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.

The 6th degree form is called "Jahngsoo," and here are the instructions for the empty moves... "Moves 57 to 86 must be created by each 6th degree black belt. Direction regulations state that movement #57 must move toward the south creating line 1, then moving back to the center and continuing north, creating line 2, then moving back to center and moving west then back to center, creating line 3 (see form diagram)

We teach Songahm Taekwondo. Having learned most of the Taeguek forms going through the ranks in my original WTF school, I can honestly say that I prefer the Songahm-style forms. I think they do a better job of breaking down the fundamentals and gradually introducing them. Songahm-style forms are also much more challenging the upper ranks. I just started learning the 4th degree form and the form includes a leg sweep. I believe the 6th degree form has a spot where the individual has to add 25 moves of their own to complete the form. It's definitely different than the traditional forms I started with.

You'd have to judge your distance, but if you're at a comfortable distance from your opponent, I can see keeping your guard on your chest instead of your head. The rules specifically state that techniques delivered need to be pretty solid. You're more likely to land a successful headshot as the last move in a combo, rather than leading technique. I can easily avoid an opening headshot by simply stepping out of the way, which is why I think a lot of people keep their hands down when they are sparring with Olympic-style rules. Punches are also easy to avoid as opening techniques, and are usually only "solid" as the later part of a combo (after you're able to get in closer). I can deliver a solid kick much easier than a solid punch, especially at a distance. Does that make sense?

I'd certainly be more apt to stick with basic techniques that I know would be effective, but if I saw an opportunity to deliver a headshot, I'd definitely take it

I agree. Plain and simple is the way to go. It's less of a distraction for the younger kids. I'd be happy to provide pictures of our school to anyone interested in opening a school of their own, just shoot me a private message.

I've heard most Koreans pronounce it "Tay-Kwan-Doh," but I go with "Tie-Kwan-Do"

That takes talent!

I think the choice of kick depends on the situation. While I do agree that there are some advantages to focusing kicks to the lower part of your opponent's body in a street fight, I think a round kick to an untrained opponent's face/head would be unexpected and effective. It all boils down to what you're comfortable/effective with and the situation.

In Taekwondo, bowing is a sign of respect. As with saluting, the junior usually bows to the senior rank, and the senior rank will bow back. Within our organization, the bow is often followed by a handshake when it's between individuals. Is this the same with other Asian styles?

The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) is one of the largest martial arts organizations in the United States. We teach Songahm Taekwondo. Having started in Olympic-style (W.T.F.) Taekwondo, I can honestly say that I prefer ATA Taekwondo. I find the forms to be more challenging than traditional forms.