Self Defense -- Are One Steps Enough?

[tkdwolf]

On my way to black belt in WTF, we spent very little time doing any self defense training other than one steps against a straight punch. My understanding is that TKD of years past spent much more time on realistic self defense training. I have seen a decline in classes concentrating on specific self defense techniques in all the WTF schools that I have visited. At the school where I teach now, I am teaching one class a week that is devoted to self defense -- falling techniques, punch defense, wrist grabs, bear hugs, etc. I would like to know how much time other TKD practioners train in and /teach self defense and what type of training/teaching you do. Also what kind of self defense is required on the rank tests at your school?

 

 

[niel0092]

Depending on the instructor we spend roughly 1/3 of our time working on self defense in a given class period. Not including one steps. We work on escapes from different grabs(wrist-cross,straight, both;shoulder) and holds(bearhug,behind, headlock), add a strike(s) to the escape, and progress to a sweep. We don't do enough take downs though.

[Jack]

We really don't get taught enough of self defence at our school... we have one lesson on it every 3 or 4 lessons... only with a counter to straight punch, strangle, shoulder grab and head lock... we really don't do enough!

 

 

[iamrushman]

i agree also with the decline of true physical self defence techniques taught in schools. ( i'm talking USA schools because i have never studied outside USA) i find the reason for this is because of insurance issues and frivilous law suits. we all know some students can get carried away when practicing with one another. another reason is the turn of WTF to be more sport oriented due to the olympic movement. when i first started with TKD we were much more physical with self defence and even the one step techiques.

 

 

[iamrushman]

oh i forgot....congrats jack with your bright new yellow belt in this forum......happy posting

 

 

[niel0092]

So how do the other MA schools get around the insurance issue? It sounds like Ken and Angus to name a few pound on their classmates in sparring and drills all the time. How do your schools deal with this guys?

[taezee]

well in my dojangs we pretty much "feel out who can do what type of training and who can take what abuse...in other words there are students who have a good attitude and know this is not ballet they are studying and there are others who cry and whine over every little thing..now because we want to stay open and be able to pay the rent we have to pamper some individuals while at the same time providing hard core training to the others..if i had a choice i would kick these grown up babies out in a heart beat but bills are a reality..and more heads mean more bills paid...I still have a hard time ajusting to this and many of these guys do leave early when they know i will be teaching the next class...Im sure it is the same in many other dojangs..we learn who we can smack around a little bit and who we can only tap

 

 

[iamrushman]

we also have an unofficial feeling out system. also, we hold the most intense classes late in the evening (8p-9p) because the most serious students seem to show up then.

 

 

[niel0092]

Now that I think about it we do sign a waiver before we're allowed to train at my school. The feeling out process is left to the individual though and varies night to night. Sometimes I don't mind getting beat on and other times I could really do without the groin shots.

 

I'm sure alot of people agree with this.

 

This Message was edited by: niel0092 on Jul 25, 2001 9:29pm

[thaiboxerken]

I feel that they type of competitions that we participate in at my schools are very easily turned into self-defense techniques. We're allowed to grapple, punch, kick below the belt (but not groin), knee, elbow and headbutt. So to modify to self defense is very easy for our system.