Tang Soo Do vs the street

[SamT]

I can't count how many times I was thrown by a kick on the ribs or knocked down with a fierce punch. You need to feel an attack to counter it and stand it in a real situation. It's the only way you're going to learn to fight a real fight.

My instructor said the same thing to me during a public self-defense clinic, which was held two days after I started Tang Soo Do. It teaches so much to understand both sides of it. How it feels, how hard it should be, et cetera.

I would be careful with full contact sparring, in today's world of liability, it's almost screaming "SUE ME!" .

 

[Montecarlodrag]

I would be careful with full contact sparring, in today's world of liability, it's almost screaming "SUE ME!" .

Fortunately, we don't have this liability problem in Mexico.

The only way a student can sue you as MA instructor is when you cause him serious injuries which need medical attention.

Here, if a student feels is too much for him/her, is free to leave.

Of course, as I said, full contact sparring is only for Black Belts, who are 100% commited to TSD.
To all the students, training is as usual. Carpeted floor, no kicks to the ribs or hard punches to the face. Air conditioning and so on, to keep them as long as possible.

You push a student too hard and he will quit.

Regards.

 

[Errant108]

I would be careful with full contact sparring, in today's world of liability, it's almost screaming "SUE ME!" .

Ever trained in a boxing gym or a Kyokushin school?

No one spars full contact all the time, even those preparing for full contact fights. Precautions are always taken in training, even if that training is not what is seen in the typical Dangsudo school. Think about it, if I'm training for a boxing match in three months, am I going to be going at it full contact every time I spar for the next three months? Not a chance. If I get injured before I fight, then I can't enter my match.

Training for self-defense has the same mindset. If I get injured in my Dangsudo training and can't fight, how am I ever going to be able to defend myself should I be attacked?

Yes, you need to take knocks. You need to know how to roll with the punches, literally. You need to feel the impact to get used to it so you aren't shocked when someone lays one across your jaw.

However, this does not require a strawman supposition that every single sparring match be a full on battle to the death. No one who trains for FC fights trains that way.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Ian,

Welcome to the world of contact. Especially contact with less rules.

I was 'raised' in the environment of basicly no contact. Lots of kicking, lots of fancy stuff, but rarely was there any contact but touching or tapping. Then I went to a tournament that was, er, open to all styles.

Fast foward to today and I use the bag alot, when I spar I definatly go for the head, and I use my hands alot. I belive some contact is needed and the head is fair game. In fact, when just light contact is allowed, then the legs are fair game to.

As for your students, the art is the art. It's a 'DO', a way, not a street fight. And that is why I don't mind most classes having so little contact. As long as your students understand that and kind of meet after class to do some light to middle contact sparring to get the feel.

And one more thing. Once they make Dan rank, I urge they to study other arts and how they fight. There are many ways, good ways, and if not familiar with them, they will be shocked when they meet someone who dosn't fight their style.

Deaf

 

[Montecarlodrag]

No one spars full contact all the time, even those preparing for full contact fights. Precautions are always taken in training, even if that training is not what is seen in the typical Dangsudo school. Think about it, if I'm training for a boxing match in three months, am I going to be going at it full contact every time I spar for the next three months? Not a chance. If I get injured before I fight, then I can't enter my match.

However, this does not require a strawman supposition that every single sparring match be a full on battle to the death. No one who trains for FC fights trains that way.

Of curse, nobody is able to fight full contact every day, it's insane.
We do it once a week, on fridays (to have the weekend to rest) six 2-minute rounds each. Once a week is still a lot. Sometimes when we are tired, we fight light contact only.
Anyway, you should use caution while fighting. Take care of not punching or kicking too hard on certain points, to avoid injuring your mate.
Even in full contact you have to know where, how and how hard to hit. Is not the same a fierce punch to the cheek than to the nose.

