Purely a TKD school, or are you mixed?
- Thread starter wushuguy
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dancingalone
Grandmaster
"Pure tae kwon do" is sort of an oxymoron. Even when the name first began to be used, there was always some judo, hapkido/aikijutsu, and kwon bup blended in, depending on whom the teacher was.
SahBumNimRush
Master of Arts
As usual, I agree with Dancing on this one. While my dojang doesn't teach any other "art," we do use techniques from all ranges, all manner of hand and foot strikes, grappling, throws, locks, etc. Some may not see this as "Pure TKD," but these are techniques my KJN taught us and it is what was taught to him. As Dancing stated above, this because the roots of TKD are in Karate, Judo, Hapkido/Aikijutsu, and Kwon Bup, and depending on who your instructor was would determine how much of what influences were passed on.
ralphmcpherson
Senior Master
Our GM is 9th dan tkd and and dan ranked in hapkido (Im not sure of his exact rank in hapkido), so our curriculum is tkd mixed with hapkido. A very good mix in my opinion.
oftheherd1
Senior Master
I was surprised years after I had stopped studying TKD, to realize forms were often multiple attacker defense practice. I was even more surprised when teaching Hapkido to an advanced TKD student, to have a light come on in his eyes and he would explain he had always wondered why a particular move was in a form. He recognized the technique I had just taught as a move he had been taught was for "art." That happened several times. Since, I have come to pay more attention to forms, looking at things that don't seem to have any value. Often, I have realized those seemingly non-sense moves were actually a slightly changed technique I had learned in Hapkido. More surprising is that the meanings seem to have been lost to many instructors, so they explain them as "art."
So yes sir, there is a lot of mixing, and we should never be afraid to learn something from an art that places emphasis on areas our primary art never did, or perhaps has forgotten it did. You can never have too many tools in your tool kit. TKD can learn interesting techniques from Hapkido, and Hapkido can learn effective blocks, kicks and strikes from TKD. It's all good.
Earl Weiss
Senior Master
In 1975 an accomplished Judo / Ju Jitsu guy came to train with us to improve his striking. When we saw wht he could do if he got a hold of us we decided we needed to learn that stuff. Been doing it that way since. In 1975-1977 while at college I was at a typical TKD / hapkido school. The joint locks and throws were similar or idential to the JJ stuff, just more of an emphasis on it, so although the Chang Hon system as Hapkido as a foundation for it's HSS perhaps i am a little more heavily influenced in this regard.
andyjeffries
Senior Master
We're purely a Kukki-Taekwondo school. I personally also learn BJJ, but don't teach it.
StudentCarl
3rd Black Belt
We're kukki TKD, but hapkido and boxing mixed in for adults and teens in the adult class (the older ones).
Could not agree more I also add add different levels over time as they can handle it Kyusho Jistsu and some Kobudo, Students are usually the sum totall of what the roots of thier instruct is or was and weopons are just the natural progression of the hands.
DSMartialArts
White Belt
The school I attended and teach at is a"TKD" school, however for self defense class we use techniques from other arts. Also we have an escrima instructor, an akido instructor and Muay Thai. We also offer boxing classes. We do not mix the arts but the arts are available for every student if they wish. I am personally starting to learn Hapkido, as I personally feel it complements TKD well for a well rounded discipline. I hope to mesh the two while teaching. I feel for self defense Hapkido will prepare you more for the real world than TKD.
Cyriacus
Senior Master
Ill just remind you to Remember that this is Subjective - To Who is Instructing the TKD, and How it is being Instructed. In your Instance, this is likely Accurate.
Just Remember not to Generalise
Kwan Jang
Purple Belt
Like many of te old school guys here, when I started in TKD 34 years ago, my instructors mixed TKD, Hapkido and Yudo. One of my two instructors (partners for nearly 40 years) is of Filipino decent and when Remy Presas and other early FMA masters came over, they got my instructors involved. Then KJN Ernie (Reyes, Sr.) had an exhibition match against Benny "the Jet" Urquidez billed as a nat'l TKD (WTF and world bronze medalist) champ vs. a Muay Thai/Kickboxing champ. After he learned first hand the value of the knees, elbows and low kicks of MT, we began training in MT and Boxing. When the Gracies first started coming over to the USA, both Ralf and Cesar had teaching programs in our schools before they opened their own places. After Frank Shamrock moved up to San Jose from LA, he began training with us and teaching grappling and MMA classes in KJN Ernie's school in the mornings. Also a program on the back floor of one of our schools teaching kickboxing (w/ Frank's help) evolved into a MMA program, got it's own location and became one of the premiere MMA camps in the world (American Kickboxing Academy Or AKA) with several UFC and Strikeforce champions and top contenders in it's stable.
Currently our curriculum is an integrated system fairly comprehensive to TKD, Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ and Escrima. It's evolved a lot since I began training there and KJN Ernie and KJN Tony (Co-founder Tony Thompson) have a goal that while we preserve our TKD roots, that our students are extremely well rounded and versatile. I'll tell you this much, with the constant evolution over the years. it never gets boring. I'm testing for 7th dan soon and I am having trouble keeping up with all the material in the curriculum.
Currently our curriculum is an integrated system fairly comprehensive to TKD, Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ and Escrima. It's evolved a lot since I began training there and KJN Ernie and KJN Tony (Co-founder Tony Thompson) have a goal that while we preserve our TKD roots, that our students are extremely well rounded and versatile. I'll tell you this much, with the constant evolution over the years. it never gets boring. I'm testing for 7th dan soon and I am having trouble keeping up with all the material in the curriculum.
