Sparring

[Cthulhu]

I find the statement made about TKD people and hand techniques to be true for those that train only for competition. I can't recall ever seeing a hand technique thrown in a TKD competition. Their forms are full of them, but they're not used.

The guy I train with informally also trained in other systems, was a former bouncer and I believe was also ex-military. Oh yeah, he also trained boxers for a while. So, even though he currently teaches TKD, he teaches a lot of hand techniques.

He's got a wicked hook punch. Very nice.

Cthulhu

 

[Cthulhu]

...it all comes down to the person teaching/practicing the style, and not the style itself. The guy I train with and the guy who banged up his elbow are good cases in point.

Both are TKD black belts. However, the guy I train with teaches and trains a lot differently than the guy who couldn't fall.

Another example is my Okinawa-te instructor. I'm repeating something from another thread, but...

He trained us traditionally, with all the forms, kata, waza, and whatnot, but sparring was done more realistically, where grappling, biting, groin strikes, and whatnot were allowed, albeit with control. When he went back to California, he was appalled to find that the black belts there rarely make physical contact with each other.

Bah. I'm babbling again.

Cthulhu

 

[Rob_Broad]

I must have come up differently thru the ranks than most of the people do today. When I competing in sparring we had takedown, sweeps, throws, and grabs. Contact was mandatory none of this tap your opponent and run around the ring with your hand raised telling he ref you just scored a point. We did not stop fighting til the ref called break.

You had to know how to fall and roll back then. In those days you had guys like Billy Blanks and Harold Howard throwing axe kicks half way thru a front flip. If it hit you you had no choice but to hit the floor, Hopefully you knew how to fall quickly.

 

[Cthulhu]

Yeah, things are changing all the time. What I find funny is the sparring competitions that don't allow punches to the head. You can kick to the head all you want, but if you throw a jab at your opponent's head, that's a no-no. Is that goofy, or what?

It all depends on the tournament, style, instructor, hell...sometimes it even depends on what country you're in. European kickboxing rules aren't anywhere near as strict as U.S. kickboxing rules.

That reminds me...anyone here seen any K-1 bouts? From what little (and I do mean little) I've seen, it looks like the kind of competition Rob was talking about, with sweeps, takedowns, etc.

Cthulhu

 

[Em MacIntosh]

Billy Blanks, eh? Never figured out his style. Obviously there's some kickboxing but his B-movie jitsu looked more like karate to me. First thing we learned after dojo ettiquette ans stances were shouldeer rolls and breakfalls. When I used to spar some TKD practicioners I found leg blocks (possibly followed by a right cross) work well. If they allowed punching to the head I wonder if anyone would bother kicking there. The instructor really does matter more than the style. TKD can be good for self defense if you have the right instructor. Theory is theory in anything until applied. It's fully possible to kick someone really hard in the head. MMA fights can end this way with the big roundhouse. I think it's worth training but wouldn't put it at the front of my arsenal. You definitely have to learn how to fall. I would also highly reccommend some kind of groundfighting too.