Is TKD for real?

[Jas]

I recently watched a seminar in TKD given by a Robert Summers school of TKD, It was the worst thing i've seen in a long time. The attacks they used in there sparring where so weak and fake it was brutal. When I asked how effective this style was in a street fight the teacher told me TKD was only useful when faceing somone that was using TKD, is this true?

 

[Danny]

"When I asked how effective this style was in a street fight the teacher told me WTF compatition style TKD was only useful when faceing somone that was using WTF compatition style TKD, is this true?" Yes.

*Bold text added by me if you haven't already figured it out."

If you would like to learn about real Taekwon-Do I suggest you read the encyclopedia. Or find someone that teaches the art of TKD, not the sport.

 

[Bagatha]

LOL

 

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by Jas

I recently watched a seminar in TKD given by a Robert Summers school of TKD, It was the worst thing i've seen in a long time. The attacks they used in there sparring where so weak and fake it was brutal. When I asked how effective this style was in a street fight the teacher told me TKD was only useful when faceing somone that was using TKD, is this true?

The teacher is full of sh!t and doesn't know his TKD other than sport style.

I suggest you take military TKD and then can you come to another conclusion.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

What is true here is that a competitor is limited in the types of attacks and the areas of the body that can be attacked in sport (WTF) taekwondo competition. However, that shouldn't indicate that TKD is not a useful self defense martial art. If all holds are off, and there are no rules I still like my chances using my TKD skills to defend myself in a street confrontation. Hopefully I would never let it escalate to that point. In any event, some TKD attacking and defensive techniques can be very effective if performed correctly. They won't stop bullets but still are very useful.

:yinyang:

 

[rzusy]

TKD is a joke. In all the years i have been training I have only been in 2 tournaments. This is the type of emphesis that should be placed on tournaments in all styles. Why would you train in a martial art just so that you can use it as a sport. That defeats the whole purpose of the art. It was establised as a fighting art not jumping around playing tag.

 

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by rzusy

TKD is a joke. In all the years i have been training I have only been in 2 tournaments. This is the type of emphesis that should be placed on tournaments in all styles. Why would you train in a martial art just so that you can use it as a sport. That defeats the whole purpose of the art. It was establised as a fighting art not jumping around playing tag.

Ummm... Have you thought about the other aspect of it?

If there's a sport style to it, there's a combat version.

 

[Langdow]

Hey MA, we agree on something.
I guess this is another one of those misconceptions people see about TKD all sport no art. :idunno:
Maybe nay-sayers should give the art a shot instead of a sporting comparision.

 

[rzusy]

Hey guys maybe I didn't express myself clearly enough. I agree with you if tkd is done traditionaly then it is an excellent fighting art. What i'm saying though is that most tkd schools just worry about putting trophies up in their windows rather than prepare their students for real life situations.

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by MartialArtist

The teacher is full of ***** and doesn't know his TKD other than sport style.

I suggest you take military TKD and then can you come to another conclusion.

Sir, I would like to know more about Combat TKD. Can you give us more info, and who teaches it?

How does if differ, from say, ITF TKD?

Thanks for your help!:asian:

 

[muayThaiPerson]

ya know, my TKD friends tell me that its fun. but they dont like how its geared more toward points and sport.

it doesnt mean that its not for real but most of it nowadays is probably more sporty

 

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by RCastillo

Sir, I would like to know more about Combat TKD. Can you give us more info, and who teaches it?

How does if differ, from say, ITF TKD?

Thanks for your help!:asian:

Forms or fancy high kicks are not the core of the training program. Most teachers are private instructors and the only place I've seen is Korea really.

Forms are still in the program. The technique for the forms are the BIGGEST thing on forms.

High kicks are also practiced because they help on your speed and agility. If you could kick high 10 times in 10 seconds, then you can kick lower much faster.

The reason why most MA's deal with sport because it is more popular. Take an average person, would he rather do something where he can win a trophy or go train to get injured. The previous is more appealing.

 

[TkdWarrior]

hmm if u take encylopedia of TKD by Gen Choi u'll see the difference
military TKD might be the traditional one... which doesn't emphasis on competition sparring...
i m blend with traditional(more of it) n competition
i guess the teacher was quite rite...from his knowledge point of view...
-TkdWarrior-

 

[celtic bhoy]

Taekwon Do is great kicking art that is beautiful to watch. I am a 6th kup right now and I have studied under two ITF organisations.

