EternalRage

Is this assuming you're not going to hit them, like just faking? because if you dont get full extension, you won't be utilizing full hip and you distance will be a little different b/c your reach will be shortened? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding...

Also, UFC helps you get live resistance to test skills (albeit not lethal, but still you get experience working what you can) whereas most TMAs you need alternative training methods to practice the "deadlier" techniques so you don't hurt your partners.

Hey Samurai, You need to be able to hold your chambers for each of those kicks. Try not to lean your upper body too much, and make sure your knee is above your belt. Do this standing, then on the stairs, then standing on like a can on the stairs. This will train your balance. Then I think you should be able to do those individual kicks and hold it out at full extension without letting it drop below the height you initially kicked at. This requires hip strength - to hold a kick out (like in the movies). You can also do this standing, on stairs, then on like a can on the stairs for balance. Then start by repeating the same kick on the same leg without dropping your leg. Don't lean too much, and try it out slow first, with 2 reps, then eventually increasing to like 10, 20. When you start chaining different ones together, you should be aware of where your hips are. If you're doing a roundhouse, it wouldn't make much sense to do a peet chagi. If youre doing an inside out crescent, your hip is outof alignment for a sidekick, but it is fine for a roundhouse. Then you also have to hit a target, like a standing back, to learn how to compensate for the return force from hitting an object. Just little tidbits of advice. I'm sure the masters/instructors on here have some good drills to do.

Also, something I forgot to mention, show good Moo Do, or martial discipline. If you forget your form, show good humility, bow to the judges. Anytime you step into the ring, bow. Anytime you are walking away from judges, walk backwards. These are little things that may seem extreme, everyone probably doesn't do it all or all the time, but it just makes you look better and also hones discipline.

I noticed one of my posts was deleted. I'll fix it up and try to determine what exactly I wrote was inappropriate and remove it. Basically what I was saying was in response to this post: To objectivify this discussion, and to minimize the confusion over exactly what I meant by certain terms in previous posts, I shall use the terms "McDojo" and -------- in context to further explain. The following cases are not about any system, style, school or instructor specifically. They are just case studies for further explanation: Case 1: An instructor with skill, who teaches well, but with high fees or any of the symptoms that Mr. Aodhan wrote in the post above (great post by the way Aod) then this instructor's school can only be labeled as "McDojo," which only means he is commercial, NOT that what he is teaching is invalid. Case 2: An instructor with no skill or doesn't teach well, but with no fees or the opposite of what Aodhan posted can be labeled as -------- (since this term refers to a system or style or interpretation that is proven to be ineffective, hence the instructor is teaching things that don't work - potentially dangerous). But this school would not be labeled as "McDojo," since the instructor can be teaching with all his heart and not wanting any of the money. Case 3: An instructor with no skill, doesn't teach well, and with high fees/what Aodhan posted is both ------- and "McDojo." Schools can be McDojo and teach the best martial arts you can find. Schools can be ------- but not cost you a dime. I also want to say that what classifies a school as "McDojo" or --------- is highly flexible and sometimes can be subjective (ie isolated bad experiences, etc). So tying this back into the thread's original topic, the introduction of a new color belt, even though belts are regarded as a business tool and also an organizational tool for teachers, it still comes down to the intentions behind its creation. If it is for money, then it is not appropriate to make it. If it is for further breakdown of the curriculum in an order to organize teaching better, then I'd say that's fine. Also even if an organization like the ATA makes such a new belt, regardless of their intentions of the belt, it comes down to school owners who set the different prices/contracts/etc. In which case you have various different uses of the cameo belt, some good, some bad. As most issues in martial arts, it comes down to the school, the instructor - it depends.

This is true. But you also have to consider that when the organization is bad, this may lead to bad head leadership, which will trickle down to the instructors, then down to students. Politics helps form alot of our ideologies - its because of politics that you have an ITF and a WTF to begin with. So it is true that the student can be excellent in their skills by themselves, but to keep the art strong, you need a strong organization. I agree. There is a thin line between bashing (which ppl on the internet like to call "flaming") and criticism. However, if a person has unique (albeit bitter) experiences with a system or organization, it is useful to post this not only to root out the fraud in martial arts, but also to inform the beginners of potential scams or cults in the martial arts.

Well in comparison to all other competitions, I think it definitely earned the title "ultimate fighting" because with exceptions of Muay Thai (which still doesn't allow groundwork), Kyokushin Karate, and various other smaller tournaments, no organized body/fighting circuit has anything closer to free fighting as UFC (at least in early 1990s, since then you have other stuff like K1, Pride, etc which are close to NHB as well) As for Bruce in UFC, I agree with the contention that if he had groundwork he'd be unstoppable.

