What you like about TKD

[karatekid1975]

Ok, I saw this on another forum that I'm on. I thought it would be a good thread here. No TKD bashing, just TKD'ers stating what they like.

For me, I like being flexible ;) I do like the fancy kicks. Breaking is loads of fun (had breaking week this past week). And I'm a forms geek. I like to do a well-done form. I like to make my techniques "snap" and be sharp :) My fav TKD form is Tae geuk sa jang (4).

Anyone else?

[jfarnsworth]

Learning how to kick, multiple kicks, and many various kicking combinations is what I like about TKD. :asian:

[cali_tkdbruin]

Where do I start? There are so many aspects and features of TKD that I really enjoy.

Well anyway, let's see, it allows me to keep physically fit, I like learning self-defense techniques, practicing poomse, and especially competing in tournaments and the kicks, OH THOSE KICKS!:eek:

I also like that non-practitioners look at us martial artists in a different light. I've met non-martial artists who respect that we've commited ourselves to our Art and that we spend so much time trying to hone our MA skills. Not that I go around advertizing to the public that I'm in the MAs, but, I heard things like "you take Taekwondo, WOW!" when they find out I'm into the MAs... :asian:

[Zepp]

Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin
Not that I go around advertizing to the public that I'm in the MAs, but, I heard things like "you take Taekwondo, WOW!" when they find out I'm into the MAs... :asian:

Yeah, that is kinda a nice thing about being a martial artist in general.

I love being able to deliver strong strikes, not just kicks, but yeah, I love the kicks the most.

I also love that the training keeps me fast, flexible, and makes me sweat like a hog in a sauna. Definitely the most satisfying workouts I've ever done.

[Marginal]

I mainly like the movements. I always get a charge out of seeing TKD in action. Even better if they're being aimed at me so I can work on avoiding 'em etc. The more energy output demanded of me, the better I find I like the activity in general... ;)

Just to avoid having to make a seperate (and somewhat negative) thread, what I don't like so much is when classes get over into testing mode. Where patterns, breaking and the non interactive stuff starts getting stressed. Cleaning up technique is nice and all, but patterns etc get old when their only real purpose is to pass the test. I'd rather do something higher energy, or at least better balance it out so that the classes don't bog down the closer things get to testing. Yarg.

[Damian Mavis]

What I love especialy about TKD is the fact that I feel it is the hardest martial art to become expertly proficient in. I don't mean "ya I've got a pretty good sidekick" I mean really truly fast and powerful wth the legs. We use our hands to do all kinds of things since birth but our feet are pretty uncoordinated on most people. After getting good at TKD I find learning any other martial art doesn't seem very difficult.

Anyway, I just feel that it is a hard martial art to become really good at compared to other arts I have studied.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Samurai]

No bashing ...but I do not like TKD much anymore.

It is hard on the knees, the kicks are not too practical, and it is hard on an other body.

I DO like the training and streaching.

--Jeremy Bays

[Zepp]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
After getting good at TKD I find learning any other martial art doesn't seem very difficult.

Anyway, I just feel that it is a hard martial art to become really good at compared to other arts I have studied.

I feel the same way. I think the point of much of the training is to make the kicks practical. Not an easy path to having good self-defense, but from the bit of cross-training I've done, it seems like it gets you there in the end.

[Cruentus]

I'm not a big TKD practitioner, and I am in fact not really active in TKD currently. I trained TKD from age 7-18 (WTF style) and every now and then I get the gear on and spar.

Here is what I got out of it....

1. Discipline; Being that I was young when I started especially, I can attest that if your TKD instructor is good and hard on you, you will develop the discipline to do just about anything.

