Punches

[Kung Fu Wang]

Most important thing ever when dealing with striking. Keep the hands up. It's the basic skill but even the professionals forget this.

It's better to let your opponent to keep his hands up instead.

You can use "stiff arm" and put your fist in front of your opponent's face. You then ready to throw your cross anytime you want to. When you use stiff arm, you will get the same result (even better) as to use your arm to protect your own head. Since your stiff arm is in your opponent's striking path, he has to deal with your stiff arm before he can punch to your head. You are still using your arm to protect your head. It's just in a more aggressive way.

The moment that your arms are up and guard your own head, your opponent knows that you are in "defense mode". He can then put himself in "offense mode". This is not good for you. IMO, it's better to fight in your opponent's territory than to fight in your own territory.

In sword fight, do you want to extend your sword toward your opponent, or do you want to use your sword to guard your head?

 

[JR 137]

Most important thing ever when dealing with striking. Keep the hands up. It's the basic skill but even the professionals forget this.

My problem is some people have a way of making drop my hands to block something low, then hit me with something high. Like bringing up their knee in a fake front kick which I try to block, then turning it over to a roundhouse or hook kick right upside my dome. Moving while keeping my hands up in has been my best friend so far against this. When I remember it it’s a great counter. Emphasis on when.

 

[Professor Random]

I strongly recommend the jab, cross, hook, hook combo. You step in and throw 4 punches, 2 linear and 2 circular. It doesn't matter whether you can hit your opponent with these 4 punches or not. At least you can use it to "open the door".

Another strategy is to "wrap your opponent's arm" first.

I'm not 100% sure that would be allowed in a tkd fight but thanks anyway

O.K the video helped a lot. Here's what I see. There is a lot of pushing going on. If you can put your hands on him to push, then you can puch your opponent just as easily. "push with your fist."

The main problem that I see is that there isn't any strategy going on. There is just a bunch of kicking. The second problem I see is that neither of you have your hands up. This causes 2 problems: hands down = bad punching position. Hands down =bad blocking position. Those 2 things + no strategy will make it difficult to land punches.

You 2 look like brawlers but with kicks instead of punches. Your opening for punching is the same opening that you are using to push your opponent away.

I did see a lot of pushing yes, just a minor flaw that I can improve there.

I do not have strategy you are correct. When I'm out there fighting I just kinda lose all thought and never think about what I'm doing, I just go with instinct which I'm sure is not good. I have had a lot of people tell me to keep my hands up for easy and fast punches but I can't seem to get that into my thick skull. Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sure to practice it.

I'll add....commit to your punches. I see often times competitors punches coming up short just because they won't committ to them. They throw the punch half heartedly while pulling back or away.

Punch should be crisp and sharp with your weight behind it driving it toward your target.....not just arm punches as you pull away.

I actually saw some fights of I think it was your son (or you) on the youtube channel and he seemed to get some pretty good punches out there. I could learn a lot from him(you).

If I were you I would ask my friend these questions.

1. How are you able to hit me?
2. How how are you setting up your punches?
3. What are you looking for when you punch me?
4. How are you avoiding my punches?
5. How do you block my punches?

At the moment your friend is the best resource for this question because he's able to hit you. Even though the movement of punching is simple, the reason why you are getting punched and not landing punch could be one or two of 50 different possibilities and reasons. It's just difficult to really know where to start with helping you with your problem without seeing a video of your sparring. When you stated that you were getting hit my original thought was why aren't you blocking the punches. If you can provide a little more information to paint a picture of how you are getting hit or provide a video. Make sure you ask the head of your school if you can video tape your sparring. If he / she asks why, just say that you want to use your video to help you with your training and to see things that you can't see while sparring.

As for punching routines. Any drilling of correct punching, push up and triceps exercises will help you for building the strength for your upper body and arms. Learning how to do a relaxed punch and not tense up a lot before you punch will help as well. Also train your footwork. Learn to move at 45 degree angles and laterally. Also train your blocks.

I will try and get some videos of our work out later and post it in the members in motion. As I'm not entirely fluent in the language it is hard to ask my teacher or even my peers for help, I do my best but it sometimes is hard to understand because of a communication barrier.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Your training seems to be typical of sport-oriented TKD schools. Given that, your punching training will be limited or non-existant.

I'm not 100% sure that would be allowed in a tkd fight but thanks anyway

You can obstruct the movement of their arm; you cannot grab it.
That's one of the (many...) problems with Olympic style sparring compared to self defense style sparring.

 

[Professor Random]

Well, first you have to learn how to punch. Then actually throw them. Not trying to be a wise guy here, just going off your tournament vid.

Try and utilize everything your school has to offer. Seek out and get to know the best punchers in your dojo, ask them to help you. Hound them if you have to, even if they don't want you to. Even if they spar you and punch the hell out of you. [it's the second best seat in the house].

Try sparring for a month and do not throw one single kick, not one. Fighting kickers is a great motivation to learn timing and angles in punching. Sometimes counter their kicks with your punches, sometimes intercept their kicks, use combinations. You'll come to realize that you can punch faster than they can kick.

