Taekwondo as an Academic Field of Study for Non-Koreans: An Unconventional and Extreme Form of Martial Arts Tourism

Abstract

Many Korean universities grant undergraduate and graduate school degrees in part on coursework, theses, and dissertations that explore Taekwondo through various academic lenses in Taekwondo Studies programs, yet only a few individuals have traveled to the Korean Peninsula to study Taekwondo academically. Traveling internationally to earn a university degree in a martial art can be considered extreme martial arts tourism. This multidisciplinary study explores the motivations of non-Koreans who have studied Taekwondo academically in Korea as well as their aspirations after graduation. The study utilized a combination of autoethnographic techniques and interviews with individuals who have given up years of their lives, thousands of dollars, their home cultures, languages, and food, and their families to travel to a foreign university in order to study Taekwondo. Twelve participants were identified that met the selection criteria, but eight responded to the interview requests. The nine participants, including the author, came from a wide assortment of backgrounds, but all shared a passion for Taekwondo; now, most participants (n = 5) have jobs within the Taekwondo industry, including two professors in separate Departments of Taekwondo. This study’s findings elucidate why non-Koreans study Taekwondo academically and thereby offer suggestions on how to improve this educational market.

Perception of Self-Efficacy and Health-Related Behavior in Context of Taekwon-Do Sport Camps

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Taijiquan, genius loci and tourism: a participant observation about Chenjiagou

“…This risk has already been noted in the broader sector of sports tourism (Ramshaw & Gammon, 2005, 2017Van Rheenen & Cernaianu-Sobry, 2017), and it is especially evident in studies pertaining to the young sector of martial arts tourism. Martial arts tourism is still in search of its epistemological status, as demonstrated on an international scale by the heterogeneity of the topics dealt with to date (see e.g., Raimondo, 2011;Cynarski, 2017;Porchet, 2019;Skowron-Markovska, 2019;Figueiredo, 2020;Pawelec et al, 2020;Johnson, 2021;Skowron-Markovska & Nowakowska, 2021). It is therefore essential to stimulate a reading capable of exalting the experiential dynamics as crucial characteristics of the whole tourist phenomenon, even more of the cultural, sporting (Standeven & De Knop, 1999) and martial arts phenomena.…”

An empirical study of TGFU teaching method in college Taekwondo teaching from the perspective of teaching reform

“…The effective development of Taekwondo-related teaching activities in colleges and universities not only improves the overall comprehensive quality of students, but also provides a reliable guarantee for the cultivation of their outstanding qualities such as perseverance, unity and cooperation. On the basis of stimulating students' interest in Taekwondo learning, it also laid a solid foundation for their all-round development in the future [8]. When formulating the Taekwondo teaching and training plan in colleges and universities, it not only emphasizes the necessity for students to master the professional skills of this sport, but also highlights the necessity of students' martial spirit under the influence of harmonious society [9].…”