Learning Two Arts.

[Misturugi]

I did kempo karate for about 2 years and a little after i earned my blue belt. Then two years later i started tae kwon do. Today was my second day in the school and i'm having trouble adjusting to the new fighting style and methods of defense. For instance blocking is much more triwsty then kempo and when attacking the stance requires you to bend one knee and keep the other straight but in my old school you needed both knees bent and I am having difficulties adjusting to this anyone have any tips in getting use to this style of martial arts?

[HtTKar]

when attacking the stance requires you to bend one knee and keep the other straight

I dont know much about Korean Martial Arts, but why would they want you to lock your leg straight? Seems that would have you telegraphing your intentions more as your body level would change each time you move.

[Dude_101]

In our school we only use that stance in patterns and line work we call it a walking stance (Gunnun sogi) for sparring we have both legs bent. Maybe your getting confused? coz no one can spar with on straight leg.

[freeBatjko]

Apart from the valid hints that no fighting stance should ever have straightended legs... I think what you need to realize is that most established styles have parts that work for you and parts that don't.
For example: Taekwondo obviously is famous for its foot work, so it makes sense to listen carefully when they explain why they do this and that with their legs in stances and techniques, and you should ask your teacher why that is supposed to be better than what you are used to.
It is vital for you to understand what the differences actually are. Only then can you make a conscious decision as to how you should alter your own techniques in order to optimize them.

One important rule: When you switch from one style to a different new one, don't make the mistake of chosing one over the other. Learn as much as you can from the new one, but don't forget what you've learnt from the old one.
Try and add all new - while preserving the old...
Find a good balance, combination or compromise between both.
You don't want to have wasted those two years in Kempo, do you?

-free-

[bodhisattva]

Apart from the valid hints that no fighting stance should ever have straightended legs... I think what you need to realize is that most established styles have parts that work for you and parts that don't.
For example: Taekwondo obviously is famous for its foot work, so it makes sense to listen carefully when they explain why they do this and that with their legs in stances and techniques, and you should ask your teacher why that is supposed to be better than what you are used to.
It is vital for you to understand what the differences actually are. Only then can you make a conscious decision as to how you should alter your own techniques in order to optimize them.

One important rule: When you switch from one style to a different new one, don't make the mistake of chosing one over the other. Learn as much as you can from the new one, but don't forget what you've learnt from the old one.
Try and add all new - while preserving the old...
Find a good balance, combination or compromise between both.
You don't want to have wasted those two years in Kempo, do you?

-free-

If something doesn't work, and something else does - switch.
Don't worry about "wasting two years in kempo." That has little to do with the issue and isn't much of a factor.

DO compare arts and their effectiveness. DON'T worry about preserving the old techniques if they don't work.

Do not compromise - ever - learn the things that work, and if you find something better LEARN THAT.

---

The people here are RIGHT. You have no business fighting in a stance with one or both legs straight. You are talking about the formal stances in Tae Kwon Do and they are useless. Don't waste your time or your money there.

[Tant01]

I don't know who, if anyone, (else) noticed? The first and only post by Misturugi was made two and a half years ago?

[kanik]

Um, yeah, sure...I uh...I noticed but ummm...

Okay. No, I didn't notice. Thank you, Tanto, for pointing out that we're basically talking to ourselves here because freeBatjko resurrected the thread.

...sigh.

Hahaha! Thats twisted! I hate ancient threads....

[freeBatjko]

I didn't even notice it was that old.

Well... always good to give an answer... better late than never.
-free-

[bigboywasim]

Rather then doing a little of one style and a little of another I think it is best to learn one style to at least black belt first and then do another style or do two different kinds of martial arts at the same time. For example BJJ and Muay Thai. One is submission grappling the other is striking.

I would find a karate school ( full contact if possible) to finish your karate training.

TKD I have not trained in so I cannot help you if you still want to take it.

[Staple]

Two styles at the same time is confusion.
Practicing two styles at the same time is ok. You can be good at baseball, football and basketball at the same time.
Now imagine learning three different sport together. You body would be confused and learning slowed down.
It's hard enough when you go form style to style and have to learn why a perfectly effective rear leg front kick, must now be mastered with a front leg.

[Earl Weiss]

Couple of counterpoints. 1. Some systems can be complimentary with little overlap. An example is a striking art like TKD and a grappling art like Ju Jitsu. Others such as TKD and Shotokan require various differences in execution which would be hard to adjust between. An example is Shotokan's deeply rooted theory vesus TKDs more mobile and jumping methods.