If there aren't any punchers in your dojo, go find some, they're around.

And save yourself some time and shiners - get those hands up.

And keep up the training, brother, you're on your way.

There actually is one kid in my class who is a beast of a puncher. His punches hurt me worse than kicks, It's absurd. That's when I realized I needed to work on my punches more. But seeing he is a black belt and I am not, and he is a few heads taller than me we don't spar very often. But I'll see what I can do next class. Thanks for the info.

 

[Professor Random]

Your training seems to be typical of sport-oriented TKD schools. Given that, your punching training will be limited or non-existant.


You can obstruct the movement of their arm; you cannot grab it.
That's one of the (many...) problems with Olympic style sparring compared to self defense style sparring.

So it would be allowed? Sorry for so many questions but I don't get to ask many questions in my class about the rules of tkd.

 

[JR 137]

I'm not 100% sure that would be allowed in a tkd fight but thanks anyway


I did see a lot of pushing yes, just a minor flaw that I can improve there.

I do not have strategy you are correct. When I'm out there fighting I just kinda lose all thought and never think about what I'm doing, I just go with instinct which I'm sure is not good. I have had a lot of people tell me to keep my hands up for easy and fast punches but I can't seem to get that into my thick skull. Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sure to practice it.


I actually saw some fights of I think it was your son (or you) on the youtube channel and he seemed to get some pretty good punches out there. I could learn a lot from him(you).


I will try and get some videos of our work out later and post it in the members in motion. As I'm not entirely fluent in the language it is hard to ask my teacher or even my peers for help, I do my best but it sometimes is hard to understand because of a communication barrier.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

A lot of the lack of strategy and the like is due to inexperienced. There’s only one way to overcome that - time training. Keep at it.

 

[hoshin1600]

My problem is some people have a way of making drop my hands to block something low, then hit me with something high. Like bringing up their knee in a fake front kick which I try to block, then turning it over to a roundhouse or hook kick right upside my dome. Moving while keeping my hands up in has been my best friend so far against this. When I remember it it’s a great counter. Emphasis on when.

one great move to counter kicks is to slam your shin bone into their shin bone....it hurts like hell but they wont kick anymore. the other thing i used to like to do is punch their leg while they are kicking.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I did see a lot of pushing yes, just a minor flaw that I can improve there.

The "sport" rule set is always a problem. In the early stage of the kickboxing, you have to throw at least 1 kick after 3 punches. I believe the reason was they didn't want any boxer to win. By using that rule set, the technique used in the following clip will not be allowed.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

one great move to counter kicks is to slam your shin bone into their shin bone....it hurts like hell but they wont kick anymore. the other thing i used to like to do is punch their leg while they are kicking.

To meet your elbow joint at your opponent's shin bone can also be an effective counter.

 

[JR 137]

one great move to counter kicks is to slam your shin bone into their shin bone....it hurts like hell but they wont kick anymore. the other thing i used to like to do is punch their leg while they are kicking.

The biggest offender wears shin pads.

I block the leg hard. Most people don’t throw very many kicks at me because of it With the few that do throw kicks like the one I mentioned, the problem is the leg isn’t there anymore to actually block it 99% of the time. My arm goes down to smash it, and before I know what happened, I’m smacked on the side of the head once or twice (one of them pulled off 3 hits). It’s a great thing they’ve got great control, otherwise I’d be concussed. There’s only 3 or 4 people that consistently kick like that in the dojo. They’re my favorite sparring partners because they give me the most trouble. And an older guy who I call “the custodian” because he can sweep anyone whenever he feels like it.

 

[Dirty Dog]

So it would be allowed? Sorry for so many questions but I don't get to ask many questions in my class about the rules of tkd.

Depends on your viewpoint of the sparring rules you're using.
My personal opinion is that the WTF sparring rules (which is, sadly, the set most often used - and often exclusively used - by sport-oriented Kukkiwon schools) are horrible. But that is at least partly because I look at my training, and the training our students receive, from the standpoint of self defense. In my opinion, sparring rules should allow as much of what the art of TKD (as opposed to the sport) teaches as possible while remaining reasonably safe. So while stomping the knee can reasonably be banned, sweeping the legs should not. While an arc hand to the throat probably shouldn't be allowed, tossing them over your hip should. An elbow to the head? Go for it. Knee to the liver? Good job. Thumb into the eyeball? Ok, let's leave that out.
That's why I commented on your video that your style of sparring would result in pain, in our dojang. You'd get smacked in face. Repeatedly.
Caveat: I wouldn't necessarily endorse this sort of rule change for younger and/or new students. But black belts (which in our system means adults - we don't do baby black belts) and arguably the higher colored belts should be taught to use more than a fraction of what TKD has to offer.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

Dude if Taekwondo people can kick they can punch too just look for an opening you can Horizontal punches upper cut vertical you can even do a back fist strike its not hard. the only Disadvantage you taekwondo people is you dont puch or do back fist strike you guys just kick you guys need to incorporate the punches and back hand not only kicks

 

[JowGaWolf]

The moment that your arms are up and guard your own head, your opponent knows that you are in "defense mode". He can then put himself in "offense mode". This is not good for you. IMO, it's better to fight in your opponent's territory than to fight in your own territory.

