Thinking about TKD

taezee · Brown Belt

_________________
Javier l Rosario
bayshore new york
instructor taekwondo/hapkido
"whenever youre lazy enough not to train .someone, somewhere is training very hard to kick your *"

[ This Message was edited by: taezee on 2002-06-01 00:43 ]

[ This Message was edited by: taezee on 2002-06-01 00:58 ]

[ This Message was edited by: taezee on 2002-06-01 01:15 ]

[ This Message was edited by: TAEZEE on 2002-06-01 16:16 ]

tessone · Green Belt

Both opinions have their merit. For many (depending on the school and the student), TKD is a sport. People are in it for the tournament structure and the activity. For others, it's for physical fitness. For still others (if they're in the right school), it's to learn self-defense. Any art is just a microcosm of MA as a whole.

There's no reason to disrespect others for having their opinions about an art.

_________________
Chris Tessone
Brown Belt, Kuk Sool Won

van_damme · Orange Belt

KOREANTIGER..i do agree with you that you cant always win a fight with just kicks.If i see i am in trouble and someone grabs me,i will destroy them.My sensai said that in a fight,if someone grabbed you..use your skills that you have learnt (stuff i learnt from kung fu..coz its easy to get out of a hold if someone grabs you arm or something),he said destroy them..lolz.Anyway,i love kicks and ill use them all the time,but when i think im in danger ill use my kung fu..so dont worry my friend..lolz

Ti-Kwon-Leap · Blue Belt

The best thing is to watch actual classes at the school that you are considering.
Also, ask about what types of self defense are taught along with traditional TKD.
For instance, this monday we worked on nothing but grappling to prepare the students for "parking lot" situations.
We are a WTF school but not the type that only worries about winning tournaments.
My advice is to check out all your options before rushing in to any school.
Go to your local library and
do some research.
There are several books that are available explaining what TKD actually is.
This is knowledge that should help you make an informed decision.
GOOD LUCK!

_________________
"It is not enough to aim, you must hit."
-Italian Proverb

[ This Message was edited by: Ti-Kwon-Leap on 2002-06-06 17:15 ]

aitkd2nddan · White Belt

TKD does have an extreme amount of kicks. A lot of these kicks are not practical on a self defense level, but are amazing to watch. However, the fact that it is not good for self defense is not true. The very basic kicks, blocks and punches that are learned at white belt level can create utterly devastating power if they are performed with true precision and technique. Are you going to know how to defend yourself after one class, of course not, if you master it though it is extremely potent in a self defense situation. I've personally seen my students, most of which are under 12, throw kicks that could take a grown man down. Of course, half of the fun of tkd is going up in the ranks and not only witnessing but doing the truly amazing kicks that it has. As far as hand techniques, there is not a lot, but again, i have personally broken two cinder blocks with a punch and i am by no means big. All around i think tae kwondo is great for both recreation and self defense

Don Gwinn · Orange Belt

I can't get over how much this sounds like a gun board.

"1911's are good guns for sports, but they're not really practical for carry."
"What are you talking about? What do you carry? A 9mm? That's wussy stuff!"
"What's wrong with 9mm? Now, a .38--that's a girl's gun. Only good for making your opponent angry."
"Well, yeah, the .38, obviously designed by pansies for fairies, but. . . ."

If there's anything I've learned from guns it's that caliber and gun are very nearly irrelevent within certain limits. If you train hard so that you hit your target with your weapon while using cover so you don't get hit, you win.

I think TKD is going to be the same for me. I study it to address weakness in myself. I am strong, but I am slow. I am large, but I am clumsy. I do "Grizzly-Do" pretty well, but I am clumsy and slow on my feet. So I study TKD with the object of losing some fat, getting faster and quicker on my feet, and learning about range, spacing and timing. I think TKD will do a good job of teaching me those basics. Then, when I have grasped those basic concepts, if I feel the need for other techniques, I'll learn them.

In my dojang, punching, elbows, and knees are emphasized even though they compete in WTF-style tournaments. The idea is that tournaments and self-defense do NOT have to be the same. I played football for a long time, and I carry a gun. That doesn't mean I will automatically tackle or shoot someone in a self-defense situation! Now, there are people in the dojang who concentrate mostly on competition, but that is their choice.

_________________
____________________________________
* Ignorant Taekwondo beginner.

http://www.thefiringline.com

jakmak52 · Green Belt

I prefer the Desert Eagle for firepower

...I'd say 70% kicks and 30% hand techniques...

Peace

http://community.webshots.com/user/jakmak521

El Guerrero Loco · Orange Belt

I think its ignorant for anyone to say TKD sux. It does depend on the person but I do think that style does play a part. But not whether you win or not, it merely determines the way you fight. Think about it, physically legs are supposed to be three times stronger than arms, they are also longer...come on ppl. And about the sport thing...think fer a minute, if one can use kicks to devastating effect against other highly skilled "foot fighters" why in the name of all thats still good, would you not be able to do it against an untrained "thug"????? Plus, TKD doesn't put a huge emphasis on punches but that doesn't mean they don't have them. I personally do Wado-Ryu but I learn stuff from other styles to attain a higher degree of skill(and hopefully have some knowledge of how other styles work so that i can defend against them)

My brother, my sensei and I went to a shotokan tournament. We wiped the floor witht hem in our different divisions, all coming in first. Heck, no one was even able to hit me. But that doesn't mean shotokan sux, or that Wado-Ryu is better. I've seen some amazing shotokan figthers and tkd figthers. Come on ppl. Use ur heads.

_________________
"Live free.
Die well..."

Don Gwinn · Orange Belt

Desert Eagle--the ultimate firearm for dumbbell weight training!

But that's my point. I don't like the DE. It's heavy, it's huge, it fires cartridges that could probably be better utilized from a simpler, lighter, more reliable revolver (except .50 AE.) And its gas system is unreliable if you use the "wrong" ammunition, which could be any brand and can't be identified without experimenting.

BUT. . . . and it's a big BUT. . . . it works. And it's accurate, and it's powerful. And if you are smart enough to train with that monstrosity so that you know which ammunition is reliable, and keep the gas system clean, and are used to the weight, then you can still win with it over someone who has a better gun but has not trained as hard as you have.

_________________
____________________________________
* Ignorant Taekwondo beginner.

http://www.thefiringline.com

Taikudo-ka · Green Belt

- "And about the sport thing...think fer a minute, if one can use kicks to devastating effect against other highly skilled "foot fighters" why in the name of all thats still good, would you not be able to do it against an untrained "thug"?????"

Well, in theory, you should be able to, and if said thug is not too alert then he'd better watch out.

However, what I have learnt from sparring is that a person who is fast and good with their hands can make things very difficult for "foot fighters". Why? Because the kick must travel so far, while the blocking/grabbing arm only has to move a foot, max. For every ten kicks to my head, one gets through and hurts like hell, but the other nine get grabbed and held like a vice. In sparring I'll probably let you go after a few jabs, but if it was "real" expect to hit the ground hard and get pummeled to the max. 9 - 1... I can live with those odds.

Another thing is that kicking too high leaves your groin horribly exposed to counter-attacks. No problem in tournaments as you can't generally attack the groin (!), but on the street - another matter.

Not to say kicks are useless - they're not. But it's a matter of strategy and timing, like all things in a fight. Consider your opponents defenses. Attack the weak points. Use the appropriate technique.

Best places to kick:
- groin
- stomach
- knees
- shins

Though I don't mind a roundhouse to the floating rib either. Anything higher is asking for trouble, in my opinion.

[ This Message was edited by: Taikudo-ka on 2002-07-08 08:02 ]

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