why everyone hates Taekwondo

[Kaminari]

I constantly put forward that idea that a lot of your effectiveness is down to how you train....

It is. You train for real-life situations, you'll be more effective at them. You train for tournaments and such, you'll be more effective at them. Train hard, you'll become better than someone who trains at 50%, slacking, etc. It all depends on what you train for and how you train.

[ItalianMuayThai]

I agree with that

[Garth Barnard]

to clarify: garth_barnard.... my SD training doesnt start with that.... but i know what u mean.... generally a lot of TKD SD does start in that way... .and TKD IS NOT predominately a sport.... the majority of Dojangs are sport orientated but the art itself is not.... I agree that WTF the style is sport orientated

Also im not being rude here but i would prefer it if i wasnt talked down to... I constantly put forward that idea that a lot of your effectiveness is down to how you train.... which is what ur suggesting.

Sam, firstly, I apologise if you feel that I'm "talking down to you", that is not my intention and if you knew me you'd understand that I'm not that sort of person either.

As for our own views on whether TKD is generally/predominantly a sport, I think we'll have to agree to disagree, but that's not a problem.

Sam, please understand, this is NOT a challange, I come in peace; You are more than welcome to visit my Academy, as a guest, to test your skills at one of our monthly Pressure Tests where we have the facilities to push Self-Defence to the boundaries. Ego's are left at home and you'll be amongst friends with the same goals - Adrenaline Management. This is an open invitation.

Take care,

Garth.

[UseoForce]

Whitebelt, you have fallen into a very common trap, especiallt for traditional martial arts. Many begginers think that good self-defense is the sum of "grab defenses," "choke defenses" "puch defenses" and so forth.

However, these are much easier to perform on a cooperative partner in the dojo than an aggressive assailant. Secondly, most tend to be too long. A seven step grab defense is ridiculous when the same result can be achieved in 1-3 steps!

I'm not saying you should not practice these defenses at all. I most certainly train these techniques. However, you must make the situation as real as posssible. Keep your guard up as much as possible. Let your partner try to hit you lightly. Make sure after learning the techique you add resistance.

But most of all, make sure they are simple and natural for you. Combat Hapkido is devastatingly effective and I love it, but there are a few techniques I (personally) would not use on the street. They are either to slow, to complex, unatural, or leave me vulnerable in some way. If they work for someone else, that's fine. I'll stick to what works for me. I don't need 35 defenses to a cross wrist grab anyway!

Finally, you do TKD. Focus on your kicks and upper body strikes. Train hard like a kickboxer. As you advance, try to do full contact sparring with neccessary protective equipment. Why go through a whole "grab defense" sequence if you can KO the guy with an elbow strike!

Good luck in your training.

[markusan]

This is a very old and worn out argument. I started training in ITF TKD in 1973, with very rigid traditional instructors. In those days it was a style very similar to shotokan. In the ensuing decades I have continued to train in TKD but have cross trained with a number of other styles, adopted the things that have worked for me and abandoned some of the TKD stuff that was less effective. Most of the MAs I've trained with over the years have done the same. So to say that TKD is a sport martial art or to say it is anything in particular is an assumption. As always it gets back to the instructor and the student. I have trained with various karate styles and participated in open seminars with many other styles and have not noticed any great deficiency in the style of TKD that I train in but I try not to think in terms odf style, it implies limits. But there's nothing profound or new in that idea. Bruce Lee was saying the same thing 40 years ago.

And I make it a rule never to bag out any other style because I may be able to beat some students of that style, but I know there's always someone better.

[tkdBill]

The title of this thread is "Why everyone hates taekwondo". Obviously, since taekwondo is the most popular martial art in the U.S., everybody doesn't hate it.

Many practitioners like the sport aspect of taekwondo competition, and that is fine for them. That is what initially drew me to taekwondo as a young adult looking for a physical activity. Now many years later, I appreciate the art of taekwondo. Taekwondo is an art, and just like any other martial art it can be used as a sport by those who choose to do so. This is not unique to taekwondo. It seems more prevalent in taekwondo only because of taekwondo's popularity and high profile.

--

[aefibird]

People see the sport/olympic side of TKD and assume that that is all there is to it without bothering to investigate further.

TKD has become a bit of a laughing-stock of the MA community because of this reason - non-TKD practitioners think "oh, they only do head kicks", without investigating anything else about the art.

Yes, some of TKD is a sport. Yes, there are some (very) bad dojangs out there. But there are sports practitioners and bad MA schools in most styles, not just in TKD.

TKD is heavily kick based - that is part of it's trademark, just as other styles have 'trademark' techniques or 'trademark' stances or 'trademark' weapons. Just because TKD happens to favour kicking isn't a reason for it to be knocked all the time. It is, after all, either the most or one of the top 3 most widely practised styles in the world!

[Sam]

Garth, I'd like to apologise if i made it out like you were challenging me in any way.... I would love the opportuninty to come and train, and if I travel up near northamptonshire then I will definitely take you up on that offer. Thank you.

[viskous]

man every thread that mentions tkd turns into an argument about the sporty side vs the traditional side...........from now on why cant everyone just assume that when the threads talking about self defense we're talking traditional tkd (unless specified) and vice versa.........then all this can stop because yes traditional tkd is useful in reality and yes sport tkd does win tourneys.......

[Sam]

That would be the best way of solving it i agree - but then you will always have people disagreeing anyways..... just because of the differences in opinions on TKD