My Top Five

[Manny]

Here you have my Top Five Martial Arts, these are my likes only.

1.-Taekwondo.-My Martial Art, I like the kicks,the poomsae,one steps,HoShiSul and kyorugy. I dislike not enough hand techs and other self defense techs, yes I know TKD has alot fo techs but the only ones that are taught and train in the average dojang is only WTF style kicking.

2.-Karate Do.-I like it alot I can say ist's a tie with TKD, I love the katas and the handtechs and the ipon kumites,the bunkai,etc.

3.-Kenpo Karate.-I think Kenpo Karate (IKKA) is very nice self defense style, I like the explosive and rapid hand techs, dislike alot the forms (katas), like some concepts from Ed Parker like the inercia and momentum,gravitation,etc.

4.-Aikido.-Very beautiful martial art, if you need to be away of the agresor and use the momentum and force of the atacker this is the martial art to use, I love alot the joint locks,the takedowns and the pins. I dislike that sometimes the way is taught is like a beutiful dance where the good guy and the bad guy nestle in a dance where even don't touch them.

5.-Hapkido.-Hapkido seems to have the best of two worlds, the kicking and punching of TKDK plus the techs of aikido.


My Martial Art is TKD, I did a little very litte of Shotokan Karate and Aikido in the past and did some Kenpo Karate, there is no single HKD dojang in my city.

I can say I am more a kicksr/striker more than a grappler.

Again those are my tastes, I am not a martial Arts guru, I jusnt a regular guy who likes MA.

Manny

 

[oftheherd1]

I am not sure how one picks 5 favorite MA styles. I started out with TKD, but didn't get very far before having to stop. It was all I knew and I did enjoy it.

Later I very briefly studied Moo Duk Kwan, and liked it for the techniques it taught, but again was unable to continue studying.

Many years later I began studying Hapkido. It is indeed my preferred style. It is what I like. Given an opportunity, I doubt I would now want to study TKD or MDK. I am not currently able to study Hapkido. I am trying to get back into shape and stretch. I will continue that and practicing what I have already learned.

But that isn't meant as a put down on you. If you can do that and want to do that, good for you. But as I said, given that I have picked the MA I like and want to continue to study, I'm not sure how I would pick 4 others as favorites. I guess that is just me.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I trained very briefly in Wado-Ryu when I first got out of the Marines. I liked it, but I did not study long, never even earned a belt or learned a full kata. I didn't care for the low stances, but I was told that would become natural in time; and I'm sure it would have.

I have only trained in Isshin-Ryu since then, and it is (of course) my preferred style. I can kick higher than my head, but I'm not a high-kicker by nature; I like low powerful kicks. I like to fight inside and I like to use my fists, elbows, and knees; Isshin-Ryu suits my own body type and abilities pretty well, I think. Isshin-Ryu is not pretty or graceful-looking (unless you're an Isshin-Ryu karateka, perhaps). It's quick, brutal, and over. That works for me.

I would like, at some point, to add something more to my curriculum; judo strikes me (no pun intended) as something worthwhile to learn something of. I doubt I would consider abandoning Isshin-Ryu for that, but I think it would supplement it well.

From what I have seen of TKD, it is not for me. Some very good kicks, hard to defend against, but I do not think I could master them, and honestly would not really want to try. All respect, but TKD is just not my thing.

 

[Manny]

I can kick higher than my head, but I'm not a high-kicker by nature

Bill can you be more specific, I understand you can kick pretty high but don't get given this you are not a high-kicker by nature.

Tanhk you.

Manny

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Bill can you be more specific, I understand you can kick pretty high but don't get given this you are not a high-kicker by nature.

Tanhk you.

Manny

I mean that I can perform a front snap kick over my head. However, TKD kicks are a lot more than front snap kicks, and what I cannot do is is kick over my head with my hips opened up, as they would be with a side kick and in some cases a round-house style kick or back kick. And even though I can kick over my head with a front snap kick, I don't *like* to do it. It's a bit painful for me, and after three years of practice, I do not think it's going to get any easier. I'm about as flexible as I'm going to get, and it's not flexible enough for TKD kicks.

