LUKE

Tang Soo Do is traditionally defined in fighting by the fact that there is not one single-handed technique and that traditionally it is a front leg kicking art. But in our class this does not at all necessarily define how we spar. Most people in my class, truth be told, aren't brilliant. They only learnt from what we do in class, which is low contact, with protective gear, points sparring ie no feints, no elbows or knees, no kicks below the belt, no hand techniques to anywhere but the torso, no grappling, no takedowns. I like to kick off the front leg, not because I am traditional, just because it is faster and I am (when I fight) a south paw meaning that I unlike basically everyone I fight am right leg forward, and my right leg is strongest. As for the hand techniques I came from muay thai and can beat most black belts at my academy at hands only sparring (PS i am a green belt advanced) because they are so conventional and really telegraph their punches to anyone who has ever boxed for a little while. I have never done TKD and so cannot compare the two, but what I do know is that TKD competition sparring from what I have seen seems to have even more limitations than TSD competition sparring.