benefits of TKD sparring

[dear john]

i know i have done my share of bad mouthing TKD and its sparrinf, but i would like to say some good about the sparring. i feel that i should convey the good things one picks up from TKD sparring.

 

1. learning confort range

 

2. learn how to circle, rather than running straight back

 

3. learn to read peoples feet and body tone

 

4. better your timing

 

5. better reflexes

 

6. develop accuracy

 

7. better posture

 

8. develop some blocks needed in a fight

 

9. develop some strikes needed in a fight

 

10. Learn patience if you have a good instructor

 

11. endurance depending how you train

 

 

 

though i still believe that it lacks way to much to be considered as a simulated fight, but i do think TKD sparring will help you develop things that are needed in a fight.

 

just wanted everyone to know where i stand. recent statements may have contradicted this.

 

please reply if you think i am wrong in what TKD teaches you or if you think it teaches you more.

[foreveryoung001]

I agree that sparring will help teach all of those things. I don't know where the idea that sparring in the dojang is the same as street fighting or self-defense. Sparring is a part of training, it does help students to learn how to move, and to attack within a certain framework of rules, but any intructor, who is worth their weight, would never teach their students that sparring equates to self defense.

 

Could you be better at defendign yourself if you have experience sparring? I'll answer with a qualified yes, simply for some of the reasons that you stated in your opening post.

 

A side kick is a side kick, whether in sparring or in self defense... placement may change.... in sparring you may try to throw it higher because you know you have a certain level of safety, but sparring will help you learn range, and how to throw the technique with more speed, and more deceptively. That can all come in handy in a self defense situation, sparring should never replace defense training... but it can add to it. Just MHO.

[MenteReligieuse]

But what you just described as benefits of tkd sparrings is true with any MA sparring...What TKD lacks is close "in-fighting" ...where most of the damage is inflicted in a real combat.

 

IMO, that is the most important range to get comfterbal (sp?) in.

[longarm25]

But what you just described as benefits of tkd sparrings is true with any MA sparring...What TKD lacks is close "in-fighting" ...where most of the damage is inflicted in a real combat.

 

IMO, that is the most important range to get comfterbal (sp?) in.

true that

[Little Dragon]

I think that would be its biggest weakness.

[cross]

I agree completely with MenteReligieuse. Any sparring done properly will teach you all the things you mentioned.

[markusan]

Imagine that a person comes to TKD class for the first time. He/ she is not a streetfighter, just a normal everyday person. He/she trains hard, does lots of TKD sparring for four ot five years and gets a first degree black belt. In that time they have inevitably learnt to punch faster and harder, learnt to block, learned to keep a defensive guard, learnt to move their feet quickly, learnt not to be intimidated by a flying side kick to the ribs or an axe kisk to the face. Maybe they've learnt that they can still spar with a cracked rib or a broken finger or corked thigh, or a broken nose. When they started they could do five pushups...they do sets of 100 for their blackbelt. They can now do the front splits and almost do the side splits, break five tiles with a punch and with a combination of barefoot kicks and knife hand strikes. Is it remotely possible that that person is still no better at fighting than when they first walked into the dojang?

[MenteReligieuse]

he is probably better, but remember there won't be much flying side kicks and axe kicks to the head in the streets

[47MartialMan]

he is probably better, but remember there won't be much flying side kicks and axe kicks to the head in the streets

 

I AGREE.....but a medium height axe kick is good to drop the oponent's arm(s) or armed with something.

[The Saint]

Elbows and knees are also good strikes and found in many ITF patterns. I like to fight from a distance thou. Fighting from a distance is good for me because I am tall and have alot of reach advantage. Personally, I would never let a fight go to the ground. Too many things go wrong on the ground if you aren't use to grappling.

 

Overall, most regular people do not spar a couple of times a week so any martial arts would be useful in a fight. As for flashy kicks, for me they seem impractical and not useful. Mainly because I don't practice them. A good Axe kick could shatter someones collar bone thou..