Besides, my nature is to get in close when I fight. I am not tall and do not have long legs. If I am kicking high, I have to be somewhat distanced from my opponent. This is a danger zone for me if I am fighting a person with longer legs or taller than me. When I get in close, as I prefer to, high kicks are just not going to work for me. So it's the knees and elbows, combined with fists, that will be my preferred weapons in such situations.

 

[Manny]

I mean that I can perform a front snap kick over my head. However, TKD kicks are a lot more than front snap kicks, and what I cannot do is is kick over my head with my hips opened up, as they would be with a side kick and in some cases a round-house style kick or back kick. And even though I can kick over my head with a front snap kick, I don't *like* to do it. It's a bit painful for me, and after three years of practice, I do not think it's going to get any easier. I'm about as flexible as I'm going to get, and it's not flexible enough for TKD kicks.

Thank you very much, I am not

Besides, my nature is to get in close when I fight. I am not tall and do not have long legs. If I am kicking high, I have to be somewhat distanced from my opponent. This is a danger zone for me if I am fighting a person with longer legs or taller than me. When I get in close, as I prefer to, high kicks are just not going to work for me. So it's the knees and elbows, combined with fists, that will be my preferred weapons in such situations.

Thank you, as yodu do I am not a flexible man either, yes I am tall (for the average Mexican) and yes my front kick is high enonough to slsp the face of a person taller than me 6 feet tall, however those kicks that need a nice hip rotation like the roundhouse or the side kick the best I could do is chest level. There are some folks here that advised me to do more flexibility exercises and that kind of things but I know little improvement can be done, before class I do a good warm up and flexibility/stretching program and this helps yes but my TKD high kicks are poor that's why as you do I like to do torso level kicks (power kicks) and use my hands.

So... well I am not a natural kicker and yes I like to use my fists, open hand strikes,elbows, etc,etc.

manny

 

[MAist25]

Very cool thread!

1. Taekwondo- It is my base art and is my foundation from which to build on. I love the speed and power of the art as well as the tradition and culture. Taekwondo stylists tend to be very cool people with no ego's and always seem very open to learning, no matter the style. The downside to the art is that there are many mcdojangs today which makes the whole art look bad. Also, I believe that schools should not teach Taekwondo as primarily a kicking art, but as a way of the foot AND hand, just like the word taekwondo means.

2. Kali/Escrima/Arnis- I really love the Filipino martial arts because they cover such a wide range of techniques, specializing in empty-handed techniques, bladed weapons, and sticks. The movements are very graceful and fluid, yet absolutely devastating. the Filipino systems are great for self defense and dont have many flashy techniques. I also like that there really arent any visible ranks in these systems. Sure there are different levels or grades just like other traditional Asian styles but for the most part training is conducted simply in a t-shirt and pants with no outward display of rank. This avoids any and all pre-conceived notions about who is better than who, or people worrying about belt colors rather than training. The downsides to the art are that they are hard to come by and are usually taught as add-on arts taught by people who are not qualified to teach them. Just because you went to a 2 day seminar does not make you qualified to teach Arnis. Because of this, people usually only get to experience a small portion of the style and never truly understand what they are doing because of that limitation.

3. Karate- I think the traditional Japanese and Okinawan Karate styles are absolutely amazing. They have so many rich traditions and cultural aspects, which I love. I also like how complete Karate is as a martial arts and the diversity yet unity between styles. Some are more linear, some circular, some both. Some are mosty hard, some more soft. Some prefer deep stances, others more upright and natural stances. So many differences, yet all Karate. Almost every system of Karate encompasses a very wide array of open-handed techniques, kicks, joint locks, throws, and sweeps, etc. It is such a complete system of martial arts and it is truly one that encompasses the "do" aspect, in that there is always something to learn and something to discover.

