Sport TKD

[rabid hamster]

 

 

hiya,

 

From what I've heard TKD can be useful or useless in self defense. Sport TKD would be mostly useless from what i read on these forums. would WTF TKD be considered sport TKD? im thinking of taking WTF TKD but if it will be useless in self defense id rather not take it.

 

thank you in advance

 

-Hiya :bigwink:

[spinninggumby]

Oh great, another ITF vs. WTF thingie, haha. Anyways either the vast majority or all WTF schools have at least anywhere from some emphasis or total emphasis on the sport/Olympic aspect. This aspect is fairly ineffective for practical self-defense b/c in the sport there are many rules which prohibit illegal, deadly, and practical street-smart techniques (such as no hits to the joints, below the belt, to the back, to the neck, back of head, limbs, no holding, wrestling, etc. etc. etc.). The sport aspect encourages high kicks b/c more points are awarded if you kick or knock someone down with a kick to the head. So in my opinion, WTF schools would not be the best idea if self-defense is your primary purpose. However, it is an incredible and excellent way to increase your stamina, speed, flexibility, awareness, and all that good stuff. ITF schools focus more on the traditional end of TKD and there is definitely much more self-defense application involved (although many WTF schools also incorporate self-defense, just not as much), including some groundwork and training for street situations and the like. And if this matters, WTF sparring advocates more of an upright bouncing stance for supposed increased agility and ease of movement. ITF advocates deep stances (perhaps for the sake of tradition or for leg training) and when moving from stance to stance in the hyungs/forms, there is a bit of a spring in the legs between steps.

 

Actually, if self-defense is your primary goal, I would not even recommend tkd SIMPLY BECAUSE it is not an art that lends all or most of its aspects to self-defense. There are some arts out there such as Brazilian Jujitsu or Muay Thai that emphasize on if-it's-not-practical-we-don't-use-it thing. I know I've probably mentioned this before but I know there will be people out there who think I am one of those people who is just another blah blah TKD-is-garbage-on-the-street but I am a WTF taekwondo student and I LOVE IT, IT GIVES ME SUCH A RUSH so there! LOL.

 

 

_________________

 

"Being able to move in and out of styles, movements, and rhythms with ease is the highest skill." - Donnie Yen

 

"If you have to resort to violence, you've already lost" - Rising Sun

 

"The finest steel emerges from the hottest furnace" - a smart guy

 

[ This Message was edited by: spinninggumby on 2002-03-02 16:49 ]

[three60roundhouse]

On 2002-03-02 16:37, Hiya wrote:

 

Sport TKD would be mostly useless from what i read on these forums.

 

Are you saying that someone who knows how to kick well, punch well, and block strikes, even if it's used in sport, is useless? Are you saying that if you took two clones, one trained in TKD and one not, that the one trained in TKD wouldn't have the SLIGHTEST (note your use of the word "useless") advantage? Hmmm....that seems kind of like saying that a boxer has no street defense advantage.

[YoHaNy84]

I think it depends on how you can use the techniques right on the street. I don't think WTF TKD is useless on the streets. In fact, It was very useful at least for me. Just don't act as you were sparring in the street fights. Be smart and use lower kicks and also punches. If you're smart enough to change WTF to fit your style in street fight, it will be very useful. But if you want to learn the martial arts that teaches a lot of useful techniques in the street fight, i don't think TKD is the best choice here.

 

 

[TKD_McGee]

How bout a mix like I do? You don't want to walk into a sporting club of some sort and do TKD. I think that american traditional wtf/itf tkd is the best bet. Or just choose what u have available in your area. If you want self defense, then don't go into sport tkd knowing that it is sport tkd!

 

 

[rabid hamster]

hey everyone, thanx for replying!

 

im not looking for an art that has the best self defense or anything. i think WTF TKD will be okay for me. I'm pretty sure it'll help me a bit in self defense, even if it's not very much, but im not exactly looking for self defense anyway.

 

again, thank you for your replies, i love this bored lol.

[spinninggumby]

Just remember to keep an open mind and push yourself for self-improvement, and you will reap many many benefits. WTF will suit you just fine, just remember that the measurement of your potential lies much more within you rather than within your teacher, your school, or even your particular style. :smile:

[karatekid1975]

I do WTF TKD. What we learn is mostly for sport (high kicks, ect). But when we do technique work, I don't kick above the waist. I think about vidal targets when I do a technique. When we do step sparring, or self defense, I aim for vidal areas. I think about what might work in a real fight. Maybe that's because of what I learned in TSD. I learned to adjust any martial art technique to a self defense situation. So, it's not the martial art, it's the person who practices it that makes it affective or not.

[Deathcometh]

Well see the problem with it being a sport is that TKD is used in defense. So unless someone has a gun or knife, the person would be no better than the people trying to start fights.

 

 

[Eric-TKD]

Here is something written by my Master regarding Tae Kwon Do and what it is:

 

"Tae Kwon-Do is an international martial art 'originating in Korea,' which teaches the scientific use of the body in methods of self-defense."

 

The above quote is reffering to ITF Tae Kwon Do, but I think it's ridiculous to think that any form of martial art that teaches you how to block, kick, punch, etc. would be useless in a situation where you needed to defend yourself.