Here's a question for you Non TKD'ers

[Sam]

Hey, y'all - art trashing isn't what MartialTalk is about.

Perhaps instead of using words like "suck" ... how about you folks who don't think highly of TKD give some specific examples of its lack of viability in your opinions?

:whip:

Sorry.

Marginal; The TKD-ists I've sparred... have had interesting methods. My favorite so far has to be the guy who's favorite offensive move was a spinning wheel kick to my head. If I had a nickle for every time I've jammed that guy...

It might just be that the TKD schools around here are particularly terrible, I don't know. I do know, however, that one of the larger schools with several locations has a kiosk in the mall, advertising, "train with the champions!" and shows a group of 4-7 year old blackbelts. I had a math class with a black belt from this school, right when I began training. He made me want to shove my pencil in my eye on a daily basis.

 

[Marginal]

Marginal; The TKD-ists I've sparred... have had interesting methods. My favorite so far has to be the guy who's favorite offensive move was a spinning wheel kick to my head. If I had a nickle for every time I've jammed that guy...

Heh. Reminds me of the Kenpo guy I used to spar. (Dunno the system, but he said he was 3rd degree brown, as well as holding a much older, and less used BB in TKD) He liked to lunge at his sparring opponent. I routinely would catch him at the start of his lunge and push him back out with a side pushing kick. Had different footwork than most TKD people I've sparred since. I'd attempt to throw any kick involving a spin, (I was only a 8th gup at the time) and he'd vanish... Then I'd get clobbered from behind. (He'd go into a sidestep and angle around me while I was busy with the spin.) Still don't like to use spinning techs much at all to this day 'cause of that.

 

[Odin]

I think with me i think its to do with practical fighting,I just dont think tkd is practical (from what i have seen that is I cant comment on every aspect since I havent studied the art),Ive seen tkd fights and always thought why doesnt the fighter do this or why doesnt he do that (like punch or knee,i mean alot of the tkd most powerful moves seem to be thrown from distance,what does a tkd guy do if i close the distance and get in his face?alot of the kicks would be out of range no?and the punches seem basic,and then I would lay in some knees and uppercuts and end the fight....and the stance doesnt make sense,I used to box a bit before muay thai and my kru showed me why that stance would be useless (low kick,you fall over) is more so the same for tkd.

not to say that tkd is not an worthy martial art its only to do with what Ive seen if I studied the art im sure I would be able to make it more prsactical to my style of fighting.

 

[terryl965]

Odin in the close up we would do has alot of other Arts do, we would use the elbows- upercuts-knees and just about everything. The coception I have taken from most of te poster here at MT is they really have only seen sport TKD which is alot of school out there, also with sport base Karate and Judo but if you are lucky enough to fing a real school in either of these sport school they could and shold be able to teach alot to anyone willin gto learn.
I also learned from some great military people who tought but most of all I have learned to never under estimate anybody until I know for sure what they can or cannot do.
I hope we can all grow together and we as MA"ERS OUR ABLE TO LOOK past the commercial schools and see what really lies ahead for us.
Terrry

 

[terryl965]

Oh yea just as a tidbit if I personally offended anybody I bow my head in shame.:asian:
Terry

 

[IcemanSK]

it sounded worse than I meant it.

The reason I don't believe in TKD, is because I have yet to meet in real life a tkd practitioner who didnt do silly things like tell me they would kick me in the face with a jump spinning kick in a street fight.

Not saying there arnt good TKD practioners...

I've just never met any in real life.

Forgive me Sam, but at 17, I'm sure you've run in the a lot of teenage boys trying to impress a girl. I hope as you continue in MA you meet more mature TKD folks who would tell you differently.

 

[rutherford]

I grew up by a TKD guy. He was an amazing practitioner, had his 3rd Dan the last time I hung out with him, and a room full of trophies. He trained very hard, and was learning more groundfighting when we lost touch. (This was right when the first couple UFCs were being aired and Royce was dominating.)

I also tried classes when I was very young, and absolutely hated the way they were run. That's pretty much turned me off from ever giving it a try later in life.