I left the first one because all I learned was patterns and sparring, geared towards competition. I learned no actual real situation self defence techniques. Assailants on the street don't spar they attack.

The organisation I'm currently with, all I've done is patterns and sparring, geared towards competition. So far no self defence techniques.

I know I will be condemned for saying this, but as time goes on Tkd (that's ITF as well as WTF) is getting more sport orientated. I know there is whats known as Military Tkd around, but not everybody is priveliged enough to have access to such training as Tkd was originally intended.

Tkd also seems to struggle against the arts with good hand techniques. Only last week I saw on sattelite tv a male Tkd blackbelt champion beaten by a female karateka. She just picked up on what most other styles immediately exploit when facing Tkd exponents. All she done was feint and drive forward, as most Tkd people spend too much time on one leg, they are either driven off the mat or knocked down.

But as I said, Tkd is great to watch with beautiful kicks. It's a shame that some people have forgotten that Tkd was a martial art intended for health and personal well being and not just for plastic trophies.

My appologies in advance for any offence taken.

celtic bhoy

 

[Marginal]

Pity they didn't bother teaching ho son sul, punching, kicking or blocking at your dojangs. (All of which I'm told can be effective in discouraging assailants) Must be very limiting.

 

[MountainSage]

I am a 5th gup in WTF TKD and I've been taught numerous self-defense techniques, exposed to numerous street scenarios, and general taught that martial arts are training for life, not just for the street. I will agree that the future of TKD is in peril and will soon become a sport for the majority. I hope there are a number of practitioneers that are willing to maintain the non-sport aspect. I must be luck that my teacher covers all areas of the martial arts and throws in some Hapkido, Akido, and down-home bar brawling with the wisdom of his years.


"It's not the destation, but the journey"

 

[TkdWarrior]

i hav been into TKD from last 3 or more years..i hav learnt punchin,kickin, grappling(standup), defenses/counters against grapplings,
TKD does seems to be in trouble but that TKD is basically Sparring version... if u try any student from my class u'll find the difference..(tho some of them hav probs with close in quatres)...
wat my teacher teaches is almost out of the book by Gen Choi...
we put emphasis on every thing, forms, techniques, kicks/punches/grappling, sparring, self defense, psychological aspects of MA, wat else...
but it's pity ITF TKD is pure H2H fighting system...no weapons..
tho my teacher hav learnt tonfa n i hav learnt nunchaku n some knife..

-TkdWarrior-

 

[Marginal]

Just out of curiousity, what is the point of learning antiquated weapons that you really can't use anywhere, ever? I can see the value of learning how to use a knife, staff, sticks and chains etc, (stuff you'd be likely to be able to grab out of an alley etc, or carry without being accosted) but sword forms, nunchaku etc seem to be of virtually no self-defense value now. Fun stuff to learn I suppose, but almost totally useless except for the sake of it looking cool.

Aside from that, I don't think sport TKD's winning so overwhelmingly. Most of the TKD'ers I've run across have decent groundings in some form of standup grappling (ho son sul) and they're capable of punching and kicking. That's from WTF, ITF (now unaffiliated, but up til a month ago were ITF at least) and even ATA practitioners.

 

[Langdow]

Okay devil's advocate time . . . How can you properly defend yourself against a weapon without knowing how to use and the limitations of the weapon?

 

[Marginal]

I can understand that, but just to take that a bit further, what are the odds that you're going to be attacked by someone wielding a sword, spear, sai, nagatana, nunchaku, cat of nine tails, bokken, flail, or some other weapon that's outdated/obselete and never carried due to legality/bulk issues these days?

Tonfa's the closest thing you'd have to worry about out of all of those, and only then if you anticipate police attacking you with nightsticks on a regular basis.

Still seems to me that it'd be more productive to focus on weapons you're likely to see outside of the training hall. Training with a sword in anticipation of being able to defend against a sword wielding attacker's about the equivalent of a peanut factory constantly drilling in anticipation of an elephant barging in.