TKD - only for tall people?

[aefibird]

I was chatting with a friend of mine the other week at a training session for my karate federation. We were talking about how MA has changed our lives. I was telling him that I loved my Shotokan training and that I was glad I started martial arts. He replied, that, yes Shotokan was a good style for me because "you're too short for TKD".

 

Now, I thought that that was a surprising response, especially from a 3rd dan (who probably should know better). The guy has trained mostly in Shotokan and Shukokai karate, but has also done some TKD and reached quite a high grade (I think he got to 1st level black belt or maybe the grade just below).

 

I was always under the impression that TKD was suitable for all people, not just the tall ones; even though there are a lot of kicking techniques you don't necessarily have to be very tall to train.

 

I'm 5'2" tall and I know a TKD instructor who keeps on bugging me to train with his club (I would do if I had the time!!) - if he thinks I'm tall enough to train in TKD then is that correct, or is the general consensus that the taller you are the better you'll be at TKD?

Edited July 3, 2004 by aefibird

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I've never trained in TKD before (well, one class in the Army way back in 1972), but have had the opportunity to watch many TKD classes and teach numerous seminars in various TKD dojang's. I'm 6'6" (198cm) tall and see no reason a tall person couldn't train in TKD.

 

Actually, with the prevalence TKD has towards high kicks, many don't allow groin kicking, and few or no takedowns, I would think being tall would be a definite advantage in TKD.

[battousai16]

well, isn't monkeygirl 5'2"? i understand she did quite well in TKD. you can have that guy take it up with her at any rate, i think speed is better that reach in TKD anyway. in my experience, once the short people get inside your leg range (and they always figure out how by the time they're mid-level ), you're pretty much their's. i hate sparring with short people...

[Luckykboxer]

I have little first hand knowledge of tae kwon do other then the tae kwon do people i have sparred or fought.

 

I guess with anything else if taken out of context it makes sense.

 

if two people have the exact same skills, and all other things are exactly equal then the person with the longer legs should win every time....

 

now that isnt the case, and no two people are exactly alike, they ahve different strengths adn weaknesses, and different thoughts adn skills, and different strategy and abilities.

 

The biggest peopel are not always the best, but I have to say that the advantage of longer legs to strike a target from farther away is a bit of an advantage.... once again only if all other things are equal

[delta1]

One of the toughest TKDers I've fought was about 5'5". He could sneak in a high kick every once in a while, but mostly kept them low, quick, and powerful! He had decent speed, but this guy was a hay farmer- bucked bails most days- and had more power than anyone else I can think of right now. Still hurts to think about it!

 

I once made the mistake of showing him how to relax and properly torque his elbow strikes. I was holding a kicking pad for him, and he about slammed me through the wall with those elbows. NEVER give a short, stout TKDer a break- they can be deadly.

 

As for long legs being an advantage in kicking- pblt'''! I agree with the statement that once inside those long legs, he's toast! Especially if he depends on them and hasn't developed his hands, the in close and stand up grappling applications of TKD (and they are there, in spades!).

 

So no, I don't think you need to be tall to do TKD.

[White Warlock]

I had a girlfriend, back in the early 80's, who was a BBer in TKD and was on her way to a BB in TSD. She was 4'10" and muscular. She was nobody you wanted to mess with. When we were practicing one time, she threw a reverse roundhouse kick to my head and stopped, with me looking at her heel looking at my jaw looking at her heel. I didn't even see it coming, and i'm glad she didn't actually follow through. I would have been out like a light.

 

Her height allowed her to toss in a potentially powerful headkick from 'within' a close-in sparring position.

 

It is the practitioner, not the technique, that determines what works and what doesn't and i'm assuming your friend was joking about your height, as i do all the time with my friends of short stature.

[aefibird]

*sigh* No, I don't think he was joking, he really seemed to believe what he said, that TKD was only suitable for tall people. Personally, I'd have thought he'd have know better than to say stuff like that, especially as he'd done TKD himself. I've always been under the impression that TKD was suitable for any person of any height, so what he said really puzzled me. Thanks for the replies everyone.

[ramymensa]

Never heard of it as a condition, though it may be viewed as an option. It's commonly known that tall people have this advantage in distance and kicking. Still you can take them by entering in their "distance". A short fighter would have to know how to leave the other without his advantage.

 

I used to do some judo. It's said tall and skinny people don't fare too well against stocky short people (ideal for this kind of MA, after the common belief). I'm tall (one of the tallest in the group) and nobody could put me down, even if they were way shorter and 15 kilos heavier. Move well and use their advantage to make your game and you'll be fine.

 

What's the use in a tall but unflexible fighter (knew some). A shorter and flexible one could beat them with their own weapons

[Bretty101]

Have you seen many 6foot tall koreans? Taekwondo is designed for smaller people.

 

Some of the fastest TKD people I've seen are around 5 feet tall and can fight anyone. My master instructor is just over 5foot tall and about 120lbs. you can kick him across the floor and before your leg touches the floor he is right back in your face with really hard punches and kicks. Unbelievably quick!!!

 

Because of him I will never listen when people say they are too small to fight. He can fight and beat almost anyone!

 

Bretty

[Icetuete]

Have you seen many 6foot tall koreans? Taekwondo is designed for smaller people.

 

you are right, koreans arent big people, but i doubt that tkd was designed for a certain type of person. almost every excersise in tkd (be it tul or whatever) is designed as if you were fighting a person that is exactly as tall/small as you are yourself.

 

having long legs can be an advantage in sparring however (tall ppl), but so is agility (small people). if you have a tall and agile kicker, then your probably done for

 

i had the chance to meet Ung Kim Lan, the coach of the german national team. he is the most awesome tkdist i have ever met, and he is about 165cm or something.