The Tae Kwon Do Thread... Your thoughts.

[Manufest]

i'm not sure how popular or good this school was because its closed now

Time to find another MA to take

[vamjok]

Don't bother to find any more schools. train yourselves with a small groups of friends, and research what works best and what does not. I am into Tkd for around 8 years and still into it. The real reason why i am still into it is because the girls are hot and friends. Not because i can get any real training there, although i considered the facts that i am not from sports side.

learn Wing Chun from friends for few years, and by pure chance to see bjj from a friends who have left as well. It was then i realise what i am lacking off. However there are no qualified bjj instructors here, thus my friends and i research on all groundworks base on trial and errors, books(wreatling, bjjs and judos).

in just merely a short period of time, i discovered that i can choked out or tap out almost all of my students in tkd or friends holding blackbelt in respectable system of karate or other martial arts in less than 2 mins(on the average). main reason is because they don't know what to do after being taken down. And for pure judokas, they don't really scares me as i have sparred with them before. adding striking to their rules really freaks them out and i am able to keep my distance. although times and chances are surely one will be throwed onto the ground, things are not that scarely if you know what to do. but personnaly i will not play grabbling with them for i am more of a striker. its better to fight in your comfort zone and their uncomfortable zone. Goes into a ground try to gain good position finish it, if not see what's happening and try to escape and stands up.

although i know a bit of grabbling, i still prefer standing for i think its safer in street. that is the reason why i still keep my wing chun and tkd(however for tkd i transfer all my kicks to low kicks and only retain the footworks with addition of jkd footworks i have seen.)

if you are a serious martial artist, form a small group(best if all from different martial arts background). it will work better than joining a school for most of the time, a school is trying to make profits. throw away all your egos about being a blackbelt. Prehaps the reason i said that is because there is no real serious martial arts school in singapore.

[Manufest]

falcon i would like to know EXACTLY how long you studied TKD, what style, what school, how often, what age you were, and how you know so much about how all tkd is soo ineffective, and how ALL tkd uses ALL high kicks? we have many effective low kicks that may be used, we know about high flashy kicks that don't work, but they are basicly taught to help with balance, TKD is good for that . and, ANYONE who comments about tkd, i want to know your experiences, how long u took it, where, what style, what age u were at the time, how serious u were about it, and if it was just tkd that you took.

[falcon3624]

I only took TKD for about a month or two and I took Tang Soo Do for about 6 months. The advanced military hand to hand combat course has a little TKD (not much besides low kicks). On the other hand in the southern part of Louisiana where I live there are many "awesome" TKD schools that are suppose to produce some of the best guys in the nation. Alot of them are trained by master Lee (grand master of TKD, Judo, and Hapkido) who is very good although old. I have fought time and time again with the guys that are suppose to be the best around and they just don't last. In south louisiana we have alot of these fight clubs as well where NHB matches are held and every once in a while you have a TKD guy that comes down to face one of the MT kickboxers or grapplers and they never make it out of the first round.

[Manufest]

So, all of you assume that TKD is made for the ring???? that tkd is made to go against other MAs??? I don't believe thats the reason i take MA's, i didn't take it to win in the ring, thats what MT kick boxing sounds like its geared toward, and thats all you ppl think about, there's no arguing with you, u didn't take tkd (unless you got ur master's BB in the one month of taking it)

I'm not trying to be the best in the world, i'll never be able to do some things, but i don't think you should be judging other MA's unless you've taken it yourself, and taken all the styles, you're one of those people who say that there style is the best, but, someone in tkd can train , and be trained just as hard as a MT boxer, either through the trainer, or self motivated training, but don't judge all Tae kwon doist, thats way too general, just because you heard or seen Tae kwon doist get there ass kicked doesn't mean that the MA is shit, it's a matter of training enough, and hard enough, and knowing what kicks to pratice on your spare time, personally i like the low powerful, but quick kicks, i train low powerful fast roundhouses, side kicks, not only to the waiste, but to the thighs, ok, i may not be able to cream a MT boxer, but thats not my goal. My goal is to be able to defend myself, and taking tkd , and hapkido hasn't failed me yet.


