What is your main focus?

What is your main focus in your TKD training?

  • Purely for sport

  • Purely for self defense

  • An esoteric pursuit i.e. hobby, socialization, general fitness etc. Feel free to extrapolate

  • A combination of the above, feel free to extrapolate


Results are only viewable after voting.

Kong Soo Do

IKSDA Director
Supporting Member
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
2,419
Reaction score
329
In your TKD training, what is your primary focus for training? And what is the goal of your focus? For example, if you train in TKD for sport, is your goal to compete at some level?

What is it about TKD that best facilitates you achieving this goal?
 

StudentCarl

3rd Black Belt
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
935
Reaction score
30
Location
Grand Haven, MI
My focus is body control and athleticism/health. At 52, I want to improve my brain and body. I have to be intelligent because I injure a little more easily and recover more slowly than when I was younger, but by spending time both teaching and training I can raise or lower the intensity level to continue growing better.

What is it about TKD that supports this? It is a popular art and sport, so I have training, teaching, and coaching opportunities that let me connect with both kids (fun to teach and coach) and age-peers who are often my seniors (similar commitment as well as sources of learning and camaraderie).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 

Gorilla

Master of Arts
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
1,759
Reaction score
44
Location
Las Vegas
Sport....but also our school is in a very economically challenged area so we work with a lot of kids in challenging circumstances...our school gives them a place to go...and keeps them out of trouble and focused on positive things!!! Very rewarding...
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
I hope this doesn't sound naive or simplistic. I had been training many years before I studied TKD. Once in TKD, my main focus was in the ability to kick people, and the ability to defend kicks. Yes, I know MA is a whole lot more than that, but MY focus in TKD was kicking people.
 
OP
Kong Soo Do

Kong Soo Do

IKSDA Director
Supporting Member
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
2,419
Reaction score
329
Sport....but also our school is in a very economically challenged area so we work with a lot of kids in challenging circumstances...our school gives them a place to go...and keeps them out of trouble and focused on positive things!!! Very rewarding...

I think that's awesome! :)
 

ks - learning to fly

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
3,916
Reaction score
630
Location
Minnesota USA
In your TKD training, what is your primary focus for training? And what is the goal of your focus? For example, if you train in TKD for sport, is your goal to compete at some level?

What is it about TKD that best facilitates you achieving this goal?

When I started TKD - admittedly - my main goal was self defense..having been in the wrong place at the wrong time, I didn't want to be in that position or
feel that scared again and was determined to do something about it. Now that it's been 5 + years, that's still one of my goals - but now I have short, mid-term
and long range goals as well. My primary goal - for example - is each day I train, I want to be at least 1% better than I was the time before. Also, I want to
train as long as I am physically able to train and my primary long term goal (at this time) is earning my 3rd Dan by the time I'm 50. I do compete in local
tournaments throughout the year for the experience, but it is not my only focus..
 

Earl Weiss

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
3,581
Reaction score
926
Teaching: Trying to have students realize and then exceed their expectations . Teaching General Choi's system as he would have it learned. Adding addittional curriculawhere I think such addittional material is beneficial to the student from an intellectual and practical perspective.

Training: Mainttaining skills and perhaps improving somewhat. (Age is an unrelenting opponent). Seeking / developing skills for ... solutions (Defenses / Counters) for every problem (Attack)
 

skribs

Grandmaster
Joined
Nov 14, 2013
Messages
7,446
Reaction score
2,517
Our general classes encompass pretty much everything: forms, sparring drills/practice, and self defense. We also have classes dedicated to self defense or sparring (although the SD class is hapkido).
 

cali_tkdbruin

Master of Arts
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,697
Reaction score
16
Location
Los Angeles suburbs, Cali. USA
At this point it's just simply to try and stay fit and in good health, not to be a Billy Badass. But for me in my long time of engaging in MA training it has never been my focus to try and be a "Tuff Guy" unlike some dudes I've known...
 

Manny

Senior Master
Joined
Apr 30, 2007
Messages
2,563
Reaction score
127
Location
Veracruz,Mexico
It was very hard to me to choose, I was to asnwer self defense but I must admit I do TKD because of many things, I began TKD in the 80's because I wanted to learn how to defende myself (self defense) and how to overcome people and situations where one must end bad things, yes I did some competition (kyorugi) but that was not my thing, I just wanted to learn the martial art of TKD, health and a good body was secondary.

Today I do TKD cause I love it and because I like to pass the others my knowledge, so I can say I do TKD because a lot of things not only self defense but this is big thing.

Manny
 
OP
Kong Soo Do

Kong Soo Do

IKSDA Director
Supporting Member
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
2,419
Reaction score
329
Today I do TKD cause I love it and because I like to pass the others my knowledge, so I can say I do TKD because a lot of things not only self defense but this is big thing.

Manny

And that's fine Manny :)

I designed the poll to have a couple of absolutes as well as a couple of broader selections. That way it could hopefully cover the most people.
 

Daniel Sullivan

Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
6,472
Reaction score
271
Location
Olney, Maryland
I suspect that very few people train for only one element. Though it may be a single element that drew them to the class, it is likely multiple elements that keep them training over the long haul. Many who train for "self defense" probably reach a point where they can adequately defend themselves within a relatively short time (less than four years, and depending upon class structure, personal attendance, and outside practice, maybe less than one year).

Many train for that black belt with the idea that once they have that, they can "defend themselves," when in reality, the belt is psychological; they probably have learned the skills to adequately defend themselves long before the black belt, but that belt tends to make things click mentally.

I got into taekwondo for self defense as a skinny, uncoordinated child (that Jhoon Rhee commercial got me started in Kensington, MD) in order to deal with schoolyard and neighborhood bullies.

However, at this point, I practice the forms for fitness. My main motivation (versus the practical elements of fitness or defense) is simply the joy of learning new things, increasing my depth of knowledge, and simple pleasure. I don't currently train in a dojang and I am not currently teaching taekwondo (both of those may change at some point in the future). Self defense is no longer a factor in my personal training motivations, nor is rank; I hold a fourth dan from an independent school and a KKW first dan. The belts don't get any blacker at this point.

Now, I'm just into the arts; I'm no longer underweight, I'm quite coordinated, and I've been more than able to defend myself on several occasions over the years, and in every case, with the most rudimentary of taekwondo skills (all things I was well practiced in by green belt). In fact, to date, I have never had to use any hapkido, Bartitsu, kendo, kenjutsu, taijutsu, or -any other art I've trained in for any length of time- skill in real world self defense.

The only skill I've used in a real world application from hapkido has been break-falling, and that was only once when I slid on black ice in a parking lot at night.

I use the non physical skills those arts, including taekwondo, all the time in order to avoid/resolve situations before the physical skills are ever needed. But those are all skills that I first learnt in taekwondo, though they are not unique/specific to taekwondo.
 

Latest Discussions

Top