TAE KWON DO! | Bullshido Or Real Fighting?

Tae Kwon Do has a mostly pretty polarizing reputation. Is it bullshido, or can you use it for real, full contact fighting? In this video I give my honest opinion on the style, and what (if anything) can be done to improve it.
MERCH STORE
combatsd.square.site​​​​
Get 10% off your @Combat Corner Professional order using code BBTKD
combatcorner.com
FOLLOW ME:
Instagram: / rob_combatselfdense
Twiter: / robcombatsd
Email: [e-mail]
LISTEN: The Pod of Five Rings
tinyurl.com/fivepod​​​​​​
music provided by
EPIDEMIC SOUND
point fighting, sparring, TKD, taekwondo, haploido, taekkyon, self defense, combat sports, MMA, kickboxing, Edson Barboza, Michael Venom Page

[@FutureShock713]

As a TKD Black Belt I think TKD is just another martial art that has become a victim of the sport and the “marketable consumer friendly martial art” package like Judo or Karate. The complete Martial Art like Karate for example is a useful art depending on intent. Dozens of kicks, all the punches found in Shotokan Karate and even Boxing, throws, etc. Context is everything. So many fighters from across the decades of full contact sports have made it work in their intended context. TL;DR I think the meme of “TKD doesn’t work” is just misinformed and the negatives of modern TKD are the same things that have brought down other traditional martial arts

[@FutureShock713]

Also I do agree that TKD suffers from focusing 80% on kicks compared to most Karate styles being 50% kicks 50% punches lol

[@monkeylife2318]

I just wrote exactly the same👍

[@Thes564]

Very true.If you want a real art for self defense then look for arts that have no sport forms.

[@davidchang8428]

Lyoto Machida used TKD to win the UFC light heavy weight championship. Let's just say he is one bad @$$ MF TKD practitioner.

[@suckrum6160]

fax - i do TKD for united taekwondo and i guess i got kinda lucking bc i guess u could say its a mix between tradition but also self defence so not really sporty as we learn punches (basic combos) + like basic rear choke etc and the instructors have trained in different styles

[@bloodhyena]

dude have to say ,your the first youtuber ,who actually doesnt simply bash things but discusses it in a respectful manner ,awesome !

[@josephspring2556]

I am a TKD instructor. Most of our sparring is continuous unless we're training for a point sparring tournament. We teach a ITF style which includes kicks and punches. The Olympic Style is over 90 percent kicks. Our organization started over 50 years ago when a go ju instructor formed with a TKD. I'm also a boxing coach. I like my students preparing for their black belt to cross train my boxing class. One thing I like about tkd is it gets your body to do things it normally couldn't do.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I like the idea of TKD fused with boxing. Sounds very dangerous

[@blackeroni]

I can't find any ITF places we're I live would love to learn combat oriented tkd. People prefer the wtf version because theg want to win trophies . I did it for a year and quit when I realized it ruined my natural fighting skills.

[@ShiftingCloudsYT]

@@blackeroni Realize that WTF borrows from ITF. So if you felt as though it took from your natural style, it could have very well been your instructor/org. They are predisposed to training you for tournaments like you said over actual self defense but still incorporates self defense. I learned the WTF way and would always practice it from a self defense standpoint. Especially cuz I would train my legs more, I typically had a little more power than some opponents. Actually being able to move them with kicks rather than make contact for points. It really depends on how you use any of the stuff to work for you. That’s what I like about martial arts. Also, depending on your org/instructor they can recommend additional training for self defense as well. Hopefully you find an ITF style place. They are a lot less common.

[@markmessi9020]

@@CombatSelfDefense It exists though. It's literally the style I come from, PKA Kickboxing or full contact rules karate. I just added round kicks with my shins and grappling to shore out my game for MMA

[@ericmin7645]

@@CombatSelfDefense the word tae kwon do literally means foot, fist, the way... it originated with fist as much as it did with foot.... its when it became commercialized into a sport where most of the fist went out the window...

[@metrolinamartialarts]

I think people don't say "boxers Don't have legs/feet" is because they use them differently with their footwork and positioning.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

That’s fair!