2. Physical "tenacity." The TKD school I came from helped me to become physically "tough." This was mostly because of my instructor. He was a World Champion Kickboxer as well as a TKD master, and he put an extreme amount of emphasis on body conditioning. Technically speaking, we weren't nearly as advanced as the Filipino stuff that I focus on now. But physically speaking, we were very tough. We used to spend hours and hours on basics. Serious calistetics and body conditioning was included in every class. I used to have to do all kinds of crazy breaks also; 2 board spinning heel speed breaks with one guy on another persons shoulder; flying side kicks on a wobbley deck over water at a Marina, jumping split kicks, 10 brick breaks w/ palm when I was only 16 years old, etc. The list goes on; and although I'd most likely never use something like a jumping split kick (or half of the breaking techniques) in a fight, the fact is this caused me to have to push the potential of my mind and body beyond my limits. This aspect definatily applies to life or death situations. Plus, we used to fight all the time. Kickboxing, boxing, and open tournament style, not olympic style. With our tournament style fighting we would go medium to full contact; sometimes bare knuckle (which was rare and against the permission of the head instructor; because we allowed head shots, and it usually resulted in a blood-bath. I would not recommend this today!). Although we were not very technically advanced, and we were primarily a blocking and striking art (no joint locks, or ground work), the sheer tenacity, willpower, diversity, and overall "toughness" of some of the students that came out of my TKD school would allow them to beat people who had better, more advanced technical abilities if there ever was a fight.

It was because of my TKD school that I was able to easily do my share of NHB fighting (when I learned some ground fighting concepts), and other things; I had the physical tenacity to do so.

3. Distance and timing. TKD allowed me to develop an extreme sense of distance and timing that I don't think I would have gotten from my Filipino Martial Arts alone. With this sensativity of distance and timing, however, I am able to translate this into my current FMA training fairly well.

Through my personal TKD experience, this is where TKD has benafited me.

:D

[karatekid1975]

Good post :)

What I like about my new dojang is it's not your "typical TKD dojang." What the WTF took out, they put back in (we are WTF affiliated). We spar WTF style, but we do breakfalls, joint locks, takedowns, even the step sparring is more like self defense than the "typical step sparring." But yet, we still do all that fun stuff, like the "fancy kicks." I think it's a good mixer. It's fun, but yet it's affective :) I mean, every art has it's weekness, including ours (no ground fighting), but what we do learn is not just "sport TKD." It totally blows the "reputation" of the WTF outta the water. I think it's kinda funny, actually. People think we are "sport" because we are affiliated with WTF. But when they see us train, they are blown away hehehehehe;) :D It might be because we are also affiliated with the Tae Kwon Do Won ..... donno. But I like where I'm at.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by PAUL
I'm not a big TKD practitioner, and I am in fact not really active in TKD currently. I trained TKD from age 7-18 (WTF style) and every now and then I get the gear on and spar....
:D

If I might ask, how far did you advance up the TKD ladder? :asian:

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin
If I might ask, how far did you advance up the TKD ladder? :asian:

Not very far; only a 1st degree. Remember, although I trained for 11 years, I stopped actively training TKD when I was 18. I didn't like the whole "junior blackbelt" thing, and my instructor (for good reason) would only promote an adult recomended black belt to 16 year old and over. So I stayed a red belt for a very long time, and then I tested for my recomended black belt when I was 16. Under the rules of our school you had to test 1 year after your recommended for 1st degree, and had to be actively training until then. For this year you were scrutinized very thoroughly; and if you sluffed off or stopped training actively, you had to re-test for your recommended, and the process restarted. When I was 17 I recieved my full 1st degree.

Now if my 11 years of TKD training was in adult years, I would probably be much further up the ladder. :cool:

[Infight]

The best thing in TKD is its chokes, really amazing!lol

[Angus]

Originally posted by Infight
The best thing in TKD is its chokes, really amazing!lol

Kind of like how the best thing in BJJ is the punches and kicks. ;) If you can't contribute anything useful to a good conversation, just don't bother wasting our time and yours.

What I like about TKD is that if trained really hard and correctly, the practitioner can have extreme leg control, speed, and balance. It's simply amazing to me to watch someone who's kicks, jumps, footwork, combinations etc, are blended together so smoothly that it appears effortless, because it's like fine art to me. Your body isn't normally inclined to move and use your legs in such a manner, and to watch someone who moves so gracefully is inspiring.

The flexbility factor is also nice. I've always been someone who was naturally flexible (to an extent), so to find an art that capitalizes on one of my own inate strength is helpful. Of course, doing Muay Thai helped me build strength and condition the joints through some exercises and lifting, but had I not done TKD and a TKD-based art, I wouldn't have reached the same level of flexibility that I have now.

