RTF 1: The Return of Oldschool Taekwondo,

Marlon Unglauben

Our goal is simple: to develop Taekwondo back into an exciting martial art.

The focus is on hosting entertaining Taekwondo tournaments, modeled after the entertainment-oriented UFC events. The plan emphasizes creating a unique blend of traditional Taekwondo and modern entertainment that appeals to both martial arts enthusiasts and mainstream sports fans.

The focus is on competitions that are characterized by high production value, engaging content and a strong digital presence.

The purpose of this project is to create a representative tournament sport that takes Taekwondo back to its roots as a dynamic martial art and beyond. A new set of rules and scoring systems will prevent cautious fencing with ineffective fighting techniques, while encouraging spectacular fighting with a focus on effective strikes.

In addition, there will be prize money for the winners.

 

My story

My name is Marlon Unglauben, I'm 29 years old, and Taekwondo has been my life for as long as I can remember. I started at my club, Musado Köln, at the age of 4 and have practiced Taekwondo continuously for 25 years. Taekwondo is my greatest passion.

I started competing at age 7, and nothing gave me more pleasure than fighting. My personal highlight was becoming German Champion in 2010, at the age of 14.

I've held the 5th Dan since I was 22, and I plan to dedicate the rest of my life to Taekwondo. That's why I founded Real Taekwondo Fighting . Taekwondo, as I know and love it, currently has no official representation—the WTF Olympic sport has evolved in a direction that has little in common with actual martial arts. After years of reflection, I've come to the conclusion that I want to create a countermovement. I want to capture the original spirit of Taekwondo and present it in a modern way.

Why can other sports like boxing and MMA draw thousands, even millions of people to their televisions? Fill arenas? And more importantly, why can't we do the same? I firmly believe that Taekwondo is the best and most exciting martial art of all, but its current regulatory framework has reduced it to a kind of game.

And I know I'm not alone in this opinion. Everyone I talk to about this topic longs for the "good old days," when "Taekwondo was still Taekwondo."

It is time to stop mourning the past and create something new and better that will overshadow even the “good old days”.

Welcome to Real Taekwondo Fighting .