Out of curiousity - what is your guys definition of McDojo? To me McDojo doesn't neccessarily mean that what they are teaching at the school (the system) is bad. In fact "McDojo" doesn't have anything to do with martial arts teaching at all. Its how the school is structured - mainly analyzing commercial aspects and organization of the school. There is a term for bad teaching/material - which is a completely different topic. But the last time I posted this word (which is also the name of another forum) I got my post deleted and warned by Mr. Patrick. So I won't say it. But this and "McDojo" to me are two different things. So the fat instructor with no testing fees is not McDojo, but instead he is ---------.

Depends on the tournament. I went to a karate tournament and did Chil Sung Sam Ro (Soo Bahk Do Form - Korean) and they didn't place me very high. But then the next two times I went I did Bassai and I got first and then second. Opposite when I go to Soo Bahk Do tourneys. Korean forms do better than the Okinawan ones usually (assuming its a choice between two ppl with roughly same form)

I think they thought you meant that the red belt turned pink because they washed their belt with their uniform and used a little too much detergent/bleach. The difference is that you're not changing the color of the belt too much. Its not really a new belt, its a stripe. It may seem moot to those of you who don't have to go through the color belt system anymore, but to a beginner, not getting a new color sometimes gets translated to not really getting promoted. Stripe is generally seen as no biggie by beginners. Having fees, contracts, belts, and all the other "symptoms" doesn't make it a mcdojo necessarily. Its the owner/instructor's intentions behind it -if they are trying to make money, then it is. Its how they are using these tools - for business or for organizing students/curriculum? The reason why so many people just yell Mcdojo when they see these symptoms is because nowadays a large majority of the schools that do these things ARE actually mcdojos. But of course, that isn't to say that every school that has them is a mcdojo, they may be one of the minority that do it for the right reasons. Well hopefully you will have a friend that knows the difference. If not, there are martial arts websites that are geared towards spreading the necessary information to avoid a mcdojo.

Mountaineer, if you haven't already, go see the Korean Martial Arts section, TSD vs TKD has been posted alot.

So, I'm curious, how did the TSD practioners do when competing against sport oriented TKD (not traditional TKD) competitors? Did it make a difference? Who had the advantage in a sport competition setting? TSD point sparring is similar to ITF point sparring except that you can't sweep in ITF. WTF people are at a complete disadvantage if they spar TSD point sparring because TSD guys will punch to head. Also depending on what rules/organization/schools, some TSD fighters do some clinching and takedown, which is not in ITF or WTF.

It depends on your perspective. For individuals who are training for full contact competition, yes most sport TKD is completely worthless. For those individuals who are training for self defense/learn how to fight - TKD may not offer the best training out there. But it depends on what you want to do. TKD is a good art for someone who is just starting out in martial arts and doesn't really know what they are looking for. It is a great sport, will keep you in shape and flexible. So to say TKD sucks is not correct - to say it does not serve specific needs is true (so in that aspect OK yea you can say it sucks but its like saying a hammer sucks for fastening phillips head screws into a bookcase). Just do it, DON'T SIGN ANY CONTRACTS (because you may end up not liking it), and figure out from this beginning what exactly you want to do with martial arts.

When I was still taking Wing Chun they told me to properly block circular attacks, you must face the attack with your centerline. This would open up your centraline, or the line from your shoulder to the target, and would make it easier to attack. dunno how good this theory is, I stopped doing WC cuz I didn't think itd work for me.

First off Jasep, good post. USATKDWTF, belts are not the only thing you look for in claiming mcdojo, however, it is one of the primary "red flag warnings" that should pop up. I believe belts should primarily be for the instructor so that he can split up the curriculum in a structured manner and then also keep track of who has received what knowledge. Too many use it for commercial purposes. It's no longer safe to assume that a certain belt has a certain skill level associated with it. As Jasep pointed out, there are too many people using the belt system in order to get testing fees and set up expensive contracts based on the mytholgoy and "oh so coveted" belt. 5 or less colors with stripes for all the inbetween rankings is alright. 10 different colors is pushing it. And when you have colors that aren't in the "original Crayola markers" then red flags should start poppin up. So in answer to your question TKDguy, it is most likely your camo belt is in there for commercial purposes. And it shouldn't surprise you, because many schools are turning commercial to compete with other schools marketing techniques. My old Moo Duk Kwan TKD school underwent some strange changes over the last several years as well.

For breaking, make sure you know which way the grain should be going for whichever technique you use. Also make sure your holders are holding correctly (ie whether the technique is jumping or standing makes a difference, whether the board must be at an angle or not). Make sure you get good extension past the board (as someone has already stated). Use good technique - just don't muscle your way through it. Get a good hip turn to get all of your body into it. What I think is most important - you must focus. For a clean break, you must focus through the center of the board and snap. Too many people push the break instead of snapping through it. One second your leg is occupying the space of the center of the board and the next second it isn't.