[@Thes564]

Boxing is just another sport and would not work well in a real combat situation esp if the attackers are armed with knives,sticks ect as boxing has no training for how to deal with weapons or even kicks for that matter.

[@metrolinamartialarts]

@@Thes564 to a point, sure. But I don't know many street fights that have kicks in em that were worth a damn

[@Thes564]

@@metrolinamartialarts Yes,the kkicks that are most effective in a real fight are front kicks and push kicks and the hidden kick.

[@50mmBarret]

@@Thes564 do you have experience In real fights? In real life grappling like judo is better, most of people grabs you or close distance for punching you, but the better option is a 9mm and gun training

[@eastafrika728]

Those who say Taekwondo is useless are not fighters at all. I've seen taekwondo used successfully in the streets, no losses, I've had taekwondo black belts in my Muay Thai gym knocking out Muay Thai practitioners, so stop listening to weak people talk about what they can't do. The dudes saying taekwondo is useless cannot fight.

[@Ricardo-cp2lu]

Olympic taekwondo is basically useless.

[@Luxx1G]

i have destroyed friends who did tkd longer than i did muay thai bro and it depends on the fighter but tkd kicks usually arent effective in a full contact fight bffr and no way u saw a tkd fighter win a street fight using tkd it is not effective at all in a street fight those high kicks wont do anything i highly suggest not using kicks in a street fight

[@eastafrika728]

@@Luxx1G come try that with my tkd buddies here in Kenya

[@Luxx1G]

@@eastafrika728 show videos of what your saying bro LMAO bro said kenya like what 💀

[@Luxx1G]

@@eastafrika728 tae kwon do isnt as good as muay thai you have to accept that fact it does depend on the fighter but in a street fight or mma fight muay thai obliterates tkd

[@lawdog6558]

Thank you for this accurate and non-biased account for TKD. I am a second degree Black Belt in TKD and have been since 1996. I started MMA in 98 and I will say that there is value in TKD kicks. Ppl that do not know how to defend themselves against them and or train them get KO’d. Also, I was KO’d a lot when starting MMA bc I didn’t understand how to truly defend against someone with good hands. So a person who understands how to use their hands and use TKD kicks is absolutely a formidable opponent.

[@TheACTIONZ]

You're gonna get CTE lmao

[@ikaikakukaniloko3416]

In the 90’s when I used to go to martial arts gatherings, being a Tae Kwon Do guy, I used to get told that. I would get called out by other martial artists to fight bare knuckle right then and there. I changed their opinion when I beat them. (A lot of head kicks) Tae Kwon Do worked very well for me in street fights against street fighters and martial artists. The Karate and Boxing practitioners out did me with their hands and I got my bell rung. Tae Kwon Do worked well for me in the street because I knew how to translate it to street use which I believe is key. You’re absolutely right that once a Tae Kwon Do practitioner has a great kicking foundation, you got to practice fighting against full range fighter and hone in on what kicks and tactics are high percentage for street fighting. That’s what helped me tremendously.

[@Thes564]

Your art would never stand up to a real combat system like Mui Tai,kali or Silat no matter how much pride you have in your art.The best advice i can give here is to pick up a second art to go with your current one.

[@50mmBarret]

@@Thes564. Another "expert" talking about real fights without experience in a real street figth, not school figth, a street figth where your live is on risk, I learned a lot of martial arts also tkd and boxing and yes, works well, it depends on the practicioner, but we'll, I prefer my 9mm and IPSC training,

[@Shadowrulzalways]

@@Thes564 Dumb ass. Can’t even back up his own words.

