have you ever lost faith in TKD?

Manny

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I emailed an aikido sensei asking some qestions and toughts about his art because I want in some degree learn Aikido. Something that slap me in the fore head was a sentence he writes me and it's something like thse (forgive my english in translati[FONT=lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif]on) The more important thing about the martial art that one do is having faith on it.

Am I losing my faith in TKD? I realy don't know because it seems to me that looking for some other martial art to practice tells me something, instead of focus on what I know and do (TKD).

What can you tell me abou this?

Manny
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sfs982000

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I don't think it's necessarily that you're losing your faith in TKD, but more of you wanting to grow as a martial artist. I've never seen anything wrong with branching out and learning from other arts, even arts that might be considered substantially different from your own.
 

StudentCarl

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I wonder if you are just not excited about your training right now and feeling like you are not doing new learning...

It is important for you to have drive to learn and to enjoy it so that you want to think and play with it like a child. When you feel this you know your heart is engaged. This is when it is most fun.

I think what matters is that you train so you engage your mind and body and spirit deeply. Where your path leads only you can find.

Have I "ever lost faith in TKD?" No, but I do not chain myself to it either. When I free fight, my body uses what feels right-- a mix of Taekwondo, boxing, Hapkido, Wing Chun, and BJJ. I study TKD but try different things and keep what fits me well. TKD is good exercise that helps all of my health and athleticism, but I also train movements that are not TKD. Taekwondo is my base but it is not an island that traps me.
 
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Touch Of Death

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I emailed an aikido sensei asking some qestions and toughts about his art because I want in some degree learn Aikido. Something that slap me in the fore head was a sentence he writes me and it's something like thse (forgive my english in translation) The more important thing about the martial art that one do is having faith on it.

Am I losing my faith in TKD? I realy don't know because it seems to me that looking for some other martial art to practice tells me something, instead of focus on what I know and do (TKD).

What can you tell me abou this?

Manny
Maybe it's time for you to broaden your horizons, hold on to what you know and go master Judo, Kenpo, Aikido, or what have you. These other arts can only provide you with untold skill. Check it out. You can still do TKD at the same time. :)
Sean
 

Earl Weiss

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IMNSHO some are overly "devoted" to an art. I am really not critical of that if it makes them happy so long as they don't impose that mindset on others. Now, don't get me wrong, a certain amount of devotion is needed to attain a level of competence. Once, while in a group where I knew certain overly devoted people were present I asked General Choi his opinion about studying / practicing other arts. His answer was to the effect: "just because you study painting doesn't mean you shouldn't study sculpture." At which point many people looked over to those of the other mindset, and then General Choi continued (after a pause) and said "but first master TKD", which resulted in a collective chuckle from the group.
 
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Manny

Manny

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Thnk you guys. The fact is right now I am only teaching TKD the way I like it, for example last night I teach a little breakfalls and rolls and then I proced to teach self defense against a choke atempt and a full choke, also nelson lock and head locks.

I am not training anymore because: a) The class my master teach is a mixup of children,teens and moms, b) the techs teach in that class is sport TKD you know high kicks and that kind stuff with very little almost cero self defense and tecnique aplication.

So basically the new stuff I am learning is Taeback poomsae.

Manny
 

StudentCarl

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Manny,
It sounds like you need a change. If you are only teaching what you like, your students are learning Manny-do and not Taekwondo. If you are not doing training yourself, what is missing? You might think of what traits (balance, agility, speed, coordination, power, etc.) that you want more of, and also think about what ranges of fighting you want more skill with--kicking range, punching range, close striking range, grappling. Perhaps think what sounds most interesting and valuable to you and find where you can learn it.
 

Kong Soo Do

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Hi Manny, hope you're doing well down there and keeping safe.

On the surface, TKD and Aikido are different arts i.e. one is a kicking/striking art and the other a very circular, flowing, joint locking/throwin type of art. So if the TKD you study is limited to kicks, strikes etc and doesn't have other material then yes, you need to change up or mix it up. If on the other hand your TKD (or any art) has strikes, kicks, joint locks, throws, ground defense, weapons etc then your plate would already be full. Only you now the variety of your TKD and whether or not it is time to change or cross-train.
 

DennisBreene

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IMNSHO some are overly "devoted" to an art. I am really not critical of that if it makes them happy so long as they don't impose that mindset on others. Now, don't get me wrong, a certain amount of devotion is needed to attain a level of competence. Once, while in a group where I knew certain overly devoted people were present I asked General Choi his opinion about studying / practicing other arts. His answer was to the effect: "just because you study painting doesn't mean you shouldn't study sculpture." At which point many people looked over to those of the other mindset, and then General Choi continued (after a pause) and said "but first master TKD", which resulted in a collective chuckle from the group.
That is the perfect point to ask what constitutes "mastery". Is it the traditional 5thDan? That seems overly restrictive to me. First Dan? What constitutes sufficient mastery of a body of knowlege that it is beneficial to supplement it with another style?
 

