Do you think you can really use your tae kwon do skills

[koreantiger81]

on the street??

 

Most likely you'll get attacked against your will, by someone on the street or someone at a bar/club. Also, most likely you won't be wearing your "do bok" on the street, when you do get attacked...On a causal day, guys may wear jeans and their heavy Doc Martens. Women may wear skirts with their high heels....

 

I can do the splits in my do bok, but jeans limit the range of motion i can make with my legs......Also, I feel like i'll twist my ankle if I attempt to do a kick...(These Doc martens that I wear, don't allow my foot to pivot well, when doing a side-kick.) It's true, I could keep my kicks low, but my mobility and range of motion is still limited by my jeans and my shoes..To me, the techniques of Tae kwon do are meaningless on the street..(it's true that studying Tae kwon do will give you an understanding of timing, reaction, and distance, but that's about it..).I believe resorting to punches may be my best option...I believe Tae kwon do was useful when the Hwa rang warriors united the 3 Koreas. I"m sure they didn't wear jeans or bulky shoes...However, our dress code today limits the potential of using Tae kwon do on the street....

 

Anyway, how do you feel about using your Tae kwon do skills on the street?

[karatekid1975]

How is it limited? You want to do high kicks in the street? In my opinion, that's not wise. This is coming from someone who does WTF TKD. Yes, we learn the fancy high kicks, but we also learn what works (low kicks, lots of hand techniques, self defense, ect). I was in TSD, which is similar to TKD, and yes, I have used it on the street. I happened to be barefoot on a deserted beach.

 

As far as clothing, I don't wear tight clothing. I find it uncomfortable. My jeans are as baggy as my dobak I wear sneakers, or those light cloth sneaker type things in the summer. Oh and I don't wear high heels or skirts (I'm a tom-boy), so I don't know about that.

 

As far as heavy shoes go, use them to your advantage They're heavy, they're solid, therefore they make a good weapon I bet if you thump (kick) someone with those, they will be hurting.

[KickChick]

When you ask are your TKD skills as effective on the in a real fight, you need to be aware that there is no best style for that. It is up to the student and what they learn. It is not what style you learn that will turn you into a an effective fighter. ... take the techniques that will work on the street and adapt them to the situation you are in.

 

Not everyone practices TKD to defend themselves against a street attack, for some it could be simply fitness or the desire to train and excel in a martial "art" or "sport".

 

As far as clothing and accessories ... you can compensate for them, you just need to know "how" ... high heels ---> great weapon

 

chunky shoes ---> added weight for a powerful blow (as karatekid suggested) to the abdomen or south!

 

It has always been my opinion that the "trained" martial artist has the advantage over the "common" attacker .... no matter what style they have been trained in .... self defense is self defense, the human will to survive kicks in! (whether it be high or low )

[Bretty101]

Do you mean Taekwondo SKILLS or TECHNIQUES?

 

The skills definately apply but maybe not the techniques.

 

Bretty

[KickChick]

Good point!

 

In real life self defense situations, many of the traditional techniques we learn in TKD may not be useful. This is due to the variables mentioned such as space limitations, attire, weather, number of attackers, etc. To overcome these, you must use a common sense approach to prepare yourself for possible attack.

 

Many styles teach different versions self defense. Some teach techniques that only work against a cooperative opponent, such as some release moves. Some teach outmoded techniques. Some teach techniques that, even if used in self defense, would be against the law, such as multiple strikes after the attacker is down. Some teach techniques with elaborate movements that would be tantamount to suicide if used in an actual self defense situation.

 

There are alot of self defense techniques but the one thing they all have in common is the intended purpose of preventing or minimizing harm caused by a physical attack. As far as skill goes, you should always keep your physical limitations in mind ... there are some techniques in all styles that are too unreliable to use.

 

I know in our school we are taught a few sd techniques and practice them consistently from all directions and under all types of circumstances. Should we ever find ourselves in a self defense situation we are able to react quicker and more effectively since we don't have to think about which technique to use.

[Xtreme Fury]

:::::Women may wear skirts with their high heels....:::::::

 

Let me edit this little part.. hehehe....

 

Edited Version: Women may wear jeans with tennis shoes.....

 

There we go. Generally women wear pants and tennis shoes, not skirts and high heels. That's just in the movies. Or maybe it's because I don't live in a big city... I don't know.. Unless it's for something special, like a concert or something, all the girls I know wear regular clothes.

 

Oh yea I don't think taekwondo will help much. Unless the TKD guy knows the truth about high kicks: They just are't effective! Some taekwondoists think that their high kicks will work, which give them false confidence. So when they are attacked they might try to use high kicks, and they end up getting beaten. But if they know to use punches and simple kicks, yea I'd say taekwondo would help.

[30-70 Classic]

id love to see someone take a push kick when i have my timbs on . if kicks are kept at mid-level and thrown wisely the they can be quite effective

[hobbitbob]

One shows one's TKD skills in the street each time one AVOIDS conflict.

[Thai_Kick]

Quote:

 

"One shows one's TKD skills in the street each time one AVOIDS conflict."

 

BORING!

[ZeRo]

haha thai_foot. it maybe boring but id prefer to avoid it then have to find out if my TKD skills (of which i have none yet!) are good enough.