Not to mention the amount of distancing and focus on targetting that it teaches you. It's priceless, and something that you don't get with arts that don't teach spinning and jumping kicks.

I love training in MT/BJJ, but I also love TKD because of the reasons above. I love kicking period, but TKD has many benefits that the others can't touch, like mentioned above.

[Marginal]

Originally posted by Infight
The best thing in TKD is its chokes, really amazing!lol Ho sun sul is pretty fun when you start getting into that stuff allright. (Which is about... White belt level at the school I'm at currently)

[RCastillo]

It really helped lay the foundation for me as far as Kenpo was concerned. I still practice my forms, as it's hard to give it all up after two decades of work.:asian:

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by Infight
The best thing in TKD is its chokes, really amazing!lol

Lucky for me, the TKD school I was at had a very diverse background, and we had some Judo, Jujitsu, and Aikido practitioners who used to also train at the TKD school, along with there other arts. Some had started at my school, then went elseware to supplement there training, yet kept an affiliation with us. Others came from other schools, and kept an affiliation with those.

Unfortunatily, this behavior along with business disagreements caused many rifts among certian Korean Nationalists, and my school ended up eventually breaking off it's affiliation with the ITF Organization.

But besides the bad politics, overall we it was a very diverse learning experience for me.

PAUL

P.S. I don't know why I said WTF before.......my school was an ITF school. Duh! :p I was just thinking about the WTF for some reason, and I slipped up on my typing.

[Infight]

My background is BJJ! and MT! just it! Cool pratice some of grappling, everybody must train some grappling or they are lost in a fight! Mainly Judo and BJJ!

[Zepp]

Infight, you did notice that MartialTalk has separate forums for grappling and muay thai, didn't you?

[MartialArtist]

TKD - I like the locks and submissions, although that's not really what mainstream TKD stands for. TKD for both combat and sport emphasizes striking, but does not remove grappling, wrestling, and etc.

[karatekid1975]

I agree. I do what I call "old style TKD" (That's before all that stuff was removed for sport). Some people don't realize that TKD does have a fair amount of joint locks, throws, take-downs, ect. I even asked my instructor once if he mixed some kind of Judo with TKD, but he said no. TKD does have this stuff. I was kinda shocked, because I didn't know it either, till I started training here. It was a welcome suprise for me, cause I came from a sport TKD school. And we regularly train in this stuff, also. It's not just kicking, punching and sparring. It's so much more :)

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by karatekid1975
I agree. I do what I call "old style TKD" (That's before all that stuff was removed for sport). Some people don't realize that TKD does have a fair amount of joint locks, throws, take-downs, ect. I even asked my instructor once if he mixed some kind of Judo with TKD, but he said no. TKD does have this stuff. I was kinda shocked, because I didn't know it either, till I started training here. It was a welcome suprise for me, cause I came from a sport TKD school. And we regularly train in this stuff, also. It's not just kicking, punching and sparring. It's so much more :)
WOW! And this is from Rochester! That is simply amazing. I would be thinking a state like NY would've gone ballistic, but NY is no California. :D You found a diamond in the rough, kudos.

Old style TKD is the only TKD, no exceptions. The days of the drill instructors beating you with sticks is gone and making training like British SAS boot camp, only it never ends are gone, but I'm glad to see that those types of schools are still around. That may not be your school, but that doesn't define combat-oriented school. You found a combat-oriented school, and that's great! I'd be thinking that with all the ***** RIT kids getting off spring break would like a few lessons (my newphew goes to RIT).

[karatekid1975]

Yes, I found a gem amoung stones, dude. This school is awsome. You are right. I was lucky, because Rochester is full of the McDojang, sport, money greedy places that don't teach nothing. This school is in a little town, too. "You blink you miss it" type thing. And I also drive 40 minutes to get there, but it's worth it :)

We have kids from RIT at my school, too :)

[lucifersdad]

i must say for me the main attraction of TKD was the kicking, jumping kicks arnt a large part of the syllabus in my base style, but the staying power was competition.

i managed to make vice captain of the england AIMAA squad (GM hee il cho's association) so it was mainly the ITF sparring but still great fun!:D

[Dagonar]

My favorite thing about TKD is that we are considered family. White belts through black belts are our brothers and sisters. The Masters treat us the same and after class, we can share and laugh at jokes as family. I feel like the dojang is my home away from home.
I also enjoy board-breaking a lot.
And I like watching the more advanced students doing their forms or breaking techs.

