monkeygirl Posted September 19, 2002 Posted September 19, 2002 If you have no specific tie to this school and another school won't restrict you, go right ahead. Just make sure when you make the leap that it isn't to something worse. 1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard.
sk0t Posted September 19, 2002 Posted September 19, 2002 Well...i disagree with you Monkey. KoreanTiger, are you getting other benefits, sport fighting is totally different that self-defense. If you are getting good self-defense then kicking to the head might not matter. But if you like the aesthetic aspect of sparring, then Monkeys suggestion might be more applicable... You should take the time to see if it is work staying...dont make hasty decisions based on the ones we give.... Consider asking why? You never know unless you try! sk0t"I shall not be judged by what style I know, but how I apply that style againsts yours..."
taezee Posted September 19, 2002 Posted September 19, 2002 we kick to the head..my dojang practices this way..once you are green belt or above..head kicks go.now while the students dont try to decapitate each other..its a controlled kick..ocassionally some people get knocked out..but then again we are not studying balet here..we are not playing tennis and its part of the game.. there are too many rules in sport taekwon do and each year more and more restrict the arsenal one may use..take away head kicks and now you have too oppents jumping up and down for three minutes clinching and hugging and an ocassional roundhouse kick to the midsection..as a matter of fact that how most taekwondo matches look to me now.. when i started taekwondo..you used everything..punches..hand strikes..backfist..sweeps..and kicks of course.. that was "full contact' you usally left the dojang with multiple bruises..limping..bleeding..and the ocassional missing tooth..but you were happy and came back for more the next day.. the modern day version should not even be called full contact.. its more and more a game of tag..as for street defense anyone ever kicked in the head with a shoe or sneaker will testify the dont ever want to feel that again..but it isnt used that often in actual combat.. Javier l Rosario instructor taekwondo/hapkidounder master Atef s Himaya"whenever youre lazy enough not to train .someone, somewhere is training very hard to kick your *"
OldRookie Posted September 20, 2002 Posted September 20, 2002 We can kick to the head but no punches-for tourney's anyway. We mix up our sparring quite a bit & practice real world encounters & then with protective gear we do punch to the old mellon. We also work on groundfighting a bit & utilize chokes-to a certain degree. You don't let up until they tap. Getting ready for tournaments however,we have to play by the rules{{{..yawn}}}and only go to the head with kicks. *1st Dan Oct 2004*"Progress lies not enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.""It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them."
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