Resolved: Taekwondo is Inherently Bad for Your Body

[dancingalone]

Just thought I would stir up the pot. Your thoughts? Is TKD any more debilitating on your body with long term practice than other martial art, given its focus on kicking?

I suspect the answer depends on the type of kicks you practice, but I'll post my thoughts later after hopefully a few of you reply.

 

[clfsean]

Just thought I would stir up the pot. Your thoughts? Is TKD any more debilitating on your body with long term practice than other martial art, given its focus on kicking?

I suspect the answer depends on the type of kicks you practice, but I'll post my thoughts later after hopefully a few of you reply.

My hips would agree...

 

[ATC]

I would say that the high impact techniques such as jumping kicks and some turning kicks could be bad for the knees but that would be about it.

Proper technique with all the other kicks should not be a problem. I think that with as much leg work as we do if you limit the jumping kicks (older people and people with bad knees) you may actually make the muscles around the knees and joints stronger, thus helping the joints.

I know I put around 2 inches of muscle on my thighs since starting TKD. And my kids legs look great.

 

[dortiz]

I always thought so but then I know so many friends that have knee problems that never studied.
In the end I think I ended up with the same pains but a better ability to train through them and condition myself to work around it.

Dave O.

 

[terryl965]

After 30 years I would have to say yes it does, but that does not change the fact that I love the Art and I would do it all over again if need be.

 

[dancingalone]

I have a fondness for kicking stemming from my days in TKD... I believe over-practice helped contribute to my bulging disk problem, because I did not take proper care to balance out my strength in my core and my lower and upper back in order to distribute the shock of kicking evenly across my body.

Where is TKD on the "rough on your body" scale compared to arts like wing chun or aikido? You really don't hear about wing chun masters having to quit practicing, but it seems stories about taekwondoists with bad hips and knees are legion.

 

[punisher73]

I'll have to try and find the article, but it discussed that the human hip is not designed to do many of the kicks found in alot of MA styles (TKD included).

This is why MANY of the people who study long term have hip problems as well as knee problems. Look at how many "old masters" have hip replacements.

 

[clfsean]

Where is TKD on the "rough on your body" scale compared to arts like wing chun or aikido? You really don't hear about wing chun masters having to quit practicing, but it seems stories about taekwondoists with bad hips and knees are legion.

Wing Chun isn't that rough on a body as far as physical requirements to perform the techniques of the style.

Aikido... not too sure. Tried it & didn't like it early on so no real experience base there, but I always see "older" folks doing & rolling, so there's gotta be something there...

 

[Twin Fist]

the unique mechanics of the korean sidekick are VERY bad for your hips.

most of the guys that came up in the 60's are either crippled up now, or they switched back to the japanese side kick

 

[dancingalone]

It's hard to blame it on bad technique... Guys like He Il Cho and even (chuckling at incoming Chuck Norris jokes) Chuck Norris have had hip replacement surgeries, and surely they're as fine technicians as anyone out there, although Norris probably classifies himself as a tang soo do person.

 

[Manny]

Well, let me tell you the aikido sensei I know is well over 60 years old, he was a very good karateka but he realized that over the years his karate will not be as good as the old days and his body can't reaction as if he was 20 or 30 years old so he started aikido in the 90's and he hes quite good.

Myself, when I was a teen I was a good taekwondoing and could di most of the kicks, now with 41 and a little bacon I can not perform some kicks (the more dificult ones) so that's why I stay with the basics, you know front kick,roundhouse kick, side kick,back kick,turning back kick.

Yes, TKD over the years can be rough to your body,knees,joints,etc, but so does running for example.

Manny

 

[SJON]

The problem as I see it is that when I was a beginner I didn't know - among other things - how to tense the quads to protect the knee during all those 1000's of kicks against thin air. Now that I do know, it's too late.

I don't really do many high or jumping kicks any more, but I can see how they would be bad for the hips too.

 

[clfsean]

The problem as I see it is that when I was a beginner I didn't know - among other things - how to tense the quads to protect the knee during all those 1000's of kicks against thin air. Now that I do know, it's too late.

and it only takes 1 to cost thousands of dollars in surgery, drs fees, pt fees, etc... and a year or so off your normal training to teach you that...

... ask me how I know... I double dog dare ya... :headbangin::jaw-dropping::headbangin::xtrmshock

 

[Touch Of Death]

Just thought I would stir up the pot. Your thoughts? Is TKD any more debilitating on your body with long term practice than other martial art, given its focus on kicking?

I suspect the answer depends on the type of kicks you practice, but I'll post my thoughts later after hopefully a few of you reply.

I'm going to have to say yes. There is a quote stating "just bcause you can do something doesn't mean you should. A lot of kicking actions can damage your body. Even now there is thread on this forum about sore hips from kicking (TKD). Kicks should not cause you pain.
Sean

 

[terryl965]

and it only takes 1 to cost thousands of dollars in surgery, drs fees, pt fees, etc... and a year or so off your normal training to teach you that...

... ask me how I know... I double dog dare ya... :headbangin::jaw-dropping::headbangin::xtrmshock

OK how do you know?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wow... until I read this I was actually missing my old TKD days

Lord know I never got hurt doing CMA....much

 

[terryl965]

So is alcohol, cigars and woman but we still do most of this even when the doctor says leave it alone.

 

[clfsean]

OK how do you know?

Well... SINCE you asked...

Cutting to the chase & minimizing soap boxing (& dramatazation) ... practicing kicks in the air without a solid target to impact... or a partner that won't flinch... is bad news.

It cost me a right leg hyper extension that pulled everything out of my right knee capsule & put it through the meat grinder (literally) called my tibia & fibia when it was all violently sucked back into place just because the ligaments wouldn't stretch anymore.

 

[clfsean]

So is alcohol, cigars and woman but we still do most of this even when the doctor says leave it alone.

Seriously... what do drs know??

Alcohol keeps the blood thin (good to prevent unwanted clots)
Cigars keeps the blood sucking bugs away (go to prevent malaria, etc...)
Women... well... they might have something there if they're basing their opinion on timing

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well... SINCE you asked...

Cutting to the chase & minimizing soap boxing (& dramatazation) ... practicing kicks in the air without a solid target to impact... or a partner that won't flinch... is bad news.

It cost me a right leg hyper extension that pulled everything out of my right knee capsule & put it through the meat grinder (literally) called my tibia & fibia when it was all violently sucked back into place just because the ligaments wouldn't stretch anymore.

Well there is one thing I can be thankful to my first sifu more (actually there is more than one thing). I was practicing kicks one day, based on my previous TKD training and he told me to stop before I hurt myself and went on to explain exactly how hurt that I would be.... haven't done that since... you see CMA is safer