[platinum_angel]

hmmmmm..................sorry can't think of anything
:rofl:

[ThuNder_FoOt]

I believe the things I like most about TKD, is the movement. The footwork and the movement speed of one's attack's is what drew me to TKD at second glance. The footwork just amazed me. Of course at first glance, all I saw were the dynamics... which I might add are superb. In short, I suppose that its the fluidity of movement, and SPEED that i love about TKD most.

Along with the speed, I also believe the dexterity and flexibility gained from TKD is an excellent quality. These are very important stepping stones for me in my progress as a martial artist.

[karatekid1975]

I agree with you there :) Plus, I like the stuff I learn as far as self defense goes. It's second to none in this area. Of course there is no Hapkido here, but it's close :D

[RyuShiKan]

Originally posted by platinum_angel
hmmmmm..................sorry can't think of anything
:rofl:


Folks,

Don’t mind him. He is MT’s newest troll. He was in the karate forum trash talking as well.
He studied Goju for a whole year:eek: and now reckons he is an expert to critique all MAs.

[Damian Mavis]

What would this forum be without the inexperienced experts telling us all the TRUTH about martial arts? We need guys like him to keep the boards alive with excitement!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[platinum_angel]

lol ok there is one thing i like about tkd...........flexibility

[phlaw]

Weight Loss.

My first 9 months in TKD I lost 50 pounds!

[Infight]

hhmmm...i know something good in TKD, the throat pratice, when praticing TKD they send more kiais then kicks!

[Deathtrap101]

What would this forum be without the inexperienced experts telling us all the TRUTH about martial arts? We need guys like him to keep the boards alive with excitement!

well yea, without them it would just be people sharing honost information(for the most part):shrug: how boring would that be?

[Marginal]

Originally posted by Infight
hhmmm...i know something good in TKD, the throat pratice, when praticing TKD they send more kiais then kicks!

You trying to reassert your trollish presence now that platnum_angel has fallen?

[Zepp]

Is there a way to ban a user from individual forums?

[Damian Mavis]

Infight, I've tried not repsonding to your ignorant attitude in the past but I'm going to say it now... don't be a moron.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Zepp]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
Infight, I've tried not repsonding to your ignorant attitude in the past but I'm going to say it now... don't be a moron.


At the risk breaking a Martial Talk rule: I'm not sure Infight can help it.

[jfarnsworth]

Originally posted by phlaw
Weight Loss.

My first 9 months in TKD I lost 50 pounds!

Good for you. That's cool! keep it up.:D

[Ruan Long]

What I like about taekwondo is........about taking a new approach in life. To work hard, understand culture, meeting new people, finding new ways to explore spirituality, and to experience pain.

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
Infight, I've tried not repsonding to your ignorant attitude in the past but I'm going to say it now... don't be a moron.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD
Agreed

Seems like Infight is just ignorant and needs to justify his training or something. :rolleyes: It looks like you just talk trash more than you train.

[MartialArtist]

Infight is the very same guy who said that he was able to beat Mike Tyson so I do suggest you fear him.

[Gizmo]

I like every single moment when I put my dobok on and enter the dojang with a bunch of people I know and like.

I like those rare moments when I can tie the first black belt around the waist of my student saying "congratulations, you made it" and when I can see this very special look on his/her face.

I like to hear one of the smallest white belt students in class meeting me on the street and proudly announcing that he just read a very interesting article on Taekwondo in a MA magazine...

I like to receive email from one of my masters living 1500 kms from me saying "Do you host the summer camp this year? I would like to come over for a week and not just for a weekend like last year, since we really had a great time then..."

I like to see all these people in the gym - some training with me from white belt up, some with Karate background, some from ITF, all kicking and punching happily...

