…..Well I am just back in from a whirlwind style weekend in Chicago. While there I had the chance to relax, enjoy some family time, shop and of course eat some great food. We also enjoyed the Michigan State basketball game as they advanced to the Championship game by beating UConn! Even with a busy schedule I got a little training in. 🙂
…..Now, while I was there I came across a book titled: A Killing Art! This book explores the history of Tae Kwon Do and the involvement of crime, espionage and gangsterism during some incredibly tough times in Korea. Written by author Alex Gillis who interviewed many of the pioneers of TKD and delved into the back stories. This book pulls no punches and as for a read it is very interesting. Having met several of the men in the book I found it very, very interesting. The history of Tae Kwon Do has always been incredibly convoluted and well in most cases completely made up. So this book is trying to fill the gap and explain particularly some of the political maneuvering that has happened. Definitely an interesting read but I am still reserving an opinion on how factual it is. Some of the facts are correct based on what I have personally witnessed and also been told in private by a few Grand Masters and cross referenced myself. Still this book reads like a spy novel so I am a little skeptical about a few things. Interesting read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Tae Kwon Do and Korean culture based on that alone. Though, understand it puts no one in a good light!
See You On The Mats!
copyright Instinctive Response Training LLC 2008
Brian R. VanCise
Note: This Blog is opinion only and Instinctive Response Training LLC nor Brian R. VanCise is responsible for any third party actions taken.
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