TKD is not flying-jumping and spining kicks

[bowser666]

I am not a TKD practitioner but I have to ask a question. Everytiem I go to a tournament or watch videos on TKD why do students 90% of the time have no hands up for blocking ? Everytime I see it my jaw drops. Can someone explain that to me. I have seen many many , tournaments, videos etc..... Its very consistent that there is almost no guard.

 

[JadeDragon3]

I am not a TKD practitioner but I have to ask a question. Everytiem I go to a tournament or watch videos on TKD why do students 90% of the time have no hands up for blocking ? Everytime I see it my jaw drops. Can someone explain that to me. I have seen many many , tournaments, videos etc..... Its very consistent that there is almost no guard.

Maybe its because at all the TKD tournament that I have seen they do not allow striking to the facial area. Why protect it if you know your not going to get hit there. Have you ever heard of Eric Moberly? He is supposed to be some really good TKD teacher. He is head of some organization that promotes instructors to master level. Anyways, he is supposed to be the youngest person to ever achieve the title Master. He lives here in the same town as me.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I am not a TKD practitioner but I have to ask a question. Everytiem I go to a tournament or watch videos on TKD why do students 90% of the time have no hands up for blocking ? Everytime I see it my jaw drops. Can someone explain that to me. I have seen many many , tournaments, videos etc..... Its very consistent that there is almost no guard.

In WTF (olympic) rules sparring there are not allowed hand techniques to the head so the habit is to drop the hands in attempt to bait the opponent to try to kick there (to set up a counter).

(Also, hands will often drop on certain kicks as a counter-weight for balance)

Possibly with the new rules come out to encourage more offense and less counter-fighting, this may change.

This is only for that rule set. Point Sparring allows hand techniques to the face so the approach and strategy is much different. Also, schools that take SD seriously practice blocks/counters to punches to the face so again, the approach is different (but since this is not part of tournaments, you don't see it publicly much)

 

[bowser666]

Maybe its because at all the TKD tournament that I have seen they do not allow striking to the facial area. Why protect it if you know your not going to get hit there. Have you ever heard of Eric Moberly? He is supposed to be some really good TKD teacher. He is head of some organization that promotes instructors to master level. Anyways, he is supposed to be the youngest person to ever achieve the title Master. He lives here in the same town as me.

I am not sure about the rules but I do know that they allow kicks to the head. But no hand strikes ? I find that odd. I thought that maybe it had something to do with the rules set but as I don't spar TKD I am unaware, so my apologies if I sound uninformed.

 

[FearlessFreep]

So tell me a little bit about TKD such as blocking method. Is it circular blocking or more power vs. power when blocking? What does your forms look like are they linear or do they go in all directions? I think if I'm not mistaken that TSD is more linear.

Blocking tends to be hard-linear. The TKD philosophy is, roughly, that a block is a strike to the opposing weapon. How that is done varies but our school works from an approach to move offline to avoid the strike power, but also to move inward to strike near the joint (such as striking the bicep or shoulder rather than the forearm... and the upper thigh rather than the shin).

TKD schools with a Hapkido influence will also use circular blocking.

This is very generalized and schools vary

 

[Kacey]

I am not a TKD practitioner but I have to ask a question. Everytiem I go to a tournament or watch videos on TKD why do students 90% of the time have no hands up for blocking ? Everytime I see it my jaw drops. Can someone explain that to me. I have seen many many , tournaments, videos etc..... Its very consistent that there is almost no guard.

Olympic style sparring allows kicks to the head, but not hand strikes; people leave their hands down to try to trick people into head kicks, as a set up for counter strikes.

Other variations have different rules, and therefore different habits; we allow strikes of all types to the head, and we all keep our hands up.

 

[terryl965]

Maybe its because at all the TKD tournament that I have seen they do not allow striking to the facial area. Why protect it if you know your not going to get hit there. Have you ever heard of Eric Moberly? He is supposed to be some really good TKD teacher. He is head of some organization that promotes instructors to master level. Anyways, he is supposed to be the youngest person to ever achieve the title Master. He lives here in the same town as me.

