Im TKD. Should I switch to Kyokushin?

[tkd_person89]

I take TKD and love doing it. But lately all of the sport garabage has gotten me to second-think my art.

Plus the bashing of TKD and the praising of Kyokushin has gotten me interested in Kyokushin.

Should I make the switch to kyokushin or stick with taekwondo?

I know I'm going to get some biased opinions because this is the Japanese arts forums but objectively, do you guys think kyokushin is a better fighting art than TKD?

Should I switch? Are most kyokushin guys better fighters than TKD guys?

[medic06]

Yes, I believe most of them are. I think TKD could be very effective if trained with realistic intent.

[Drag'n]

I was a TKD 2nd dan when I switched to Kyokushin. It really took me to a new level. The fighting spirit, and close range fighting skills of Kyokushin added a new dimention to my kicking skills, making me a much better all round fighter. I would reccommend it without hesitation.
TKD will give you great flexibility in your kicking ability, which is a good asset to have, but by itself it just isnt as effective as some other arts.

[gabbah]

tkd_person89, it really depends on what you are looking for, what drives you to go on training.
Some people just enjoy the sport, and thus some people are happy staying with TKD or whatever sport/art they're in. Others get their motivation from thinking that what they are training is close or on the way to "the real thing". If you are one of these people, I think you should ask yourself what you want to be able to handle. A fight on the ground? Close combat with hands? Clinching? Kicking? All of these can be part of a fight (it sounds like this is what you're interested in, not self defence against someone that actually wants to kill you, perhaps with a weapon).

So basically, if you want to become a more complete fighter, your training must be complete. Shooto is an art where they train basically for UFC-type fights.
If you're only looking for the standup part I would suggest muay thai. But remember that a fight might very well go to the ground...

Another very important aspect is the training METHOD used in the art or by an instructor. Is it effective? Is it realistic? What is the goal of the training?
For instance, some instructors might want to train you to do well in a TKD competition, that might have many limitations. It might even be light contact point competition. In this case, it's important to hit the target fast, but it's not important to hit it hard. You might even be penalised if you hit too hard.
If this is the case, your instructor may very well train you to hit fast but not hard, simply because he has competition in mind, and wants to optimize your fighting skills for it.

This is why I recommended muay thai for stand up; the focus is on power and after that speed. So compared to TKD kicks, you might loose a fraction of a second in speed, but the kick that lands after that extra fraction is devastating if not properly blocked.

Just my 2 cents.

[blitz]

tkd_person89, it really depends on what you are looking for, what drives you to go on training.
Some people just enjoy the sport, and thus some people are happy staying with TKD or whatever sport/art they're in. Others get their motivation from thinking that what they are training is close or on the way to "the real thing". If you are one of these people, I think you should ask yourself what you want to be able to handle. A fight on the ground? Close combat with hands? Clinching? Kicking? All of these can be part of a fight (it sounds like this is what you're interested in, not self defence against someone that actually wants to kill you, perhaps with a weapon).

So basically, if you want to become a more complete fighter, your training must be complete. Shooto is an art where they train basically for UFC-type fights.
If you're only looking for the standup part I would suggest muay thai. But remember that a fight might very well go to the ground...

Another very important aspect is the training METHOD used in the art or by an instructor. Is it effective? Is it realistic? What is the goal of the training?
For instance, some instructors might want to train you to do well in a TKD competition, that might have many limitations. It might even be light contact point competition. In this case, it's important to hit the target fast, but it's not important to hit it hard. You might even be penalised if you hit too hard.
If this is the case, your instructor may very well train you to hit fast but not hard, simply because he has competition in mind, and wants to optimize your fighting skills for it.

This is why I recommended muay thai for stand up; the focus is on power and after that speed. So compared to TKD kicks, you might loose a fraction of a second in speed, but the kick that lands after that extra fraction is devastating if not properly blocked.

Just my 2 cents.

If he takes tkd it should affect his thai kicks, he will have tkd speed and thai strength if he deilvers the right kick.

[kyospirit]

just go and try a few kyo classes with a good instructor and listen to your guts, you will know the answer after that

[gabbah]

If he takes tkd it should affect his thai kicks, he will have tkd speed and thai strength if he deilvers the right kick.

