Are you better with different legs for different things?

Touch Of Death

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Bill Wallace is a Karate guy. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'm saying that TKD promotes practice from both stances. Karate might be different. I've never spent any time in a Karate dojo.
I will let you in on a little secret. All arts promote practice on the other side. That doesn't mean you shouldn't care. :)
 

Gwai Lo Dan

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Wallace also doesn't have a choice. He can only kick with the one leg due to an old injury. So not really a fair comparison.
My recollection is that someone asked if we'd be practising the other leg, Bill Wallace said "No, it's better to have 1 good weapon than 2 mediocre weapons". I think he also mentioned that with limited time (3 or 4 hours for the seminar) practising both legs would cut into the time.

He stated at the beginning of the seminar that he'd show us his way. It wasn't the only way or necessarily the best way, but the way that worked for him. He commented that everyone is built differently, with different characteristics (flexibility, speed, etc), so just try his way, see what works for you and what doesn't, practice it a bit, and adapt it to your style as applicable.
 

Earl Weiss

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Back in the day when police carried revolvers they were trained on the range to dump the brass in their hand and then put it in their pocket because it made clean up easier. They had to stop teaching that when they were finding dead cops that were taking the time in shootouts to dump the brass in their hands to put in their pockets. Taking more time then just drop it and reload and keep shooting. In Stress they reverted back to their training and it was poor training and got them killed.

Went to a weapon course where tey taught us to not and the weaponback to the attacker after a disarm for tis reason.

My JJ instructor was a bouncer. Tells of restraining a guy in the bar who "Tapped Out". My isntructor instinctively let go of him- TYhe fight was back on.
 

Earl Weiss

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Pardon the vernacular. I just figured he was a guy that practices Karate. You know...a Karate Guy. Do I have to commit seppuku now?

"Bill Wallace is a Karate guy. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'm saying that TKD promotes practice from both stances. Karate might be different. I've never spent any time in a Karate dojo"

1. Your statement made a possible link to Karate based on the premise as to what the purported Karate Guy does. My point was to show the possible premise was off the mark.

2, You are allowed 2 more misstatements before having to commit Seppuku.
 

Touch Of Death

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"Bill Wallace is a Karate guy. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'm saying that TKD promotes practice from both stances. Karate might be different. I've never spent any time in a Karate dojo"

1. Your statement made a possible link to Karate based on the premise as to what the purported Karate Guy does. My point was to show the possible premise was off the mark.

2, You are allowed 2 more misstatements before having to commit Seppuku.
Again, they all promote practice on both sides. :)
 

Earl Weiss

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Back on topic. Last night in class had students who did OK with the Back Piercing Kick on one side and poorly on the other. Their initial comment was "That's my bad leg" . After watching, it was clear that the mechanics were better for one side then the other. This mostly involved the pivot of the support foot and upper body position. It had nothing to do with the physical capability of one side versus the other.

Having them do the weak side kick while going thru proper posiitioning piecemeal made tremendous improvement in a short time. In order to unlearn bad habits numerous slow piecemeal repetions have to be done. Trying for speed and power right away often results in a return to improer habits.

No amount of practice will improve poor mechanics of a kick.
 

Takai

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No amount of practice will improve poor mechanics of a kick.

I agree. Practice doesn't make perfect....only perfect practice makes perfect. Still working on the perfect part but at least I keep getting better.
 

Buka

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Bill Wallace was originally a wrestler, then a Judoka. He busted up his right leg in Judo - which is why he only kicked with the left leg. And he only threw three kicks. Side, hook and round. That's it, that's the list. I'll be damned if anyone could stop those three, though.

P.S about Wallace - in his very last ring fight before retirement, he threw a spin kick with his right leg (towards the end of the fight) - just for the hell of it. We all cheered, he smiled.

As for either side forward - most folks use both sides. But I have yet to meet anyone in a fighting art, ANY fighting art, that is equal on both sides. Not one single person.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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As for either side forward - most folks use both sides. But I have yet to meet anyone in a fighting art, ANY fighting art, that is equal on both sides. Not one single person.
Agree with you there. If you can shot hand gun with both hand, you may still have one hand better than the other hand. In a life and death situation, even 1% in favor can make a big difference.
 

Touch Of Death

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When I first stated learning the Martial arts I was taught to fight right handed, and I had a pretty amazing lead leg, but when I finally made the switch to southpaw, I suddenly had all this talent. I can't imagine spending 50% of my time on something I already spent to much time doing; however, in basic sparring you would of course explore both sides of the issue, because, you are learning. :)
 

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