4. Judo- Judo is a very cool style because of the way it is trained. It is such a traditional martial art, yet such a modern one as well. Judoka are generally very humble people who do not get all worked up about ranks, belts, titles, etc. They train extremely hard and are very tough. The style itself is not a style based on theory. Every technique you learn will be tested on fully resistant partners. There is no bull**** when it comes to this art and the techniques are not sugar-coated. The style specializes in close quarters fighting and grappling which mesh great with each other and I'll be the first one to tell you that if a Judo player gets close enough to grab hold of you, you are going to be meeting the floor very shortly. The downsides to the art are that many schools train their techniques only while wearing the traditional Judo-gi. In a real life situation many of the throws would be very difficult to execute without a gi. The throws can absolutely be modified to work but students are usually not taught how to perform many of the throws if your opponent is not wearing a gi.

5. Hapkido- This style is a great style for self defense, encompassing a vast array of techniques from kicks, hand strikes, chokes, pressure points, joint locks, throws, etc. Hapkido practitioners are well versed in many ranges of combat and usually train with many practical weapons as well. This style is almost always self defense based with few competitions, focusing primarily on what works in real life situations. However, there are many downsides to this art. There is a lack of unity in the Hapkido world and quality of schools vary greatly. Hapkido is also an art usually taught as an add-on style, by people not qualified to teach the art. Another thing is that the level of toughness that schools train varies a lot. Some schools train very hard and spar hard, learning how to apply their techniques against fully resisting opponents. However, many schools teach Hapkido as a theory-based art. Techniques are applied against non-resisting and compliant partners. Hapkido also varies greatly as to the level of "flash". Some schools like to flip around doing all kinds of crazy techniques with many unnecessary transitions from one lock to another. Other schools have a much "uglier" style of Hapkido and train in techniques that while they may not look as good, are more effective. Realistic self defense techniques should not look pretty. Pretty doesnt work in the streets. While it is a risky style to train in, if you do happen to discover a good Hapkido school you will certainly learn some exceptional self defense.

My absolute favorite and would-be number one is the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, however. I did not put it in my list because it is not a syle or system of martial arts. I trained in Jeet Kune Do Concepts at my first martial arts school and have always believed in having no way as way, no limitation as limitation. One should not confine themselves to the boundaries of traditional styles. I do love the traditional martial arts, but I do not limit myself by them. One should go out and learn from everyone who has something worth learning. The more you learn, the more prepared you are. The more prepared you are, the less surprises you will encounter should the time ever come where you might need to use your martial arts training. I have trained in various styles including Moo Duk Kwan and Kukkiwon Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do Concepts, Muay Thai, Hapkido, Judo, Arnis De Mano, and Chambara. I take anything and everything that works for me and make it mine. I do not make myself work for the style, I make the style work for me.

 

[jthomas1600]

1. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...I love every thing about it. I feel like I test the things I learn in BJJ class so much more than I test the things I learn in TKD class. You can easily safely grapple at 80-90% intensity several matches each class several classes a week.

2. Boxing....I know some (maybe most) do not consider this a martial art. It certainly isn't a complete fighting system, but it's one of my favorite combat type activities to participate in so I'm listing it here. One or the things I love about it is that because of the limited weapons available it puts (imo) much greater emphasis on controlling the timing, tempo and distance.

3. TKD. Actually 2 and 3 could flip real easy here. While I love to box. I don't think I'd like being a part of a boxing gym and going training 2-3 times a week there as much as I enjoy being a part of our TKD school.

Those are the only three I've participated in so from here it's just things I'd like to try.

4. Hapkido...Our TKD instructor is also ranked in Hapkido and so I'm hopeful that as I progress in the school I'll be able to add some of that to my training.

