Reason for all the high kicks and ariel techniques

[oftheherd1]

It's amazing to me how much information is out there. Taekwondo is a relatively young art. By the time taekwondo was created horses weren't often found on the field of battle. The side kick, therefore, was never intended to kick people off of horses.

It is common knowledge (in Korea) that the flying sidekick was developed exclusively as a means of kicking enemy soldiers off of motorcycles. Korean soldiers would hide in ditches next to roads used by enemy riders and execute the flying sidekick.

This was a very common occurrence during the war in Vietnam. Vietcong letters were found warning VC soldiers not engage in motorcycle travel if Koreans were in the area because of the ROK army's deadly taekwondo.

In fact, the flying sidekick is still used by police and civilians alike in combat against the infamous "motorcycle mafia," the toughest motorcycle gang on the planet.

I can't believe you guys don't already know this stuff. Go to your library and read a book.

I thought I had heard if all. Obviously not.

 

[TrueJim]

Was that traditional TKD? I don't know, but it was what he used. Of course, I can't prove that his TKD was traditional, but it seemed so to me. There was no flashiness, no questionable moves, just good solid methods to strike opponents, and careful attention to forms.

I'm not sure if there's a universally accepted definition of traditional taekwondo. There's one definition: "taekwondo as practiced in the 1940s-1960s by the post-war kwans" but that definition is problematic since none of the schools was calling their art taekwondo at the time. I've also seen people add, "...especially as practiced by the South Korean military" and certainly by that definition Jhoon Rhee ought to qualify as traditional taekwondo. I've also heard ITF/Chang Hon practitioners refer to the non-sine-wave version as "traditional" taekwondo. That definition at least has the advantage that taekwondo was being called taekwondo by that point!

 

[Balrog]

A friend of mine who trained in Tae Kwon Do said that the reason for all the high kicks and jumping techniques in Tae Kwon Do was to knock people off horses. In ancient Korea they would often go up against enemies on horseback and the high kicks and jumping techniques were used to knock them off. Im not sure of the validity of that but that's what my friend who had a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do claimed.

He also said that the Koreans used their hands for lots of fine artwork and craftsmanship and as such did not want to damage their hands with training so that is why kicks were emphasized in Tae Kwon Do over hand techniques.

Ah, the old kick 'em off the horse story. Right up there with the ninjas who can walk through solid walls and the samurai who could chop off three heads with one swing of the sword.

The simple answer is that we do the jump kicks and stuff like that because we can. They are nothing more than just another training method to gain discipline in the mind and body. I personally would never use one in a self-defense situation, but being able to do a jump side kick, for example, gives me better control of my standing side kick, which I would use in self-defense.

 

[TrueJim]

I personally would never use one in a self-defense situation...

That having been said...a nice high kick can sometimes be pretty effective in self-defense...

 

[danielle]

That's very interesting. It makes sense. I've always been told the flashy moves (540 round and hook kicks) were used for show.

 

[Dirty Dog]

That's very interesting. It makes sense. I've always been told the flashy moves (540 round and hook kicks) were used for show.

Mostly. Beware of absolutes. It's certainly possible to use even the flashiest of kicks for self defense in the right situation. It won't be common, but it is possible.

 

[danielle]

Mostly. Beware of absolutes. It's certainly possible to use even the flashiest of kicks for self defense in the right situation. It won't be common, but it is possible.

True.I'd imagine a younger person opting for it. They certainly are pretty moves though. Those spins inspire many people to join Taekwondo

 

[Jaeimseu]

The simple answer is that we do the jump kicks and stuff like that because we can. They are nothing more than just another training method to gain discipline in the mind and body. I personally would never use one in a self-defense situation, but being able to do a jump side kick, for example, gives me better control of my standing side kick, which I would use in self-defense.

This is pretty spot on, I'd say. I think that's the Taekwondo mentality: to continually push things to the next level. I can remember learning the 540 spinning hook kick and feeling pretty good, but there are guys now doing 720 or better jump turning round kicks. It's amazing what people can do when they continually challenge themselves. And that's what it's about. It has nothing to do with self-defense. That's true of many things on TKD.

