MT beginner thinking of switching to TKD-wants advice

[Shoot]

My advice is to look around. I know a WTF Korean man at my gym. He's really involved in it and is a coach. His training is very modern and grueling. I'd put his fighter against ANY MT fighters anyday. They train with weights, run, do WAY more sparring than most MT fighters (since many MT schools don't spar at all). Talk about conditioned athletes. These guys are very dedicated and tough.

I talked to him one day about the bad rap TKD gets and the criticism about it's high kicks. He laughed and said, "of course kicking high on the street might get you killed. You'd probably get your foot grabbed and be thrown to the ground." He went on to add that TKD is a martial art that uses sport as something to train for and to get experience. He said that they train for self defense too and advocate low kicks to the legs, groin, and knee for that. He explained that the high kicks in competition demonstrate superior kicking ability as it is much harder to kick high than low and that if you can kick high you can easily kick low. Also, it's safer with the chest protector than say getting your knee dislodged.

So, as long as you can keep TKD the Sport apart from TKD the martial art, you're good and can apply that TKD knowledge to real fighting.

I think you'll enjoy it. Plus, many TKD schools supplement their curriculum with grappling and even BJJ now. I think if taught right TKD is an awesome system.

You can spot the "McDojang."

Another thing this TKD coach said was the colored belts are really for kids. He didn't seem to care about forms. His adults treat TKD pretty much like kickboxing. I doubt they spend ANY time on forms. I say this because this guy is REALLY involved with the WTF.

Think of this too. TKD is the most popular MA in the world. If MT was or BJJ was or MMA was then there'd be plenty of ineffective fighters in those arts. It's the fighter that makes the difference.

The other common criticism is that you can obtain a black belt in TKD in 2 years or sometimes less. Who cares. We're talking about punching and kicking and to some degree knees and elbows. It's a pretty simple art. I think 2 years is way more than enough time to become proficient in striking.

I find it so funny that people are alright with "kickboxing" when it's virtually identical to TKD. It's really funny.

[LoneHusky]

Yes, true. These schools are very common, but the funny thing is they come and go. The traditional schools that promote quality black belts will stay around.

As for the self teaching, I can see we will just agree to disagree. By the way, are you self taught?

I know that some schools that promote quality black belts will stay around but alot of the shitty schools stay around and grow too.

[aku aku]

Do kyokushin. Definitely go for kyokushin. Better than tkd for sparring, thai style kicks, boxing style punches for sparring, and there is modern as well as traditional training. You can't go wrong with kyokushin if your switching from muay thai.

Does he even have a kyokushin school in the area?

[ledfut]

the scoring areas in wtf sparring are the chest protector and from the ears forward on the head with the feet, and a straight punch to the chest.

getting kicked in the hand does not result in a point against you.

the only reason i could see keeping my hands down like that would be because it's somewhat easier to roll my hips back and forth (i.e. to do alternating roundhouse kicks quickly).

[dogzilla]

yeah, i ask my self that to, maybe its a habit, or they think they can get powerful hit by letting their hand down,... but i think if the oponent hits u in the hand its 1 point, so why should they block? but i dont know, havent been on the tournament, yet... i know ill put my guard up,... oh and manily, they are focused on evading the kicks not blocking, so porbably that has to do whit that alot i guess....

[DickHardman]

whats crazy about olypmpic sparring is that those guys are throwing extremely hard shots at each others heads nonstop but they dont keep their hands up at all. is blocking with elbows not allowed in the rules? or do they sacrifice keeping their hands up in order to gain more power in the strikes? after watching these guys i just dont understand why they wouldnt want to protect their head and face more from these kicks? its almost like some of these guys are just letting themselves get knocked out.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvjvugJ2rFM[/YOUTUBE]

[JStinson]

While you guys do not like WTF sparring, it does have one thing I do like. No points are awarded unless the person getting hit is off-balanced with a sufficient strike. For those that think they are weak, get hit by one of the Olympians and then tell me they are weak.

Most tournaments now are bull with tip-taps being counted for points. Main reason I do not even go to them anymore, too political and not much real technique involved.

[ledfut]

while we are the best in the area, i'd hardly consider myself good. too much i need to improve upon, but i appreciate the compliment.

[WildWest.]

Ledfut.

Nice to hear that you and your instructor have some sense about you, and that there are still good TKD clubs about out there.

[ledfut]

Olympic style TKD sparring is horseshit!! Good on you for telling it like it is! I totally agree with you.

yeah i actually told my master i would never mention that tkd is in the olympics again because i don't want people to see it and say "that's what tkd is?"

he agreed with me of course.

[JStinson]

They are harder to find, mainly because they are not the mainstream belt factories. There are some out there, I have met quite a few, most are in little schools or remote locations.

[DickHardman]

hmm, i didnt know much about the itf, there actaully not too bad.

cool clip. some of those kicks are devastating. after watching this clip, there are a few things from tkd that i would like to incorporate into my training...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJINTL2dGRA[/YOUTUBE]

[DickHardman]

i am aware that there are some tkd schools that teach effective styles of tkd that train outside the restrictions of the sport rules, but i think they may be harder to find right??

[dogzilla]

i understood, but next time tell that taekwondo wtf style is olimpic, ITF style isnt :P hehe

but i know what u mean

[JStinson]

Olympic style sparring is sport, just like other tournament style martial arts. Tae Kwon Do can be a very effective martial art, but not what is seen at the Olympics. The Tae Kwon Do I took is the old style, in other words looked alot like Shotokan. I studied Chung Do Kwan, which was invented by Won Kuk Lee, a student of Shotokan.

Hope that clarifies.