2. Don't confuse sparring and fighting. In a real fight the opponent may attempt to "Steamroll" you shoving you off balance backward, or take you down. A basic defense to the steamroll is to have one leg behind you locked so you are hard to move and a basic defense for the takedown can be a one or two leg sprawl.

[FLMKane]

2. Don't confuse sparring and fighting. In a real fight the opponent may attempt to "Steamroll" you shoving you off balance backward, or take you down. A basic defense to the steamroll is to have one leg behind you locked so you are hard to move and a basic defense for the takedown can be a one or two leg sprawl.

Are you screwed man?Haveing a leg locked behind you gives me a perfect opportunity for a takedown.A sprawl would help, but it would be better to just get into a better stance. And God help you if I try an underhook or hip throw

[stone_tiger]

Much of it is adaption. For example, I trained in Taekwon Do for about 16 years before I took up Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido. In this case, I have to learn new customs and courtesies, uniform wear, stances, and to use a weapon. The mos timportant difference, however, was the focus on grace and fluidity, not power and force. Both are excellent arts for their respective purposes, and no one is superior--consider the challenges you face in a new art as an oportunity to strengthen your skills overall.

[Tom Yum]

Combining TKD with other empty handed arts

I did kempo karate for about 2 years and a little after i earned my blue belt. Then two years later i started tae kwon do. Today was my second day in the school and i'm having trouble adjusting to the new fighting style and methods of defense. For instance blocking is much more triwsty then kempo and when attacking the stance requires you to bend one knee and keep the other straight but in my old school you needed both knees bent and I am having difficulties adjusting to this anyone have any tips in getting use to this style of martial arts?

Taekwondo is much more of a linear style in terms of strikes and defenses. The ultimate Taekwondo practitioner strikes like a shotokan karetka - one strike, one kill but has a boatload of kicks in the arsenal.

The problem is that the only time you can really use those kicks is if you are sparring, because it seems like most fights that might start from a kicking range usually escalate to infighting really quickly. You'd have to be able to kick high, hard and cold with KO power (which better TKD guys can) or use your boot/shoe to hit a weak spot downstairs to stun/knock off balance and land a one-kill strike or 2-3 but if the fight stays in the infighting range, pure TKD guys seem to result to brawling, not really any technique - grappling even worse.

Kempo is both a linear and circular system. Practitioners have about 2/3 of TKD kicks in their arsenal but have a complete system of strikes, sweeps and takedowns influenced from Chinese systems. Seems like the emphasis is not a one strike kill, rather overwhelm your opponent with vital strikes until they can't attack.

Stances are as different as night and day.

TKD usually uses a side stance with a high center of gravity - makes the body a more narrow target and is perfect for rapid, snap kicking with the closest leg to the opponents closest target (high kicking being the exception).

Kempo uses shifts in stances, some that balance weight differently and generally keep the practitioner's COG middle or slightly closer to the ground. Kicks are generally aimed lower; strikes are not big powerful shots but develop speed from the practitioners joint strength, power from shift in base and are designed to come from unexpected angles and flow from one target to the next.

How would you combine the arts?

Taekwondo would mix well with judo.

If the initial kick doesn't hit its intended target, misses and goes straight to infighting, they could sweep (since TKD have better developed legs and balance from kicking) or throw and still be functional on the ground. The art of Taekyon looks like a cross between TKD and judo. This would be a good combination for practitioners, but especially women - as TKD uses their relatively stronger legs and judo teaches them how to use force and leverage in the infighting range for self-defense.

Taekwondo would also benefit from aikido as well, but that's what hapkido is all about.

Kick or strike your opponent to loosen them up, then control them. Royce Gracie dabbled in Hapkido for that reason - he knows he's not going to be a power house striker but needs to be able to distract/stun/damage on the way in.

Taekwondo combined with muaythai.

They are complimentary striking arts, both that use stances with high COG to allow for kicking, but MT gives the TKD practitioner clinch and infighting striking (elbows, knees, headbutts) and have some good punching from the boxing side.
Taekwon do + Muaythai would be a good combination for a stockier, physically strong TKD practitioner.

I wouldn't combine Taekwondo with judo, aikido and muaythai because then it would just water down its strong kicking base and make it something else.

Kempo would benefit from judo, jujitsu or wrestling - especially wrestling. If the kempo practitioner can get superior position on the ground, he can do damage with vital striking and would be a more active grappler - almost tailor made to counter a typically passive jiujitsu practitioner.

[Ben Grimm]

I think that a striking and a grappling style would work well. But maybe 2 styles with similar principles, whether they both be striking or grappling would also be a good combination.