 

[Earl Weiss]

...........I can remember learning the 540 spinning hook kick and feeling pretty good, but there are guys now doing 720 or better jump turning round kicks. .

Off topic but you hit a nerve with this one. Terminology varies but some of the names are misleading. Naming a kick with degree of rotation indicates how many times you rotate in the air. At least with other trick activities like Skating, gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, that's what it is. If you watch many of the 540/720 kicks you will see 180 or more is a rotation with one foot still in contact with the floor. I could then say I do a 1080 by spinning around 3 times with one foot on the floor doing a little jump and then kicking. I guess it's no worse than rank / title inflation.

 

[Jaeimseu]

Off topic but you hit a nerve with this one. Terminology varies but some of the names are misleading. Naming a kick with degree of rotation indicates how many times you rotate in the air. At least with other trick activities like Skating, gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, that's what it is. If you watch many of the 540/720 kicks you will see 180 or more is a rotation with one foot still in contact with the floor. I could then say I do a 1080 by spinning around 3 times with one foot on the floor doing a little jump and then kicking. I guess it's no worse than rank / title inflation.

You are correct, of course, that probably the majority of people are not actually airborne during the entirety of their rotation. However, it seems to be the case that these kicking techniques are named for the total amount of rotation from the beginning of the kick until contact is/would be made. I've heard people using the term "540" for a "tornado kick" that lands on the kicking foot for twenty years. I don't know if the name was intended to deceive back then or not, but that's the name that stuck.

I was simply using terms that I felt would be recognized by the majority of readers. I had zero intent to embellish the amount of rotation.
And yes, you could say that you were doing a 1080 after spinning on the ground, but I doubt anyone would take you seriously if you did so.

 

[drop bear]

People are pulling off these kicks which work if you nail the guy. But also work if you can get him back pedaling.

And it takes some real stones to close and counter a guy who is throwing those sort of kicks.

 

[Drose427]

People are pulling off these kicks which work if you nail the guy. But also work if you can get him back pedaling.

And it takes some real stones to close and counter a guy who is throwing those sort of kicks.

Especially if they arent used to seeing them and have no clue how to counter it. This happens in the cage fairly often

 

[drop bear]

Especially if they arent used to seeing them and have no clue how to counter it. This happens in the cage fairly often

In theory it should make you open to takedowns. But it just doesn't.

 

[TrueJim]

The "kick opponents off horses" thing rears its ugly head again...

When is it time to move on taekwondo

 

[Tez3]

In theory it should make you open to takedowns. But it just doesn't.

All stuff we do in karate

 

[Laplace_demon]

All the high kicking is mostly WTF practioners. ITF schools don't neccesarily put that much emphasis on high kicking, or for that matter aerial kicks in general. I have trained ITF since august 2014, and haven't been taught any aerial kicks, outside of flying side kick (which is a nice kick) and the jumping back kick. Lots of handstrikes, heavy emphasis on patterns, conditioning.

 

[The_Awesome_User]

True.I'd imagine a younger person opting for it. They certainly are pretty moves though. Those spins inspire many people to join Taekwondo

Here is an example of a "just for show" kick

 

[Gnarlie]

Here is an example of a "just for show" kick

To be fair, pretty much any kick would work when the opponent is actually coming forward to touch gloves and doesn't realise the fight has started in earnest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[The_Awesome_User]

To be fair, pretty much any kick would work when the opponent is actually coming forward to touch gloves and doesn't realise the fight has started in earnest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Uh he went to touch gives after the bell rang?
They allready touched gloves
If you look at the close up slow mo you can see his hands were guarding.

 

[Drose427]

Uh he went to touch gives after the bell rang?
They allready touched gloves
If you look at the close up slow mo you can see his hands were guarding.

He very clearly extends his left hand to toich gloves