not sure why

[DD]

I'm not really sure why but the art I practice, kenpo, is characterized by fast hand strike combos and yet if you watch me spar, you'll see that I kick way more than I punch. My instructor doesn't spend too much time teaching me different types of kicks, but many times I find myself practicing jumping kicks and other types of kicks. My teacher sort of has a rivalry with a Tae Kwon Do school here in town. Have you ever practiced a style that focuses on one thing while you practice something else much more. Am I an accidental Tae Kwon Do stylist?

[Beka]

I think deep down I'm a katana master.

 

I'm not allowed to learn weapons yet (not until my next promotion which, given my ankle injury is not looking to be in the near future...), but when I get there I will first be learning the tambo. My boyfriend and I have a couple of bokken, so I'm sure I'll head to the parking lot at night to improvise a thing or two... I like bladed weapons (my dad collects knives, and it appears to be passing on), so I should probably doing more of that kind of stuff.

[delta1]

I'm not really sure why but the art I practice, kenpo, is characterized by fast hand strike combos and yet if you watch me spar, you'll see that I kick way more than I punch.

 

American Kenpo? If so, it's not that unusual in that the system was designed to be modified to fit the practitioner. But it is also a very practical, well ballanced system, characterized by both speed and power and use of both upper and lower body- in fact, the whole body, and often different parts simultaneously.

... many times I find myself practicing jumping kicks and other types of kicks.

 

That is a little unusual, as Kenpo avoids giving up your base, as in jumping kicks. Vince Lombardi once said that "Any time you put the football in the air, three things can happen ..., and two of them are bad!" Same with our feet. We don't like to get them too far off the ground, and usually only one at a time, at that. But, everyone is different.

My teacher sort of has a rivalry with a Tae Kwon Do school here in town. Have you ever practiced a style that focuses on one thing while you practice something else much more. Am I an accidental Tae Kwon Do stylist?

 

Nah! Kenpo does everything TKD does except the high, fancy kicks, plus a lot more. And Kenpo stresses understanding a lot more than TKD. I like TKD. One of my favorite diversions is to take TKD moves and 'Kenpoize' them, then combine them into techniques. Personally, I think that is how TKD should be taught any how, and some of the TKD schools in my region do teach it that way. I've worked out with them, and they can be really tough opponents.

 

I don't know how long you've been in the martial arts,so this may not apply to you. But, a lot of begginers tend to kick more because they are trying to keep their opponents at bay. I've seen some senior TKD students who are stuck in this mode as well. Problem is, whether TKD or Kenpo, if you can't work in close, and someone bridges the gap, you're dead.

 

Other people just like to kick. I used to fight one TKD BB who was good. Often I'd get in close only to be launched across the room by a side kick! He could throw that kick from close contact range, and it was effective! But he could also use his hands and stances in close to distract or keep you busy and set you up. So, even in TKD, you need some ballance. Teams that can only throw the football well may eat up a lot of yardage. But they also get intercepted a lot. If that's all you can do, the other team can concentrate their efforts on defending it and shut you down no matter how good you are. Add a running threat, though, and you open up those recievers a little more and get the points. Same with fighting. A well ballanced attack is more consistantly effective than an attack that favors only one type of weapon or strategy.

[karatekid1975]

I had a similar problem the other night. I do TKD with all the fancy kicks and all. But when I was sparring, I did simple to-the-point techniques, and beat my partner. She was using all the fancy stuff, and it didn't work. That just taught me that eventhough I do TKD, it doesn't mean that the fancy stuff works (unless someone is quick enough, that is). Well, I knew that, but this is TKD ya know hehehehehehe

[TheDevilAside]

Scared?

 

Some people like using kicks because they can strike and keep themselves at a fairly safe distance from their opponent.

[aefibird]

I think deep down I'm a katana master.

 

I'm not allowed to learn weapons yet (not until my next promotion which, given my ankle injury is not looking to be in the near future...), but when I get there I will first be learning the tambo. My boyfriend and I have a couple of bokken, so I'm sure I'll head to the parking lot at night to improvise a thing or two... I like bladed weapons (my dad collects knives, and it appears to be passing on), so I should probably doing more of that kind of stuff.

 

I hear ya Beka! I think that "deep down I'm a katana master" too!

 

I also like bladed weapons - I'm a bit of a sword freak.

[ninjanurse]

That just taught me that eventhough I do TKD, it doesn't mean that the fancy stuff works (unless someone is quick enough, that is). Well, I knew that, but this is TKD ya know hehehehehehe

 

Time to get quicker bud !

 

Seriously, Laurie is right. TKD stylists should be able to analyze their opponents and adjust accordingly...at the speed of light! TKD matches tend to change speed, flow, and direction very quickly and sometimes the quickest way to a point is a good old fashioned front kick!

 

[karatekid1975]

Yep, I agree. I read her like a book, switched to "simple" mode LOL. I do know the fancy stuff, but it wasn't needed for that match. I guess that's what I'm trying to say LOL (I'm confusing myself .... I'll shut up now LOL).

[Pacificshore]

I'm not really sure why but the art I practice, kenpo, is characterized by fast hand strike combos and yet if you watch me spar, you'll see that I kick way more than I punch. My instructor doesn't spend too much time teaching me different types of kicks, but many times I find myself practicing jumping kicks and other types of kicks. My teacher sort of has a rivalry with a Tae Kwon Do school here in town. Have you ever practiced a style that focuses on one thing while you practice something else much more. Am I an accidental Tae Kwon Do stylist?

Funny you should mention......my kick to hand techniques is probably 60/40, so I know what you are sayin

[SevenStar]

IMO, this is where the art in martial art comes in. It's not in learning the forms, philosophy and spiritual aspects, but in your expression of fighting. A buddy and I have known eachother for 7 years, and during that time, we were training the same thing at the same school (with the exception of the period that I trained longfist - he went to kenpo) we were just saying a few weeks ago that even though we had the same teachers in the same styles (bjj, judo and thai boxing) we fight COMPLETELY different.

 

Don't resist doing kicks - that may be your area of mastery. However, you need to make a bonafide effort to use your hands, too - you don't want to be one dimensional.