tkd street fighting

[Bon]

The best tasting meals are usually the ones that have a diverse flavor comprised of many ingredients.

 

Nice analogy!

[kchenault]

Thak you, Bon. I try.

[Ironberg]

I have studied "American Karate" for a year now. The name fails to truely define the art, as it apprears to be 70% TKD, 20% Karate, and 10% American Kickboxing- so the officials just jumped to their seats in frustration and said: "Let's call it American Karate". My reason for posting here is not because I think I've got it made as a martial artist and a fighter(I have only studied for a year) but to post my "moderate" opinion to this highly debated argument argument. I am also not trying to elevate my style, but to give you my personal thoughts concerning TKD.

 

I love sparring. In my experience with sparring, a taller person is going to be more TKD-ish because their legs are a mighty part of their body. A shorter person relies more on speed, therefore, their hands are the emphasis of their power. I am a tall person (6'4''), and have become adapt at kicking. I also observe that sparring is far from being real fighting, but it teaches two basic concepts: timing, and speed.

 

A purely Tae Kwon Do artist is going to fail this argument in many ways simply because other key points of a "good" fighter are not observed. For instance, grappling isn't abserved. Also TKD sparring often fails to capture the correct essence of true contact. In addition, Tae Kwon Do sometimes gets too cute for a street fight (360 kicks are really pushing it).

 

However, in defense of Tae Kwon Do a person can gain a perspective of just how effective his legs are compared to conventional punching. Because everybody's physique is different this is important, especially to people like me who are tall and possess more strength in their lower body to understand the timing of kicks in a fight- because pretending kicks do not exist is stupid. Also, TKD has alot of hand techniques that are often overlooked because people are always yacking about the kicks, or putting too much emphasis on the kicks.

 

The reason why TKD fails against other arts like Muay Thai, or sometimes Karate adn Aikido, is because people do not understand the importance of physique in fighting, nor do they approach fighting with a balanced mindset. A person who only knows grabbing is often going to be at a loss when his arm gets broken from a hook kick that he failed to grab, and a pure kicker isn't going to like it when his foot gets grabbed and twisted beyond the range of motion. You see, the best way to deal with the shortfalls of TKD is to start seeing beyond the kicks and the stylists own ego. You love kicking, great, but you don't understand everything else, you are in sad shape. Why try to give shin-kicks from a clenched position when your almighty elbow can come to the rescue, or move you upper body so that the clencher will tumble over your foot- and you are now in a mounted position.

 

A good start to understanding what a TKD stylist can do is to incorperate a new system of sparring. I came up with this idea a couple weeks ago and I enjoy it. What I do is I take off the hand gear, and add grappling to the game. You can throw all the TKD stuff you want, but you are also allowed to grab the foot, sweep the legs, use scissor-kicks

 

, and even try charging your opponent into the matt and beep his side with your elbow. Judo-ish maneuvers are also encouraged in this competition. Once, again I do not claim this home-brewwed sparring game effective, just an experiment.

[grizzlyTKD]

hi peeps,well im new to the martial arts,im 36 and have very recently taken up tae kwon do with my 8 year old son.as for the street fighting we get taught the art of tkd and some of the street fighting tecniques.

 

my personal thoughts are i think i could use the TKD to help me out in a fight.

 

and above all that i bloody enjoy it and i wish i had the confidence to have started earlier.

 

grizzlyTKD

 

YELLOW TAG

[KickChick]

A purely Tae Kwon Do artist is going to fail this argument in many ways simply because other key points of a "good" fighter are not observed. For instance, grappling isn't abserved. Also TKD sparring often fails to capture the correct essence of true contact. In addition, Tae Kwon Do sometimes gets too cute for a street fight (360 kicks are really pushing it).

 

Granted, this is your opinion.... and what "style" of TKD are you referring to? Many TKD instruction does include grappling and full contact sparring and every TKD stylist knows not to get "too cute" when in a defense situation such as a streetfight. While high, spinning, "flashy" kicks are part of the TKD arsenal, they are not necessarily recommended for self-defense purposes )

 

 

.... The reason why TKD fails against other arts like Muay Thai, or sometimes Karate adn Aikido, is because people do not understand the importance of physique in fighting, nor do they approach fighting with a balanced mindset.

 

again your opinion, I disagree. TKD is based on body mechanics and physics. Do we not have mental focus either?

