Karate to Tae Kwon Do

[ph33r]

Hey guys, my first time here. I was wonderiing how long it takes to get to a black belt in TKD? At the moment, i'm taking karate.. and its taken me 8-9 years to get my black belt.

 

Some of my TKD friends have told me that if you are a really fast learner, you can get to a black belt in about 2 years.

 

The reason why i'm asking this is because i want to do some of those fancy high kicks that the TKDer's do. In karate, we do fairly very simple and basic kicks which is great for self defense but i'm more into the fancy stuff.

 

tell me what you think!

 

[MenteReligieuse]

(other styles have fancy kicks!)

[ph33r]

how long does it take to teach a black belt in TKD?

[Ottman]

It took me about three and a half years, but it really all depends on the school. Check out the thread lower down in korean MAs entitled: "How long did it take for your black belt"

[SloMo]

Normallly, it takes about 3 years assuming the person is dedicated and comes to class on a regular basis, However, we have moved people who have already gained a black belt ( or equivilant ) really fast through the testing. Sometimes testing them for two belts at a time in the early stages.

 

This is becuase there are some fundimentals ( balance, body control, etc ) that the person already has so there is no need to hold them back on the lower levels.

 

Now how fast can you do it? Hmmm, it depends on a lot of things but it can be done in 2 years with that level of experience coming in.

 

Mo

[DLopez]

Are most brand new black belts in TKD able to perform the really "fancy" kicks (that being a very subjective term)? For example, I don't consider a jump spin kick a "fancy" kick, it would have to be used in some sort of combo or have multiple twists to qualify as fancy.

 

That video that was posted of the Korean Tigers demo - that had some FANCY kicks!! But I kinda believe that those weren't brand new black belts performing those.

 

[MenteReligieuse]

I'd call a jump spin kick fancy, cuz I would not do it in a real confrontation.

[manuelito]

ph33r

 

no need to start tkd to learn how to expand your kicking range. take what you know and push your kicks a bit. i mean kick higher, faster, and longer. then start jumping, turning, and spinning. after theses few things you have just added a few dozen new kicks. and if all of this is not enough buy some type of xma style video.

[karatekid1975]

I do TKD and have been studying for 3 years. I don't have my BB yet. Maybe I stink LOL (stupid joke ... sorry). Just kidding.

 

Seriously, manuelito has a good point. If you have been studying for 8 years, you should be able to learn these kicks fairly quickly on your own. No need to start TKD just for the kicks. Just practice, practice, and oh ..... more practice

[ninjanurse]

I started TKD, after having reached the dan ranks in karate, for the same reasons you are considering. I wanted to kick faster and higher to make my karate better and TKD seemed to be the answer. To make a long (very long) story short it was the best move I ever made for myself and I never returned to karate at all! The high kicks and explosiveness of their sparring styles sucked me right in big time! And....my TKD is enhanced by the concepts of movement and power I learned in karate. It was a win-win situation for me and I do not regret the decision I made to switch. Now this may not be the path that you will take but it is worth toying with.