5. Kendo....Beating each other with bamboo swords. What's not to like? Actually if anybody here has any experience with that I'd be interested to hear about it. I really know nothing about it, but it looks cool

To the above poster. I've got the Tao of Jeet Kune Do with me on the boat and am re-reading it. My wife bought it for me and I read it the first time about 15 years ago. If you've not read it, it's basically Bruce Lee's hand written notes compiled, organized and printed by his wife and some of his students. IMO the guy was brilliant.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Its always a hard one to answer. The problems with lots of arts are how they are taught. For example, where you say with tkd "not enough hand techs", I think this depends a lot on who is teaching you tkd. Where I train at least 50% of our stuff is hand techs and 50% kicks. I dont know if there is any hard and fast rule that says tkd has to be prodominently kicks. I would also say that a very small % of our time is spent doing "flashy" stuff. We also focus very heavily on self defence techs from 1st dan and up, so tkd is a very 'vague' term these days. The one thing I really love about tkd is the speed, good tkdists are just lightning quick. I started tkd after having a background in karate and the one thing that blew me away immediately was how fast tkd guys are. It took me a good 6 months just for my eyes to adjust to the speed they punch and kick at. I do think if tkd vanished tomorrow and I had to choose another art I would go with hapkido. Training with really good hapkidp guys is a real eye opener. They kick well, they punch well, they are good at close range and at a distance and I love their self defence techs. I find it a very well-rounded art.

 

[MAist25]

@ jtthomas,

Yes I've read the Tao of Jeet Kune do. It is an awesome book and one that I think every martial artist should read at least once.

@ralph

I totally agree with you. I trained in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo for around 6 years and we also used about 50% hand and 50% foot techniques. However, TKD schools that train like this are becoming rarer and rarer these days. But like you said, TKD is so diverse these days that people should not immediately come under some pre-conceived notion that TKD is purely a kicking art because that is simply not true. I think Taekwondo is becoming or has already become an umbrella term just like Karate has. There are so many different styles of Karate that can look very different from each other yet they are all called Karate. I think the same thing is happening or has already happened for Taekwondo as well.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

@ jtthomas,

Yes I've read the Tao of Jeet Kune do. It is an awesome book and one that I think every martial artist should read at least once.

@ralph

I totally agree with you. I trained in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo for around 6 years and we also used about 50% hand and 50% foot techniques. However, TKD schools that train like this are becoming rarer and rarer these days. But like you said, TKD is so diverse these days that people should not immediately come under some pre-conceived notion that TKD is purely a kicking art because that is simply not true. I think Taekwondo is becoming or has already become an umbrella term just like Karate has. There are so many different styles of Karate that can look very different from each other yet they are all called Karate. I think the same thing is happening or has already happened for Taekwondo as well.

I also think it could be a regional thing. From what I read on here it does seem that in the united states tkd has just become a prodominantly kicking/flasy art in a lot of places. I dont know what tkd is like in all parts of australia, but in my local area the 3 biggest tkd schools would have a combined 10 000 students and all three of them teach old fashioned tkd where it is 50% kicks 50% punches and not a lot of flashy stuff. But I agree, tkd is just such a broad term these days and its a shame that they all get lumped together in the one stereotype.

 

[Cyriacus]

Ill bite.

(Being an ITF TKD Practitioner, I am speaking of ITF TKD. So as not to write this out as a reference to Two Martial Arts, since i consider them to be two variations of the same thing, i shall now insert a 1.5 )
1: Taekwon-Do (ITF): I more or less love the Variety, and Power, and Speed, that goes into every Technique (And of course, the Technique that goes into every... Technique, and level of Technical detail). I like the Patterns, Tenets, and the overall style of movement. Obviously, everyone moves slightly differently to the next person, and the movement style of Taekwon-Do suits me faultlessly. On one downside, i think that some Kicks can be too artsy; Like Hook Kicks! Not a criticism to Hook Kicks, but they arent too terribly practical. Its good to know them, but ive only used one once in a Competition, and it didnt amount to much. Other than that, some stances can be too tailored for Punching. Which is ok, due to the amount of Punching we incorporate; The issue is that if the other person switches to a kicking stance, and then kicks you, your not in a great place to defend. Whenever im an Instructer, ill be tweaking a couple of them to offer better mid-section guards. Other than that, i like the Fighting Distance - To put that another way, i like Sparring within constant arms reach. Theres more than that in the way of praises i could give, but im not writing a book, im trying to keep this short!