.... You see, the best way to deal with the shortfalls of TKD is to start seeing beyond the kicks and the stylists own ego. You love kicking, great, but you don't understand everything else, you are in sad shape.

 

Here I agree with you.

 

You do need to use your own style in a different way on the street! I have also taken some simple self defense classes in addition to my TKD training. I personally feel it is very important to be streetwise (rape, muggings, car jacking etc etc.)

 

Some schools teach different versions self-defense. Some teach techniques that only work against a cooperative opponent, such as some release moves. Some teach techniques that, even if used in self-defense, would be unlawful acts, such as multiple strikes after the attacker is incapacitated. Some teach techniques with elaborate movements that would be tantamount to suicide if used in an actual self-defense situation.

 

Thing is, its not how many different techniques you know, it is about how well you perform each one.

[BladeLee]

You tell em Kickchick

 

seriously though, it is hard to ask if "tae kwon do will be good for a street fight", because what is tae kwon do to you? I mean there are many different styles of tae kwon do, and most instructors teach there students different things. While alot of the instructors out there may teach inpractical self-defense techniques, and alot of high flashy kicks, and never really prepare you for a street fight, this is certainly not what all instructors do. I know that everybody probably see's their own school as the 'truth', and the 'right way', but i can honestly say that the way that i was taught tae kwon do, is not inpractical. Most people seem to have this stereotype of taekwondo now adays, that taekwondo is strictly a sport and won't help you with fighting much at all, and this is completely untrue. blahhhhhh thanks for listening haha....by the way, this post wasn't toward anyone inparticular.

 

[Venezolano]

IMHO Taekwondo isn't very useful for street.

 

Why? i think in street is _very_ insecure that you throw a kick, your opponent can easily desequilibrate you, catch it, or something, also your groins are exposed to a kick, or a punch.

 

Of course, it depends on the fighter, but style is also important.

[John G]

I totally agree with you Taekwon-do no matter what variant is hopeless for the street, but so is every other martial art / combat training.

 

“The Street” is an undefined variable. No matter how big you are or what skill level, “The Street” will always get you. Do as I, use your head and avoid “The Street”.

[Hpkid0ist]

I think that some people need to realise that TKD does teach more than just high kicks. Why people focus on the high kick issue is beyond me. Yes I at one point in time studied TKD. You need to remember that the more you improve your capabilities in your high kicks the better your mid and low kicks will become. When you work on high kicks you are building leg strength, speed, and control. Just becouse you study TKD it doesn't mean you will launch in to a flurry of high roundhouses and spin kicks the first moment you get. It is ignorant to make that assumption. Even in TKD they are taught comon sense and fighting principal, Even if it is a sport orriented school. But it doesnt mean that the person who studies and gets into a fight will be a good fighter or have good comon sense to begin with . This goes for any system.

[KickChick]

Very good points H@pkid0ist.

 

Each martial art has a very distinct history and outlook on combat .... defense & offensive techniques and usually have their own core philosophy.

 

Combat techniques do vary among martial arts styles. Some teach that the attack is superior to the defense, while others teach the opposite.

 

To say which is best or less effective in a streetfight is rather ridiculous IMO.

 

The martial arts are just that ... combat arts. They are an art form that must constantly be practiced and perfected. Few martial arts are strictly limited to one method. In Karate for instance most kicks are kept below waist level, this does not mean ALL kicks are kept below waist level. It does not mean a student of Karate does not know how to throw his opponent either. Judo does not teach grappling alone. Martial art schools also vary in their teaching orientation. Some styles may teach students to 'survive on the streets' some may teach discipline and spiritual enlightenment. This does not mean that a student who goes to a 'spiritual' school will be helpless when faced with a thug on the streets. It all depends on the instructor and each instructor is different.

 

A "streetwise" instructor is more likely to instruct about knife and gun defense. He or she may also teach several dirty but highly effective techniques before the student advances. The focus would be on surviving a life and death confrontation by all means available against an attacker which would involve one on one training with a partner. There are some schools that concentrate on honor, discipline, integrity. blah blah blah... Traditional instruction and being taught to 'mentally' adapt to a real street situation. This does not mean he orshe will not be able to adapt or will be inferior to a street survival taught student. It all depends on the student and the instructor. Remember the mental cabability is first and foremost. You may be physically prepared to fight, but if mentally unprepared to assume the combat consequences of yours and your attackers actions ...well then you will be ineffective.

Edited December 20, 2002 by KickChick