The problem we are facing is our age, indeed we are going to stop fighting full contact soon, because I'm in my 30's, my master is in his 40's and the other BB's are in late 20's. They have no problem but we do.
Every injury takes more and more to heal with age. An injury which used to take a week to heal is taking two or more. Time is unforgiving

 

[SamT]

Ever trained in a boxing gym or a Kyokushin school?

No one spars full contact all the time, even those preparing for full contact fights. Precautions are always taken in training, even if that training is not what is seen in the typical Dangsudo school. Think about it, if I'm training for a boxing match in three months, am I going to be going at it full contact every time I spar for the next three months? Not a chance. If I get injured before I fight, then I can't enter my match.

Training for self-defense has the same mindset. If I get injured in my Dangsudo training and can't fight, how am I ever going to be able to defend myself should I be attacked?

Yes, you need to take knocks. You need to know how to roll with the punches, literally. You need to feel the impact to get used to it so you aren't shocked when someone lays one across your jaw.

However, this does not require a strawman supposition that every single sparring match be a full on battle to the death. No one who trains for FC fights trains that way.

When did I imply that he always sparred full contact? I just said that it'd be best to be careful and not overdo FC, as I had wrongfully assumed that he was in the lawsuit happy USA. His approach is perfect for it, IMO.

 

[Ian wallace]

first sorry for the late reply its my work that keeps me away from the computer for weeks at a time ,I have studyed for quite a few years on other styles, but i think the problem was that i was not exposing them to full on sparing, thats where i messed up, so i was wondering where it came from that we should restrict sparing to mostly kicks

 

[Master Jay S. Penfil]

Ian,
Much of this started with the introduction of Tae Kwon Do and the rules of sparring for competition that it brought.

This is not to say that ALL Tae Kwon Do schools subscribe to this kind of training because there are those that continued to spar with full contact and hands to the head over the years, but most have gone the way of not using hands to the head and less than full contact.

With the number of tournaments out there that are open to everyone, but run with the Tae Kwon Do rules, many school, even those of Okinawan and Japanese lineage, as well as Tang Soo Do have gravitated to using these rules in their own schools as well as at the tournaments.

It is up to each and every school owner/instructor to determine what rules they want in their school, and what kind of contact that they want to expose their students to.

If a school is focused on winning trophies at light or no contact tournaments they will choose these kinds of rules. If they are focused on real world street confrontations they will be more aggressive in their training.

Remember this: It isn't just training harder that keeps you safe, it is about training smarter...


All the best,

 

[Kaygee]

My Tang Soo Do Sa Bum Nim always has us punching to the head and face. Our kicks have to be there as well. There are always people leaving class with bruises. I just got a black eye on Saturday from sparring one of the black belts.

 

[Montecarlodrag]

My Tang Soo Do Sa Bum Nim always has us punching to the head and face. Our kicks have to be there as well. There are always people leaving class with bruises. I just got a black eye on Saturday from sparring one of the black belts.

LOL
There are people who don't like being beaten, period. They will leave if anybody hits them.

But we are different. I enjoy the sensation of being barely able to stand next day after a sparring session.
I don't know why, but it feels good :uhyeah:

 

[Tez3]

LOL
There are people who don't like being beaten, period. They will leave if anybody hits them.

But we are different. I enjoy the sensation of being barely able to stand next day after a sparring session.
I don't know why, but it feels good :uhyeah:

That feeling is called masochism!

 

[kbarrett]

I agree with all that I've read here some good point where made, the only thing I'll add is that you don't have to punch each other in the face to have good contact sparring, my students are allowed to make open hand strike to the face, and full punchs, kick, elbow and knees to the body, their allowed to punch toward the face but they must pull the punch, but with that being said in the heat of sparring things happen, if some one get hit in the face they bow showing respect and continue sparring. My student have to be able to surivie a street attack, and I'll leave no stone unturned to make sure they can, when I trained contact in sparring was normal, and getting hit in the face was normal also, you bow and kept sparring, that's how it was and should still be.

Sincerely
Ken Barrett