What can TKD learn from Karate, and vise versa?

[Akaratechick]

Oh, I forgot to say I definitely agree about it depending on the instructor and how they teach it, good point. I knew about Olympic TKD a little but had never really understood it, until I joined this forum. Actually, I'm not sure I still understand it, but that is personal opinion.

[Zorbasan]

It was also attempted to correct me on my side kicking technique. If I am in a horse stance (kiba dachi) and am going to side thrust with my right leg. I cross my left foot IN FRONT of my right...hips do not turn left or right...bring my right foot straight up..and deliver my side thrust kick. When I took a TKD class..they explained it the opposite way. TKD way was cross the supporting leg BEHIND the kicking leg. Try it...your hips are now facing sort of to the left...now you lift your right leg up and try to use the twisting of your hips to put more force into your kick. I dont know about you...but I have NO stability when I do it the TKD way...and by the way I knocked that instructor on his buttocks when I showed him the Shotokan way... At the core of this...its OPPOSITE.

i think that might just be your school, the ITF TKD i did, we actually turned to the front, took a small regular walking step forward, turned as we chambered, then kcik out. i still find it hard in shotokan to remain fully sideways while moving in kibadachi for the side kick.

[DancingSteve]

Not to hijack this thread but I will expound what I can about how I do side thrust kicks.

When I move sideways in Kiba Dachi..lets say..moving right. Kicking with the right leg. I drop my left hand down in front of me obviously...and my right hand out extended along the leg. My hips are actually turned or more accurately 'pushed' into the kick, and a little toward the target.

What I do to show beginners (not saying you are a beginner) how to get the 'feel' for a side thrust kick...is put your foot on the wall flexed to the side for side thrust, and push...if your supporting leg buckles, your not in the right position..if your butt pops out...your not in the right position..

Tuck your hips..tighten your side muscles, bend your supporting leg..when you get that really strong forceful feeling like your pushing directly off the floor through the hips and all the way out to the foot..then you've got it.

What I also do...which inevitable ends in my clutching my knee in pain....is practice side thrusting a swinging back. I swing a heavy bag away from me so its moving back away from me, then swinging back in toward me. I try to catch the bag as it comes in with a front leg side thrust, as if an opponent is moving in on me and I STOP him with the kick. You'll learn quickly where the break in the chain is....its when the bag knocks you over and whichever joint hurts most.. I dont recommend this but for the truly foolhardy like myself..it can be good for timing and quick coil and thrust practice.

[CTTKDKing]

some of the original styles of tkd are very much like shotokan and never took the name switch to tangsoodo. My style is one such style. I study moodukkwon taekwondo. We learn aikido manipulations, judo throws, jkd trapping along with the basics attributed to tkd, tsd and karates. The forms we study are shotokan based as well. We teach hardcore, very violent and lethal self defenses and train old school style. But like others have said and seen, most tkd is not like this, one of the few exceptions to the rule. I'm curious to see what younwhadoug says for further info into his particular style.....wait i guess its already listed by his name; youn wha ryu tkd.

Thank you. You are the first person I've heard make a reference to Moo duk kwan on this website. I study Kukiwon TKD (WTF) but my school has a strong MDK influence. We do Olympic sparring, and WTF forms, but our self defence techiques, and one steps are very direct powerful and some even lethal. From what I understand about some forms of Karate, they are very much similar to MDK in many respects.

[bushido_man96]

My dad studied Moo Duk Kwan TKD many years ago. He said the forms I do now are the ones he used to do. He also did the old palgwe forms, too. His style was a little more open in sparring, allowing sweeps and groin shots, as well as hands to the head.

[CTTKDKing]

That's very cool. I have a friend who is one of the founders or the American Moo Duk Kwan association. I made it a goal in my current school to get my second Dan, after which I may switch styles to try and keep myself well rounded. He's offered to train me for nothing which would be very cool. He's straight MDK not a mix like my current school. He's also the highest ranking grand master that I've ever met in person. (9th Dan)

[bushido_man96]

That's very cool. I have a friend who is one of the founders or the American Moo Duk Kwan association. I made it a goal in my current school to get my second Dan, after which I may switch styles to try and keep myself well rounded. He's offered to train me for nothing which would be very cool. He's straight MDK not a mix like my current school. He's also the highest ranking grand master that I've ever met in person. (9th Dan)

Wow, sounds like you have a really great oppurtunity here. Good luck with that.

[mongo]

As a traditonal tkd person, we still do palgwe, self defence, throws, etc. I still think I would learn something from a person who focuses maby 75 pecent on hands rather than the 50% or so that I do. Just as I could learn something from a boxer. I am particulary interested in some of the hand conditioning drills at this time.

I think what a karate practiconer could learn from us would be in the application of kicks above the waist and also how close a kick can effectivly be thrown there.

A story that has nothing to do with karate but proves a similar point. When I was a brown belt I did some work with a friend in my college who had trained in a mostly hadNs style of kung fu as well as tai chi. When we started sparring he was unprepaired for the kicks, likewise when he was able to get it I found some of his fore knuckle strikes most "educational"

[bushido_man96]

A story that has nothing to do with karate but proves a similar point. When I was a brown belt I did some work with a friend in my college who had trained in a mostly hadNs style of kung fu as well as tai chi. When we started sparring he was unprepaired for the kicks, likewise when he was able to get it I found some of his fore knuckle strikes most "educational"

This is what I feel is what TKD and karate practitioners could learn in exchanging ideas. However, there would also be some subtle blocking concepts, hand counters, and likewise kicking strategies and differences.

I remember being at an ATA tournament many years ago, and there was a black belt there that was a former karate student. I heard comments about watching out for his hands, because they were extremely fast. Just food for thought!