DennisBreene

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Along those lines, I'll be starting a 6 mo. luthery course in May and will temporarily relocate to northern Michigan for that school. The local community has several martial arts venues and I'm considering training at the Kung Fu (Wing Chun I believe) school. It seems it may dovetail nicely with Arnis and my aging bones don't hold up to the pounding of straight up hard style Tang So Do anymore.
 
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Manny

Manny

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Hi Manny, hope you're doing well down there and keeping safe.

On the surface, TKD and Aikido are different arts i.e. one is a kicking/striking art and the other a very circular, flowing, joint locking/throwin type of art. So if the TKD you study is limited to kicks, strikes etc and doesn't have other material then yes, you need to change up or mix it up. If on the other hand your TKD (or any art) has strikes, kicks, joint locks, throws, ground defense, weapons etc then your plate would already be full. Only you now the variety of your TKD and whether or not it is time to change or cross-train.

Hi, mainly I am a kicker/puncher 50/50, my way of doing TKD is some kind of old style, remeber my rooths are JiDo Kwan and in the aerly days of this Kwan judo was a part of it. I like to use control on self defense techs so I like to grab and take people to the ground with a nice wrist/elbow/shoulder lock afther a counter that can be a hand strike for example.

When I teach we do kicking drills but is not the main part, I mean, maybe today we do kicking drills and maybe next class poomsae or self defence or one steps, our kicking drills are not like the ones that sport competitors do, we are not as aerial or fast for example.

My class is not sports oriented, we do light contact sparrin right now because some of the students are beginers but certanly we all go full power in a short time.

I want to learn something more to myself, something that enriches me and enhances me, someting new to catch my eye.

I am a little picky when searching for a dojo/dojang, sensei/sambonim, I am not impress esaly because I have had very good masters over the years so well... what's available in my town is karate Do Shotkan, Aikido, some Judo and lots of TKD dojangs.

Manny
 

Dirty Dog

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That is the perfect point to ask what constitutes "mastery". Is it the traditional 5thDan? That seems overly restrictive to me. First Dan? What constitutes sufficient mastery of a body of knowlege that it is beneficial to supplement it with another style?

Depends on the person. I'd say "mastery" in this context would be 'when you've learned as much as you care to about a given art". There's nothing traditional about 5th Dan, except within a given art. In Korea, all yudanja are called Master.
 

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Yeah once, i have a cousin who is skilled in kung tao, I sparred with him once and it seemed impossible for me to get through his defence. I'm used to only using a leg or a hand strike whereas he always uses both arms to defend and attack at the same time. Interesting thing was, when i kick fast enough, he could not react in time, he wasn't used to my feints as well. Now, I'm sort of researching for throwing/tripping, strikes, and blocks that I may use against him I'm still hoping as I go deeper in tkd, I may discover something new, seeing as I'm only a blue belt with red tip, I figure there's much more to be learnt after reaching black belt.
 

chrispillertkd

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Hi, mainly I am a kicker/puncher 50/50, my way of doing TKD is some kind of old style, remeber my rooths are JiDo Kwan and in the aerly days of this Kwan judo was a part of it.

...

I am a little picky when searching for a dojo/dojang, sensei/sambonim, I am not impress esaly because I have had very good masters over the years so well... what's available in my town is karate Do Shotkan, Aikido, some Judo and lots of TKD dojangs.

Manny

I don't know if judo was specifically a part of the Jidokwan curriculum back in the day, but Chun, Sang Sup did begin teaching the karate he learned in Japan at the Choson Yon Moo Kwan, which was a Judo school, when he returned to Korea. GM Chun also had a background in Judo before learning karate. Why not look into taking up Judo since it has a bit of a link to the Jidokwan, which is what your roots are? Nothing wrong with aikido, of course, but since you seem to identify so closely with the Jidokwan I just think doing a bit of judo would be a neat way for you to get in touch with your roots more.

Pax,

Chris
 

ballen0351

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I'll 2nd Judo. Started it recently and its so much fun. Its help my knowledge of my karate also.
 

msmitht

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Yes. The first time i tried bjj i felt that tkd was completely useless. Make no mistake, tkd will never prepare you for ground fighting. There is nothing wrong with training in multiple arts. Broaden your horizons if you feel you need to.
 

Earl Weiss

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Earl Weiss

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. There's nothing traditional about 5th Dan, except within a given art. In Korea, all yudanja are called Master.

Very true, this is a relatively recent development done for marketing.

Without naming names in "Living the Martial Way" the author addresses the time when the title was devalued to this level asking how a person can have a Title of "Master" of a system when that system still has material not yet laught / learned at that level.
 

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