No, technically, the trade-off will still be there. I can tap you really fast with my power hand (my right hand), but it won't hurt you. If I want to add the power, I need to use my legs and hips in the punch, which will make it a bit slower but will knock you out if I hit.
Also, if he takes TKD, he will spend time practicing on bullshit techniques that most of the times aren't effective in a fight. This time could be used to perfect the techniques that actually work, for instance boxing, knees, clinch and lowkicks. An for the ring a few other kicks as well...

But if he has too much time on his hands, then he can take TKD as well, because I'm sure there are some things he can learn from TKD as well that are useful.

[tkd_person89]

Bullshit techniques?

lol fucking loser. go home

[gabbah]

I didn't mean that everything in TKD is bad, just that many of the techniques are way to hard to pull off in a full contact fight. These are the techniques that most people against TKD call "flashy".
But there are also many good things in TKD of course. I think you can find good stuff in all MAs.
One shouldn't let pride get let in the way of criticising your own sport/art. I have done so with my MA (kickboxing), removing (bullshit ) techniques from my training that are too weak for fullcontact fighting, and also being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my chosen stance and so on, and knowing that what I train has pretty far from a "real fight", and that it is far from the best for self defense.
So I was not trying to intentionally put TKD down, but I think they waste too much time with techniques that are not effective or just take too much time to master in order to be so. That is if you look at it from a full contact (attacks to whole body allowed) point of view.
Then again, as people have pointed out, there are good TKD gyms out there as well, that have way better training methods and focus.

[eXcessiveForce]

Why ask others what you should train in? why not evaluate what you are looking for, check out what is available in your area an train in it?


I've done TKD and still teach it. I find it is an excellent base. Now I have also been accused of not teaching tkd because we have strong influences from other systems.

My path led me to add elements from Many other systems because I liked them and found them useful.

Hell if you have the time and find value train in as much as you can. I train JKD and BJJ. I still teach TKD though.

[The Munster]

I've done what eXcessiveForce has done. I still train in TKD as my base style and teach that way as well. But over time, I've added, through the help of other instructors of course, elements of Kali and BJJ.

[zhorner]

kyo is much better than tkd.

a good muay thai would be much better than kyo.

it is good you started out in tkd as it provides great flexibility and kicking strength. now move on to muay thai just like bas rutten and crocop did.

get involved in wrestling at school, (if you go), and you will be hell on wheels in most street fights.

[Albert]

tkd_person, If your not sure about your current art, then try something else. You need to make your own decision on that, not ask people on a forum which art iz better, itz the teacher and the student, not the art that iz better than any other. I used to take tkd, and can surely beat the living hell out of alot of kyokushin practitioners, and theres alot of kyokushin that can probably kick my ass just the same. Like someone said in a post before me, go down to the school and try it out or at least watch some classes, and then go with whichever schools training and style appeals to you more. And in any case, dont listen to any idiot who tells you tkd iz a weak art, you wont learn a wider arsenal of kicks anywhere else. And itz better to have experience in more arts than just one, believe me, so why not stick with tkd for awhile till your formiddable, than move onto kyokushin, or whatever, it would be a good idea.

[ciscodog]

I agree, only you can decide if your happy with your current style. People forget the fact that no style is perfect, all have weakness's that can be exploited, and if you understand the weakness in your style, you can than do something to fill it. Ask your Sensei to devote some classes to sweeps, take downs, sprawling to avoid being taken down,armbars, leglocks etc. I'm sure he can come up with enough material to keep you busy. Ask some freinds at your dojo to start working out with you on the previosly mentioned techniques. I train in Shorin Ryu and we have alot of techniques to take it to the ground and to avoid being taken down and its Okinawan Karate. Now this might piss people off but heres a news flash.......MOST STYLES/FORMS HAVE ALOT OF THE SAME TECHNIQUES BUT EMPHASIZE DIFFRENT METHODS OF EXECUTING THEM.......even Royce Gracie knows a roundhouse kick.....ignore the people that say this style is better than that style, and decide what is good for you.