Why TKD Doesn't Work

[Sircnay]

Not logic. I started out a TKD fighter. I had to give it up after years of practice, because it doesn't work.

It's an argument from experience, a much different thing altogether from an argument from logic.

And I don't disagree with all of your points. But I do disagree that TKD is a viable martial art, as commonly practiced in the US. That's all I'm saying, nothing more, nothing less.

Using your logic.

I started out in school, it was tough and I didn't pass any of my classes so I quit because it obviously didn't work.

I disagree with everyone from going to school because it didn't work and isn't a good form of learning and nobody can argue with me because I'm right.

[Broadsword2004]

Bohdi, boxers will NOT tear up a decent kicker, if the kicker knows what they're doing. Royce Gracie taught a boxer that in the first UFC with a kick.

And in a streetfight, you aren't going to be "setting up" your opponent. It isn't WTF TKD. It's a brawl. You're just going to kick the SOB and punch the SOB and so forth, hopefully with skill, but it's not gonna be a standup sparring match.

[bodhisattva]

Bohdi, boxers will NOT tear up a decent kicker, if the kicker knows what they're doing. Royce Gracie taught a boxer that in the first UFC with a kick.

And in a streetfight, you aren't going to be "setting up" your opponent. It isn't WTF TKD. It's a brawl. You're just going to kick the SOB and punch the SOB and so forth, hopefully with skill, but it's not gonna be a standup sparring match.

Every punch must be setup. that doesn't make it a standup sparring match. If you aren't beating up grannies, you are going to have to find a way inside of his defenses. That is the setup.

Guys who just come at me "punching the SOB" and "kicking the SOB" are going to fucking SUFFER


Because they don't know what they are doing, and shouldn't have insisted on trying to beat on me.

And, Sircnay, if you mean what you say in your post, then you are a very smart young man indeed. You should read some Krishnamurti, specifically : "This Life Ahead", if you can find it. Good luck. The system doesn't get any easier as you get older, dig your niche now. Find out who and what you are, and allow it to expand.

"When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children any way they could

By pouring their derision
Upon anything we did
Exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids"

[Mad_Mally]

TKD is garbage. If you want to know how to take out a TKD fag the secret is in the legs.

[SimonM]

Screw the rules of Tae Kwon Do. That's the sport.

Yes; the problem is that many, many TKD gyms focus almost exclusively on sport TKD and that builds Bad Habits that can get you seriously hurt in SD. However also unlike many of the other detractors of TKD I am not going to say that no TKD schools teach adequate self defense because that is a gross generalization.

[SimonM]

Well I have read all the posts here in this forum and

<snip>

Perhaps people need to understand the difference between sparring and fighting with the TKD Martial Art before they crap on it.

Two things:

First TKDTyger it makes it much easier to read a piece of writing if you divide it into paragraphs. You do this one of two ways. The accepted way for an essay style is to press <enter> and then five spaces after you complete each set of associated sentences. The other method is to press <enter> twice after you complete each set of associated sentences. As a rule of thumb there should be between 2 and 6 sentences per paragraph.

Second the concern of SD oriented martial artists regarding TKD is the focus on the sparring. You see there is this thing called "muscle memory" what this entails is the body's tendency to move consistently in certain ways when subjected to certain stimulus.

Now Sparring is VERY close to real fighting. So many people believe that in order to maintain an appropriate muscle memory for fighting one should practice sparring with attention paid to making your movements as close to real as possible.

When sparring is very dissimmilar from real fighting (limited step cound, interruption after each scored point, highly limited target range, highly limited move set, too much padding) this causes inapropriate muscle memories to form that can hinder a person when they have to depend on their body to act without direct instruction from the conscious mind during the split seconds that a real altercation occurs in.

Many TKD schools spar a lot. They spar in a manner with a limited target range, perhaps the most severely limited move set of any pugilistic sport (even boxing is less limited in some ways due to the great variety of punching techniques combined with Boxing's rather comprehensive training of footwork) and uses WAY too much padding (I mean, chest protectors? I'd be ashamed to wear one!)


So when they train with these bad habits you get people who are much too delicate to really fight who will have developed bad punching, kicking, throwing, dirty fighting and defensive habits due to the sparring rules. And they think they know how to fight. Now I will reiterate I do not believe that EVERY TKD school is like this. Sadly many are.

[SimonM]

Every punch must be setup. that doesn't make it a standup sparring match. If you aren't beating up grannies, you are going to have to find a way inside of his defenses. That is the setup.

Guys who just come at me "punching the SOB" and "kicking the SOB" are going to fucking SUFFER

That is so true. Some of my favorites include hip toss followed by boot stomp to the back and redirect into MR brick wall. Both are easy to pull off if somebody is throwing blind haymakers. And if somebody throws a kick that can be scooped out of the air they are in for an intimate meeting with the ground.

Fighters should remain cool and collected. Blind rage is blind. Don't overanalyze in a fight but trust your instincts - if they have been properly trained.

[Ironfist1989]

In my view all Martial Arts all have there stronger points, to be a good fighter and a martial artist you need to be open to all arts whever its Judo or TKD, or Brazilian Ju-Jitsu or even boxing, i mean i do TKD its my first Martial Art but it isn't gonna be my last!!!

[TKDTyger]

First I would like to apologize for the format of my post and I will try to correct it.

I understand you points SimonM, however, in WTF sparring there is no breaks between points unless someone is knocked down or hit in the face and staggers. Just as in Boxing ot kickboxing or tai boxing.

The difference between a trained TKD fighter and anyother MA is the we concentrate on our legs. Yes, many MA's use kicks, but none, except JKD, compare to the power and speed that we can generate.

95% of our training is practicing our kick speed, power, AND accuracy. We learn to move out of the way of kicks to save from injury. I can break 6 sand stone blocks with the instep of my foot using only a roundhouse. Now unfortuatly for some people who try to block my kicks, forearms, hands, fingers, wrists and elbow get hurt or broken. I know many people who can do over 100 torso level kicks in 1 minute and I will tell you this, if someone comes in shooting to grapple, their head will most likely meet a foot or knee and stop that. My sparring team consists of 25 members and we all can kick as fast.

As far as limited step counts... I am not sure where you get that from. WTF is open sparring, full contact, continuous with no "set steps or movements." Matter-of-factly we train ourselves to modify kicks to reach longer and shorter with nearly as much power and speed as a normally executed kick.

As for TKD as self defense, I believe it as one of the best. Real time sparring leads to real time fighting. A good cmpetitor can EASILY modify their movements to defend themselves during MOST street confrontations. One out of every 2000 people someone will cross a trained fighter.

Growing up in SoCal and Bad News, Va (as per 50 cent, the rapper) I have had many fights and out of all, i think i fought 2 trained people.

But again as others have said, either you have the ability to become good or great in TKD or you dont. Talent is a major cog in the gears of TKD.

[Satashi]

lmfao

i love reading people who say TKD sucks its massivly funny

ok first off ironfist is right and anyone else who has said it every martial art is good if you know how to use it

its just TKD attacked the market better to make it a buisness yes that does dampen the hardcoreness of it (i will admit my TKD studio isnt exactly the best but we have awesome sparring partners like 3 lol)

and how could anyone say its not affective at all? u can throw your arms like a monkey and still beat someone's ass

and thats completely stupid but it can work... lol so to say something is completely useless is infact stupid all on its own