Are Taekwondo and Soccer Compatible?

2006 has been a World Cup Soccer year, so soccer has dominated the world’s news for the last few months. However, most people in the United States could care less about World Cup events.
Despite the efforts of soccer supporters for over 40 years, soccer has not become a major sport in the United States. It was pushed as a children’s sport in an effort to build a base of what would hopefully become adult players and supporters, but it has not worked. “Politically correct” mothers see soccer as a no-violent, competitive alternative sport to football; players struggle for the ball but they only make minimal contact with each other.

Both Taekwondo and soccer stress kicking and footwork and both require precise control and a high level of fitness, so it would seem they would complement each other. However, there is at least one major difference between the two, and I think it is a glaring difference.

In soccer, when hit by opponents, players fall to ground and behave as if they were in excruciating pain and were about to die. Once an opponent draws a red card, suddenly the downed player is miraculously healed and able to play again with no apparent problem. Players are taught that when faced with a problem, it is best to whine and complain and blame others until they get what they want. Apparently, this is acceptable behavior to many parents who believe that when faced with violence, you are supposed to whine, cry, and hope someone else will step in and protect you. Then, while others are fighting to protect you, you can continue your life as if nothing has happened.

In Taekwondo, and in all other martial arts and most other American sports, when confronted with a problem such as a hard hit, we are taught to “suck it up” and get on with the game. Therefore, the basic philosophies of Taekwondo and soccer are not compatible.

For example, as an instructor, I am constantly dealing with children and teens, and sometimes even adults, who have been conditioned to whine and complain when faced with adversity. For example, this week I had students play a reaction game in class where one student holds a hand target in front of his or her body at waist height. The other student stands in front of the student with his or her arms down the sides. This student then “fast draws” and tries to clap his or her hands to either side of the target before the other student can react and jerk the target up or down before it is trapped by the clap. If the clapper succeeds, the target is trapped. If the clapper fails, his or hands clap together with great force, causing a stinging sensation in the palms. There is no injury, just short term pain. Most students, celebrate their successes, and suck up their pain of the failures and keep trying. However, many whine and cry over the pain, blame the target holder, get angry and clap harder that causes even more pain upon a miss, quit trying, and then look to the instructor to make it better.

Taekwondo teaches students to face adversity with courage and conviction and to either overcome the adversity or accept it and make the best of the situation; not to whine and hope someone else will take care of things. For this reason, Taekwondo and soccer are not compatible.