Falcon, you failed to answer all my questions , i'm still waiting

[falcon3624]

I think I answered you question just fine. TKD is very competitive and alot of the people that take it you meet think it is so great. If it is so great than why does it shallow in comparison to just abouut every other martial art out there? The fact of the matter is I have seen what is supposidly some of the best in the TKD game and I didn't think much of their abilities. I thought they were pretty good strikers and everything but there is just way too much that is missing and lacking in the system itself.

I think TKD sucks and that is my opinion. I have based this opinion on 20yrs. of martial arts experience testing myself against practitioners from just about every style I have come across and I have found that TKD is one of the most lacking of all.

I mean if TKD is so good then why everytime I go to a TKD school and challenge someone they deny me? When I used to take Aikido and Shorin-ryu I would do the same thing and most of the time they would ask what I took and I would just tell them shorin-ryu and they almost always accepted. Now that I go in and ask and I tell them I take BJJ and MT every TKD school anywhere around me has declined. So it raises the question........if they are so damn good then why are they afraid to test their skills against one martial art when they are open to test it against another?

[Manufest]

i see your point, and its a dam good one

but, what is it exactly that tkd lacks? Is it possible to fill those gaps by cross training with something elsE?

[falcon3624]

I don't know. I have seen many people that try to cross train in other arts while taking TKD but the TKD usually overpowers the other style when the 2 are put together (I think alot of that has to do with the fact that usually it's easier to do TKD). I notice that most people in TKD when in a real fight situation will go for the high kicks because they want it to be done with fast and go for that one hit knock-out. Another problem is that almost all TKD practitioners I have come across leave the centerline open when striking leaving a huge gap in which to be struck. Most high TKD kicks involve cocking back and shifting the upper body weight back. This is a big problem because although most people in TKD have fairly good balance when the weight is shifted to the rear the base is pretty much broken. The biggest problem of all I think is the lack of knowledge in what to do in a clinch or grappling situation. Before you jump to conclusions I have seen some TKD schools that do teach a little bit about the clinch and maybe a takedown or two. Fact of the matter is they don't go in depth enough and try to use techniques in these situation that is just inferior to the techniques of most other martial arts in that situation. I mean if I charge a TKD guy that is starting to cock back into a kick and is leaning that weight to the backside..........what do you think is going to happen? You are going to end up on the ground and then that is where TKD lacks the biggest. Every TKD person I have fought has ended up submitted because of lack of knowledge about grappling, joint manipulation, and takedowns.

[Manufest]

i see...... i do agree with you that there is a lack in knowledge about what to do in a clinch and takedowns,

But, i have a few other MA's in my area besides tkd:

-Aikido
-Jui jitsu
-Karate
-Boxing
-Kick boxing (not MT, that place closed as far as i know)
-Kung Fu
-Judo
- Tae Bo (rotflmao)

Which one should i take, there's no BJJ or MT in my area as far as i know, or a few MA places that i called,

any suggestions would be usefull

[BadgerFu57]

Manufest, you should visit each place and ask some questions and maybe even do a trial class. Not all instructors will be the same. If you want to see what a real fight is like, I recommend watching one of the first five Ultimate Fighting Championships. You can rent them at blockbuster in the special interest section.

I would try to keep balance in all things. If your on a treadmill, and run your ass off you still don't get anywhere. If you step outside and never step, you still don't get anywhere. Keep an open and analytical mind about martial arts, learn as much as you can, and do what works.

Boxers are known to have some of the best striking skills, they can take punishment, are good conditioned, and can hit fast and hard. Some cross-training in that will help you out because TKD doesn't have much for hand techniques, and you'll probably get a six pack, lol.

Since you don't have BJJ, I would recommend trying the local Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. See which one you like, and which one you would find most beneficial. And I would say to still give the other arts a try. The more you know, the more you can work with. Most schools will have a trial class or something. Even if you don't intend on taking Kung Fu for example, you could still get a nugget of wisdom (lol) from attending one class. It all adds up friend.

