# Taekwondo apps for iPhone and Android



## tamaro (Apr 2, 2012)

Hello,

  I've been developing over the last 3 weeks a Taekwondo app (iPhone/iPad and Android) and would like to invite the members of this forum to take a look. The app will be released within a week and you can find more information at http://taekwondo.telmoamaro.com .

  Obviously there's a lot of similar content out there, and much of it from grandmasters. However, a lot of books insist in the details everyone knows, how to perform a punch, how to execute a form, etc. Also, most books don't split content by rank and often confuse students by overwhelming them with higher rank techniques and knowledge.

  Although the contents I created also explain those basic, they also go into detail on the various applications of techniques and stances both in self-defense situations and sport sparring situations. In fact, I focused a lot of attention in explaining differences between sport and martial application that so often confuses students.

  The first app goes into detail on White Belt curriculum (from 10th Kup to 8th Kup) and has 5 courses. You can download the app and read the first course ("Theory") for free. The other courses available for a small fee are: - Fundamental techniques, Forms, Martial application and Sport sparring.

  Instructors may also use this app as a guideline for graduation, since contents are organized by rank.

  If all goes well, Yellow belt, Green belt, Blue belt, Red belt and Black belt apps follow, completing the curriculum.

  Feedback is much appreciated.

  Kind regards,

  Telmo Amaro


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## Cyriacus (Apr 2, 2012)

That.
Is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard.

And now Im morbidly curious.
If anyone who owns an iPhone, and tries it, ah... Go into detail, if You could


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## RSweet (Apr 2, 2012)

Cyriacus said:


> That.
> Is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard.
> 
> And now Im morbidly curious.
> If anyone who owns an iPhone, and tries it, ah... Go into detail, if You could



Herb Perez is also hawking apps. He has taken his overpriced TORCH program and taken the video and cut into smaller bits and trying to sell these. USAT advertised them for him last year but I don't know anyone who paid to get one.


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## armortkd (Apr 2, 2012)

RSweet said:


> Herb Perez is also hawking apps. He has taken his overpriced TORCH program and taken the video and cut into smaller bits and trying to sell these. USAT advertised them for him last year but I don't know anyone who paid to get one.


 I bought Herb's TORCH iPhone app out when it came out. Can't beat $40 (4 levels of TORCH X $10) compared to $1000 of DVDs. 

Here's my critique: 
It's a great app for black belt athletes who are opening up their first TKD schools or having new students or color belts that are new to modern Olympic TKD methods. Herb places enough lessons to cover 1 year with 2 TORCH classes per week. A lot of the content is focused on the technical side of the game with lead-ins to the tactical side. The lesson plans are detailed with the techniques & time allotment. For coach/instructors, they should have competent tournament experience to use the apps for situational sparring purposes. Herb does a great job from a Physical Education pedagogy standpoint with building on the basics in a progressive manner, teaching part/whole slow/fast, and scope/sequence. It's not an app for the development of elite athletes, but for coaching/instruction to give students a great foundation.

How many coaches/instructors actually plan a yearly curriculum? How many of them actually let their students know the focus of what each training session entails? We do this with teaching forms & color belt testing requirements, but not always with a sparring program.


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## cali_tkdbruin (Apr 7, 2012)

Cyriacus said:


> That.
> Is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard.
> 
> And now Im morbidly curious.
> If anyone who owns an iPhone, and tries it, ah... Go into detail, if You could




Yea, fill us in. Inquiring minds wanna kno... :asian:


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## mastercole (Apr 8, 2012)

tamaro said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've been developing over the last 3 weeks a Taekwondo app (iPhone/iPad and Android) and would like to invite the members of this forum to take a look. The app will be released within a week and you can find more information at http://taekwondo.telmoamaro.com .
> 
> ...



What differences do you see in applications for self defense vs. applications in competition?


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## Dirty Dog (Apr 8, 2012)

I didn't download it, but I did look at the site. The page linked shows some bits of the white belt content.

I stopped when the first technique shown was "ap kubi soegi"...


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## puunui (Apr 9, 2012)

At our recent state championships, we used the poomsae scoring system developed by Master Jim Null for ipads. Worked perfectly. The thing that distinguishes that program from others out there is that you can change your score if you hit the wrong button and/or made a mistake.


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## tamaro (Apr 14, 2012)

mastercole said:


> What differences do you see in applications for self defense vs. applications in competition?