Ok ITF sparring. (To answer your question, other TKD tournaments, like WTF, has Olympic sparring where you pretty much only score to hogu and helmet with kicks, no punching. Other tournaments may let you kick to the legs, sweeps, etc). ITF sparring is heavily linear. Have to put the pressure on your opponent - from the ITF sparring I've seen at my university, they mostly rely on the offense for points. Offense jumping and spinning techniques may not work best in this type of point sparring (if I understand correctly these don't score more points do they?). Since it is fast and linear, keeping it simple would be best. Front kick, jab, cross. Sidekick, backkick, jab, hook. And so on. Doing 720s and kicks where you are 8 ft in the air will most likely just open you up for a good counter. Since they will be charging down the line, on the defense, if you are moving backwards, do it with a kick (ie jumping backwards and short roundhouse, or jumping sidekick, or step-turning back kick). You can also sidestep (a little harder) and throw a technique. Blocking and reverse punching will be the easiest counter, but always remember to push on the offensive afterwards. Even if there is a clash, the judges will usually see the competitor who is aggressive and kiaping like everyone's deaf in the room. From the ITF fighters I've fought they like to do several things. First thing is they like to chamber their leg, raise it, and just fire kicks without dropping their leg. From what I understand, you can kick their legs when they chamber them like that. Knock the crap out of it and follow through. Or (something I kept doing, kinda amusing actually) you can raise your own chamber, and climb over theirs, pushing their knee out of the way and firing your own rapid kicks. Another thing they like to do is the flying backfist. this is actually also common in Karate tourneys as well. Keep enough distance so that you can see this coming, some guys are too fast for a defensive sidekick or a sidestep. This is alot to remember and train, but its your first tournament, so go in there, do your best, and try and learn something. Sparring is not fighting - you have to remember this. It is a game with a little showmanship mixed in. Like any game, the rules form the strategies you have to adopt. No one is good at Monopoly the first time they play. You should form your arsenal (just a template because you will probably always have to adapt to the opponent) for point sparring around your strengths and also the rules, because you know these things for sure. Treat it as a learning experience. See if anyone can tape you. Also make some friends.

For forms, since every school does forms differently (slightly due to teaching idiosyncracies), aside from just knowing the sequence, you should work on the little things that the judges CAN expect from everyone. 1.) Always look before you move/turn. 2.) Breathe with every technique. 3.) Keep one body level throughout the whole form - don't bob up and down. 4.) Try to start/stop in the same place. 5.) Always be aware of where your hands and legs are - if during an intermediate position there is an ununsed hand - chamber it/do something with it, just don't flop it by your leg. 6.) kiap loudly. 7.) This may be a little more advanced - try to make a cadence or rhythm for your form. Too many times people get up there and either rush through it or robotically move at a single speed. In every form there are places where you move moderate and where you move fast and sometimes where you move slow (usually depends on what type of movement - neh gung or weh gung type) 8.) Keep your eyes focused forward, don't look down during a technique or look at your coach, etc. 9.) Stay relaxed and don't tense till the very end of each technique. 10.) If there are kicks, usually in a form you do them on either side, make sure both are at the same height and that there is good snap and extension. That's all I can think of now, I'll post more later. As for the sparring - what kind of TKD tournament is it? As in what are the rules? Because that is a major component of it, it will shape your game. And what break are you doing?

Good call. I love to see those people who say they mastered like 8 different styles and mash it into one system. It just doesn't make sense... different styles have different principles and to mix them you will end up with something that will most likely confuse your students, if not yourself. I believe that having a base style and then crosstraining around to help fill in the gaps within your base (because all systems have weaknesses and all) will result in your own "style" or perhaps "interpretation" is a better word.

Tradition is good, but take it too far and your back will be the only thing hurting from your training session because you spend have your time bowing. I think certain things are proper, such as not eating until senior eats or not sitting till they sit because these things are actually from Asian culture. Its silly only when you have things like where you have to call the head instructor "eternal most powerful holiest of holy grandmaster of everything that is good and proper" and then bow 342943092480 times (or something similar to this extreme...)

That is correct. I think Funakoshi switched Okinawan Idos's order of the forms because he thought that Pinan 2 (what is now Pyung Ahn 1/Heian 1) shoudl come before Pinan 1.

I think comparisons in terms of traditional-ness, competitiveness - you can only gauge these from school to school. The organizations are so large and encompassing that it is not really correct to generalize. WTF is competitive yes, but I have met competitive ITF practitioners. ITF is supposedly more traditional, but I have seen Moo Duk Kwan TKD WTF schools that still hold to many of the MDK's traditions. It all depends.

well in terms of politics, comparing all the organizations (WTF, ITF, and ATA) all have had some sort of corruption. The ITF heads were accused of embezzling, as were the WTF heads, and there was of course that business with the IOC stuff with the WTF, and we all have read the previous posts about ATA. Political corruption is not unique to any organization.

Aodhan, I see from you styles description that you cross train. What is your ATA school's response to that?

You should request that the WTF TKD ppl ask their instructors, because alot of WTF is based on Chung Do Kwan