1.5: Taekwondo (WTF): Slightly more attention to more stylish techniques, albeit at the expense of some speed; I see this as being especially notable in Round Kicks. Way, way, way less Punching; On the flipside, when Punching is used, it tends to make a great sight; On the flipside again, some Dojangs teach you to use plenty of Punches, making this more of an issue with how Punches are scored. Alot of practioners have horrible, horrible guards; I know that having your hands down is meant to make you unpredictable, but sometimes it can be a bit silly. Too much standing around - Ill often see two Fighters staring at each other for entire minutes or two in Videos, and it is not encouraging. Better control in flying techniques - Namely 540 Degree Jumping Hook Kicks - This is a very small praise, in that im more praising the level of control that goes into the spinning through the air, where we worry more about our Guard. I actually did try WTF TKD about a year ago, and found it too Kick-Happy. I like kicking, but for me it was an overemphasis.

2: Boxing: So perhaps it isnt a Martial Art, but its style of Fighting suits my style of Fighting very closely - Close distance, with strong stances and plenty of Linear movement. On the downside, All it teaches is punches.
3: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Possibly the only other Martial Art to interest me as far as actually trying it goes. Whilst primarily a Striker, and whilst Taekwon-Do teaches a fair few throws, and joint-locks, and submissions, and what have you, there isnt really much Stand-Up Wrestling, like what you see in BJJ. Struggling to force someone down to the ground. On the downside, i do not enjoy submitting people. I strongly prefer GnP. But hey, it cant hurt to learn it! I mainly just want to learn the 'Struggling' aspect of BJJ, to flesh out that part of my arsenal a bit more.
4: Muay Thai: Whilst a bit rustic, and in my opinion, a bit slow, and too "Bag Oriented" (Most strikes are used the same way they are used against a bag, and lose alot of their effect as a result. There is also less chambering), but MT churns out some good fighters, and i find it respectable, if well trained. The Clinching is also very nice to watch, as long as it isnt comprised entirely of stereotypical chains of knees.
5: Hapkido: Good Self Defence Drills, and some good close distance techniques. On a downside, it can be easily overwhelmed by a well trained Striker. By which i mean, that Hapkido is extremely defence oriented - Which is good, unless it is forced to become Aggressive. And when forced into Aggression, much of its energy is lost. Still quite effective though.

 

[Jenna]

Likes:
1. Aikido
2. Any southern style KF
3. Kali (Ilustrisimo)
4. Western Boxing
5. MT

Though when it comes to training it is a different matter
1. Aikido
2.
3.
4.
5.

Aikido is my art. I can box and have trained all my life with boxers and but it is not my art. I, like many others, have tried several martial arts and am happy to go along and watch or try out, yes even a little TKD in my youthful days when I was rather more flexible. There are few martial arts that I do not like or get along with. Nevertheless I prefer to strive to be a master of one rather than a jack-of-all and so when I train I put 100% of my martial arts training into Aikido. It is my specialty and I prefer to devote any training time I have to learning more of my own art rather than using it to train another art. I hope this makes sense.

 

[oftheherd1]

Very cool thread!

1. Taekwondo- It is my base art and is my foundation from which to build on. I love the speed and power of the art as well as the tradition and culture. Taekwondo stylists tend to be very cool people with no ego's and always seem very open to learning, no matter the style. The downside to the art is that there are many mcdojangs today which makes the whole art look bad. Also, I believe that schools should not teach Taekwondo as primarily a kicking art, but as a way of the foot AND hand, just like the word taekwondo means.
...

I hope Tae Kwan Do doesn't have a lock on cool people with no egos. One of the most egotistic TKD people I ever saw came to our practice area in Korea, when only he and I were there, and put down our art. He said he loved to spar with Hapkido people to teach them a lesson. I let him leave in his ignorance. Fortunately I find him to be an exception. Most martial artists have learned to get a grip on their ego, and are willing to learn useful parts of other MA even if they prefer another MA for study. Maybe you were referring to something else?

