The sparks fly early as we call out suspensions without hearings and pull back the curtain on the AAU–USAT MOU that’s chilling coach speech and athlete advocacy. We’re not interested in drama for clicks—we’re interested in standards. When leaders punish dissent instead of engaging critique, everybody hears the message: keep quiet or get sidelined. That’s how talent leaves, parents stop trusting, and the sport’s future gets smaller.

We trace the bigger problem to culture. The U.S. keeps producing outliers, but outliers aren’t a system. Sustained competitive excellence comes from coherent methods, coach development, and a national rhythm that brings seniors and juniors together to train, learn, and compete. We talk openly about athlete welfare—unscientific weight protocols, punitive policies, and a mindset that treats kids like disposable products. The fix isn’t complicated: independent oversight with teeth, evidence-based weight management, and a duty-of-care standard that values long careers over short-term optics.

We also dig into how electronic scoring arrived as a bandage for ethical failures in officiating. Corruption and incompetence demanded action, but automation hollowed the art without restoring trust. We outline a better path: professionalize referees, publish evaluations, and enforce accountability. Then we get personal about team culture—why esprit de corps won matches in the past and why sending athletes home early is a costly mistake today. There’s a practical roadmap here: fund clubs where athletes live, resource what works, establish real coach pathways, and rebuild shared rituals that make performance contagious.

One listener question about Sanda’s Olympic journey ties it together. Unity and governance decide who gets to the big stage. The same is true for Taekwondo now. If leadership won’t protect due process, invest in clubs, and reward collaboration, communities can start the rebuild themselves—shared camps, data, mentorship, and parent education that demystifies selection and safety. Subscribe, share with a coach or parent who needs this, and leave a review with the one change you’d make first. We’ll bring your best ideas into the next round.

Rumors are loud. Results are louder. We open the door on taekwondo’s toughest questions—who controls the sport, who actually gets supported, and how a system built on optics quietly drains the people doing the work. No jargon, no corporate gloss, just coaches and athletes laying out what’s broken and how to fix it.

We start where many of you live right now: US Open planning. Vegas usually delivers, but the math is different this year—visa uncertainty, point resets, and creeping fees that punish participation. We break down what clubs should watch for, how to weigh event value versus experience, and why price transparency matters if the goal is development. From “pick your division” add-ons to coaching passes, we call for a saner, athlete-first model that doesn’t mistake revenue for growth.

Then we get into the heart of high performance. Stipends that don’t cover rent, seminars that double as fundraising, and a “support package” that looks big on paper but leaves medalists short on cash. We lay out a clean solution: real residency support (housing, food, transport), tiered camps that separate world-level and development athletes, and an open seminar brokerage where every athlete can earn under clear terms. Nonprofits should prove it with numbers—publish how much reaches training, travel, coaching, and medical. If coaches make six figures and champions can’t pay bills, the model is upside down.

We also tackle governance and culture. Closed boards, recycled leadership, and decisions framed as “tradition” weaken performance and trust. Keep your best people by protecting athlete-coach relationships, listening when red flags pop up, and building pathways that survive personalities. Sport is supposed to be merit-based—like a second-division team knocking out a giant. Let structure amplify merit, not bury it under politics.

If you care about athletes getting what they need to win, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with your team, and tell us: what’s the first change you’d make to put athletes first?

We host the unapologetic 2025 awards, celebrate the year’s most dominant athletes and coaches, and call out leadership choices that hold the sport back. A candid debate on speech, selection, and why adaptability beats excuses shapes a roadmap for real progress.

• AAU–USAT pressure on coaching roles and speech
• Peak performers who win across gear and rule shifts
• Technical mastermind coaching and room culture
• The US medal mask and rank slide to 20th
• Mexico’s urgent need for leadership change
• Wasted talent patterns and category mismanagement
• Why adaptable tactics beat chest guard complaints
• A playful look at fashion versus podium proof

Start with the truth: predictable brackets and politicized access are draining the joy out of elite Taekwondo. We gather as coaches and former athletes to unpack why the Grand Prix Challenge felt like an expensive detour, why the World Championships and U21 Worlds lacked edge, and how rankings turned into the goal instead of the game. The throughline isn’t athlete effort; it’s incentives, rules, and leadership choices that reward safe structures over real competition.

We get specific. The field needs uncertainty back, so we argue for a smarter bracket model—protect the top four or eight, then randomize the rest—to bring genuine tests from round one. We challenge the two-year Olympic point reset: shortening the cycle doesn’t level the field if you add more events and costs. And we drill into the funding gap at home, where academy athletes often receive support and similarly ranked independents don’t. If you qualify for a Grand Prix, you’re among the nation’s best—support should follow, regardless of training address.

Rules matter because identity matters. Forcing “action” with verbal commands and mutual deductions kills style diversity, the soul of fighting. Timing, distance, counterplay—these should be allowed to breathe. We welcome fewer head-touch protests and call for simpler scoring that reflects real impact: punch 1, body 2, head 3. Let fighters solve each other; stop choreographing the sport to appease a spectator who isn’t there.

