I live in an area where there really isn't any appealing karate or jiu-jitsu centers. The ones that do exist are either more centered toward youth programs or it's a small place shoved into a plaza next to a Dunkin Donuts and PetCo. I checked a couple out and they just weren't all that appealing. Either way too many students, or a not-so great looking facility (dirty, unkempt, etc) A Tae Kwon Do facility just opened up about 10 minutes from my place, and it looks great from the street. Nice big open space with wall-to-wall mats, and many trophies/awards in the large street-facing windows.
This is because there are schools, programs, workshops, etc. That claim to be about self defense and don't cover these things, and there are schools for sports martial arts or traditional/cultural martial arts that DO, and this is really the determining factor above all else. Jun 9, 2011 - I don't know too much about tae kwon do, and my research is only turning up. But if they go over how to use the techniques in self-defense.
I constantly see people in there at nearly all hours of the day/night. I don't know too much about tae kwon do, and my research is only turning up clinical overviews of the history of it. I'd like to know from anyone here who has practiced it or still practices it, whether it is a legitimate discipline in self defense? I know there are tae kwon do tournaments, which score practitioners on their ability to score strikes on each other, as well as tae kwon do exhibitions that have practitioners breaking planks of wood, cement, or clay bricks with a variety of strikes.
My question is, is there any more to tae kwon do than this? Do they teach striking techniques or anything else which can be used in dangerous (street) situations to protect yourself from an attack? I plan on going down there and seeing if they offer a free trial class, but I wanted to try to get as much information as I can from people who aren't in the business of selling lessons. INB4 'just take instead.' I understand there's probably better things out there to learn self defense.
But I'm not asking about what's necessarily best for self defense. I'm asking about tae kwon do, specifically. Schools in my area are just 'belt factories' you basically pay for your belt. Dont get me wrong they have a bunch of trophies on their shelves from point sparring tournaments. Imo, no it isnt it drifted away from the self defense discipline when it started to become more sport cause thats all their schools do is perpare for tournaments. Ive seen a 13 year old 2nd degree black from a school around.
Not bashing because I know true Korean Tae Kwon doe is very disgusting though but thats rare to find atleast around Virginia. I live in an area where there really isn't any appealing karate or jiu-jitsu centers. A Tae Kwon Do facility just opened up about 10 minutes from my place, and it looks great from the street.
I'd like to know from anyone here who has practiced it or still practices it, whether it is a legitimate discipline in self defense? My question is, is there any more to tae kwon do than this?
Do they teach striking techniques or anything else which can be used in dangerous (street) situations to protect yourself from an attack? I plan on going down there and seeing if they offer a free trial class, but I wanted to try to get as much information as I can from people who aren't in the business of selling lessons. Click to expand. 1) There are probably better ones, you just haven't found them.
If you are correct, then perhaps your definition of 'appealing' may need to change. Boxing gyms are typically sort of 'hole-in-the-wall' places, but you'll find good teachers. A dirty BJJ/Wreslting mat is like a giant petri dish. Don't train on dirty mats. 2) New place; is it taught by a korean immigrant?
If so, they'll fill your head with nationalist BS and tell you that TKD can stop anything, and they are wrong. MOST likely, they teach more than just TKD. 3) I have a strong TKD background, and I have fought in MMA and kickboxing. I use TKD moves ALL the time, because it fits my range, but only the kicks.
TKD punching techniques are for $hit. 4) On the street, you use the most vicious thing you can think of, immediately.
I've never seen a TKD school teach any real form of street self defense. 4.1) The BEST STREET SELF DEFENSE EVER IS TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND STAY OUT OF DANGER, PERIOD. 5) Take the free week, keep a skeptical mind but BE POLITE. Free can't hurt. If you are young, go for it man, you can always add to your arsenal later. WTF Taekwondo, Kukkiwon Taekwondo and smaller, more eclectic groups will work full-contact-ATA (American TKD Association) is useless for anything but building false confidence in children and becoming very athletic-and you can certainly find some dojangs that will teach valid, useful self defense. You will have to visit and watch class, and perhaps try class, to get a better feel for whether or not it would be a good fit for you.
My only concern would be that TKD will typically teach the 'sine wave theory' of power generation in striking, so you would be well-off to find a teacher who has trained in boxing/karate/Muay Thai/etc. So they can teach you how to actually generate power effectively for more than just kicks and uppercuts. I will add that I think an abundance of sparring is not as necessary as many people on Sherdog seem to think, which will get me flamed, I'm sure. Since you are wanting to gain self defense skills you would be much better off working contact self defense drills than sparring-spontaneous full power attacks, ambush and multiple attacker scenarios, etc. Self defense situations don't happen at sparring range with both parties in fighting stances with their guards up. The contact sparring will help develop your striking, reaction time and ability to take a hit but you should get that out of the drills, too. Click to expand.Good questions.
