TaeKwondo, Lethal Art compared to Karate?

[Kaminari]

Well, both are equally lethal, depending both on the student and the training. Of course, I agree, a style (either Karate or TKD) trained for sport will lose to the traditionally taught one. The Saint is right, it isn't all kicks, in TKD there are hand techniques, locks, etc.

 

Also, I've never heard once that I should keep my hands down.

[Ottman]

those are some pretty nice knife defense techniques. I wonder if these guys created them themselves. A requirement for each black belt test at my school is to develop three of your own knife defense techniques, and for 2nd dan tests and beyond, an additional three gun defense techniques are required. It really gives you a chance to use the skills you've learned to develop defenses that work for you. Of course we learn generic knife defense before black belt, but I love making up my own. It's one of my favorite parts of testing.

[Sam]

Treebranch - would just like to correct you [not trying to start an arguemen at all].

 

TKD is not sport.

 

TKD can be practiced as a sport as can any MA involving competiton, however it can be practiced as a full MA as well [just with westernisation and now being in the previous olympics sport practice tends to dominate the west]....

 

just adding my part sorry if that sounded rude wasnt mean to be

[Infrazael]

Tell that to a Kyokushin guy and you're asking for it.

[mattyj]

Hi i was going through some old Guiness book of records and i looked through one of the them (australian edition, 1973) and i read the part about Tae kwon do being a lethal variation of karate, what do you think about this , back in the 70s they would of not known much about it, what do you think about Taekwondo theys days.

 

I copyed the whole part so you could have a read.

 

KARATE

 

Origins Based on techniques devised from the 6th century

 

Chinese art of Chuan-fa (Kempo), karate (empty

 

hand) was developed by an unarmed populace in

 

Okinawa as a weapon against armed oppressors.

 

Transmitted to Japan in the 1920's by Funakoshi

 

Gichin, the founder of modern karate, this method of

 

combat was further refined and organised into a sport

 

with competitive rules. The five major styles of karate

 

in Japan are: Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu, Shito-

 

ryu and Kyokushinkai, each of which place different

 

emphasis on speed and power etc. Tae kwan-do is a

 

lethal Korean variation on Karate, which has been

 

used for military purposes.

 

taekwondo as designed by general choi hong hi (now the ITF) was yes, originally used for military purposes and taught to soldiers. unfortunately, taekwondo today (although there are alot of styles that stick to general choi's original intention), through commercialism and far too many rip off 'mcdojo' styles, has became less street worthy and far too flashy to be considered 'lethal' compared to karate. it has become what is largely known as 'sport tkd' and the name 'taekwondo' gets a bad rep for it. Traditional tkd through good teaching can be very lethal.

[CloudDragon]

I don't recall seeing this reply posted before, so I'll do it now.

 

Lethality is a measure of the practitioner. I can learn from the cheesiest McDojo known in the world, but if I can hit someone like a ton of bricks with my reverse punch, does that make my McDojo better than any others?

 

In a real self defense situation, style accounts for nothing, it is about spirit, determiniation, and your correct response to the situation. Every art will teach defense versus a punch, but if you can't take what you have learned and apply it, it is useless. Therefore, lethality is relative to the practitioner.

[Kieran-Lilith]

TKD more lethal than karate? Kinda crazy. Depends on how you were taught. I'm trained to kill, dunno about anyone else. TKD could be taught the same way. I'd choose my karate though, because it means no crazy kicks that make me lose my foundation.

[young fighter]

Eh, not to start an arguement and all, but i think GENERAL TKD fighters' overall fighting "capability" is narrow, if u know what I mean.

 

First, to give points to a single technique, makes the fight very one sided, as the fighters would focus on that special techinque, ignoring other openings or effective combination that might knock the opponent.

 

And not using your guard is stupid. You cant dodge punches and kicks to the body successfully, as you would get knocked in an instant if the opponent happens to close in with hooks and punches to the ribs.

 

Thirdly, TKD's dont learn street effective techniques at all. Rather the opposite. Their kicks are loose and flickering, and wont do much damage. When kicking to the body, they almost kick straight up, in stead of focusing the strength straight in to the body. I believe the correct philosophy is to aim passed the body, just as with board braking (you don't aim at the board, but passed it) so that your kicks would break through and sink into the body with most damage possible.

 

Last, they use to much protection. The fights become unrealistic.

 

All in all, Taekwondo isn't lethal at all. I have my respect for it, but the truth is that Taekwondo fighers are the first that would be knocked out in a full contact competiotion.

[CloudDragon]

Thirdly, TKD's dont learn street effective techniques at all.

 

Come to my TKD school, the education will be free and the lesson lifelong.

[jedimc]

It depends on your teacher, you might goto the exact same style and same organisation but every teacher is differnt, you will learn differntly off the two.