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Great Sage · 09-30-2003, 10:58 AM

eXcessive,

Good objective post BTW... But I think that if you’ve changed your TKD that drastically, then you already know what it lacks. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to great lengths to incorporate other techniques and change the way TKD is taught. However, this iswhy I feel TKD is lacking in some regards:

UNRELIABLE STRUCTURE
The core of TKD is unreliable. TKD teaches superficial techniques such as : low block, outer block, front stance, back stance, etc... that don’t represent real movement. Often, these techniques are drilled to death, yet they aren’t used in sparring or competition. In contrast, boxing teaches the primary tools (jab, hook & cross) right away and lets you build from there. Muscle memory, reaction and contraction are a result of training actual movements of a given task. If a person is practicing static postures all day, it does nothing for them during live events: sparring or fighting.

MENTAL & PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
Toughness, whether mental or physical is instilled through training. If a person is well-conditioned and engages in very physical training, he will become accustomed to hard work. Unfortunately, most TKD gyms don’t go as far as working and toughening their participants. Regardless of a student’s intentions, if the system wants to preserve it’s integrity, it needs to push, push and push.

POOR TECHNIQUES
This goes back to the structure of TKD and beyond. TKD, in it’s purity, lacks effective punching power and techniques. Reverse punch techniques just don’t cut it. Furthermore, there is anbundance of low-probablility techniques: Tornado kick, crescent kicks, jumping kicks, etc... most of which will only get your leg caught or jammed.

09-30-2003, 10:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
Great Sage Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Nowhere, USA... Posts: 510 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Taekwondo as a Delivery system eXcessive, Good objective post BTW... But I think that if you’ve changed your TKD that drastically, then you already know what it lacks. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to great lengths to incorporate other techniques and change the way TKD is taught. However, this iswhy I feel TKD is lacking in some regards: UNRELIABLE STRUCTURE The core of TKD is unreliable. TKD teaches superficial techniques such as : low block, outer block, front stance, back stance, etc... that don’t represent real movement. Often, these techniques are drilled to death, yet they aren’t used in sparring or competition. In contrast, boxing teaches the primary tools (jab, hook & cross) right away and lets you build from there. Muscle memory, reaction and contraction are a result of training actual movements of a given task. If a person is practicing static postures all day, it does nothing for them during live events: sparring or fighting. MENTAL & PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS Toughness, whether mental or physical is instilled through training. If a person is well-conditioned and engages in very physical training, he will become accustomed to hard work. Unfortunately, most TKD gyms don’t go as far as working and toughening their participants. Regardless of a student’s intentions, if the system wants to preserve it’s integrity, it needs to push, push and push. POOR TECHNIQUES This goes back to the structure of TKD and beyond. TKD, in it’s purity, lacks effective punching power and techniques. Reverse punch techniques just don’t cut it. Furthermore, there is anbundance of low-probablility techniques: Tornado kick, crescent kicks, jumping kicks, etc... most of which will only get your leg caught or jammed. __________________ The sage experiences without abstraction, And accomplishes without action; He accepts the ebb and flow of things, Nurtures them, but does not own them, And lives, but does not dwell.