myataschool

Everything needs time to sink in and your body needs to develop "muscle memory."

The new uniforms do look pretty sharp, however I dislike the collar. I think the black should stretch all the way down the front. Maybe they wanted to separate themselves from TSD by only going partway down?

When you say "center line," I'm assuming you mean the center line of your body. I don't bring my side kicks past my belt knot. When I bring my knee up, I'm bringing it up the center line. As I pivot my leg, I move my knee keeping it close to my belt knot in a chamber. It would be a lot easier to demonstrate in-person. Maybe a YouTube video is in order?

Which style of forms are you doing? I teach Songahm Taekwondo, and we're taught all of the kicks in our forms should be delivered as they would be for a board break. Great point about sparring. I'm hardly worried about perfect form when I have someone rushing me. I'm more concerned with delivering something quickly and effectively.

I see what you're getting at, and you make a good point. I agree foot protection is specific to the art. I should have been more specific earlier in stating I believe sport Taekwondo should be practiced barefoot for the reasons I listed earlier. I also don't feel as connected to the surface I practice on unless I'm barefoot. I can grip the surface so much better barefoot than with shoes. That being said, I wear shoes 99.9% of the time when I'm out in public when I'm most-likely to use martial arts in a self-defense situation. There is certainly an advantage to training with shoes on as it helps prepare you better for a real situation. However, sport Taekwondo is just that... a sport. For the protection of competitors, shoes are generally discouraged. It also makes wearing most foot protection difficult and cumbersome.

I've been practicing Taekwondo for about 12 years now and have noticed the biggest discrepancy in technique between schools is in side kicks. I was raised in an Olympic-style school and start all of my side kicks by bringing my knee straight up in front of me. From there, I pull my knee back towards my belt knot on one side and drive my leg straight out. I always tell my students to imagine they're "pushing" someone away. My theory: Pulling your leg back as far as possible gives your kick as much space as possible to build up speed. I've seen a lot of different takes on side kicks. Some involve kicking with the heel, others with the blade of the foot. Some people pull their knees back tight like I do, while others don't chamber back as far. How do you throw a side kick?

I believe the question was directed at TKD practitioners, however you are right... Different priorities for different folks. In most cases, TKD is practiced as a sport, and I was simply pointing out that it's traditionally practiced barefoot.

I always practice barefoot for several reasons: It's the traditional way to practice Less resistance on your feet I enjoy feeling targets/faces squish Can complicate the wear of some sparring gear Can make board breaks more difficult Some people wear martial arts shoes for good reasons: Nail fungus Arch support via orthotics Protect a previous injury Hide foot odor I would advise against wearing shoes in class unless absolutely necessary. I'm a firm believer that martial arts should be done barefoot. Your feet will get used to the abuse over time, and you'll enjoy actually feeling someone's face get crushed under your foot.

I'm 6'2" and I use a 6' for mid-range and 7' for long-range forms. It's dependent on the style as the techniques differ. I agree with the comment "ask your instructor."

Thanks for sharing your videos! I've never seen an ITF competition, and it's neat seeing how forms are performed. When do we get to see you sparring?

Try this site... http://www.tryata.com/ You can put in your zip code and it will show you all of the nearby schools.

I'm surprised no one else has addressed this yet. Have you seen the Karate Kid? Remember "painting the fence?" A seemingly mindless task helped the main character master martial arts techniques. While board breaks may seem like a "waste of time," they are a true test of one's ability to focus their technique. Consider a front kick. Poorly delivered, it can still make a pretty loud slap against a pad. But, that same kick may break toes if done improperly on a board. I am a strong advocate of board breaking as it helps students learn the importance of proper technique, which translates into conserving energy during a street fight. One strong, clean technique in a vital area should be all you need to stun your opponent to get away.

Most Taekwondo sparring is geared towards competition with very little practicality. I make it very clear to my students that there is a difference between sparring and self-defense because their purposes are completely opposite. Self-defense is just that... Defending yourself. In most cases, your objective is simply to escape. Techniques are usually simple, but effective. Sparring is basically a game of martial arts skill between two martial artists. Your objective needs to be both defensive AND offensive. You can't win a sparring match without scoring at least one point. Simple techniques are usually ineffective, requiring footwork, combinations, etc. to be effective. Don't let generalizations about each style of martial arts discourage you from considering a style. Each school is unique. As a strictly-TKD practitioner, I'd say do TKD, but you should check out a couple of schools, try a few classes, and then decide which you like best.

I think most of our students that have stopped training at black belt have done so because the material gets much more difficult and the time between ranks is much longer. But, I would rather have a few dedicated black belts than many who come every now and then. Effectively training someone beyond 1st degree is a pretty big time and effort investment, and I don't want to waste my time with someone that's going to put forth the effort.

Probably. I had to submit my board breaks ahead of time when I tested for 4th degree, so I'm assuming they need to see the form ahead of time.