sk0t

Congrats on your return fully to TKD. It is a great art/sport (exclusively either/or)... It is always good to cross train just to familiarize yourself with everything...even having the knowledge to answer those questions are always better than not having an answer.

Merkury, I dont think that can be considered a valid drawback in terms of TKD as a generality. I think that is more directed at the training you personally received. I feel quite adequate with my hands, and my feet, and the 2 ranges that TKD deals with (close range with fists, farther range with feet). There are, of course, drawbacks to everything you will do in your life. You just have to decided which drawbacks you are willing to accept and which you cant do with out. I like TKD for many reasons...the physical fitness it provides, the power it generates, and the range it teaches. If you want trapping go with KungFu or JKD, if you want grappling go with BJJ or Judo, if you want Joint-Locks go with Hapkido, if you want traditional arts focused on breathing and meditation go with Tai-Chi or Softer style Kung Fu. Drawbacks are only drawbacks if you let it affect you, let the effects of what is there lead you into your next choice.

I agree with 3-4 years. I think some schools that extend the TKD BB testing length on more than that are just fishing for money. (TKD Only, I know alot of schools that integrate TKD with Hapkido, or BJJ and do multi testings at the same time). I think 3-4 years is just right.

What about location of your workouts? Say, for instance, you dont have access to a proper studio or dojang or dojo (whatever it may be)... Where then would you work out? Room? Basement? Yard? Just curious

You know, at my school we dont even spar until orange belt, which gives each student ample time to learn the kicks, learn the footwork, and watch enough matches to give them a personal idea of what happens in a gyoroogi match. It all depends on how comfortable you are getting kick and punched. Of course you know you can kick and punch. It just comes down to are you ready for someone to do it back to you

For anyone who is interested...what I have found to be the UTT-Most Authority on Stretching and having high kicks without warming up is: Tom Kurz - Secrets of Stretching do a GOOGLE Search for it, and you will find all you need to know about. It is a 98 minute video...which give you an exact routine to do. I have used for years in my classes, and I am about to start it back up.

I am curious as to what you guys use for motivation in working out. I for one am starting a new routine that I think will work a little better for me than the last one... What do you guys do for motivation?

Brenda Sell I believe is 50 and now an 8th degree...highest non korean female... and Ed Sell is in his 50s (I think) and he is a Kukkiwon cert 9th.

Give her a congratulations for me.

I dont know about any of you...but the only time I have heard of Frank Villari is on TV, and I think a Black Belt Magazine had an ad for his videos in it one time. I think that all of these (tapes), that you can get your BB in 10 videos are helpful to some degree. I DO NOT believe that you can become a proficient MA by using videos to circumvent an actual school. To me it is an easy way to get to a hard place.

People, I wonder if there wouldnt be 1000000000 other things that we could do in a one-step sparring situation. I dont think it is fair to say what we would do, cause I know at my school, when we do one-steps, we practice much more than one one-step at a time. Lets not get into a battle of what we would or could or should do... I believe that one-steps are a vital part of a TKD curriculum. Like someone said, it helps with distancing...and you can see when someone is a strong practitioner when they arent 12 inches away on their one step, but and inch or closer. Timing is important. I like one-steps, and I think they are important.

well, it depends on what type you are looking for. TKD (Olympic Style or Point Sparring) I dont know of any JJ tournaments around this area, as JJ isnt that popular around here. But let me know what type of sparring you are interested in, and I will sure get back to you.

I can kip up without using my hands, what you do is you push your head into the ground and use that as leverage, make sure you have a strong neck, because it can get really sore from the immediate strain you are putting on it. I am 6"1' and about 150 soak and wet.

I see that the test was on March 10th, I am curious as to how it went. Please keep us posted.

After going through all 5 pages of posts...I seem to see 2 reoccurring themes. -People who believe a misconception that all TKD use too many kicks, and not enough punches. -People who feel that it doesnt matter what style, it depends upon the person. I fall into the category of the latter. I have been to many TKD schools in my day...and the majority of them focus on 2 sides. They teach 'Olympic style sparring' or 'Point Sparring' on one side, on the other side, the self-defense techniques are practical, and the knife-defenses are valid. It seems to me like people take what they see in the Olympics or they take what someone told them about TKD and think that it is all the same. Each school is different. And I know that the majority of schools that I have visited, have a valid self-defense oriented portion of their normal TKD class. And when it comes to what is more lethal, does it matter...for no one would try to find out anyway.

People with a height advantage have an advantage cause of their reach alone. There is no reason if a short person cause circumvent the reach, why they couldnt have just an advantage. I am 6 foot 1 inch, and I am a pretty well-rounded at gyoroogi, but I have been beaten by much shorter people. It isnt the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog.

Yes congrats.

I am curious as to where you are all located at. I havent been here in a while, and I am sure that this has been posted before, but lets change things up a little. Lets put our location, art studied, rank, instructor or student. I will start. Erie, PA TKD/HKD/JKD/BJJ I am a black belt (does degree matter). I am an instructor. Who else is next?

champ64, where do you get off saying that JiDoKwan is the hardest style. The different variations of TKD are situational at best. ITF - has been slated as being more traditional, but it depends on who is teaching it, as to whether or not the validity of the aformentioned statement is true (practice point-sparring) WTF - has been slated as more 'sport' oriented, but again that is situational, based on the instructor teaching it (practice full-contact 'Olympic' sparring) ATA - "Songham TKD" is more of a unique branch of TKD following the path of the founder. They have their own forms, and they have their own method of sparring (point-contact) there are other federations and other agencies that have their own form of TKD... Keep in mind tho, and although they have the name of TKD, we cant think of it all a unified TaeKwonDo set ...because with different Poomsae and differeny Gyoroogi methods and different HonShul, it cant be unified. And I dont like hearing how one method is HARDER than another, because it is all on a SITUATIONAL basis.

At my dojang, we count mostly in Korean. On most occassions we end at 10, but sometimes we go to 20 or more. Most of the kicks and stuff are announced in English (for beginners), and on certain occassions like testing, I usually call the kicks in Korean and expect them all to know. It makes it a little more traditional I feel.

Is your knee up on the kick....is it chambered into your chest. And are you fully stretched before executing the kick...is your hip properly aligned. We need to know these mitigating factors... I suggest you work on properly chambering your kick. It will help with extensions...

Black Belts and higher can wear black collar, and poom belts can wear the black/red and for any other color for a collar, that would be soley reliant upon the school.

RNC = REAR NAKED CHOKE!

to the people who say they can do without board breaking... Do you use a heavy bag? Cause most people in TKD use board breaking like you use a heavy bag...for training purposes...it helps with strike placement and technique...and the more boards you use...the more powerful your techniques have to be...

I dont think that using a video is that bad... I think that you can learn some great things from a video...as long as you have a partner with you....