What are your views on TKD?

[Steelsings16]

I'm currently in TKD, and I think it's more a sport than a MA. The first dojo I tried was an MCdojo and I'm trying out a new place that's much more disciplined, but there's this one really obnoxious little kid...I might go to the place where my friend's mom is an asst. teacher....the man who teaches there is Grandmaster Ko, who trained in Korea...my friend says he's really strict. If a little kid misbehaves than he threatens them with "oppice training".....'office training' he just can't say it right....he makes them put their feet on the wall at about 3 feet off the ground supported by their hands in a kind of angled handstand, and they stay like that for 3 minutes...they never misbehave again haha
so I just want to know everyone's views on TKD-do you think it's ANY good for self-defence at all?

[Suzuki_Fanboy]

Like you said, its probably more a sport than an MA. I guess it has some good aspects for self defense...like balance, and it could increase your hand-eye coordination...

A few miles away from me is a TKD school run by Tiger Kim, who was Korean National Champion a few times...so I guess it might be ok, but I still haven't checked it out.

[Einherjar]

Like any other martial art, TKD, if properly trained, can be devastating. The problem is that it's kinda hard to find an instructor who knows what he is doing when he teaches realistic self-defense.

I have seen people who practiced TKD and who could take care of themselves. Of course, the didn't use high kicks on the street and mostly relied on hard, fast punches, elbows and knees. They also trained hard, doing full contact sparring, hitting the heavy bag and adapting TKD techniques to the much more demanding needs of streetfighting.

A streetfighter has no formal training either, but he can beat 99% of martial artists out there. It's not what you practice, it's the way you practice. The more realistic your training is, the more proficient at it you will become.

[Steelsings16]

Anyone know a school around Norfolk, VA where you can actually DO full-contact sparring??? When we do sparring, or the 3 kicks back and forth, we kick at te air BESIDE our partner, and if we make contact we have to stop and bow and all that crap. How realistic is THAT??? That's why I'm considering either Muay THai or Krav Maga--they actually do CONTACT sparring.

[ryanhall]

there are some wing chun schools over there, but i don't know about full contact sparring. if you really want to spar for real, join a local boxing club. they'll toss you into the fire right away--after you get your basics. good luck in the search.


ryan

[crazyjoe380]

i can't answer this..

i've done it too much!

[punk000]

tkd is some sport that an idiot brought down from the east w/o thinking...... i mean in tournaments its a one hit point!!!!! that builds a false sence of power, in a streeet fight they are likely to try and end the fight in one hit, and if they land the hit the are liable to lower there gaurds. this is a bad atitude.....


tkd sux!!

[Ice Phoenix]

Originally posted by punk000 tkd sux!! [/B]

Amen.

[Grape_Ape]

TKD is classified as a martial sport in Korea not as martial art. Judo is similar in that it is primarily a sport. Both can be used for self defense, but the training would be much different than what you'd get at 98% of the schools. I can't speak for TKD, but Judo will certainly get you in good physical condition which never hurts.

[punk000]

but thats just the thing..... due to the over abundance of tkd schools, people are foolled into a false sence that tkd is a superior martial art....... and they take it for self defence.

and about the physical condtioning..... i dare anyone to go inot a tkd place and take a look at theyre routines, wear a diaper ull probly need it. If youve ever been in mt ull be angry at how easy these ppl think ma's are.

[magic]

Don't be in such a hurry to write off a whole MA - have you visited/trained in every TKD school? You can't stereotype every TKD school and all TKD practioners based on your limited observations.

There are probably the same % of crap MT and BJJ schools as there are crap TKD and Karate schools out there!

It all depends on the attitudes of the instructor and the student - the art itself is secondary.

Sport TKD, like sport karate and sport judo, are only really good for what their name implies - SPORT. But TKD, like ALL MA, can improve your chances of successfully defending yourself and get you fit at the same time.

My ten cents worth . . .

[ryanhall]

magic,
dude, don't you think you're viewpoint is a little skewed on the one? i am not a mt or gjj/bjj player, and i have practiced a trad ma or two, so i think i have a little detachment on this one. most martial arts schools will give you some really bad habits as well as a false sense of security. the way tkd/karate/hapkido/insert trad ma are trained is seriously counter productive to developing self defense. any art that focuses on aesthetics or how excellent your form was on your "one hit kill" could not be further than reality. any art that has the "attacker" grab your wrist and stand there like an idiot so you can twist theirs is junk for reality. if you are wearing no shoes and a gi while practicing (different for grappling because shoes don't really matter on the ground) on a clean mat in a well-lit room, you have the opposite of reality.

if you don't have a low guard, don't punch from the hip, don't use kicking as your #1 tool, don't kick above the waist, don't *insert horrible habit*, do you really still have tkd (or any other trad ma)? kickboxing is not reality either, but i have seen a few that can dish out some punishment. think the tkd olympic gold medalist would last 30 seconds with even an average thai boxer? i don't. i have never seen even an average fighter produced from a traditional school (i know i have not seen them all). the last time i saw someone try a spinning heel kick, he had a choke on him before he hit the ground.

"Sport TKD, like sport karate and sport judo, are only really good for what their name implies - SPORT. But TKD, like ALL MA, can improve your chances of successfully defending yourself and get you fit at the same time."

correction: most martial arts significantly lower your chances of success in a real altercation (shoving matches at school don't count). rather than running, people who THINK they can handle themselves stay and fight--only to have their ass handed to them with their hospital bill. exchanging straight punches in the dojo with a willing parther that couldn't hurt you if he wanted to could not be furthter from reality. bjj players, boxers, thais, etc. are better because they train alive and are trying to ko/sub the other guy, and their opponent is trying to do the same right back. even this is not reality, but it's as close as most can get. if trads don't even have this, how can they prepare you to defend yourself?

now if you do train without doing all the "don't"s mentioned above, then you may do ok. if not, i think you should reevaluate what you are training/teaching. imho, there is no such think as self defense tkd--i have never seen a school that addresses anything close to reality. if you do, then my opinion does not apply to you and i will have to think about changing it. until then...

just my 2 cents

ryan

[mike]

i think the most common misconception in martial arts is the aspect of how hard you train.

If you put in the years and train really hard you will get tough. granted there are a lot of shitty martial arts schools in this country. but there are a lot of shitty public schools here too. If you apply your self and work hard maybe you could pull off an axe kick in the street, maybe you could slap on a wrist lock in a street fight. I guess what im trying to say is that i think if you train anything hard enough it wont hurt you any and that includes TKD and Karate, I have met some tough practioners of both.

thanks,

Mike

[punk000]

i have no problem with karate, but tkd........ well i can tell you id much rather know 2 kicks 100% than know 40 kicks half asssed

not to mention that ive never seen a thai boxer lose against a tkdist, any blet level

[ryanhall]

i agree with you for the most part mike--if you train long and hard, you may do ok in a real fight. however, stupid people use stupid techniqes. i don't care how long you have trained, wrist locks, high kicks, dim mak, and a ton of other dumb moves can and will get you hurt/killed. any of these things MAY work (except dim mak which is a joke) on some patsy that you have no right beating on anyway. it's nice that there are some tough tkd and karate guys out there, but they will become hospitalized tkd and karate guys if they think they can roundhouse kick a formidable opponent in the head. most of these guys have never even competed full contact, not to mention experienced what adrenaline can do to your ability to execute pretty techniques. i also doubt that people with previous rough experiences take up traditional martial arts--they have seen enough to know that real fights don't happen like that. something to think about.

ryan