Very cool thread!

5. Hapkido- This style is a great style for self defense, encompassing a vast array of techniques from kicks, hand strikes, chokes, pressure points, joint locks, throws, etc. Hapkido practitioners are well versed in many ranges of combat and usually train with many practical weapons as well. This style is almost always self defense based with few competitions, focusing primarily on what works in real life situations. However, there are many downsides to this art. There is a lack of unity in the Hapkido world and quality of schools vary greatly. Hapkido is also an art usually taught as an add-on style, by people not qualified to teach the art. Another thing is that the level of toughness that schools train varies a lot. Some schools train very hard and spar hard, learning how to apply their techniques against fully resisting opponents. However, many schools teach Hapkido as a theory-based art. Techniques are applied against non-resisting and compliant partners. Hapkido also varies greatly as to the level of "flash". Some schools like to flip around doing all kinds of crazy techniques with many unnecessary transitions from one lock to another. Other schools have a much "uglier" style of Hapkido and train in techniques that while they may not look as good, are more effective. Realistic self defense techniques should not look pretty. Pretty doesnt work in the streets. While it is a risky style to train in, if you do happen to discover a good Hapkido school you will certainly learn some exceptional self defense.
...

A lack of unity in the Hapkido world? I don't know what you mean with that. There are certainly different styles, that emphacise different techniques over others. But many MA have "fractured" due to ego or simply preference for emphacising some aspect of the art.

Some schools do train differently. We also do learn to engage both against fully resistant and quite compliant partners. The goal is to learn, not damage a training partner.

...

2: Boxing: So perhaps it isnt a Martial Art, but its style of Fighting suits my style of Fighting very closely - Close distance, with strong stances and plenty of Linear movement. On the downside, All it teaches is punches.

...

5: Hapkido: Good Self Defence Drills, and some good close distance techniques. On a downside, it can be easily overwhelmed by a well trained Striker. By which i mean, that Hapkido is extremely defence oriented - Which is good, unless it is forced to become Aggressive. And when forced into Aggression, much of its energy is lost. Still quite effective though.

Good to see mention of boxing. Its emphasis on angles is good, as well as speed. I consider it a martial art, albeit one with stricker rules for competition than even TKD.

I don't know what Hapkido you are familiar with. None that I am familiar with can easily be overwhelmed by a well trained striker (any more than a well trained kicker). I would say that many TKD may suffer from that with the preference for kicking. But Hapkido specifically trains against strike defense, first learning blocks, then counter-strikes, breaks, and throws. Aikido and Hapkido tend to be defenses against the other martial arts, although you seldom see them advertised that way for some reason.

The Hapkido I learned is indeed defense oriented, but we learn offensive techniques as well, usually variations of defenses, and when offense isn't expected. Part of our defense is usually to invade the attacker's space, block, and damage something. If we take away the agressor's desire to fight by causing pain, or his ability to fight by damaging a part of his body, all is good (for us).

Just in case anyone doesn't know, Hapkido is my preferred art. I by no means think it is the only art to be studied, or the only one with any value. All are good. In my art, even if I am very good, someone faster from another art may well make me lood very bad. How good you are in your particular art is what really defines an MA.

Some one mentioned Hapkido has a problem in that it is often taught as an add on. I understand that as a problem, but not with hapkido. That is a problem with the teacher. In fact, many schools use that as an advertising technique. They teach Hapkido, Arnis, Jeet Kun Do, whatever, at their TKD or Karate school. They may really be belted, or more likely, just have gone to some seminars. If when questioned by prospective students, they acknowlege that, I have no problem. No one art has a lock on "the" best things to learn. If a school wants to say they will increase a student's knowledge by teaching useful things from other arts, why not?

 

[Cyriacus]

I don't know what Hapkido you are familiar with. None that I am familiar with can easily be overwhelmed by a well trained striker (any more than a well trained kicker). I would say that many TKD may suffer from that with the preference for kicking. But Hapkido specifically trains against strike defense, first learning blocks, then counter-strikes, breaks, and throws. Aikido and Hapkido tend to be defenses against the other martial arts, although you seldom see them advertised that way for some reason.