Hello,

 WTF Taekwondo sport sparring assumes you won't get hit with a punch to the face, you will not be pushed and pulled, there's always a lot of space for your to move around and opponents use a lot of protective equipment. In self-defense, none of these considerations are valid and because of that, most sport sparring tactics aren't suitable for self-defense (ex: counter-attacking with high spinning hook kicks, strikes first with a rear leg bandal chagi to the torso). Simply put, the way techniques are executed, techniques used and tactics are different between sport sparring and martial application because in sport sparring the player is rewarded if he takes the risk in performing complex fast techniques that can have moderate force (doesn't KO and still scores a lot), while in self-defense simple, powerful, less risky techniques and tactics will increase the probability of surviving.

  Some techniques are also executed differently in a sport event and in a self-defense situation. Dolyo chagi (turning kick), for example, in sport sparring, the kick hits with "bal nal dung" (makes the sport safer since performing the kick that way causes less damage and it increases range of the kick thus increasing scoring probability), while in self-defense it hits with "Ap chuk" (high concentration of force in a more robust part of the foot thus making much more damage to the opponent).

  These basic topics are explained in this first app.


  The app is out, by the way for both iPhone/iPad and Android. You can find links to download at http://taekwondo.telmoamaro.com .


  Regarding a previous comment about some issue with "ap kubi soegi". A stance is part of fundamental technique, it is well executed and explained in detail. I focused in showing korean terms, although in most cases the name as it is known in English is there as well. Most dojangs enforce the use of Korean names, although I know some use the equivalent in their native language.

  Thank you for your time.


  Best regards,

  TA


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## The Last Legionary (Apr 14, 2012)

Smells like someone evading the advertising rules to me.


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## mastercole (Apr 14, 2012)

tamaro said:


> Hello,
> 
> WTF Taekwondo sport sparring assumes you won't get hit with a punch to the face, you will not be pushed and pulled, there's always a lot of space for your to move around and opponents use a lot of protective equipment. In self-defense, none of these considerations are valid and because of that, most sport sparring tactics aren't suitable for self-defense (ex: counter-attacking with high spinning hook kicks, strikes first with a rear leg bandal chagi to the torso). Simply put, the way techniques are executed, techniques used and tactics are different between sport sparring and martial application because in sport sparring the player is rewarded if he takes the risk in performing complex fast techniques that can have moderate force (doesn't KO and still scores a lot), while in self-defense simple, powerful, less risky techniques and tactics will increase the probability of surviving.
> 
> ...



Thank you for your explanation, but your classification of Shihap Kyorugi as a sport that is not suitable for self defense is highly flawed. The points you made to try and back up your flawed classification also fail and are with out fact, or proven track record. It is simply just what you believe. Any app based on those flaws, will be flawed it's self and goes against what the Kukkiwon, WTF and the greater Taekwondo movement stands for.


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## mastercole (Apr 14, 2012)

I recommend this useful app for Kukkiwon Taekwondo practitioners, by Kukkiwon and Osung Media.  www.osungmedia.com







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## tamaro (Apr 14, 2012)

mastercole said:


> Thank you for your explanation, but your classification of Shihap Kyorugi as a sport that is not suitable for self defense is highly flawed. The points you made to try and back up your flawed classification also fail and are with out fact, or proven track record. It is simply just what you believe. Any app based on those flaws, will be flawed it's self.



 Thank you for your reply and opinion. In any dojang instructors teach two types of knowledge, the basics that are essentially what identifies the martial art (techniques, etiquette, etc) and knowledge that may be subject to instructor preference, such as tactics and even techniques. Each instructor, will have his own style, consequence of personal experiences and choices. I consider incorrect to say that passing any knowledge that may be influenced by the personal experiences of the instructor is flawed because otherwise you would be simply teaching body movements thus making the practice pointless.

  Without personal choices of instructors, there won't be any martial arts. Interpretation is part of it.

  No instructor can effectively teach Taekwondo or any other martial art without making his own choices of what is best. Eventually you will be making tactical choices and choosing the techniques you consider most effective and focus on making your students good at those. As it is often said, better be able to use one good kick, than know a 1000 and be unable to apply any. 