The way I keep my hands up, you can't tell which mode I'm in. You can make assumptions about if I'm defending but you won't know for sure. Hands up means I can control the distance. If you stick your and in my face then, arms up will allow me to address that hand either offensively or defensively.

Punching and sword fighting are 2 different things that use the same mechanics.

Hands up with counter punch seen at 2:06. My hands are up. I go from defense to offense within the pace of his combination. He couldn't tell if I was going to attack or defend even though my hands were up. My defensive mode doesn't override my ability to do counter or attack. Hands up defense again at 1:54. It appears that my arm is pinned but it's not , You actually have to slow down the video just to see how I was able to punch, with both hands up. It happened that fast. While the distance that your hands must travel from your hips to your head is small, the speed that it must move to cover that distance in the context of someone trying to hit you is huge.

My problem is some people have a way of making drop my hands to block something low, then hit me with something high. Like bringing up their knee in a fake front kick which I try to block, then turning it over to a roundhouse or hook kick right upside my dome

This is common. It happens to everyone regardless of skill level. For me I just learn to sacrifice certain areas on my body. You'll often see me get hit in the stomach in my videos. The reason why is because I can condition that area enough take the impact and if I can get the timing correct then I'll punch them in the face while they are going for my stomach. If I can beat them to the "impact point" then I will also increase the chance that my strike will greatly weaken their strike.

I did see a lot of pushing yes, just a minor flaw that I can improve there.

This isn't a flaw. Pushing is good so long as you push them in the right direction. If I were to push someone , it would be to knock them off balance so that I can strike them while they are off balance. However in your case, you simply can change your thought process, when you feel like pushing the person then just change it into a punch instead of a push.

I personally think you would be very difficult to defeat once you have learned how to apply your punches, timing, baiting, etc. You are participating in a martial art system where most of the people will have very poor punch defense. You could become "king of TKD." simply by exploiting the weakness that many have with defending against punching.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I just watched a video for the TKD 2017 rules and my jaw dropped. I would totally be the DQ King lol.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I just watched a video for the TKD 2017 rules and my jaw dropped. I would totally be the DQ King lol.

Awful, aren't they?
Our students would have a difficult time. A couple examples...
At about 1:15 they penalize the blue kid for 'kicking the leg.' What a load of nonsense. He raised his leg up straight, never chambered, and put his foot on the thigh of the red kid, who was throwing a kick. I specifically teach this as a way to "jam" their kick. Except I teach it as a kick, not just raising up the leg...
At about 1:50 they penalize the kid for what I'd call feinting. You're not allowed to use a feint, or start an attack and then change your mind? Again, it's a load of nonsense.
I could go on...
I predict a lot of matches will be won on penalties rather than skill.
The newest rule changes make me want to facepalm. but I'm afraid I'd break my own nose...

 

[JowGaWolf]

Awful, aren't they?

Yes. I wasn't expecting the rules to be like that. Participants getting penalized for feinting was just nuts along with that no resetting of chambered kicks.

So much for practical TKD. I wonder if participation in the competitions will dip or if new competitions will be created that don't have to follow those new rules.

 

[Punchy]

The newest rule changes make me want to facepalm. but I'm afraid I'd break my own nose...

And you would probably be penalized for excessive contact.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Yes. I wasn't expecting the rules to be like that. Participants getting penalized for feinting was just nuts along with that no resetting of chambered kicks.

So much for practical TKD. I wonder if participation in the competitions will dip or if new competitions will be created that don't have to follow those new rules.

Given that these rules are used for the Olympics, and given that the Olympics are likely to always be the epitome of sporting competition, I suspect there will be plenty of people willing to compete under these rules.
Sadly, since the Olympics is the only knowledge most people have of TKD, it will only (IMO) serve to reinforce the common misconception that TKD is not practical. It really is, but not in the silly way it's used in the Olympics.

 

[Professor Random]

Awful, aren't they?
Our students would have a difficult time. A couple examples...
At about 1:15 they penalize the blue kid for 'kicking the leg.' What a load of nonsense. He raised his leg up straight, never chambered, and put his foot on the thigh of the red kid, who was throwing a kick. I specifically teach this as a way to "jam" their kick. Except I teach it as a kick, not just raising up the leg...
At about 1:50 they penalize the kid for what I'd call feinting. You're not allowed to use a feint, or start an attack and then change your mind? Again, it's a load of nonsense.
I could go on...
I predict a lot of matches will be won on penalties rather than skill.
The newest rule changes make me want to facepalm. but I'm afraid I'd break my own nose...

As I do agree they are pretty bad, the new rules are what gave me a victory in my latest championship so hey what can I say.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