TSD-TKD-Karate

[Koga-Shinobi]

Heya all, to a beginner MAist, I wonder if someone can try help me understand the differences in style between TSD, TKD and karate. I've heard they're all pretty simialr, specially the kicking aspects. WHat're the differences/similarities??

 

[Shinzu]

i have only seen TKD, i have never trained in it. i do however train in TSD. i heard they are somewhat similar being both korean arts. sorry i couldn't help more

 

[arnisador]

Both TKD and TSD were heavily influenced by Japanese karate; the former in particular is very much a Korean interpretation of Karate.

 

[Dim Mak]

Hello,

They are all related. Bear with the following history to understand the differences in the arts you asked about.

From a Korean standpoint, following WWII various styles of karate were brought to Korea by Koreans that had lived and studied in Japan, Okinawa, or even China. But, since this is about karate, I'll leave out the CHinese influence for now.

Five major school of martial art emerged in Korea from these Koreans that had returned to Korea. The Koreans generally called their art either "Tang Soo Do" or "Kong Soo Do" before the 1950's.

Korean culture uses the feet for "dirty" things(close to the ground) such as fighting, walking, kicking some bum off the front doorstep, etc - while the hands are reserved for "higher-mind" things such as writing, art, poetry, etc. So, naturally the Koreans favored kicking techniques over hand techniques.

In the 1950's, Koreans sought to seperate themselves from their previous Japnese oppressors. This included trying to make a uniquely "Korean" martial art for the country. Because of it's resemblence to the foot-fighting art of "Tae Kyun" practiced during the Yi Dynasty in Korea, the name of "Taekwondo" was suggested and adopted as a name for the Korean-karate - type martial arts. A few of the teachers resisted this name change, including Hwang Kee, who preferred to keep the older name, "Tang Soo Do."

The push for Korean martial art independence continued into the 1960's, even labeling Koreans practicing the older "Tang Soo Do" arts as "traitors to Korea" with lots of name calling. Most teachers quit, were assimilated into the new larger Korean Taekwondo Association(now WTF) because of a promised paycheck, or simply left the country for freedom to teach and preserve the older ways. Taekwondo became a sport with rules of competition.

Depending on the teacher, and how legitimate their link to Tang Soo Do teachings, their techniques should be very karate-like, with the exception of more kicking techniques.

The sport of Taekwondo around the world nowdays, doesn't even resemble the old teachings. I imagine it more resembles the way Tae Kyun was used at the Dan Oh Festivals in Korea during the Yi Dynasty. It was a competitive "game" for demonstration during that time - using the feet to score a point on the other competitor.

R. McLain