Then it was time for a historic first: a joint demonstration by the world’s two major taekwondo bodies. These are the Seoul-headquartered WTF, which includes South Korea in its membership, and the Vienna-headquartered, ITF, or International Taekwondo Federation, which counts North Korea among its members. A special message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was read out in which he said the event was, “breaking barriers,” and would be “a step toward dialog and reconciliation.” IOC President Thomas Bach delivered a pre-recorded speech in which he said he “valued the cooperation” between the two federations and called the demonstration “a firm foundation for the future.”
The performances – each 20-minutes long - illustrated both what unites and divides the federations which administer taekwondo globally.
The ITF demonstration team, largely North Koreans, but including Russians and Czechs, came on first. Coordinated group poomsae and a display of break-falling – a skill rarely seen in WTF taekwondo - was followed by combat line drills. A trio of female athletes in black demonstrated self-defense, then a choreographed fight routine against male “attackers” that drew both gasps and laughs from the audience.
Advanced breaks included an aerial split kick-round kick combo, and a somersaulting double heel kick break. Group fights featured such unusual techniques as head butts, drop spinning sweeps, sacrifice throws and aerial leg takedowns. The male performers then removed their doboks – revealing toned torsos and drawing a few wolf whistles – and endured strikes across their limbs and torsos from four-by-twos, leaving the field of play littered with splintered timber.
Then it was the WTF’s turn. Mainly South Korean, the team also included a Turk and three Russians. The difference between the two demo teams was clear from attire: The ITF appeared in classic white; the WTF in red and yellow, blue and white. Another difference was presentation: The ITF used no aural backing; the WTF team performed to piped-in music.
The opening was real showmanship. A tableau of punches and kicks against a backdrop of the flags of Russia and the WTF. After a lightning costume change, came a funky fusion of poomsae and modern dance. The tempo changed when the master coach performed a set of power breaks, then the team carried out blindfold breaks guided onto target by hand bells.
This was followed by a series of brilliantly coordinated breaks in which both the holders and the board breakers were leaping and spinning. Things changed again with Slavic dancing and a display of the Russian national colors. The iconic Korean folk song “Arirang” played as the team performed poomse, before a final pair of high kicks unfurled banners advertising the Chelyabinsk championships.
Yet if the ITF demonstration could be classified as “traditional” and the WTF’s as “creative;” if the ITF team focused more on power and the WTF more on finesse; if the ITF show was low-tech, and the WTF high- tech; it was evident that the techniques had more similarities than differences.
The precedent-setting joint performance – which reduced one senior ITF member to tears – was followed by the ceremony’s finale. Russian youth taekwondo players joined the WTF and ITF teams to perform a series of basic movements.