sansoouser Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Well, I've seen tkd students get smashed in a fight, but If you spar with all the striking, fist to face and foot to face, then like all sport martial arts it helps you in a fight. TKD gets a bad rap from people trying to use those fancy kicks in a fight, all effective martial arts just use the basic moves and nothing fancy. For instance kicking to the knees, groin, or stomach if you are good at them are effective. Kicking to the head takes alot of skill in a real fight, I wouldn't try it unless they were drunk and bent over gasping for air. There is a book on Low Kicks For Maximum Damage, it shows a good view on them, but once again I would NEVER use a high kick in a fight. Well once again that's just me and all I like to do is grapple, punch a few times then get in and try to throw them to the ground then get the heck outta there The amateur shoots his hands out ferociously, but lacks any true power. A master is not so flamboyant, but his touch is as heavy as a mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sansoouser Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 I would also recommend alot of sprint work and practice hopping fences to get away fast. Just to add to my last post, I had a friend who was a 5th dan in TKD and we were in a parking lot when a guy came out and told us we were on his turf, we told him we were sorry and tried to walk by, he got angry and took a swing at my friend, he grabbed the guys arm with his left and and pulled him forward and off balance then did a kick to the guys right side of his jaw bone and KO the guy... it was funny to watch and shows that high kicks can be effective if learned properly! The amateur shoots his hands out ferociously, but lacks any true power. A master is not so flamboyant, but his touch is as heavy as a mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommarker Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 I practice Tang Soo Do, which is an older cousin of TKD. Our Grandmaster was once speaking of the differences between black belts of today and of yesteryear... The main difference, as he saw it, were that today's black belts are more technically proficient, and know a LOT more (quantity) than a black belt from the 50s or 60s. They also tend to look better. Older black belts only had 4-5 techniques in their "toolbox" so to speak, and honed them until they worked. These guys also tended to be soldiers, in excellent physical health, and honestly, looking for a way to beat the crap out of someone while staying alive and safe in the process. This honing, along with the proper attitude (wartime, and here in the US, a lot of tough kids practiced the martial arts) could go a long way in a fight. You'll notice that at no point did he say that one was better, though I think I know the answer... There are people out there who use high kicks with a high rate of success... but I think that has a whole lot more to do with how they train, and their attitude towards FIGHTING versus sparring. I'm no longer posting here. Adios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryLove Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 If Tae Kwon Do hasn't changed in its many years of existance, and was doomed for failure in terms of combat, what would you ((the other martial artist)) propose should be done to improve the system, while keeping the traditional roots and integrity of the style? ((meaning the emphasis on stikes, stand up, and the increased use of kicks)) Don't you love it when someone (me in this case) skips most of the replies and risks being redundant? There really isn't much in the ATF/WTF/ITF TKD cirriculum that's "Tradiational Korean". Primarily, TKD is Shotokan with a few decades of desire to be an olympic sport thrown in. Fixes? Drop the high kicks. Replace the controlled imbalance with rootings. Replace the blocks with strikes. Practice in / with / against actual clothing (think shoes) Learn how to generate power. Flow. Hrm... Ok, it's likely to be a longer list than I thought at first blush... and it's easier to show than type... I must ponder. https://www.clearsilat.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBN Doug Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 I've had to remove two posts so far this morning for breaking guidelines. Any more time wasted on a single thread and I'll simply close it. Kuk Sool Won - 4th danEvil triumphs when good men do nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorinryu Sensei Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 My apolgies to all on my previous post on this thread, as mine is one of those that KSN Doug deleted. I've had many experiences with TKD dojang's/practioneers over the years in various locations throughout the USA, and a few in Europe. All of them have told me they are doing "Traditional TKD", but I've found them to put much more emphasis on flashy, and in my opinion, ineffective techniques than oan techniques that would actually work in a real street fight situation.. My suggestion, like others have already stated, is to get back to their roots, forget the flashy stuff that will get you killed in a street fight, use more hands, improve their blocking skills, forget breaking boards and learn (through good technique) how power is generated, lower your kicks, learn body movement, etc. Again, I apoligise if I offended anyone with my previous post. That was not my intent. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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