Taekwondo, waste of time?

[PhotonGuy]

So, reading through many of the Taekwondo posts it seems there is both pride and loathing for Taekwondo by practitioners of the art. In one instance you will get things such as, it is a great striking art, teaches discipline, and the like. Then you get, the tradition is so new and so varied that it basically has no tradition and is just garbage put out by each "master." Having taken Taekwondo myself for 13 years, I find it basically a huge waste of time and I would have been better served spending my time and energy on good old western arts such as boxing and wrestling. I fall into this category myself where for over a decade I extolled the virtues of Taekwondo but now, not so much. I tend to steer people away from Taekwondo/Tang Soo Do. I do however find Taekwondo to be a great art for children. But into adulthood it is kind of silly to see grown men jumping around doing acrobatic kicks. I have met soooo many guys that either took Taekwondo as a child and want to get back into it and recapture their childhood vigor or those that never stopped taking it from childhood and do not know any better. What are the thoughts of those that have practiced Taekwondo up to at least a 1st or 2nd Dan? I stopped training at 4th Dan (Kukkiwon), 5th Dan (Local school). I have also wrestled since Elementary school and always thought the eastern arts had a leg up on me (pun Intended). But all these years later, my wrestling has served me better than Taekwondo ever has.

If you make wrestling work better for you than Taekwondo than good for you, although the same wouldn't be true for everybody. The best art for you is whatever art you make work the best for you, as for which art that is that varies from person to person.

 

[Tames D]

Ask Hee IL Cho.

 

[Kung Fu Wang137 167]

If you make wrestling work better for you than Taekwondo than good for you, although the same wouldn't be true for everybody. The best art for you is whatever art you make work the best for you, as for which art that is that varies from person to person.

We all need to learn:

1. jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, ...
2. front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, back kick, hook kick, ...
3. finger break, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock, head lock, ...
4. foot sweep, single leg, double legs, hip throw, inner hook, ...
5. full mount, side mount, arm bar, leg bar, neck choke, ...

Since TKD can provide 2 nicely, I just don't know why people may think TKD is waste of time?

 

[HighKick]

We all need to learn:

1. jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, ...
2. front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, back kick, hook kick, ...
3. finger break, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock, head lock, ...
4. foot sweep, single leg, double legs, hip throw, inner hook, ...
5. full mount, side mount, arm bar, leg bar, neck choke, ...

Since TKD can provide 2 nicely, I just don't know why people may think TKD is waste of time?

I would put crescent kick(s) higher than a hook kick.

 

[PhotonGuy]

We all need to learn:

1. jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, ...
2. front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, back kick, hook kick, ...
3. finger break, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock, head lock, ...
4. foot sweep, single leg, double legs, hip throw, inner hook, ...
5. full mount, side mount, arm bar, leg bar, neck choke, ...

Maybe in your art but not all arts cover these techniques that you mention.

Since TKD can provide 2 nicely, I just don't know why people may think TKD is waste of time?

Which of those 2 does TKD provide nicely?

 

[Kung Fu Wang137 167]

Maybe in your art but not all arts cover these techniques that you mention.

Which of those 2 does TKD provide nicely?

There exists no MA system that contain everything. My long fist system doesn't even contain "roundhouse kick". That's why cross training is needed.

TKD contains:

2. front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, back kick, hook kick, ...

 

[Balrog]

So, reading through many of the Taekwondo posts it seems there is both pride and loathing for Taekwondo by practitioners of the art. In one instance you will get things such as, it is a great striking art, teaches discipline, and the like. Then you get, the tradition is so new and so varied that it basically has no tradition and is just garbage put out by each "master." Having taken Taekwondo myself for 13 years, I find it basically a huge waste of time and I would have been better served spending my time and energy on good old western arts such as boxing and wrestling.

That, of course, is your opinion. My opinion is that the 40 years I have spent training in Taekwondo have been some of the best years of my life.