Are there elements of TKD in Kyokushin?

[Fat Donkey]

Thanks to Djita I've had the oppurtunity to look at Kyokushin sparring videos. I loved it but I got to say with the exception of the low kicks It looked alot more Like TKD than the other traditional styles of karate that I've trained in and seen. Alot of the kicks seem like TKD kicks. A lot of spinning, jumping roundhouse and ax kicks. Now I know Mas was korean, so are there elements to TKD in Kyokuhin?

[Dijita]

That's probably a good question.

 

From my perspectice, when you go to a Kyokushin tournement, there is a lot of punching and kicking. Most of the kicks are generally to the legs, and then higher when properlly set up. As for spinning kicks, they aren't actually used that often. You would normally only see spinning kicks in the higher belts, and even then a fighter would probably only use it once in his/her fight. We don't even practice spinning kicks that often in our dojo.

 

We do use A LOT of roundhouse kicks, front kicks, front snap kicks, and crescent kicks (both outside and inside).

 

Mas Oyama is orginaly Korean, but immigrated to Japan at a VERY VERY young age... his name is actually japanese. I can't remember what his original Korean name was.

 

Someone who has a lot more Kyokushin experience than me, please feel free to correct anything that I've said or add to it.

 

Oh yeah, and just to add, our fighting stance is a lot different than TKD's. I believe TKD is more sideways, where generally a Kyokushin fighter will stand more head on. I like the head on approach because in my opinion it's much more effective to blocking kicks coming at the legs. I find in the sideways stance, the front leg is wide open. I don't mean to put TKD down or anything, my opinion is just biased of course.

[delta1]

I think it's more that there's a lot of JMA in TKD, primarily Shotokan if I recall correctly. And TKD faces their opponent squarely in their traditional stances. The non-traditional TKD that I've trained with takes a little more angle in their fighting stance, but square up when they go into a back stance. I fight in the AK neutral bow, a 45' stance to the opponent. The stance itself protects both the knees (to a degree) and the groin. It is easy to recieve a kick in this stance and leg check, deflect or redirect. Also extremely mobile, so you can get out of the way. Kicks aren't quite as quick from this stance as from a back stance, but they aren't that much slower, and I suppose everything is a compromise in some way.

[aefibird]

I wuld say that in some way, yes, there is a lot of TKD in Kyokushin. In certain aspects, there are elements of most martial arts in most of the other martial arts. There's only so many ways you can use your hands, feet etc. However, it is the interpretation of what to do with these movements and the emphasis placed on certain areas (such as kicking for TKD - yes, yes before anyone flames me I know that's not just what TKD is all about - or grappling in JJ) that makes each martial art different.

 

I don't know much about Kyokushin (apart from the little I've gleaned from my instructor, as he has studied that style for a while)or TKD, so I can only make general comments.

 

As an aside to the original post, and a follow-on from Delta's post, I generally tend to fight in a 45 degree angle stance. I prefer this way to a back stance/ front-on stance, even though it can be slower to kick from.

[EvilTed]

I disagree

 

Having studied TKD for two years in my youth and now studying a first generation Kyokushin derivative (World Oyama Karate) I'd say there is very little, if any TKD in Kyokushin.

 

For example, the way a roundhouse kick is executed in TKD is totally different from Kyokushin.

 

There is very little effective punching in TKD compared to Kyokushin and the low kick is missing from TKD.

 

Kyokushin evolved out of Gojo-Ryu and Shotokan with elements taken from other martial arts.

 

Basically, whatever worked in a real fight was incorporated.

 

The low kick came from Muay Thai.

 

We have a TKD black belt in our dojo who is now 2cnd Kyu in our style.

 

He was third in the US Nationals a few years ago and was going to go to the Olympics.

 

He says there is no comparison and that the Kyokushin style is MUCH harder and more effective.

 

ET

[EvilTed]

Oh and on the question of stance, we fight probably 30* to 45*.

 

Head on is no use because you will get nailed full on with a punch or kick -there is no deflection.

 

(This is the whole point of a lead hand punch, it is simillar to a jab in boxing with its speed but it's purpose for in-fighting is to turn the oponents body so that it is square on to receive the really hard reverse punch).

 

Side on is even worse because one hard low kick will sweep both legs together and put you on your *

 

ET