I love to see the look on the faces of people visiting our gym, asking - "is THIS Taekwondo? With boxing gloves? With low-kicks? With grappling? Hey, you're not ITF, you're really doing patterns? Hey, TKD kicks lack power..." - "Would you hold this shield please?..." - WHAM! - "Sorry, my mistake, I probably heard something wrong..." ;)

I like it. After years in the gym, after seeing and experiencing so many weaknesses of the style, after getting some experience in other styles and bringing it back into TKD - I still like it. It's not a "blind love" anymore, but a very strong relationship between two experienced parties.

I hope I'll be able to keep it this way...

Regards

Gizmo

[karatekid1975]

Originally posted by Gizmo


I love to see the look on the faces of people visiting our gym, asking - "is THIS Taekwondo? With boxing gloves? With low-kicks? With grappling? Hey, you're not ITF, you're really doing patterns? Hey, TKD kicks lack power..." - "Would you hold this shield please?..." - WHAM! - "Sorry, my mistake, I probably heard something wrong..." ;)


We get that at our dojang, too. They are suprised to know that we are WTF affiliated, but yet we do grappling! I chuckle everytime ;)

[Josh]

Tae Kwon Do is great. In sparring, the fact that the adrenaline keeps you on your toes and not too cocky is good. Yea the acrobatic and flexible kicks and snappy strikes are amazing. If the whole room can hear your strike. I like it. Good stuff yo.

[tkdcanada]

Everything! For me it just began as an cool activity I can do with my kids....now, a year and a half later, I'm hooked and it has become so much more to me. It's a personal journey, it has helped me find myself spiritually, improve myself physically and evolve into the very different person I've become since I've started. I adore sparring and taking myself to my physical limits, my mind thrives through trying to learn the terminology and memorizing all that I learn (so that I can quickly recall anything from white belt on...on the spot), I love learning to manipulate my body in so many new ways with jumping and spinning kicks and complicated movements, I love the artistic style of the Poomsaes (even though I'm still struggling to be that graceful), I even love the essays we have to write as part of our black belt preparation, I love the philosophical aspect and I believe it encourages discipline, respect and all those other virtues needed to live a good life, I love proving that you're never too old to begin something like this (I began at 31 years old...overweight and never having been very physically active in my life!) - I train as hard as any younger student in my school and will do anything regardless of how strenuous or difficult. I also love the friends that I've made which have become just as important to me as my training. What more can I say? It just completes me!

[Damian Mavis]

Hi there and welcome to MartialTalk. I noticed you are from Ontario, what part of Ontario are you at and who is your instructor? I'm just curious since I am in Ontario too. I'm glad TKD has been so beneficial for you, I teach TKD solely because of people like you that enjoy it and get so much out of it.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[tkdcanada]

Hi Damian,

I am in Cornwall. My instructor is Rodney Degray. Where are you in Ontario?

[Damian Mavis]

I run Honour TKD out of Ottawa, I'm affiliated with ITF. I'm thinking you are affiliated with WTF? I don't know your instructors name that why I'm thinking that. I know most of the ITF guys around here but I'm still very limitted in my knowledge of WTF schools in Ontario. Either way it doesn't matter, TKD is TKD and the benefits are pretty similar for most people. I was just hoping I knew your instructor so I could feel like our TKD community was better connected then it is heh. Goodluck and continue to have fun with your training!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[tkdcanada]

After posting my reply and asking you where you were, I noticed your location (duh!). You're right, we are WTF - we are a branch school of Master Tae Eun Lee's Ottawa Moo Kwang Taekwondo. I don't understand a whole lot about the ITF/WTF thing. WTF is all I know.

[Damian Mavis]

Ahhh haha yes I know Lee's TKD well, he controls WTF in Ottawa. My first instructor that I spent 9 years with was actually originally his student. You are probably learning a very similar style of TKD to what I first learned. Looks like the world is as small as I was hoping it was!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[TKDman]

Cool techniques like the Chicken Beak Strike.

[tkdcanada]

Damian,

I thought that would ring a bell! Why did you switch styles?

[Damian Mavis]

I didn't actually do any switching of my own really... except when I returned to ITF after having a falling out with Mr. Fu. When I joined TKD under Mr. Fu 13 years ago he was already in the ITF (I don't know his reasons for leaving WTF) Then he moved us all to GTF and we got new uniforms, then I left him and went back to ITF.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD