The Lotus Eaters: Kukkiwon

I finally made it up to see Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Federation headquarters, in Seoul. I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't really it. It's pretty much just a gymnasium and a little museum above a restaurant which was closed when we went.

Now I know why so many tkd videos I see have green and orange mats.

I had an awesome time checking out the gear at the stores in the area, however. There was a bunch of prototype gear from Nike. After having just their two uniforms forever it looks like they are coming out with some really sweet stuff and it's actually innovative. Not just crappy stuff with a logo on it. These paddles are my favorite. They're some kind of molded convex foam design that allows it to flex for cushioning rather than using padding. I haven't kicked one yet, but I'm definitely going to go back up and try them out when they come out in a few months.