Why do people bash TKD?

[Wheezy]

Whats Olympic style of TKD? WTF Style, you mean?

They have their hands on their sides when they fight I hear.. lol

[patusai]

There two main reasons. One is the olympics. This is the main reason. In those competitions, there are significant restrictions that do not apply on the street. This is the most visible form of the art and therefore, what those relate as what TKD is in full.

The second is that to some degree, it's not. But this applies to all arts. People see the high kicks etc and say "but I'll never fight someone 12 feet tall". This is true, but what they fail to realise is that the style was created for the common people to defend themselves against enemies on horses. At the time of creation of the art, it was very effective for it's given purpose. The reasoning for high kicks has been lost as has the effectiveness of them, but people fail to realise there is a lot more to TKD than just high kicks.

I don't do TKD but my teacher (who didn't do TKD either) explained it this way years ago. If your going to kick someone in the head who is 6 foot 2 (at the time 6'2" was big) you have to kick a lot higher than 6'2" to get full effect). The other part that he mentioned was it takes great leg strength to perform the TKD kicks. As for being practical, for the most part, all styles need to adapt a bit in every fighting situation to be effective and thus practical. My first teacher was one who had great respect for any "style" of MA. He use to say there are many ways but this is mine (referring to his style).

It's all good!

[bushido_man96]

Whats Olympic style of TKD? WTF Style, you mean?

They have their hands on their sides when they fight I hear.. lol

Unfortunately, it is hard to nail it to a particular association sometimes. I am sure not all the WTF schools teach the same way, and there are probably some independent TKD styles out there that concentrate on fighting a lot, and may give the impression of olympic style.

I think it usually depends on the instructor's philosophies and goals for the school more than anything.

[Jiffy]

If your going to kick someone in the head who is 6 foot 2 (at the time 6'2" was big) you have to kick a lot higher than 6'2" to get full effect).

I'm not sure I understand your statement.

My first teacher was one who had great respect for any "style" of MA. He use to say there are many ways but this is mine (referring to his style).

A very good way of looking at it!

[Dont call me Sir]

Self Defence (or more appropriately, Self Protection) is 10% techniques and 90% mindest, so it really does depend on the person using it, not the art or style.

Having said that, TKD has virtually all the techniques required for practical SD, but they are rarely drilled or trained under the adrenal stress response. Gross motor skill techniques, found in TKD, are usable under the influence of adrenaline do work. Techniques such as the Hammer Fist, Straight Palm, Knife Hand, Arc (web) Hand, Elbows, Knees, Low Section (Thai Style) Kicks, etc, etc, are all found in patterns, but how often are the trained or drilled? And when they are trained and drilled, are they then pressure tested in the adrenal state?

'Twisty Wristy' techniques, that are fine motor skill techniques, can and do work if the person applying them had trained and drilled them for years and years under the adrenal stress response. This is rarely found in the dojangs that I've visited.

So, always remember; Self defence is 10% Techniques, 90% Mindset, regardless of art or style.

DCMS.

[patusai]

If your going to kick someone in the head who is 6 foot 2 (at the time 6'2" was big) you have to kick a lot higher than 6'2" to get full effect).

I'm not sure I understand your statement.

My first teacher was one who had great respect for any "style" of MA. He use to say there are many ways but this is mine (referring to his style).

A very good way of looking at it!

If my kick goes a distance of 6'2" to the guys jaw say and the target is 6'2" I meet target at full extention. In order for the kick to be effective my foot needs to travel at least 6'3" (aiming through the target). My kick That's kinda what I was taught is to follow through. Sorry for the confusion

[aefibird]

TKD is often based because it is a popular art and (with anything that is popular) there are some dodgy clubs out there. Happened in the past when the Kung Fu bug was about, same with Karate. There will always be con-men who try to jump on a bandwagon and sell rubbish packaged as good stuff. Count Dante, anyone?

Plus, there's the whole aspect of TKD being an Olympic sport. There are moves afoot to change the nature of TKD sparring in the Olympics - I think that those in charge are waking up to the fact that TKD is becoming a laughing stock in certain quarters. Fighters with their hands by their sides and 2 mins of bouncing round looking like you're on an invisible pogo stick does no favours to the rest of TKD.

Plus, people don't make the distinction between martial art and martial sport. Both areas can exist side-by-side in any club - my WTF FTD club has a proven competition record but also teaches realistic and workable self defence and knife defence. Indeed, SD techniques are a required part of the grading syllabus, so anyone who wants to be a blackbelt will at least get there with a decent knowledge of what to do should the worst happen.

However, there are a lot of people out there who don't see that TKD can be martial art as well as martial sport. Plus, as the saying goes you can't teach an old dog new tricks. If someone is so determined to think that TKD is useless then they will think it, no matter what.

[IloveTKD]

my tdk school gave out free uniforms to new students...lol i wouldnt call it bad though because weve turned out alot of olympic competitors. My master was us coach of the year twice and we have this kid bernard posey who got 2nd in the jr olympics and josh coleman who's on the olympic team...

i dont think its a mcdojo

[Jacob]

Nothing wrong with TKD! The only reason I dropped out after a year is that the class just wasn't a good fit for me. I am older and slower and most of the students were a lot younger and faster than I, which meant many sparring injuries.

I liked and respected my three TKD instructors; it had hints of being a McDojo but they really did care about the art and about teaching and were very dedicated to their students.

I knew one third-degree BB who could probably have killed a horse with his side kicks - they were unbelievable.

[scad]

i think alot of people who bash any martial art, are just seeing martial arts as a quick solution to winning fights, and then when someone claims to be a martial artist and get the crap beat out of them, those of us who train hard and take martial arts very seriously, are givin a bad name. so its easy for people to look at martial arts and critisize, let them. becuase in the long run, who do you practice for, them or yourself, and don't look to prove yourself to those people. thats what they want you to do, meaning its there fight, they are calling that shots, don't let that happen, you pick your fight, you call the shots, you be in control. don't be in a rush, it will all fall into place