  Personally, and this is my choice, I would never say ALL sport sparring tactics are valid for self-defense since I can easily see (from knowledge I, as any other instructor, acquired through my masters and confirmed through personal experience) many can easily be nullified and leave students in a dangerous position. There's a lot of information on assaults where one can quickly observe sport sparring techniques end badly. I don't think that's without fact. The days of irrealistic self-defense with flashy kicks as perfect solution against everything including knives are ending, and that's a good thing.

  This app is influenced by my personal choices, if it wasn't I would be doing what thousands of others did before and there won't be any good reason in doing it again. Depending on whether someone finds that flawed or not, you can download the app or not.


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## mastercole (Apr 14, 2012)

tamaro said:


> Thank you for your reply and opinion. In any dojang instructors teach two types of knowledge, the basics that are essentially what identifies the martial art (techniques, etiquette, etc) and knowledge that may be subject to instructor preference, such as tactics and even techniques. Each instructor, will have his own style, consequence of personal experiences and choices.



I tend to agree.



tamaro said:


> I consider incorrect to say that passing any knowledge that may be influenced by the personal experiences of the instructor is flawed because otherwise you would be simply teaching body movements thus making the practice pointless.



I take that a bit further. Instructors usually have only limited personal experience and easily can come to flawed conclusions based on that limited personal experience, and those flawed conclusions can influence what the instructor teaches their students. Then the students, like their instructor are simply making body movements that are pointless practice, and, fall for a flawed dogma that matches their instructors limited understanding.



tamaro said:


> Without personal choices of instructors, there won't be any martial arts. Interpretation is part of it.



But an instructor must strive for wisdom and realized they may have a flawed understanding of their practice and remove as much of themselves from their martial art, and teaching as possible.  A truly great instructor is nothing more than a guide to help a student with self discovery.  A poor instructor only passes on their personal flaws to their students.



tamaro said:


> No instructor can effectively teach Taekwondo or any other martial art without making his own choices of what is best. Eventually you will be making tactical choices and choosing the techniques you consider most effective and focus on making your students good at those. As it is often said, better be able to use one good kick, than know a 1000 and be unable to apply any.



This gets to the old saying "it is better to spend a lifetime searching for the right teacher, than spending even one day training with the wrong one"

Me, I really do my best to not be the wrong one, by trying to find the right ones.



tamaro said:


> Personally, and this is my choice, I would never say ALL sport sparring tactics are valid for self-defense



I am the opposite. I say that anything can be valid for self defense. In your flawed misnomer "sport tactics" every single thing they do has valid self defense application, what examples do you have where these tactics do not?



tamaro said:


> since I can easily see (from knowledge I, as any other instructor, acquired through my masters and confirmed through personal experience) many can easily be nullified and leave students in a dangerous position.



Any technique, tactic, defensive or offensive, or neutral can and has left people in a dangerous position. There are no superior positions, there are only superior opponents, and those tend to be the ones who are more athletically developed and those who have been under the stress of full contact.



tamaro said:


> There's a lot of information on assaults where one can quickly observe sport sparring techniques end badly. I don't think that's without fact.



Lot's? I don't think so. If you think there are lot's of such information, provide it here, otherwise, it's just hearsay and opinion based on more flawed opinion, not fact.

However there are literally millions of incidents of assaults on individuals who do not train in sport sparring, that ended badly for those individuals. 



tamaro said:


> The days of irrealistic self-defense with flashy kicks as perfect solution against everything



Just because some folks failed to develop their personal kicking skills to their full potential, does not mean others have not. To an excellent kicker, it could be a solution to most every situation. To an unskilled kicker, well, they need another plan as kicking would not be a realistic option. 



tamaro said:


> including knives are ending, and that's a good thing.



Knives don't attack people, nor do knives suddenly and magically give people better movement skills. The knife has the have a person attached to it to become a threat. The person with the knife still needs better tactics and skills than their opponent. If the opponents tactics and over all fighting skill is greater than the wielder of the knife, the person with the knife will most likely be defeated. I would not believe everything I see in the movies where some inferior skilled person picks up a knife and suddenly has superior skills, it's not reality. 



tamaro said:


> This app is influenced by my personal choices, if it wasn't I would be doing what thousands of others did before and there won't be any good reason in doing it again. Depending on whether someone finds that flawed or not, you can download the app or not.



Thanks for your more detailed explanation, it was of a lot of assistance in helping decide whether it was a valuable app, or not.


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