We also talk culture. Cronyism and credential gatekeeping mute voices that could move Taekwondo forward. Collaboration between organizations should align calendars and raise standards, not police speech. That’s why we’re launching the SNS Awards—to celebrate athletes, coaches, programs, and administrators who push the sport in the right direction, while naming practices that hold it back.

If you care about fair pathways, honest scoring, and real development, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with your team, and tell us the one change you’d make first. Your take might shape the next SNS Award—and the season ahead.

A holiday show with zero sugarcoating: we dig into how Team USA slipped from 12th to 20th at senior worlds while rivals like Brazil blasted ahead, and why our selection rules often reward the already-secure instead of building the bench. With a data-savvy guest who tracks time-series results and qualification math, we pull apart the incentives that shape a season: points reset in June, early events that feel optional for stars, and trials where seeds can wait for one match while hungry challengers fight through the gauntlet.

We talk about access as the real currency. If a centralized academy operates like a private club, funding international runs that lock in seeds, where does that leave the junior aging up who needs reps, not rhetoric? The fix isn’t complicated: send locked-in athletes to majors that matter, free national spots for young guns at Pan Ams, and make trials more open so the next wave can actually prove it. Put senior coaches with the under-21s where the future is decided. And if there’s truly a global search for another high performance coach, then publish the plan, the metrics, and the mission. No more foggy forms, no more 2017 strategies guiding 2025 decisions.

We also zoom out to the numbers: only about 2,500 black belt competitors nationwide, heavy concentration in California and Texas, and entire states with minimal presence. Spain can stage 4,000 black belts in one youth event; that’s what scale looks like. Depth is built through access and structure, not slogans. Our guest points to rising teens, potential breakout women, and the urgency to bring 15- to 17-year-olds into a bigger, safer, truly open centralized program. Dominance is a storyline; depth is a system. If we want the former, we need to fund and build the latter—now. Subscribe, share this with a coach who needs to hear it, and tell us: what’s the first change you’d make?

Just when you thought they might have disappeared into the Peruvian mountains forever, the Warehouse 15 crew has resurfaced with fresh perspectives and a wealth of insights from their global adventures.

After sampling pisco sours and exploring South American landscapes, the hosts dive deep into the recent President's Cup tournament, where Brazil's national team delivered a performance for the history books. With seven finalists and six gold medals in the men's divisions, they shattered records previously held by the legendary 1987 American team. The hosts analyze what this shift in competitive dominance means for the Pan-American region and why Team USA failed to secure any gold medals despite bringing their top competitors.

The conversation takes a critical turn when examining the disconnect between national team coaches and their athletes at the competition. Why weren't coaches working with their national team members with the World Championships just around the corner? This puzzling situation raises questions about preparation strategies and team cohesion that could impact future performances on the international stage.

Referee inconsistencies remain a persistent challenge in taekwondo, with the hosts dissecting how different regions have developed distinct officiating styles. From the aggressive Pan-American approach to the more technical European style, these variations create an unpredictable competitive environment that rewards different techniques depending on where you compete. Is the sport being shaped by constantly changing rules rather than athletic excellence?

Beyond the mat, the discussion extends to the recent Canelo vs Crawford boxing match, with the hosts praising Crawford's masterful performance and Canelo's gracious acceptance of defeat. The episode concludes with a thought-provoking philosophical exchange about friendship loyalties and the importance of maintaining civil discourse despite our differences.

Whether you're a competitive athlete seeking insights or simply enjoy hearing authentic conversations about sports and life, this episode delivers sharp analysis wrapped in the hosts' signature blend of expertise and unfiltered honesty. Subscribe now and join the conversation that's shaping the future of martial arts.

Olympic Referee and Educators answers the Call to educate the Modern Masters.

Stepping onto the mat with Olympic coach and champion Juan Moreno, I, Herb Perez, Olympic gold medalist, bring to light the fascinating world of Taekwondo. In an inspiring conversation, Juan unravels his athletic saga, the kind that sparks fires in the hearts of up-and-coming fighters. We navigate through the rich tapestry of his journey, from being awestruck by martial arts legends to the adrenaline-filled arenas of the Olympics, offering a treasure trove of wisdom for athletes and coaches striving for greatness.

The art of perseverance and the strategic dance of Taekwondo take center stage as we dissect its evolution. We grapple with maintaining the sport's integrity amid technological advancements and the changing landscape of athlete development. With Juan's expertise, we illuminate the path for rising martial artists, examining the traits that carve out Olympic-level competitors and the significant roles played by organizations like the World Taekwondo Federation. It's a candid look into the balancing act between honoring tradition and embracing change, a must-hear for those vested in the discipline's future.

As the conversation culminates, we uncover exciting possibilities for Taekwondo's future and the shared vision driving the industry's top coaches and programs. Juan imparts timeless wisdom on how discipline can unlock true freedom in both sports and life. His thoughts echo the ancient strategists' philosophies, blending seamlessly with modern narratives on overcoming challenges and relentless pursuit of excellence. Join us for an episode that transcends the mere exchange of experiences—a masterclass in dedication, evolution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.