The Hapkido I learned is indeed defense oriented, but we learn offensive techniques as well, usually variations of defenses, and when offense isn't expected. Part of our defense is usually to invade the attacker's space, block, and damage something. If we take away the agressor's desire to fight by causing pain, or his ability to fight by damaging a part of his body, all is good (for us).

Interesting perspective - My experience with Hapkido is limited to three different Classes of it ive observed over the years, out of curiosity, in conjunction with some Research. But, Research only goes so far in that regard, so ill take your word for it. It would probably help if Hapkido was demonstrated against non-Hapkido, but at the same time, that might make it out to be a touch too competitive.

Incidentally, the emphasis on Kicking, is why i stopped learning WTF TKD two weeks into it.

 

[oftheherd1]

Interesting perspective - My experience with Hapkido is limited to three different Classes of it ive observed over the years, out of curiosity, in conjunction with some Research. But, Research only goes so far in that regard, so ill take your word for it. It would probably help if Hapkido was demonstrated against non-Hapkido, but at the same time, that might make it out to be a touch too competitive.

Incidentally, the emphasis on Kicking, is why i stopped learning WTF TKD two weeks into it.

It might help you to see that if demonstrated against another art, except that if a technique is applied and you don't know where it is going, so you can flow with it, you may find yourself flying through the air and landing hard, or you may find yourself with broken bones or dislocated joints. Being thrown, if you have learned break falls, is less of a problem, but not going with a technique and being injured would not be good.

As to emphasis on kicking, it isn't all bad as long as you are taught it as a defensive method as well. However, that is more difficult in sparing for points under certain "rules." But if you can keep your opponent at leg's length, he can't as easily use his hands. If he prefers hand use, you have him at a disadvantage. Naturally, learning both is best.

EDIT: BTW, I meant to ask about your comment on hook kicks. A hook kick to me is a side kick that is kicked a little off angle and at the last moment the leg is straightened and moved rearwards. It can be used to the head, but is best to the abdomen, as that is quicker. The first time I saw it some 45 years ago, it was used by Jhoon Goo Rhee. We were stunned as we had never seen such and thing and didn't know quite how he did it. Of course, he was very fast. He doubled a student over with it as the student had never seen that kick either, and expected it to sail past him. It didn't.

Did you find it less effective as it is so often expected, or was your opponent just faster on the defense? Sorry if that sounds like a silly question, but I don't do TKD, and haven't for many years. More importantly, I don't watch competitions.

 

[Thesemindz]

Hmm.. Tricky question. I'm glad to see everyone being so cool about it. I kind of expected this to almost immediately descend into a flame war. Off the top of my head, here are some of my favorites. I'm gonna cheat a little bit and use more general terms because so many of these arts flow together in my head.

1. Kenpo. Gotta be. Of course, it's what I've trained for 15 years so I think I can be forgiven my bias. But I love the combinations, the systematic approach, and the way the system points in every direction. Kenpo striking. Kenpo grappling. Kenpo weapons. We practice a kind of "street MMA" at our school which incorporates all ranges and levels and techniques and targets as well as multiple opponents and weapons. We can each do kenpo and come up with a completely different philosophy and training methodology. Some people see that as a liability. I see it as a strength. Kenpo gets cooler every year as more and more students and instructors bring their own unique flavor to the art. Love kenpo.

2. Wrestling. Not necessarily Western Wrestling, for me this includes BJJ, Catch, Freestyle, all kinds of wrestling. I love to wrestle. I think it's a primal human trait. Watch little kids fight. They don't kick and punch as much as they pin and choke. I think as animals we are drawn to rolling around in the dirt. I know I am. And I think it makes a great compliment to my kenpo, which is already filled with standing grappling techniques.

3. Standing Grappling. Judo, Aikido, Hapkido, Greco-Roman, Dirty Boxing. I love to practice the stand up grappling. Again, like I said kenpo is already filled with these kinds of techniques. Closing, engaging, controlling. Locking, walking, submitting. I really enjoy getting in with the opponent and working skill against skill alone.

