration sports. If it wasn't for politics, it would have been a full medal sport by now.
On the other hand, 800/0 of practitioners initially joined for self defence and physical fitness. People learn to improve themselves and to defend rather than attack others (as in sport). Even the most elite international fighter would regard themselves as a martial artist to some extent. The martial art also serves as a stability mechanism to stop us destroying TKO. It has stood the test of over 2,000 years and should not be lost. Therefore, it is very important instructors identify this and balance the sport from the martial art. The discipline, respect and loyalty all came from the martial arts. If TKO is to continue progressing into the next century, sport and martial arts must both survive.
A.T.M.: Is TKD different in Victoria than in Queensland?
M.T.: Very much so! We are comparing different life styles due to geographical differences. Queensland is very young. We have 30% of the population in an area three times the size of Victoria. In this context, the pace of life is slower and more casual. This goes for business and other sports and activities. However, although our numbers are smaller, the standard is surprisingly high. Since 1986 we have had at least one representative on the national team every
year. The highlight for our state has definitely been being the only state to have representative at both Olympics. This is quite an achievement since only two fighters went to Seoul and five went to Barcelona this year. We recognise this talent and have instigated an Elite Sports person Program.
A.T.M.: Can you elaborate on this program? M.T.: Sure. Our strength as a state is measured on how many fighters make the national team each year. When these fighters come back from international championships, they bring back a wealth of experience. This then filters down into the up and coming students. Success breeds success. Therefore our elite athletics are carefully identified and looked after in terms of training, motivation and specific coaching. Up until I retired last year, I won three successive Australian championships. This proved inspiring to our fighters and enabled them to set high goals and train hard for the national team. The experience and adrenalin I got from competing at the World Championships in Seoul cannot be described. Being with the best in the world really opened my eyes to another level of TKD. This is something I wish all fighters could experience.
A.T.M.: Can you teU us what training was like overseas?
M.T.: I have trained in several countries. Each was unique in its own way. I make a special effort to visit the local clubs whenever 1 go overseas. We can all learn a lot from other clubs, especially overseas where the culture is different. In 1988 I trained at the Kyung Hee University. Fighting training was every day and went from 3 p.m. till dark (6 p.m.) as the clock was broken in the dojang. Lots of drills and sparring were used to develop speed and timing. At Kyung Hee, TKO was a major part of the Physical Education degree. Last year I went to Athens to watch the World Championships and to travel around Europe. In Europe I trained in Switzerland and Germany. Fight training was similar to Korea, because all of the top nations try to emulate the Korean training system. Infact some of the European fighters were faster and stronger than the Korean fighters. However, it is the mental strength and discipline of the Korean fighters that gives them the edge.
A.T.M.: You have just been elected President of Queensland. Congratulations.
M.T.: Thank you, this was a very big honour and 1 am proud to be leading Queensland into a new era. Mr. Tiger Lee (a mentor in some ways) has stepped down after 12 years of dedicated service. As you can appreciate, being at the pinnacle, you are constantly in the public eye, often at a cost to your own club. While Mr. Lee is busy re-establishing his clubs, I am happy to lead our state. A fresh direction is sometimes what is needed to inspire us all to reach for greater heights. I have a committed executive whose main goal is to promote TKO in Queensland together. We are all very proud to be here in the Sunshine State.
A.T.M.: In closing, what is the future of TKD?
M.T.: At present, there is a slight imbalance between sport and martial arts. We are still focusing too much attention on sport in our quest for Olympic glory. Once this has been achieved, I believe sport will plateau and instructors will drift back towards teaching traditional martial arts.
...