Tao kwon do

[shasan]

Didn't think TKD taught any groundwork. Show's how much I know.

Even if Manson Gibson was pure TKD, for every Manson Gibson, there are probably a hundred Muay Thai practitioners that would beat the crap out of a TKD practitioner with the same length of experience.

Thai Boxer vs. TKD guy, one on one scenario, my money (and all the money I can borrow) is on the Thai Boxer. They just have a lot more useful tools and TKD (from what I've seen) spends soooo much time on stuff that is seems to me is soooo useless.

The useless stuff I reject... because it's useless you see.

[Tom Yum]

TKD practicioners are cross training in boxing these days to make up for the lack of in fighting.

[darrianation]

I have sparred several TKD practitioners some of them were top notch tournament guys. Some of them were tuff But they always (at least in my experience) fall for leg kicks and clinching. I always found them easy to clinch.

I usually could keep them on the floor by kicking their support leg while they were kicking. Also teeps work well against them. After there kicking has been neutralized and they stop the fancy stuff (if they are smart)the fight gets a little boring but most aren't to good at boxing and you can still leg kick em'. Just be careful and watch out for the axe kick and make them pay for using it.

I also find being aggressive helps. It seems to me that most of the TKD I’ve gone up against are snipers meaning they like o fight from the out side then come in for a quick combo then run. I’ve always done well countering with low kicks and if I can get inside they can’t fight well there.

[Smith Adams]

When you are sparring these TKD guys yes they do kind of jump around to much they jump into a combo and get out. The problem with TKD is that they do not train what to do after the combo is done all they do is get back out. What happens when the opponent clenches? The TKD guy is stuck and gets elbows to the head and kness to the ribs and face. Thai to some of the TKD guys is like asking them to trade wives. They don't see the value in it. I used to train in TKD and we implemented leg kicks. They were great I could always land aleg kick. However the kicks were not Thai kicks they were weak and ineffective. The kicks were not properly trained to develpo the kind of power that a Thai kick has. Now I am not trying to bash all TKD practitioners or schools but these are the main reasons that after aten tyears of tkd training, and five years of teaching caused me to seek out others styles. I agree with others that say put 2 guys with equal speed and skilll one thai guy and other TKD guy the Thai guy will win. Thai spends far more time developing the effective techniques in its art. Tkd is not focussed as much on reality of fighting.

[shasan]

it's great that TKD fighters are implementing techniques from other styles to be effective. But then they're not really TKD fighters are they?

[Bjjexpertise@be]

The reason your TKD kick appear weaker than Thai boxing kicks is this. Thai kick boxers practice by kicking trees. Yes trees. No pads no nothing. Over time the nerves in their legs die so they can kick to their fullest extent without worryin about pain.

[Tom Yum]

hehe...in Van Damme's 'kickboxer' he kicks a bannana tree.

The Thai kick is thrown differently than the TKD roundhouse. Thai kick is thrown with the weight swinging behind the leg; TKD roundhouse is chambered and snapped. Its like comparing a lead pipe to a whip; which one hurts more?

Actually they kick pads of various size and hardness. Beginners kick pillow like pads that are maybe 10lbs. Eventually they work up to pads with densley packed material (sand) that weigh 30-40 lbs. If you can send a bigger training partner into the wall holding 30 lb sand filled bags, imagine the impact on an unprotected leg or uncovered rib cage

Plus we do light contact leg-shin kicking drills to harden the shins and thighs.

[mr. bond]

Originally posted by shasan
it's great that TKD fighters are implementing techniques from other styles to be effective. But then they're not really TKD fighters are they?

no...this is my point. read a tkd textbook, and trust me, it's not what you see in sparring at all. my point is, things that you may consider integrations of other arts are actually techniques that are part of tkd after all. any teacher who is showing you only the high, acrobatic kicks and claims that that's all there is, is full of crap.

the intensity in tkd is lower, yes. that's what makes it attainable for anybody, including children. (that's when i joined tkd.) i have moved on since then, but the art still has a lot going for it.

[Bjjexpertise@be]

hehe...in Van Damme's 'kickboxer' he kicks a bannana tree.

I would just like to point out that a Banna "tree" is realy a herb, not a tree

[Domstarr]

I have a black belt in tae kwon do (almost second degree) I now study JKD. I would say that what I learned in tae kwon do helped me get better at JKD because it taught me timing, balance, backfists, side and roundhouse kicks that when used LOW to take out legs can be effective. JKD is a far more effective street applicable self defense system. Some tae kwon do moves can be applied in JKD because as we know, JKD takes bits and pieces from numerous martial arts and uses what is applicable at the time. It takes what is useful and throws away what is useless, like forms, high kicks, spinning kicks, spinning back fists, walking up and down the room kicking at the air, etc.

[jules]

For all you JKD guys shieting on TKD... Didn't the man you worship train with Joon Rhee? They were close friends trained/shared with each other.

[lssanjose]

bruce didn't take up tae kwon do from my understanding. yes they shared, that's it. But I don't remember bruce taking up any TKD classes. He saw what was useful[not techniques] and went from there

[jules]

The thing about modern TKD. It has changed so much from it's original form that it's somethign else. The S. Korean government is mostly to blame for this, they wanted an Olympic sport so badly that they took out most/all of the "real" elements of TKD. That's why N.Korean TKD/ITKDF , Jooh Rhee TKD is differnt from "TKD".

[Great Sage]

Originally posted by jules
The thing about modern TKD. It has changed so much from it's original form that it's somethign else. The S. Korean government is mostly to blame for this, they wanted an Olympic sport so badly that they took out most/all of the "real" elements of TKD. That's why N.Korean TKD/ITKDF , Jooh Rhee TKD is differnt from "TKD".

Actually, I would say that ALL TKD styles are very similar... My master was an 8th dan grandmaster taught in basically every TKD style... Basically, the sport-style TKD stresses more footwork and flying manuevers.... Military TKD [Oh Do Kwan, I believe] has some knee kicks, but still has all the basics included in Ji Do Kwan.

The major difference is simply the forms... Sport TKD utilizes Palge or Taeguek forms, while traditional TKD prefer Chonji, etc...

There's not much difference.. You still have the knife strikes, low blocks, head kicks, etc...

On another note, Bruce studied TKD kicking but if you'll notice his kicks, they're more like Muay Thai... Bruce Lee didn't like the TKD front or roundhouse kick. He preferred to swing his hip through like MT. He DID like the side kick.