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<DIV><FONT size=4>Dear friends and colleagues,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>As a rare male whose DNA wholly lacks any gene for
sports,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I am woefully ignorant of the sole aspect of Korean
culture</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>to have put down deep worldwide roots:
<STRONG>Taekwondo</STRONG>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I now seek enlightenment, specifically on the contours
and</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>causes of there being so many rival Federations
currently:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>the IOC-accredited WTF, plus at least
two ITFs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>1. <U>Politics</U>. I'm aware of the late General Choi
Hong-hi,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- who I think one and all acknowledge as Our Founder
-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>and his winding road from Seoul to Pyongyang. (Some
parallels</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>with the tortured odyssey of the composer Yun Isang,
perhaps?)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>At least one ITF is pro-Pyongyang. Another, led I
think</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>by Choi's son, is apparently seeking reunion with
WTF,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>as in this recent item from the ever informative
Nautilus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Daily Report (Napsnet):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Dong-A Ilbo ("`I WANT TO UNIFY SOUTH AND NORTH KOREAN
TAEKWONDO`", 2009/03/31) reported that one of the two leading world governing
bodies of the Korean martial art taekwondo is seeking to unify with its leading
rival. "Taekwondo was originally one. It has been divided for more than 36 years
but now is the time to reunite. So I seek integration with the World Taekwondo
Federation," said Choi Jung-hwa, chairman of the International Taekwon-Do
Federation. As a preliminary step toward consolidation of the two bodies, he
said he will relocate his organization's headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, to
the ROK.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>2. <U>Philosophy/style</U>. Politics apart, I gather
there are also </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>competing conceptions of what taekwondo is, or should be.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Thus some aficionados oppose its being a competitive
sport,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>viewing it rather as a means of self-cultivation. Is this, as
well</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>as politics, a further reason why there
exist </FONT><FONT size=4>rival federations?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>All enlightenment gratefully received.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I hope those who went had a fruitful AAS meeting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Best wishes</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Ai Dan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
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