People favor TKD, not Kenpo

[Goldendragon7]

are making a lot of assumptions that just are not reality. First off....... there is no definition of exactly what anyone turns out like at ANY rank!
It is only as good as the person who promoted you and your skill level.... To defeat a fifth degree in a tournament is no big deal...... i.e... what if the guy was a fifth and is just starting back after an injury or a long layoff in life and is getting back in shape and knocking off some rust. To defeat this guy would be no big thing for A) a person that was a top competitor and has kept his hand warm and B) if the fifth in question rarely participated in tournaments and was matched with a another that has been out of touch "so to speak", but was an avid competitor he still could lose handily. So you have soooooooo many variables that it almost doesn't warrant discussion unless you set up some specific.

In some of the newer tournaments, they are adding some "senior divisions" for over 50 and 60!! But again these are very subjective and no conclusions can be drawn from the discussion of them without fair playing grounds.......

Come on guys...... be real.

:asian:

 

[Rob_Broad]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

are making a lot of assumptions that just are not reality. First off....... there is no definition of exactly what anyone turns out like at ANY rank!
It is only as good as the person who promoted you and your skill level.... To defeat a fifth degree in a tournament is no big deal...... i.e... what if the guy was a fifth and is just starting back after an injury or a long layoff in life and is getting back in shape and knocking off some rust. To defeat this guy would be no big thing for A) a person that was a top competitor and has kept his hand warm and B) if the fifth in question rarely participated in tournaments and was matched with a another that has been out of touch "so to speak", but was an avid competitor he still could lose handily. So you have soooooooo many variables that it almost doesn't warrant discussion unless you set up some specific.

In some of the newer tournaments, they are adding some "senior divisions" for over 50 and 60!! But again these are very
subjective and no conclusions can be drawn from the discussion of them without fair playing grounds.......

Come on guys...... be real.

:asian:

Bravo!!!

 

[Goldendragon7]

 

[RCastillo]

Ok Mr. Conatser, you can quit talking about us old guys!:soapbox:

 

[Goldendragon7]

You're just a young whippersnapper!!


:asian:

 

[Seig]

Originally posted by tonbo

I also didn't start off in TKD, nor has anyone that I have trained with. Yeah, it's pretty, and there is some good sport aspect there. However, I can't think of another art that is more joked about in terms of fast promotion (belt rank, not marketing).

A few years back, I did a survey and contacted a number of schools around, asking about time length from white to black belts (or from beginner to advanced, if they didn't use belts). Most of the responses said it would take about 4-6 years, and most were honestly on the higher end of the spectrum (5+ years). This was based on at least two times per week, about an hour class each time, and with regular training on your own. Amazingly, most of the TKD schools were saying it would be 2-3 years to black. I gotta shake my head at that.

Of course, this is the *American* version of TKD. I have heard that the actual *Korean* version is much better and much more effective. Any truth to that?

Peace--

I studied for 14 years under a TKD master that was ranked in Korea. When I moved to Florida and went to the McDojang around the corner, I cleared the floor......I went over to Kenpo....When someone asks how long to black belt, I tell them, a minimum of three years, if they come to class every night. I run 5 nights a week

 

[Goldendragon7]

Not all studios are created equal!

:asian:

 

[Nightingale]

with regards to the amount of time it takes to get a black belt...

I forget who said this, but when asked how long it took for "the average person" to get a black belt in kenpo, a teacher replied "Average people don't get black belts."

I took TKD for two years, on a break from kenpo (no kenpo school near me at the time). I did enjoy it, but figured out real quick that I was a kenpo blue belt at the time and could give the TKD black belts (in that school) a run for their money in self defense. They seemed much more focused on the "look" of things and doing the fancy movie star kicks rather than defending themselves... I'm sorry, but if someone attacks me in the street, I'm not going to do a jumping spinning hooking heel kick. I'm going to sidekick the bastard's knee (or do something else simple and fast that causes a lot of damage) and get the heck out of there.

I don't have my black belt yet, but in my opinion, a black belt needs to be able to defend themselves. I cringe when I see people wearing TKD black belts who can do amazing kicks but don't know how to block a straight thrust punch or a backknuckle.

 

[Goldendragon7]

:asian:

 

[Klondike93]

That's why people talk down to TKD so much. Too many black belts couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag when in a self defense stiuation. One reason why I wanted to take up kenpo when I got my BB in TKD.




:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

Most have little to no "general knowledge" on the martial arts as well. I said most.......

:asian:

 

[Rob_Broad]

I look at the TKD phenomon sort of like getting married and you go get your starter home. It is good enough to get you started in life, but it isn't too long before you realize that you were looking for more.

Tkd is a good starter art, a good sport but other than that the TKD curriculum is lacking. Many people add to it to make it better, and by doing so they are no longer doing the true TKD curriculum.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Why start with bad habbits?

Why is there always time to do it over, when there is never time to do it right?

food for thought.....

lol

 

[Klondike93]

In my case I grew up idolizing Bruce Lee and later Bill Wallace so I wanted to be able to kick like them and stumbled on TKD.

After realizing I didn't know how to use my hands very well, I moved on to kenpo. I knew from watching them at tournaments they liked to work inside alot.


:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

that is famous for kung fu?
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Bruce Lopez

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

that is famous for kung fu?
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Bruce Lopez

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Not Mexico, It's TEXAS!

Ricardo "Force Field" Castillo, me, that's who!]:2pistols:

 

[Ronin]

You know Mr. C its funny I remember a few kenpo students who were green belts and they walked into a korean school when they were away at college and were instantly promoted to black belt without any questions asked. I wont ever forget the statement you said to me that if I wanted a black belt I should go to a "Partial-Art" school. And if I wanted to be a great Martial artist I should study Kenpo. Not That all korean styles are bad but just a funny story I remembered..

 

[Klondike93]

Stories like that make me embarassed to be a black belt in TKD.
It's also another reason I moved on to kenpo and like it much more. TKD was fun for kicking and all, but kenpo is so much more.


:asian:

 

[Sigung86]

Many years ago, almost back before Dennis was born, I took a black in Tae Kwan Do (Tang Soo Do, specifically). Did it in one year. Had classes five nights a week, and learned from a South Korean Army Sergeant. The first self Defense technique I learned was, I found out later, in Kenpo, Whirling Thorn. We spent a lot of time going over weapon defense, up to and including rifles with bayonets affixed.

TKD has changed so much over the years that it is hardly recognizable any longer. They made the choice to become a Martial Sport. One of the large insurance companies gives a discount to people who are doing TKD, which they classify as a Martial Sport. many TKD schools have to bring in association consultants (at a high cost, naturally) to teach self defense.

The driving force was purely, and simply, money. Pick up TKD, make it palatable, clean up it's act, make it respectable to say, "Hey! I'm a TKD Black Belt"! Put lots of high price items in there like $25 patches, exhorbitant belt testing fees, specific vendor only, acceptable uniforms and sparring gear. Hoorah the students, and make them feel special. Oila! McDojo! Lot's of money for the instructors ... Lots of feel good for the students! Everyone is happy.

I recall a story about ten years ago of a female Black Belt TKD instructor, in California, who was assaulted and strangled to death. That, in and of itself was pretty sad. To add insult to injury, it was her instructor who did the strangling. Go figure...

Don't mind me. Just an old guy ruminating....

Take care,

Dan

 

[Rob_Broad]

Originally posted by Sigung86



Don't mind me. Just an old guy ruminating....

Take care,

Dan

To any of the beginners out there reading this thread, you can often learn a lot from thread like the one I partially quoted. I suggest people go back and read the original post again and see what there is to learn. I know I found a lot of info in it.