TaeKwondo, Lethal Art compared to Karate?

[shogeri]

It is better to understand a handful of principles, along with one technique, than a handful of techniques and only one principle.

To be flexible and dynamic, you must have a skillset that has those characteristics as well.

To be efficient and effective, one must learn more than just one way of doing something.

However, I am saying to avoid solely learning one thing, and learning it well.

In this respect the Martial Arts are not likened to promoting a product or service, where it is best to do one thing, and do it well. At some point, even businesses must make plans for diversification.

In other words, I am saying once you learn something well enough, you move onto something else, building upon yourself until you have a sufficient foundation in which to continue building the framework upon your abilities, your skill, and your talent.

Now back to the topic...

Traditional TKD practitioners used both hands AND feet.

Tae Kwon-do is famous for its powerful leaping and spinning kicks, though students also learn close-quarters hand fighting, throws, joint manipulation and other basic elements of self defense. Collectively, schools that teach such are traditional as they focus on the Martial Aspects. While on the other hand, true sport Taekwon-do, is almost always full contact and is predominantly oriented toward tournament competition. Schools not oriented toward Olympic style fighting, emphasize non-contact sparring. It is those schools that follow; executing a fast, strong technique and pulling it just short of your opponent's face or body is a higher achievement than pummeling your opponent. Each of these have a means of balancing body and mind, but in their own way.

"As far back as the Silla Dynasty (668 AD - 935 AD), Chinese Chuan Fa techniques were used to train Korean warriors. These techniques evolved to become the empty-hand art of Subak, which was standardized during the Koryo Dynasty (935 AD - 1392 AD). During the early Joseon Dynasty (1393 - 1910), Subak was divided into Taekyon (a striking art) and Yusul (a grappling art). Through the years, however, Yusul was practiced with decreasing frequency and, eventually, only the Taekyon aspect of Subak remained." - wikipedia.org

That said it seems that Tae Kwon do loosely represents the entire system of traditional martial arts in Korea, with an added flavor of shotokan karate, perhaps due to the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Karate-Do uses both hands and feet. Although it emphasizes closed in fighting hand techniques.

TKD uses both hands and feet. Although it emphasizes kicking techniques.

This is where the practitioner comes in to create a situation that goes beyond the style, and places the deciding factor of a confrontation upon their own self, their own skill, talent, and usage of the environment, and so on.

That is, it will be the person that wins or directs the situation.

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Just some more random thoughts...

Edited October 21, 2005 by shogeri

[Ottman]

Great post shogeri, I think you made all the necessary analyses here. Thanks for the history lesson too.

[robsnotes4u]

For a lack of a better phrase, cross training is what is going on. The way I see it a lot of people in these forums are in various forms of Martial Arts, and I think the Intstructors are taking a little bit of everything and putting together in their own Dojos. I think that is great. Evolution, change whatever you want to call it. Every Martial Art has its strength and weaknesses.

On another point, we are taught sparring for tournament and fighting in the street. I think it shows great control to be able to spar in a tournament for points, and part of martial arts is being in control of the situation. I liken it to my life as a wrestler. My wrestling on the mat in competition was controlled not only by myself, but also by the referee. Now you take when I have had to protect myself in a street fight, my wrestling turns into a different beast. Control is the difference. Without Control any Martial Art is lethal.

[mean fighter]

I wasnt trying to say that TKD was better just the curtian way it is done it does depend on both the teacher and student. the teacher must want to the student succeed as much as the student does.

[Dark Shogun]

Having read different opinions on which Art is better, I think this will make a lot of sense. It sounds like everyone knows that Tae Kwon Do came from Karate and then a Martial Art, the name escapes me, that was only foot techniques was added. So lets use the following analogy.

Does anyone have any info on this 'foot only style'?

[robsnotes4u]

I will get that information from one of the instructors at our school

[Ottman]

I think it was called hwarang-do, and was used to kick cavalrymen off of horses. That's the popular rumor anyway. Don't know anything else about it.

[robsnotes4u]

Soo Bak is the foot martial art

[Ottman]

it's soo bak? I guess the hwarang-do thing is really just a rumor. I'd like to hear if anyone has any more info on either.

[shogeri]

At the top of the line of TKD are the methods practiced by the warriors in the Kochosun province or region.

The evolution of the Korean combat skills began about 5000 years ago when KoChoSun was established. KoChoSun was a country that started on the Korean peninsula. Their territory spanned far from the original peninsula, and eventually included all of Manchuria and all most half of China.

These secret combat skills, which were called Um Yang Kwon, have survived the passage of time, and have been passed for 58 continuous generations.

A visual of what I am saying:

http://www.allmartialarts.com/KIXCO/History/history/map.htm

Styles influence other styles. People observe what works for others, then they attempt to bring it into their own mix of things, and see if it works for them.

Many of these 'exchanges' happened on the battefield, and during wars that lasted centuries.

Japanese Jujutsu, or the the Japanese Martial Arts of that time already existed. Japanese warriors, may have witnessed something, and borrowed a particular method of doing something from the Korean Martial Arts.

Okinawan Arts already existed, but became heavily influenced by Chinese Kempo, or Chuan Fa.

Tae Kwon Do, while still evolving, became influenced by Shotokan.

What better way to defeat your opponent, than to take something from him/her, and then use it back against them?

Essentially, with human behavior, and cognitive processes, there really may be no such thing as an original idea or concept.

Somewhere along the way, somebody on this great big planet, may have already thought of something remarkably similar.

I prefer to say I practice Martial Arts, more than anything. Since when I start labeling what I do, people begin to have these visions pop up in their thoughts, cause I can see the wheels turning, and their eyes glaze over.

Just some random thoughts from me...