This is a wiki about taekwondo that anybody can edit, just like Wikipedia. There are a ton of terrific resources on the Internet about all styles of taekwondo, but the goal of this resource is to provide a space where all taekwondo enthusiasts can contribute.
Why not just use Wikipedia?[]
- Wikipedia is awesome, and it has some terrific general information about taekwondo. But the Wikipedia guidelines prohibit the inclusion of "how to" information on Wikipedia. In other words, the rules of Wikipedia say that you can explain what taekwondo is, but you cannot explain how to do taekwondo.
- Also, Wikipedia requires that all information site references that are authoritative sources. That's tough to do for Taekwondo, since much of the information is passed-along in taekwondo schools. Here at Taekwondo Wiki, we ask that you provide references sources whenever you can, but we understand that that's not always possible for taekwondo.
- There's a third reason for this wiki as well: not all taekwondo "celebrities" are necessarily famous enough to satisfy Wikipedia's notoriety criteria. Here on taekwondo wiki, we're happy to host biography pages for anybody who's done anything reasonably significant in the world of taekwondo (won a major tournament, coached a major team, etc.).
What's wrong with all the other taekwondo websites?[]
- There's nothing wrong with other taekwondo websites, and in fact you're encouraged to provide links to other websites as references to the content that you contribute.
- What makes this website unique is that it doesn't reflect the viewpoint of just one team of taekwondo enthusiasts. Instead, since it's a wiki, all taekwondo enthusiasts can contribute what they know.
So this is a "How To" website?[]
- That is the primary intent, yes. "What is taekwondo" and "How to do taekwondo."
- It's okay to add other information as well. For example, summaries of taekwondo reference books, summaries of taekwondo films, biographies of famous taekwondo practitioners, famous kwans, etc.
How are we going to accomodate all the different styles of taekwondo?[]
- One great thing about wikis is the #REDIRECT operation. You can write a page called Cross Stance and then create another page called X Stance that redirects to it. We don't have to argue about what to call things. Simply try to pick a fairly common name for a technique as the main name for the article, and then have all the other names redirect to it.
- In fact, describing all names and variations of a technique in the main article for that technique is a good way to learn more about other styles of taekwondo.
Rules of the Road[]
- Avoid renaming other people's work, especially since most techniques go by many names. Instead, use REDIRECTs to reference the name you prefer.
- When in doubt about how to name something, go with the name that you think is most commonly used (even if it's not necessarily the most technically correct name). The point is that you want people to be able to find the information you provide, and they can't do that if they're searching on the wrong phrases. In terms of correctness, use the main article as an opportunity to explain what the more technically correct name is.
- Before you create a new page for a technique, make sure that that page doesn't already exist under another name. For example, if you're adding a Block, check the Blocks category to make sure it's not already created under another name.
- Don't create a page that is just a collection of links or videos. People already know how to use Google and YouTube to find links. Instead, try to add real content when you create or edit a page.
- Don't overload a page with too many pictures and videos. We all know there are hundreds of videos and hundreds of pictures for every technique. Just pick one or two good ones; and make sure they're fairly licensed.
- Try to be style-agnostic where possible. This wiki is trying to represent all styles of taekwondo equally.
- Don't assume that the way things are at your taekwondo school is the normal version of taekwondo.
- It's okay to copy a bit from sources such as Wikipedia, but really...it's better to just link to that kind of content rather than copying it. Wikipedia is constantly being updated and we'd like to benefit from those updates, so linking is better than copying.
- Unlike Wikipedia, you're not required to list authoratative sources on this wiki...but it's still very helpful to provide external links that provide back-up information for the content you've added. That having been said, we recognize that a lot of what's known about taekwondo is passed along from student to teach orally -- not everything has a written source.
- Please create pages for only noteworthy information. For example, Do create pages for famous taekwondo practitioners; Don't create a page for your favorite taekwondo instructor or school unless there are some notable accomplishments to reference.
- How to reference Korean names? Surname first? Given name first? It doesn't matter. List the name however you want, and then use a REDIRECT to show the alternative name.
- Currently, most of the Korean names on this wiki are listed with the family name last, for what it's worth, and then within a page the name as shown as family name first. That way a search is more likely to find the page, no matter how the search is phrased.
- Generally, refer to people by just their names. In most cases, it's not necessary to add titles ("Master", "Grand Master", etc.) since this reduces readability, and in fact doing so can create confusion since titles vary widely from federation to federation. This is the same guideline used on Wikipedia.
- Have fun! This wiki will likely exist for years and years, and with your help, it could become a truly outstanding taekwondo reference.
Notoriaty Requirements[]
How famous does a person have to be, to have a biography on this wiki?
In general, the notoriaty requirements for the Taekwondo Wiki are much lower than (say for example) Wikipedia.
| Examples: Famous Enough | Examples: Not Really Famous Enough |
|---|---|
| A noteworthy taekwondo pioneer | The head of a local taekwondo school |
| A celebrity who practices taekwondo | The head of a small, local chain of taekwondo schools |
| An athlete who was won a state, national, or higher championship sponsored by a major taekwondo federation such as the ITF or WTF | An athlete who has won a local open tournament |
| An author who has published many books or articles are taekwondo | A local taekwondo club or school |
| A senior administrator in a major taekwondo association | |
| A member of a famous demonstration team | |
| A coach of a noteworthy team that competes at state, national, or higher levels | |
| A pioneering kwan (school) of taekwondo | |
| A widely renowned demonstration team |
The above examples are just guidelines. All we're trying to do is make sure that Taekwondo Wiki doesn't become just a "vanity press" for taekwondo practioners who haven't accomplished anything particularly noteworthy. Any noteworthy practioner, however, can have a biography hosted here.
A Note about Titles: As a general guideline, avoid referring to people as "Grandmaster so-and-so" in their biographical page. Taekwondo Wiki is an encyclopedia of taekwondo, and so the style of writing should be encyclopedic: in encyclopedias, persons of note are generally referred to by just their last name after the initial introduction. See Wikipedia for examples.
How famous does a school or club have to be, to have its own wiki article?
Similar guidelines apply for schools as applies to people. We don't want Taekwondo Wiki to become a "vanity press" for local taekwondo schools, but if a school is noteworthy in some way in terms of the history or culture of taekwondo, then it may have its own wiki article.