ITF WTF

[ZeRo]

whats the difference, sorry if this is a stupid question. what do they stand for and why do people not like the WTF (ive heard some people say things against it)

 

 

[eXcerion]

This is mostly just my opinion here's some main points. It depends who you ask, someone from ITF will tell you ITF is great and WTF is pathetic and someone from the WTF will tell you the ITF is crap. WTF stands for World Taekwondo Federation and ITF stands for International Taekwondo Federation. General Choi (Father of Taekwondo who just recently passed away) first created the WTF but because of political reasons he left and created the ITF. WTF is more the sports version and ITF a fighting version but many gyms are leaning more towards the sporting side now. In general i find that WTF people are better athletes with more physical conditioning and ITF put more emphasis on technique. But these are just my opinions and people from both Federation's will probably say i'm completely wrong and there's is the best style and the otherone is all crap.

[koreantiger81]

Yes, excerion i guess it depends on who you ask! I practice both styles, I.t.f and W.T.F...however, I warn ya, that I might be biased, 'cause my main foundation is in the I.T.F..(Jhoon Rhee's version)

 

Anyway, I like the I.T.F 'cause the forms are more interesting. I like learning joint lock technqiues too...Upright sparring is complete, 'cause you can use both hands and feet..(semi-contact)....Overall, the I.T.F is more martial arts and self-defense orientated.

 

With the W.T.F, learning joint locks is not in their official curriculum..(some schools will teach them, but not all) In my own personal opinion, the forms in the W.T.F bore me....Overall, the W.T.F is more sports orientated...Improving sparring for competition is the goal of the W.T.F. I like sparring in the W.T.F,' cause hitting full contact gives me a huge adrenaline rush...MY only complaint about W.t.F sparring is that mainly kicking is emphasized...PUnching is not encouraged and usually you can't score with punches in a match. It's hella easy to spar if you only have to worry about two legs, rather than two legs and two arms...However, it's a sport, so that's the way it is...Just like soccer or basketball...In both sports you're playing with a ball, but you kick it in one sport and dribble it in another. The W.T.F has made rules to "emphasize" kicking over punching, 'cause it's a sport like any other.

 

People diss the W.T.F 'cause they evaluate all martial arts based on their "self-defense" capablity...In my opinion, I say the W.T.F is a awesome sport..It wouldn't be inappropriate to evaluate it as a self-defense art.

 

Anyway, click on these links for more info.

 

http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=2398&forum=7&13

 

http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=1712&forum=7&2

 

 

[Bretty101]

ITF is great and WTF is pathetic.

 

Just kidding!!

 

I'm ITF though would really like to train WTF styleee. To be fair everyone dis's every other martial art. All styles have disadvantages.

 

Bretty

[KickChick]

Thanks koreantiger for posting those two threads. I worked pretty hard on my respone in the 2nd thread!

 

I also posted this in "tkd reality factor" .... I believe the basis for questioning TKD's reality factor for self defense is based in part because of all the Olympic attention that has been put on TKD in recent years.

 

Some people believe the style has become more of a sport (WTF) than a self-defense system.

 

Also due to this "sport" emphasis (that WTF emphasizes) there seems to be a lack tradional philosophy and ethics being stressed. (ITF)

 

They reason that, because of the emphasis on sport competition,TKD students are learning how to kick and punch only for the purpose of scoring points at a tournament, leaving them unprepared for the uncertainties of a street altercation. (self defense)

 

plain & simple:

 

SPORT = WTF

 

Traditional Self Defense = ITF

 

 

[eXcerion]

that plain and simple is exactly how i wanted to put it but i was trying to be objective, but really i think your definition is perfect KickChick i was just worried since usually whenever i mention WTF is a sport, WTF enthusiasts get all up in arms about it and tell me i know nothing and that General Choi was just too scared to stay in the WTF cause everyone was better than him or something like that. I'm glad you said it straight.

[Blue]

They reason that, because of the emphasis on sport competition,TKD students are learning how to kick and punch only for the purpose of scoring points at a tournament, leaving them unprepared for the uncertainties of a street altercation. (self defense)

 

So when there is an ITF tournament does the scoring differ from a WTF tournament ?

[eXcerion]

this is just a question that roughly fits in and i couldn't be bothered starting a new thread, is it true that in WTF tournaments (official) that you can not strike with the hands? And that in some gyms they've completely abolished the side kick because it's not fast enough for tournaments, if that is true it seems idiotic to me as sidekick is supposed to be a power kick but i can see as how it may not be useful in scoring points. Aah i've gone off on a tangent again sorry but if you could answer the first question please.

 

Just thought i'd tack on that i belong to a taekwondo organization that does not allow tournaments which i feel can be a good and a bad thing.

 

[ This Message was edited by: eXcerion on 2002-08-01 13:20 ]

[koreantiger81]

excerion....The W.T.F does not "encourage" striking with the hands...Yes, you may score with the hands if you hit to the body;however, a point is highly unlikely....

 

Hmm..about the sidekick...I'm not too sure about gyms abolishing the side kick in tournaments......I know W.TF stylists love to use fast round kicks(turning kicks) and like to counter with a reverse back kick....Perhaps, the side kick is not preferred because it's hard to make a snap sound?(all strikes have to make a snaping sound; in order, for the points to be valid)...well, this is really my guess! I really don't know about gyms "abolishing the side kick.."

 

which style of tae kwon do do you belong to? what kind of organization, exerion?

[Warhammer]

i have read up on some of the WTF competitions and i have found a common rule that states if you knock your oponent out you are disqualified from the match. i dont agree with this rule but i dont care to bag it ... i was just wondering are all the competitions like this or are there some full contact competitions that arent as toned down?