Why does everyone mouth off on TKD?

[Damian Mavis]

"axe kick? Yes, it is a technique mainly to develop elascity and flexibility."

heh, one of my students nailed another student in the face with axe kick and he had to get a steel plate put into his face to keep his eye from sinking into his head.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[KennethKu]

Originally posted by MartialArtist

To see a few techniques of it, get Streetfighting Essentials. The author is a hapkido/TKD practitioner and the techniques shown in the book are of military TKD/hapkido.

IS this the one ?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005YUSC/qid%3D1031232656/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-1116228-7261733

[Damian Mavis]

Come to think about it.... Martial artist, I think your statement of the axe kick mainly being used to develop flexibility is meant to apply to front rising kick which is simply throwing your leg straight up and down in front of you to stretch the hamstrings. The axe kick is a staple of TKD used to knock out and break through defenses. It's hard to defend from because it comes down from directly overhead... I almost always successfully hit my target when sparring in Muay Thai and I use that kick, most of them do not learn to defend from that angle. It's my secret weapon I bust out if things are going bad heh. Works like a charm.... until I do it so many times they finally recognise it when they see it and learn to block it. Hope that never happens!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[fissure]

I have twice seen compound fractures of the collar bone as a result of axe kicks.Broken noses are a blessing compared to this!:EG:

[fissure]

Oh, the Statue of Liberty thing sounds like something an imaginative instructor came up with for a kiddy class - I've never heard of such a thing.

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis

Come to think about it.... Martial artist, I think your statement of the axe kick mainly being used to develop flexibility is meant to apply to front rising kick which is simply throwing your leg straight up and down in front of you to stretch the hamstrings. The axe kick is a staple of TKD used to knock out and break through defenses. It's hard to defend from because it comes down from directly overhead... I almost always successfully hit my target when sparring in Muay Thai and I use that kick, most of them do not learn to defend from that angle. It's my secret weapon I bust out if things are going bad heh. Works like a charm.... until I do it so many times they finally recognise it when they see it and learn to block it. Hope that never happens!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD
I have used the axe kick in tournaments, but I rarely do not use it when challenged during class or self-defense situations. A trained person can use a simple retreat to get away from it and I just find the timing for it much more difficult than for something like say, a straight. Another thing though is a powerful axe kick does take some time to "get back on balance" which doesn't really have to do with balance but getting back on your feet. No matter how quick you are, the time to recover would be longer than even a power side (thrust w/ snap) kick. That's just for me.

[Damian Mavis]

Hey Martial artist, anything thrown on the street should be at the "expert level". I know what you mean by off balnce and slow and whatnot but.... if you cant throw axe kick lightning fast and with bone shattering power and perfect balance then you have no business throwing that kick to defend yourself. (and I don't mean you when I say you I mean everyone in general) That is how I feel about all techniques, if you've got a slow sloppy weak round kick from Muay Thai than don't use that to defend yourself, use whatever other weapons or techniques you can do fast and hard enough to be realistic.

I think alot of people (not you in particular) learn a technique and maybe never see it executed at a high level of competence and never fully realise it's effectiveness and figure that technique just plain sucks. I know a ton of techniques I suck at but have seen others use on the street with explosive power and speed and knock someone out instantly. And I'm standing there thinking "damn... if I had tried to use that technique it would be me lying on the ground right now". Simply because I haven't trained that technique to a realistic level of competence to use for any kind of street defence and be successful. Anyway, just rambling my thoughts on the matter.

By the way, don't forget to tell us all about your training in Thailand in the Muay Thai section! I really want to know all about it.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[MartialArtist]

I didn't train in Thailand extensively. I was there visiting the sights when I was visiting Korea for my family. Hey, if I'm in South Korea, why not go to other places while you're at it? Like going to Germany but not going to places like France.

Even the axe kick done at expert level, I feel that there are more oppourtunities to perform something as simple as a jab than an axe kick.

[Damian Mavis]

Well like I said earlier, one of my students crushed another students face with an axe kick and he had to get a steel plate put into his face to keep his eye from sinking into his head.... you don't get that kind of power and destruction from a jab.... but why would you want to cause that much destruction?! Guess its there if you need it.

Now about South Korea.... heh, after I train in Thailand for a few weeks I'm going to South Korea for a couple of weeks to train in TKD. Any advice or tips about were to go to train?

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[MartialArtist]

Look for a military school. A lot of them are private and are not affiliated to organizations like the WTF. You see, although they train A LOT HARDER in Korea than in the states, there are many versions. Some train for combat, others for sport. Seoul would be a good place for a sport style version. Pusan and Taejon are good for military styles.

[Damian Mavis]

Thankyou, my concern was that almost all of them are sport schools. But I'll keep those other places in mind. I don't mind training at a sport school but I'm really hoping to train and spar with some serious ass kickers.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD