Opinions on Taekwondo?

[FlamingJulian]

My opinion on Tae Kwon Do, please take in my mind that I am still a beginner,and this is simply an opinion. My background in the art: I am a First Dan in traditional TKD, and I have been practicing the art for about 20 months. I received my First Dan, form an independent TKD school. My instructor received his certification from the formerly known ITA, and offshoot form the more popular association ATA. So I am taught a variation of both systems with a strong influence form my instructor's own philosophy.

Now to my opinion of TKD. In my limited experience, in my cubicle of a school, I find Tae Kwon Do useful. I have been taught to kick from nearly every angle imaginable. I can fire these kicks of fairly quickly. I am taught punches, but not combinations to help set up different hand strikes. Something that you would see in boxing and kick/thai boxing. I may be taught this in future, I do not know as I am still a beginner. Most of the students in my school spar with 90/10 percentage. 90 percent kicks and 10 percent punches.

That being said we practice a variety of hand techniques well beyond punching. We practice these frequently in different self defense situations. I may not be able to throw an elaborate hand combination, yet, but I can throw a knife hand strike to the temple or throat. We conditions these strikes frequently threw hitting bags, targets, boards, etc. A knife-hand strike is one of the many versatile hand techniques we are taught.

TKD in MMA? Yes any traditional Martial Art can work in MMA. The issue is, you would have to practice sparring with MMA rules. I will tell you right now I would be at a flat out immense disadvantage in an MMA fight. For one I have only sparred with the rules my school allows. These include things such as: no knees, elbows, take downs, submission, grappling etc. Secondly, I have never sparred in a cage. I don't know the spacing well, I have never been pinned against anything during sparring. Thirdly we are allowed only light to moderate contact. I have never been struck by someone intending to put me down or KO me. All these things would put me at a disadvantage in an MMA fight.
--- Does taht mean I don't stand a chance? Not necessarily. Who am I Fighting? An Average Joe, an MMA fighter with same experience as me? Is he gassy? Nate Diaz? God? unlimited variables.

If I wanted to use my TKD in MMA, I would train MMA and combine the tools I gained in TKD to better prepare myself for that type of Sport. MMA is sport although there is a misconception that it is two guys street fighting.

Finally, TKD for street fighting. Like most martial arts TKD has strikes,techniques, etc. that can end a fight quickly. With the endless amount of variables that can happen in a street fight. Just know that you are better off than the guy who knows nothing. No matter what the aggressor MA background is. This is coming from someone who has never been in a street fight or ever plans to be in one. If it happens, I'll do what I have to do.

Enjoyed reading. Thx for posting


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[Tez3]

Long before 'Olympic TKD' I had friends who were doing TKD while I was doing karate, the training was similar, different ways of doing techniques of course but the same type of hard sparring with hand, elbow, fist strikes and kicks. Same emphasis on self defence etc.

 

[Red Sun]

"I hear people say it has weak hand techniques which to this day I disagree with."
TKD has weak hands compared to everyone else... that doesn't mean its hands are *weak*, though.
It's like if i say Krav Maga has weak headbutts because they don't smash tiles and boards with 'em

It's not terribly important

 

[Headhunter]

My opinion on Tae Kwon Do, please take in my mind that I am still a beginner,and this is simply an opinion. My background in the art: I am a First Dan in traditional TKD, and I have been practicing the art for about 20 months. I received my First Dan, form an independent TKD school. My instructor received his certification from the formerly known ITA, and offshoot form the more popular association ATA. So I am taught a variation of both systems with a strong influence form my instructor's own philosophy.

Now to my opinion of TKD. In my limited experience, in my cubicle of a school, I find Tae Kwon Do useful. I have been taught to kick from nearly every angle imaginable. I can fire these kicks of fairly quickly. I am taught punches, but not combinations to help set up different hand strikes. Something that you would see in boxing and kick/thai boxing. I may be taught this in future, I do not know as I am still a beginner. Most of the students in my school spar with 90/10 percentage. 90 percent kicks and 10 percent punches.

That being said we practice a variety of hand techniques well beyond punching. We practice these frequently in different self defense situations. I may not be able to throw an elaborate hand combination, yet, but I can throw a knife hand strike to the temple or throat. We conditions these strikes frequently threw hitting bags, targets, boards, etc. A knife-hand strike is one of the many versatile hand techniques we are taught.

TKD in MMA? Yes any traditional Martial Art can work in MMA. The issue is, you would have to practice sparring with MMA rules. I will tell you right now I would be at a flat out immense disadvantage in an MMA fight. For one I have only sparred with the rules my school allows. These include things such as: no knees, elbows, take downs, submission, grappling etc. Secondly, I have never sparred in a cage. I don't know the spacing well, I have never been pinned against anything during sparring. Thirdly we are allowed only light to moderate contact. I have never been struck by someone intending to put me down or KO me. All these things would put me at a disadvantage in an MMA fight.
--- Does taht mean I don't stand a chance? Not necessarily. Who am I Fighting? An Average Joe, an MMA fighter with same experience as me? Is he gassy? Nate Diaz? God? unlimited variables.

If I wanted to use my TKD in MMA, I would train MMA and combine the tools I gained in TKD to better prepare myself for that type of Sport. MMA is sport although there is a misconception that it is two guys street fighting.

Finally, TKD for street fighting. Like most martial arts TKD has strikes,techniques, etc. that can end a fight quickly. With the endless amount of variables that can happen in a street fight. Just know that you are better off than the guy who knows nothing. No matter what the aggressor MA background is. This is coming from someone who has never been in a street fight or ever plans to be in one. If it happens, I'll do what I have to do.

Less than 2 years to get a black belt wow that's very quick

 

[WaterGal]

Well to be honest there is some truth I did about a month of taekwondo when I was younger I don't count it as part of my training that's why I never list it but in a punch of training and 3 classes a week I never got shown how to through one punch there. Of course all schools vary and I was probably at a rubbish dojo that's why I never stayed but it's not just ignorance that causes those claims if I based taekwondo on my experience I'd be saying they don't throw punches at all which I'm sure they do but some schools don't teach it so don't just go saying it's people who've never done it who think that.

Was this when you were a child? In my experience, young kids have a really hard time learning to throw a decent punch that has any power behind it. Kicking is way easier to teach kids and for them to have success at.

That doesn't excuse them not even covering it - kids should at least be exposed to punching, even if you know they're not going to be very good at it, because you have to start somewhere - but maybe they felt like "why bother" teach punching to child white belts. Now, if you were, like, 15 or 20 and this was your experience, I got nothing.

 

[WaterGal]

Anyway, TKD definitely tends to focus more on kicks than on punches, so leg strikes tend to be better developed than hand strikes. But that doesn't mean you can't learn to be at least decent at punching etc when studying TKD.

 

[Headhunter]

Was this when you were a child? In my experience, young kids have a really hard time learning to throw a decent punch that has any power behind it. Kicking is way easier to teach kids and for them to have success at.

That doesn't excuse them not even covering it - kids should at least be exposed to punching, even if you know they're not going to be very good at it, because you have to start somewhere - but maybe they felt like "why bother" teach punching to child white belts. Now, if you were, like, 15 or 20 and this was your experience, I got nothing.

Nah I was about 22 the girl I was dating (now my wife) wanted to try it and I got forced into coming along (word of advice young guys just because you're a young upcoming boxer that toughness don't mean squat when a woman wants something you can take 100 punches to the face but when a woman gets mad you're better off in the ring lol, joking of course)

 

[Azulx]

Less than 2 years to get a black belt wow that's very quick

Yep, typically it takes somewhere around three years. I was able to demonstrate the necessary ability to get mine in twenty months.Although I have seen my instructor award three adult 1 st Dans, all have been under two years. I have never seen anyone reach 2nd Dan. I honestly don't think another 1st Dan under two years will happen again anytime soon, because all three awarded were somewhat circumstantial.

 

[Azulx]

Nah I was about 22 the girl I was dating (now my wife) wanted to try it and I got forced into coming along (word of advice young guys just because you're a young upcoming boxer that toughness don't mean squat when a woman wants something you can take 100 punches to the face but when a woman gets mad you're better off in the ring lol, joking of course)

That's odd first day we teach students, three strikes. Jab, Reverse Punch, and Front Kick, depending on how well they perform these strike we go into Turning Kick and Crescent. By the end of the week they know Knife-hand Strike and Palm-heel Strike as well. In one week you should know four hand techniques and at least two kicks.

 

[Flatfish]

We use hand techniques in our self defense curriculum but not much in our sparring. That being said I wished we would train more hands. I try to work on better punches and hand techniques on my own on the bag.

 

[Azulx]

We use hand techniques in our self defense curriculum but not much in our sparring. That being said I wished we would train more hands. I try to work on better punches and hand techniques on my own on the bag.

The majority of the TKD schools in my area, are heavily kicked base. I think there is philosophy with some instructors that TKD sparring is the equivalent of boxing with one's feet. It would kind of be like going to a boxing gym and wondering why there isn't a heavy influence on kicking. Most TKD sparring rules don't allow much punching, just like boxing doesn't allow kicking. Most school's train for the sport they spar in. We train under our specific set of sparring rules.

 

[Headhunter]

The majority of the TKD schools in my area, are heavily kicked base. I think there is philosophy with some instructors that TKD sparring is the equivalent of boxing with one's feet. It would kind of be like going to a boxing gym and wondering why there isn't a heavy influence on kicking. Most TKD sparring rules don't allow much punching, just like boxing doesn't allow kicking. Most school's train for the sport they spar in. We train under our specific set of sparring rules.

Difference is in boxing kicks aren't allowed full stop. But punches are allowed in taekwondo yet are rarely used

 

[Azulx]

Difference is in boxing kicks aren't allowed full stop. But punches are allowed in taekwondo yet are rarely used

Depends on the type of TKD. In Olympic they are incredibly limited. Some schools don't allow punches to the head. Those schools taht allow more punching in their rules, should spend more time on them, some just don't. It's all about the kicks.

 

[Headhunter]

Depends on the type of TKD. In Olympic they are incredibly limited. Some schools don't allow punches to the head. Those schools taht allow more punching in their rules, should spend more time on them, some just don't. It's all about the kicks.

That's because of the practitioners not the rules punches are allowed in Olympic taekwondo that's why they wear gloves it just seems most refuse to throw them

 

[Azulx]

That's because of the practitioners not the rules punches are allowed in Olympic taekwondo that's why they wear gloves it just seems most refuse to throw them

It also could be lack of points that punches produce. I really don't know why a lot of punching isn't common in TKD.

 

[Headhunter]

It also could be lack of points that punches produce. I really don't know why a lot of punching isn't common in TKD.

A punch scores one point and Is quicker to throw. One point can be the difference between winning and losing especially clinched up how many times have a I seen TKD guys clinched and throw a roundhouse to the head. That's a pointless move as your at complete wrong range for it to land but could throw a punch from that position and get a point.

 

[Azulx]

A punch scores one point and Is quicker to throw. One point can be the difference between winning and losing especially clinched up how many times have a I seen TKD guys clinched and throw a roundhouse to the head. That's a pointless move as your at complete wrong range for it to land but could throw a punch from that position and get a point.

Kickboxer said that to me too. The part about 1 point being the difference between winning or losing, This is true. I've been in one tournament and both my matches were tied at 5-5. the winner was first to 6. The the thing is that kicks are worth so much more. Head kick 3 points, body kick 2 points, some times spin kick to head is 4 points. There is a lot of tagging in sport karate, so while you trying to get that 1 point you may get countered with a kick that can be worth up to 3 times more than that, just by the foot touching you.

 

[Flatfish]

It also could be lack of points that punches produce. I really don't know why a lot of punching isn't common in TKD.

Well as far as I understand it from a historic perspective, at least as far as WTF/Olympic sparring is concerned, there was an effort to make the sport different from other combat sports. Once you allow punches to the head it would mostly likely look a lot like kickboxing to most people. By not allowing punches to the head the athletes have to focus on kicks to score, thusly making things unique.

And therefore as someone pointed out above a lot of (most?) schools train for the sport. Sport vs Martial Art?

I soooooooo wish they would bring back punches to the head.

 

[WaterGal]

That's because of the practitioners not the rules punches are allowed in Olympic taekwondo that's why they wear gloves it just seems most refuse to throw them

I did a seminar with someone from the national team one time, and was told that judges won't score a punch unless you make the opponent stagger or fall. Plus, of course, you need 3/4 of corner judges to see the punch and agree that it scores. I think those things are the reason you don't see a lot of punches in WTF sparring.

 

[Steve]

Didn't watch a ton of Olympic TKD, but there were several punches thrown in the matches I saw and a few even scored.