Good luck.

[Manufest]

well, the Mt boxing place only moved, so i'm gona go try that out too! - the instructor has 5 BB's in other MA's and has been teachin MT for since the 60's (makes me wonder how old he is, but i guess you don't have to be young to teach good technique and good training.)

i'm going to take a trial lesson at all the MA places i can, just to see which one i prefer, although from talking to the MT instructor, that one sounds like it'll get me into good shape and its not as expensive as tkd (which has testing like every other month......)

thanks for replyin

[Loor]

TKD is effective.

Tae Kwon Do is very effective. I have had to use it in many cases, once where 4 guys jumped me. I sent one to the hospital and the others bloody. I broke all but one's nose, and the kicks are useable. Such as the turning front twisting, a very powerful and effective kick. I have used it a few times in "real" combat. And what the hell do you think sparring is? Why are you such an asshole about TKD?

[RobertG]

Re: TKD is effective.

Originally posted by Loor
Tae Kwon Do is very effective. I have had to use it in many cases, once where 4 guys jumped me. I sent one to the hospital and the others bloody. I broke all but one's nose, and the kicks are useable. Such as the turning front twisting, a very powerful and effective kick. I have used it a few times in "real" combat. And what the hell do you think sparring is? Why are you such an asshole about TKD?

Funny, your story has changed already. In a previous thread it was you left 3 guys bloody and one with a broken nose. Now one went to the hospital and you broke all but one's nose.

You do realize, of course, that had you actually sent three people to the hospital you'd likely have been arrested by the police.

I have no idea what a "turning front twisting" is, but anything that requires you to turn and twist about while kicking is likely going to land you on your ass.

Then, of course, one might wonder why you are having fight in "many cases". Most people don't have to fight ever. That goes for a lot of very, very good martial artists. Fighting all the time is not something to be proud of. It means you need to have you head examined because you are pissing a lot of people off. Its an exceedingly rare event for one person to get jumped by four people and for this to have not been their only fight, but one of many. Especially when you are only 14. Where these kids you put in the hopsital like 6 btw? I mean, yeah, when I was around your age I was doing Savate. I could do all these cool kicks and I thought I was all badass and everything. Unfounded hubris is a consequence of being a teenaged male I think. Thankfully I never had to fight 4 people at once or I would have gotten my little kicking ass, well, kicked. But I digress....point is, well, no one beats up 4 attackers. Doesn't happen. Even the very toughest people (well the smart ones) run when its 1 against 4. Real life is not a movie. 1 against 4 and the 1 goes down and gets his head stomped into the concrete. And you're a blue belt. Everyone and their mom is a blue belt in TKD. No offense, I'm sure you worked hard for it, but the McDojo inflation has made the blue belt in TKD rather worthless. Its too easy to get most places.

Oh, and btw, you've wandered into a board dominated by and large by MMA/BJJ/MT/JKD/FMA type of folk. These are the sort of folk that don't look to kindly on TKD and Karate. Deal with it. I'll just give you a simple scenario--one that would have occurred if you actually fought 4 attackers simultaneously. Someone jams one of your kicks by closing the gap on you. Now you've got about 6" of space to get a kick off. So basically your kicks are gone. The guy continues to close the gap and tackles you. Now you're on the ground with a guy on top of you. What do you do? Exactly, TKD doesn't prepare for the reality of having your back on the ground with a guy on top of you. Nevermind his three buddies are kicking you in the face the whole time.

The sparring part of TKD is real good. But don't get this invicible complex because of it. When you really do have to fight you could be in for a rather rude awakening.

[Loor]

Two incidents asshole.

[Loor]

Hapkido+TKD

Hapkido is also tought in Tae Kwon Do, that is if you follow it and are devoted to it. I know very many things to get people off me. A very useful one is the hair, you can bite, all sorts of things. And if you are good enough, that won't happen, and niether will his "buddies". So