And that's where my opinions on the art come from.

It seems like an extremely popular art, and so I'm sure there's all types of people involved. Some of them you'd make a grave mistake if you underestimate their abilities. Some of them are pretty funny folks dancing with high kicks and pretty pajamas.

 

[shesulsa]

Oh yea just as a tidbit if I personally offended anybody I bow my head in shame.:asian:
Terry

Terry, I fail to see how you offended anyone here. If anything, you embody what TKD can be as an art. I'd like to read more of what you have to say on this.

 

[Bigshadow]

What drawers your perspective of TKD is it first hand experience or from second hand gossup. How do you non believer drawer your conclussions about TKD.
Terry

My experience with TKD was watching my son's TKD class, I didn't participate. The school (chain of schools) he was at was strictly about competition and trophies. I understand from many, such as yourself, there is more depth to TKD than what I saw and there is apparently an old guard (old school) out there that were taught differently.

However, it just isn't for me, either way.

 

[terryl965]

My experience with TKD was watching my son's TKD class, I didn't participate. The school (chain of schools) he was at was strictly about competition and trophies. I understand from many, such as yourself, there is more depth to TKD than what I saw and there is apparently an old guard (old school) out there that were taught differently.

However, it just isn't for me, either way.

Bigshadow I can respect your decission and it is the way alot of people precieve it. Chain school are mainly put together for the masses and if they tried to run a school for tradition would probaly go out of business they need the competition to grow the sport aspect of TKD.
It is a sad day when almost all the responses have been about the sport of TKD in my eye's. I wonder will the tradition die as the sport continue to grow.
terry

 

[bignick]

My experience with TKD was watching my son's TKD class, I didn't participate. The school (chain of schools) he was at was strictly about competition and trophies. I understand from many, such as yourself, there is more depth to TKD than what I saw and there is apparently an old guard (old school) out there that were taught differently.

However, it just isn't for me, either way.

This is what I like to see...an honest opinion and evaulation...and a simple "I saw some and didn't care for what I saw"

Too much of what I read in this thread is people with little to no exposure to TKD disparaging it based on assumptions and stereotypes that abound here and elsewhere. I know nothing about a lot of other arts, so I refrain from opening my mouth about them. I realize the discussion asked for your opinions, but it's a lot nicer when they are expressed in an adult way. In fact, this would be a great thread to discuss common misconceptions about the art and address questions non-practitioners may have.

 

[Bigshadow]

I would like to point out that my "passion" for the art I train in now was there long before being exposed to TKD of any kind. So there was a time I had considered taking TKD to train with my son, however, in my heart I felt I was betraying myself. So I found the training I had been wanting to do. So it really wasn't the TKD I saw that made me look elsewhere. It just wasn't what I wanted. However, from the sporting aspect of what I saw, it sure looked like a lot of fun!

 

[bignick]

I would like to point out that my "passion" for the art I train in now was there long before being exposed to TKD of any kind. So there was a time I had considered taking TKD to train with my son, however, in my heart I felt I was betraying myself. So I found the training I had been wanting to do. So it really wasn't the TKD I saw that made me look elsewhere. It just wasn't what I wanted. However, from the sporting aspect of what I saw, it sure looked like a lot of fun!

I feel the same way...if I wanted, I could train in an extremely traditional style of karate with my judo and jujutsu instructor, I've also looked at arts like aikido, hapkido, kendo, all of which are availabe in my area, and mostly of the highest quality. Heck, Taika Oyata will be in town soon...but I've found what I like and I'm sticking to it.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Taekwondo, like any MA, is simply about the person, the practitioner and the effort they put into training and practicing the art that's all.

Since its become so popular, due to Mc Dojangs and the Olympics, TKD has become so watered down because many of its new practitioners, and many of its BBs don't have the complete drive and commitment to practice the martial art properly. I've seen so many TKDists just go through the motions when training, it's pathetic. It's no surprise to me that TKD in the US anyway is disparaged so often by other martial arts stylists.

BTW, I'm a TKDist myself.