TKDave

I find TKD to be very effective if you train right. If you want to be in PRIDE of the UFC, you had better get some ground game to add, but on the street it has worked for me.. I took it all through high school and was a small kid, not one to pick fights.. I was also a "punk rocker" in high school at a country school.. so I had to defend myself a couple times.. the first I was a green belt, and a cowboy fella decided to pick on me and was pushing me in the face.. i threw a reverse punch and was shocked to see him hit the floor.. The second time was when I was a brown belt, later in high school. 2 guys had been picking on me for weeks. My parents talked to our principle... they said they could do nothing...finally, one got me cornered in a bathroom and was going to give me, a 5'4 guy 110lbs, a swirly.. so I had to defend myself, and ended up breaking his nose... just knowing to get in a good stance helped... my timing made me feel like I was Rocky beating up MR.T or something.. I am not saying you should fight, but if you have to it works. I am 23 and have not been in a fight since high school, but we often spar in the military and I am always the one teaching after I easily beat other military guys... So yes, it works.. if you train hard, and train right!

One thing to remember, is even in the orgs, I have seen what you would consider different styles. I studied at an ATA school under Mike Allemier, who is a tough guy, and high up in Krav as well. He is interested a lot in the self defense. I have also seen ATA guys who are more about the fancy stuff, or the pretty techniques.. sadly these guys do well at point tournaments a lot.. but over all.. if you have a good instructor, the ATA system can work very well. I have been to a WTF school which they just flip flop their kicks and it is all sport.. but I have been and trained at another one which you would say the style was more like kickboxing as it has face punches, and you will see more boxing a lot of the time than you will fancy kicks. So, every school has good and bad. I think people like to look at the worst of other orgs and say that is all they are... this is just not the case. I have also moved in the military and had to go to an MA school which I found to be terrible, but I went in there, and trained hard and still got something out of it... So it is a combo, does the basic foundation, the org have something that can provide a good learning system? I find yes in most orgs. Does the instructor teach the MA in a way which not only works, but works for you and helps acheive your goals? This is one you have to really look at. And 3, do you have the dedication? Do you have what it takes? I can go loose in a tournament, and blame it all on my style, but really.. it was probably a lot to do with me. It is funny, when people come to the reality that they suck, they blame the school or style, when they win, they take the credit.