WTF TKD without all that protective gear. . .
- Thread starter SPX
- Start date
Not to be to critical, this is a awesome display of skill, but i did notice one thing. When they did manage to get past kicking range, but before the clinch, they were attempting to use punches. Its just they looked "lost" when they tried to punch or use hand techs, like they were using something nearly foreign to them. It was refreshing to see there hands in different places tho, instead of on there hips.
Fusion Taekwondo LLC
Yellow Belt
Is that ring announcer Bruce Buffer?
chrispillertkd
Senior Master
You're much more generous than I am, then. I didn't find them impressive at all.
I also still can't stand seeing people fall down after kicking.
Pax,
Chris
Cyriacus
Senior Master
My response to both is, unlike Kyokushinkai, these people were guarding their bodies with their arms rather than keeping their arms out almost like a 'fence' in preperation to throw their own.
As a result the punches had to be directed to go around the arms, rather than having a continuously open section of body to target.
The delay was more than likely them trying to make the punches count. And since they cant just more instinctively target the head, theyre left with trying to smack in whatever ribs they can reach around the other persons arms.
I wasnt so much talking about the technical side of it, anyway. They just had some decent power behind them, and thats more important to me. Or it looked like they did, anyway.
They fight based on the rule set...if you don't understand the rule set you will not understand why they do things...
If you don't like the rule set don't participate...
If you don't find it entertaining don't watch...
We get 2 or three BB's a year who come from other arts or SD who want to try WTF style sparing because they think it looks easy and that they would be able to dominate TKD fighters...
We had a Cop come in about three weeks ago...he has his BB from the school and has not been around for a couple of years...the school used to be more SD oriented under the old Master...It has changed...said he wanted ti spar...offered him gear said he did not need it...he picked my son to spar he is 15 and about 50 lbs lighter....after about 30 seconds he realized he needed gear and stopped...we gave him gear and my daughter fought him...she hit him with a couple of shots to the Hogu and took his breath...I spoke with him after he said that he had watched the Olympics and thought the kicks looked soft...he said that this changed his mind....he is working with my son on some police techs...my son wants to be come a COP...my son is working with him on sparing...
If you don't like the rule set don't participate...
If you don't find it entertaining don't watch...
We get 2 or three BB's a year who come from other arts or SD who want to try WTF style sparing because they think it looks easy and that they would be able to dominate TKD fighters...
We had a Cop come in about three weeks ago...he has his BB from the school and has not been around for a couple of years...the school used to be more SD oriented under the old Master...It has changed...said he wanted ti spar...offered him gear said he did not need it...he picked my son to spar he is 15 and about 50 lbs lighter....after about 30 seconds he realized he needed gear and stopped...we gave him gear and my daughter fought him...she hit him with a couple of shots to the Hogu and took his breath...I spoke with him after he said that he had watched the Olympics and thought the kicks looked soft...he said that this changed his mind....he is working with my son on some police techs...my son wants to be come a COP...my son is working with him on sparing...
Well that is Master Dong Lee, his father Grand Master Chang Lee are from the DFW area. Master Lee is one of the USAT national coaches and a great friend and believe me if he ever kicked you you would want the gear on and it would not help. Sometimes people just do not relize how hard WTF style kicks are until they get kicked once or twice, it is not like alot of Karate tournament sparring light contact.
chrispillertkd
Senior Master
I read an article some years ago that talked about a study done with the Korean national team. It measured the incidence of injury from kicks while wearing a hogu and not wearing one. With a hogu something like 25% of people suffered an injury. Without one the rate rose to 100%.
I still would like it better if WTF fighters didn't fall down after kicking, though
Pax,
Chris
If you can find them, you should repost them. Do you know if this organization or whatever it was is still around?
Most of the "PRO TKD" stuff I found was more of this variety, which is clearly a totally different thing:
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I've noticed that whenever WTF guys punch it seems to be more of a "get off me" punch--kind of like the punch version of a push kick--rather than a boxing style punch. It makes sense considering the rules they're fighting under, but it definitely looks odd. Then again, WTF TKD is a very peculiar looking sport all around.
Yeah, I've never done WTF sparring, but this is what I've always heard. I definitely sympathize with the view that the kicks look soft. They really do. But I've heard over and over that that's just not the case.
There's a good WTF school down the road that I've visited a couple of times. I'd really like to commit to doing it for a little while and do some sparring with them and, hopefully, do some competing.
You are free to hit that head as hard as you want as long as you use a kick.