Sorry never heard of him and if he is KKW type of instructor he can't be they have age limits per there own organization. Sorry KKW stands for the Kukkiwon.

 

[terryl965]

So tell me a little bit about TKD such as blocking method. Is it circular blocking or more power vs. power when blocking? What does your forms look like are they linear or do they go in all directions? I think if I'm not mistaken that TSD is more linear.

Actually in sport sparring Olympic they really never block they evade and counter. Traditionally they way I learned we also never blocked because each block is consider a strike to deliver as much pain as possible.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Sorry never heard of him and if he is KKW type of instructor he can't be they have age limits per there own organization. Sorry KKW stands for the Kukkiwon.

ATA

from the archive...

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59219

 

[terryl965]

ATA

from the archive...

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59219

Thanks FF so know I understand

 

[Manny]

Well I know with the right aproach TKD can be a very good self defense tool, in order to kick to the head we must to be pretty fast and catch our foe with offset guard, this is dificult to do when you are fighting for your life. In the worst scenario kicks to the midsection and below are the key and hands to the midsection to above is the key however, bites, eye pocking,troat crushings are smart things to do.

If a BG can't see you you have the advantage, if a BG can't breath you have the edge, if a BG can't walk he cant follow you.

Offcourse a good roundhouse kick to the jaw can end the fight in seconds but you have to very skillfull to perform that kick in the heat of the fight.

The way I perform a spining back kick is when my oponent goes for em that's wehn I sping and trust my heel in his midsection, yes timing is important, the other way I use the spining back kick is afther a roundhouse kick for example.

One evening I was doing light sparring with a youngster using the chest protectors, it was light sparring when I went for the guy he spin and trust me (lightly) his heel on my chest and I felt a sting, it was a light kick but he concentrate the power in the heel so I felt the sting, next day I had a bruise and was light sparring!!!!

TKD is a very good sport, as judo,as karate, etc, but TKD can be very efective in the streets all depends on the aproach.

Manny

 

[Flynn_]

Then your in the wrong martial art. TKD is more sport oriented then self defense oriented. All the flashy kicks are impractical for street fighting. Leaves you to vulnerable to groin strikes.

Yet another person talking about something they don't know. Why is it all the people who don't actually do T.K.D. claim that it is more of a sport and not very effective for self defense etc. Maybe that is W.T.F. style but not I.T.F. style which most people seem to know nothing about. Someone would think a martial artist like yourself would be all honourable and humble and not speak about what they don't know. I have been shocked by the "know it all" type of comments left by martial artists who don't even practice Taekwondo on this board. Edit: Just to add, ofcourse Taekwondo is effective in self defense. It is a martial art and self defense is an essential part of that. Lots of techniques can be utilised effectively in a self defense situation and it has throws, locks and releases just like most martial arts do. I can only imagine people are thinking of W.T.F. style when they say "It is the wrong art for self defense" and "it is more sport orientated". What nonsense, coming from people who don't even train in Taekwondo.

 

[JadeDragon3]

Yet another person talking about something they don't know. Why is it all the people who don't actually do T.K.D. claim that it is more of a sport and not very effective for self defense etc. Maybe that is W.T.F. style but not I.T.F. style which most people seem to know nothing about. Someone would think a martial artist like yourself would be all honourable and humble and not speak about what they don't know. I have been shocked by the "know it all" type of comments left by martial artists who don't even practice Taekwondo on this board.

I have seen a lot of TKD stylist from both ITF & WTA & American Tae Kwon Do Association. All the TKD I've seen looked pretty usless for real fighting. Heck, TKD wasn't invented untill like the 1940's or 50's for the soldiers in the Korean war. I personally know the youngest man ever to recieve the title of master. His name is Eric Moberly. He lives here in Lexington Kentucky. He traveled to Korea for training. He is now in charge of something to do with promoting people to master here in the U.S. I also have numerous friends that do TKD. Some do ITF and all those other orginizations. I have not been impressed.

