Can I take W.T.F and I.T.F tae kwon do simultaneously?

[Bretty101]

MichaganTKD,

 

If i can comfortably make a transition between traditional forms and sparring surely then I am "forcing my body and mind to practice two separate, not complimentary, methodologies" Same as practicing full power destruction techniques and semi-contact sparring.

 

I agree that if you always train to pull all you techniques like ITF sparring you will find it difficult fighting full contact. But theres no reason why with practice you can't do both.

 

Bretty

[Bretty101]

I have a problem with students, notably Westerners, who feel the need to pick and choose techniques and styles as they see fit, like a buffet. I can't be a TKD student, I have to practice WTF and ITF, along with BJJ, aikido, tai chi, and kung fu because I want to be well rounded. Why can't you just pick one, be loyal to it, and stay with it?

 

I kinda see what your saying here. but this is why I think ITF taekwondo is such a good martial art. ITF is so open and such a good base. It lets you steal bits from other styles and apply them to ITF!!!

 

for example: As part of my self defence and one-step sparring I use wrist locks and take downs (BJJ, Aikido), as part of my sparring I can punch and kick from any angle (kung fu, karate, kick/thai/boxing, WTF). Yet this is all part of my ITF training.

 

I wouldn't say i was really into cross training or a freestylist. I'm a well rounded loyal ITF exponent.

 

Bretty

[MichiganTKD]

Spookey,

 

They were ITF Instructors first, and then switched to WTF after Gen. Choi left Korea. They did not stay with the ITF and also join WTF. If you remember, I said it was possible to leave one organization and join another. I know students who have done it. You cannot practice both organizations concurrently.

[MichiganTKD]

Bretty,

 

Personally speaking, rather than feeling the need to study BJJ for grappling, karate or wing chun for close combat etc, what I like to do is practice how I would use Tae Kwon Do for close combat or if I were on the ground. And no, a TKD stylist is NOT helpless if you get him in close quarters or on the ground, contrary to what many non-TKD people think. In fact, our forms are full of techniques to use in close. And many techniques can be adapted for use at different angles or on the ground.

 

Again, there is always a new way to look at existing techniques, whether hand or foot, and say "might it be possible to do this with it?"

[RF_Brown]

I do not claim to be an expert on either WTF or ITF Taekwondo/Taekwon-Do, but how could you go to an ITF class on Monday and Wed. nights and practice all of your techniques and forms using the Sine Wave motion, and then on Tuesday and Thurs. nights attend a WTF class and perform your techniques and forms not using the Sine Wave?!? Whew, my head is spinning just trying to fathom it!

[granmasterchen]

here on the base we teach moth styles simultaneously....they both came from the same place....you can learn anything if you have the right mind. Since we are teaching with the military and people move a lot , we teach both styles so that when the individual moves to a new base, that individual will have the knowledge of the art regardless of what version of tkd is taught at their new base.

[oddTKD]

I just switched from a WTF school to an ITF school just back in January. Been training for about seven years.

 

It's been very hard to make the switch - there are subtle differences in the movements that are apparently much easier for my instructors to see than for me to notice. Also, since I've been practicing WTF patterns for so long, I've been finding myself starting one of the ITF patterns and then suddenly doing a string of techniques straight from one of my WTF patterns.

 

I think it would probably be harder to train for a while in one style and then pick the other one up - it probably would be easiest to learn both at once. But it's definitely doable.

[Fisica]

"They were ITF Instructors first, and then switched to WTF after Gen. Choi left Korea." This is not true

 

I think you should take a look at the Korean history. Before threre was the korean tkd association. only later ITF and WTF were founded

[MichiganTKD]

Well, the way things are headed, the WTF and ITF might be obsolete in a couple of years. However, until that actually happens, you can no more practice both than you can be a member of a Catholic and Baptist church simultaneously.

 

These two organizations have nothing to do with each other, teach entirely differnt forms, have different rules, and different approaches to technique. It's like trying to practice Tae Kwon Do and Karate at the same time-you can't do it. You body will get confused trying to execute the same technique two different ways. Anyone who thinks they can doesn't get it.

 

If you practice ITF style, why are you concerned about the Olympics anyway? If you really want to be in the Olympics, quit the ITF and join the WTF and USTU.