Korean Art Kicks

[Dont call me Sir]

Having studied Tang Soo Do and some TKD, I know the Korean arts indeed have some amazing kicks in their arsenal. But don't discount the Thai roundhouse kick, though. It's deceptively simple and devastating upon contact.

Respectfully,

Sohan

That is so very true. The Thai Roundhouse, or the 'Pivot Kick' as it's known in the Combative world, is an awesome way to deliver a formidable strike, more commonly delivered to low section (between knee and hip).

I've used the low section Turning kick numerous times for 'real' and it's never let me down.

With regards to the Korean arts, the 'Turning' Kick, or Roundhouse as it's also known, can, and should be practiced/drilled at low section (which it rarely is!) as well as the mid and high sections that you see all too often. Ok, the Thai kick has slightly different body mechanics, in particular the pre-delivery 'wind up' and also the execution using the in-step and shin. Even so, a practitioner of Korean Arts could still use the low section Turning Kick to great effect.

I sometimes feel that instructors/practitioners of the Korean Arts (myself included) were (are) often short sighted in the application of the striking techniques in terms of Self Defence. For instance, in the Combative world the use of Hammer Fists are quite common, yet rarely seen being drilled on a pad in TKD, etc. Intead we only see TKD techniques like this in 'dead' patterns. Knees are another technique that is rarely drilled on pads. I could go on and on listing Straight Palms, Elbows, ect, etc.

You've started me off now!!

Another observation; In many Korean patterns you see the knee strike delivered with the hands reaching out and pulling the opponent onto the knee. How does this differ from the awesome Thai Clinch and Knee combination?.....put simply, it doesn't, yet how often is the Thai Clinch and Knee combination drilled (pad work) in the Korean Arts?

I (we) drill these techniques, this way (using the 'Aliveness' principle), all the time in my Academy

Perhaps I should start another thread on 'forgotten' or 'hidden' street/self defence techniques within the Korean Arts, maybe?

DCMS.

[ninjanurse]

It is true that many schools do not, but I think it depends on the school you attend as I have always drilled knees strikes and hammerfists, etc., in the TKD schools I have attended and I have in turn implemented these drills in my school.

[Dont call me Sir]

It is true that many schools do not, but I think it depends on the school you attend...

Ninjanurse, that is very true and it was wrong of me to come out with such a sweeping/generalising statement. You're right, there are instructors out there that do drill these techniques, but in my experience there aren't many.

DCMS.

[ninjanurse]

Agreed.

[Kill Jill]

Yeah, I think the Muay Thai kicks can often be much more deadly. I never see a MT kick coming when I'm watching. It seems to happen so effortlessly. That can also be true of TKD, but I think less common. Perhaps the MT footwork also helps. It's hard to develop a floating style, low to the ground bounce in TKD. You can often sense a move coming, although you don't always know what move it will be...

Someone just sent me this video link of a Taekwondo artist sparring against a Muay Thai guy. (If you haven't already seen it). It's great for comparison of the 2 styles:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5585460401345378983&q=Muay+THai&pl=true

[Kajukenbopr]

Having studied Tang Soo Do and some TKD, I know the Korean arts indeed have some amazing kicks in their arsenal. But don't discount the Thai roundhouse kick, though. It's deceptively simple and devastating upon contact.

Respectfully,

Sohan

Very true,friend.

It also lacks balance if performed as it should be.

then it becomes a question of balance or strength.

[aefibird]

You're right, there are instructors out there that do drill these techniques, but in my experience there aren't many.

DCMS.

True, many Korean schools concentrate their pad training on kicking and nothing else. I attended an ITF school for a while and never saw any hand techniques being drillled at all, either in 'air' or on the pad! Now, that's NOT to say that this was a representative ITF school and that all ITF is like that, 'cos it's not. However, there are plenty of TKD schools out there who concentrate so hard on the sport and kicking aspects of TKD that they miss out on everything else it has to offer. SD applications and other things are all-too-commonly seen as second best and just something that has to be learned for doing belt tests.

[zerosl]

i found a round house to a back kick works pretty well

[complete]

What is Thai Roundhouse?

Sorry for my ignorance but I've never heard of it before.

[younwhadoug]

i think the old thought that tkd kicks are the best or most effective or are also called super kicks or mega kicks, is pretty much washed up these days. so many other systems have awesome kicks and extreme power, many from chinese arts. not sure about japanese arts. i know when i was in kerate as a kid they had us doing much of the technique and kicks that i do in tkd. i have taken a great intrest in thai kickboxing because of the power is amazing. anyways more kicks

front snap kick-reholster-from the reholster without stopping the motion turn into a wheel back kick or wheel round house.

include some blocking in those as well

inside block or high block or high outside chop (to a high roundhouse or crsent kick to the head) while doing whichever block skip side kick or back kick- side punch or straight punch when you reholster agian and finish with say a spin kick. i'm just making these patterns up, but they are patterns with 3-4-5 moves including blocking and attacking. and the pattern is something you could set up for easily. anyone sparring will throw a round house or cresent kick to your head