 

[IcemanSK]

I have seen a lot of TKD stylist from both ITF & WTA & American Tae Kwon Do Association. All the TKD I've seen looked pretty usless for real fighting. Heck, TKD wasn't invented untill like the 1940's or 50's for the soldiers in the Korean war. I personally know the youngest man ever to recieve the title of master. His name is Eric Moberly. He lives here in Lexington Kentucky. He traveled to Korea for training. He is now in charge of something to do with promoting people to master here in the U.S. I also have numerous friends that do TKD. Some do ITF and all those other orginizations. I have not been impressed.

Yes, there are schools like that, but you have obviously not seen many of the schools of the instructors on this board. Don't lump all TKD into the things you have seen. Just as you certainly wouldn't want anyone to add your school to the minority of bad stuff in your Art. BTW, your TKD history is sorely lacking.

 

[JadeDragon3]

Well enlighten me oh great one. Inform me all about TKD and how effective it is in real life (especially since no contact is allowed to the head at tournament and all those high kicks that leave your nuts vulnerable, etc....).

http://www.moberlyskravmaga.com/Instructors.html

This is a link to the TKD school here. Eric Moberly is okay fighter but because he has branched out to other styles. He runs several successful school in Ky.

 

[Inugami]

Tae Kwon Do my ***, looks more like MMA.

Tae Kwon Do is very good, ANY MARTIAL ART IS VERY GOOD! It really depends on the fighter and what you are taught. JadeDragon3 you're kinda being ignorant.

 

[KickFest]

all those high kicks that leave your nuts vulnerable, etc....

Let me guess, you're a ground fighter? Have you tried striking someone's groin when they're seriously trying to kick and punch you? It's not as easy as you seem to think.

I will concede that TKD has its problems both politically and as a fighting system (I've complained before about the sparring rules. Neither ITF or WTF are perfect in this regard), but as you can see from members of this board, its practitioners are constantly trying to find ways to better the art. However, to call TKD "pretty useless" is going a bit far IMO.

Perhaps you were referring to this picture?

TKD is more sport oriented then self defense oriented

Depends on the school. I have attended both ITF and WTF and neither were sport orientated schools.

It seems from your comments that your knowledge of TKD is somewhat sketchy, but it does highlight the general view of a lot of people these days. TKD is currently the art that everyone likes to bully, and I sincerely hope that one day you see something that will change your mind.

P.S. Wipe the olympics from your mind. That's NOT Taekwondo :soapbox: *grumble grumble*

 

[KickFest]

ANY MARTIAL ART IS VERY GOOD! It really depends on the fighter and what you are taught.

(emphasis added)

This is said so often it's starting to sound like an excuse. The whole "it depends on the fighter" stance is flawed because the fighter you are is dependant on how you train, and what you are taught equates at least partially to the martial art you study! For me this ranks right up alongside the "size doesn't matter" myth.... errr, in martial arts that is

Regardless of how hard I trained, I'm sure there are some styles I (personally) wouldn't be able to beat with TKD. However for street defense against Joe Public and similar striking arts it will do just fine, thanks

 

[Jade Tigress]

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[Inugami]

(emphasis added)

This is said so often it's starting to sound like an excuse. The whole "it depends on the fighter" stance is flawed because the fighter you are is dependant on how you train, and what you are taught equates at least partially to the martial art you study! For me this ranks right up alongside the "size doesn't matter" myth.... errr, in martial arts that is

Regardless of how hard I trained, I'm sure there are some styles I (personally) wouldn't be able to beat with TKD. However for street defense against Joe Public and similar striking arts it will do just fine, thanks

Uh... some students train harder and grasp things better. Some are naturally born for a martial art or are better fighters.