Let me throw in a few more -.' If I train consistently and diligently for many years, is it possible I'll never earn a black belt?' If the instructor answers 'yes, that's possible' that's a good thing. Reason: At a serious school, black belts are not automatically awarded for good attendance, good effort or good attitude (or a good payment history). They signify a level of proficiency.' How long has the head instructor been training and what is his/her rank?'
I would much rather train with someone who has 20 years' experience and a 3rd degree black belt than someone with 20 years' experience and a 9th degree. Reason: Longer experience and lower rank probably (not always) means the organization has tougher standards for promotion and isn't handing out dan ranks like Halloween candy to make their instructors look more impressive.'
I was thinking about training in a full-contact striking art like Muay Thai or American kickboxing - what do you see as the pros and cons of doing that, instead of TKD?' If they give a relatively even-handed explanation and give credit where it's due - 'full-contact will teach you how to take a punch, full-contact gives you an opportunity to see how much damage you can really do to an opponent, full contact has good application to street self-defense, etc.' That's a good thing. I wouldn't expect an instructor to try to sell you on someone else's school, but if they have nothing good to say about full-contact striking arts, they're trying to sell you a fantasy, not good training.
Taekwondo Is Effective For A Self Defense Program: Why Taekwondo Is More Effective Than A Reality Based Self Defense Course (part 4) IV. Taekwondo is Proven Effective In Full Contact Fighting It is said that a true martial art that works must prove itself in fighting. Taekwondo has not only proven itself in war, but also in current modern combat sports such as Kickboxing and MMA.
Taekwondo is effectively used in Mixed Martial Arts fighting Mixed Martial Arts competition is considered by the general public of fight fans and people who are aware of martial arts as the current proving ground for effective fighting. Various Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters use Taekwondo techniques, including elite MMA fighters who fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship such as Cung Le, Anthony Pettis, Edson Barboza, Benson Henderson and others, to win high level bouts with knockout power and Taekwondo tactics. The Taekwondo round kick, Taekwondo footwork, the back kick, and even the spin kick have all been used with total success in MMA by such fighters as Dennis Sever and Conor McGregor. Taekwondo spin kick in the UFC Spin kick knockouts are not uncommon now as well as devastating back kicks. These are typically “fancy” techniques seen in movies that have now been proven effective in combat. MMA is the closest people can get to an actual fight while still remaining in the bounds of what is legal by the law as well as remaining typically safe because a referee and corner men are present and there are rules in place; yet a lot of techniques are allowed.
If a combat sport avenue such as MMA has allowed Taekwondo to demonstrate itself as effective then Taekwondo seems like a decent striking system and can definitely be incorporated into a self defense program. Same technique as in MMA Sport does not negate street effectiveness The claim that sport is never realistic or learning a sport is not good for self defense is not 100% true. While if a person only trains for a sport with rules and never for self defense outside of his combat sport format, then the fighter will not have the best combat sense on the streets. This is even true for MMA. No one who is logical would ever claim Boxing is not an effective martial art that would not work on the streets. Boxing has always worked on the streets and just because people train within the rules of boxing does not mean they cannot use their boxing effectively for self defense.
Of course a boxer really should take another martial art that allows for more techniques, but boxing in itself works. Likewise MMA of course works.
It is the mindset of the practitioner. If he simply focuses on winning rounds and tapping a person out he will not do well on the streets. But if the same fighter takes his knowledge of MMA with a self defense mindset he will destroy the average person!
![How How](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125365280/704918978.jpg)
Taekwondo also has a sport aspect to it. The kicks and footwork from Olympic Taekwondo competition can also work in self defense. There are a variety of combinations and footwork that allow for quick speed and powerful attacks. Not every fight happens in close quarters and there are times when a self defense situation will demand an exchange of strikes. Taekwondo is the first and only martial art to extensively work on special footwork with unique foot switching and fakes with fast kicking combinations.
Training to do these techniques well takes an incredible amount of fitness ability and will only aid in a persons personal self defense. Reality combat expert Martin J.
Dougherty (2010) states, “Sport fighting does not make Taekwondo bad. Far from it – it is an excellent sport for building fighting spirit, developing balance and fitness, and learning some powerful kicks.” (p. 26) Of course there is so much more to Taekwondo than Olympic sparring, but the fact elite athletes with incredible fitness train in Taekwondo for the Olympics should only reinforce that someone studying Taekwondo will get overall competent fitness. It was not allowed into the Olympics because it was simple or easy. It is a dangerous full contact combat sport. Physical fitness is a very important part of self defense and Taekwondo offers it immensely.
And it is evident that a Taekwondo self defense program will not focus on Olympic sparring competition, but instead self defense with all of the techniques that are not allowed in the competition. White Dragon is a 3rd dan Taekwondo Black Belt with over 19 years experience in the Martial Arts and head instructor of the White Dragon Dojang Martial Arts Training Program.