4. Stick Fighting. Escrima, Kali, Arnis, Japanese Stick Fighting, I really enjoy it. I like to train with the sticks, I like to fight with the sticks. Again, great compliment to kenpo which already has some stick fighting in it. So much of what I learn from the sticks applies directly to almost any other tool I could pick up in my hands. Umbrella? Broom handle? Tire iron? Pipe wrench? Tack hammer? You can find all that with a stick in your hand. Love working with sticks.

5. Striking Sports. Western Boxing, Olympic Style TKD, Muay Thai. I like the combat sports that restrict the techniques to pure striking. It isn't a real fight. It isn't a full range of techniques. But by limiting the techniques to a few pure striking techniques and a few target areas we really see who has the best jab or roundhouse kick or knee strike. I like to train my kenpo with this pure striking approach from time to time just to drive my skill in that area. Just like I train a pure grappling approach from time to time to focus on those skills. MMA may be where it's at, but it's the striking sports that got us here. It's gonna be a sad day when Western Boxing finally dies the final death.

So that's it. Generally. I'm not necessarily married to that order. It fluctuates. Some days I just wanna box, other days I just wanna wrestle. I love it all, and can't get enough of any of it.

You always start great threads Manny. A lot of people wouldn't start a discussion like this because they'd be worried about upsetting the apple cart, but you throw out questions that others would shy away from. I'm glad you do. Keep it up. It makes the forum more interesting.


-Rob

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Isshin-Ryu is not pretty or graceful-looking (unless you're an Isshin-Ryu karateka, perhaps). It's quick, brutal, and over. That works for me.

I don't know that I would necessarily agree with that statement. Isshin Ryu's Chinto, Kusanku, Wansu, and Naihanchi katas are certainly graceful in my mind. My art (Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo) practices these forms, albeit slightly different. Back in the early 90's a local Isshin Ryu school lost its instructor, and no one was high enough rank to continue the school. Subsequently, we gained close to 20 Isshin Ryu "refugees" in our dojang. It took very little time and effort for all of them to adapt to our school and style.

From what I have seen of TKD, it is not for me. Some very good kicks, hard to defend against, but I do not think I could master them, and honestly would not really want to try. All respect, but TKD is just not my thing.

I can sympathize with that sentiment, depending on your exposure to TKD. Some people would not even really consider what I do TKD. We are certainly kick oriented, but emphasize hands, locks, throws, take downs, and such as well. The kicking mechanics required to the head are the same if aimed at the waste or lower, but I get your point.

 

[Manny]

About TKD classes, the dojang I am instructor teaches WTF style so it focuses on kicks more than punches or empty hands, the only times where the guys uses the hands is in a clinch, you know we use the low guard and try to use high kicks, myself I use more the ffot the hand (thats the way I was taught) but I use more punches than the average kid and definetively I cover my head a lot using an up guard. So I block most of the head kicks. My kicks are torso aimed with a very few head kicks.

Manny

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Incredibly tough for me to list martial arts in this sense, since I strongly believe it is less about the art and more about the instruction. However, basing it solely on principle and my limited experience outside of MDK TKD.. .

1. MDK TKD: The art that I have been practicing for 25 years, it is my foundation and it is where my loyalty lies. If I had taken up any other art with equally good instruction than my answer would obviously be different.

2. Any traditionally focused karate: A great supplement to my MDK TKD training, as it is a large foundation of my art.

3. Hapkido: Also a great supplement to my training, and I see alot of what I have been taught in MDK TKD in Hapkido (i.e. the locks, throws and takedowns).

4-5. Beyond the three mentioned above, I have little experience in. I have trained with friends that practice Silat, Escrima, Bando, Jujutsu, Kung Fu, Aikido, and Judo.. . But not enough to have a well informed opinion on them. I respect the more circular approach to movements in many of these arts, but it is an incredibly foreign concept to me.