[@suckrum6160]

@@Thes564 "real combat system" 🤔🤭😂😅- you put a TKD person against like a muay Thai fighter (muay rules) they won't stand a chance, you put a TDK against a muay Thai fighter (TkD rules) the muay Thai fighter won't stand a chance, so it really depends on the person and how they train

[@suckrum6160]

same thing can be said with literally anything like bjj v boxing

[@jeregamm]

Tae Kwon Do criticism for me is challenging, because the place I trained at for ~7 years was phenomenal. The instructor was a world class expert in TKD, Penkat Silat, Aikido, and Jujitsu. So, I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure if my TKD experience is representative of all TKD clubs. I think the biggest problem -- which was mentioned in the video -- is that there are so many McDojongs in TKD that it gets a bad wrap. The criticisms are strange to me (again, could be my specific club), but I've never heard that their kicks are weak. In my club, the higher ranks could absolutely fold someone in half with a simple roundhouse. Their spinning backkicks were downright terrifying. Also, those demos with 720 deg kicks really aren't the norm. Those are specifically trained competition/demo athletes. I'm in karate now (Isshin Ryu), and while different, I learned just as much with hands in my TKD class. I don't think TKD is a full marital art and definitely has some holes; but the most important part I learned was footwork, balance, speed, and accuracy, and that translates well to fighting, whether in a tournament or on the street. It's fantastic for learning striking of all kinds (including knees and elbows); its biggest hole is a complete lack of grappling.

[@genxtinct6207]

Great video! I like how you actually address reasons why people don't like it and give counter examples. I love how every time people want to hate on Tae Kwon Do they talk about how it has isn't functional because it has "no hands". It doesn't help that 99% of the videos shown are of the Olympic style... The Olympic style (WT) isn't the only style out there but it is the most prevalent and because of this and the Olympics it gets the most attention. I myself have been a practitioner of Traditional TKD for over a decade now and I feel that I'm not alone when I say: I am tired of Olympic TKD making the rest of us look bad. I am tired of the spectacle of no block/hands down slap fighting with the feet. That is not the TKD that I train in, and in my opinion Olympic style has fully developed into a sport and can no longer be considered a martial art. But, off my soapbox. In sparring/tournament punching to the head is illegal. Furthermore, in the Olympic style there are no points awarded for punching to the body so most don't train them and fewer use them. In Traditional style, punches count but only if they are "body displacing". I find TKD to be quite functional for self-defense. That is the primary reason that I have kept up with it for so long. We have plenty of hand techniques as well as counter grapples and joint-locks. Small joint-locks may be illegal in MMA but not in self defense. TKD sparring just has lots of rules and you can't fully judge the style as a whole until you have viewed all aspects of it.

[@foolofaguyinlove]

This has to be one of the choicest and most evenhanded/levelheaded (not to mention staggeringly lettered) breakdowns I have had the sincere privilege of watching, yet. This was pure poetry; it truly was. I genuinely can’t say quite enough about how this entire piece was semantically put together and how equitably fair it was to all sides concerned. Meticulously nuanced professionalism at its personal finest, this. Jolly well done!

[@bengee0ne]

Good break down. No doubt TKD suffers from its popularity and sports rules. Another thing I think TKD fighters are great at is SOME aspects of distance management. Their capacity to lure opponents with their leg and stance switch and then break the distance in an instant is remarkable. Related to that also is their habit to counter/angle off and strike back in the same moment. Now when the distance gets too close of course, they can be clueless and easy to punch, sweep or take down. In the early 90s, in europe, while training wushu sanshu / sanda, we had taekwondo cats coming to cross-train and go on tournaments with us in order to compete in a different set of rules (sweeps, take down, no head and chest gear, this was before Sanda rules had spread to europe). My instructor also trained in TKD and we integrated many of their kick training routines. These cats were so quick and powerful, we’d trade kicking technics for sweeps and take down one. But well they didn’t come out of mc dojos in strip malls but rather good old martial arts club in the hood, that makes a big difference on the intent. I barely recognize TKD nowadays when looking at what the sport has become. I still love the style though, it offers many great resources and strategies in my opinion.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

TKD is certainly more than just one expression. It’s sad to see how downhill the WTF has taken it though

[@fajrulnaufal]

I actually got knocked out by my friend with his spinning hook kick when we were sparring, he's a black belt who trained since 9 and ive been taking muay thai classes 3 times a week for 6 years (we're both 22) , people who says tkd kicks are weak just never met someone who trains to fight

[@alexrodas9402]

As a former practitioner of TKD, I can agree with this video however, I know from personal experience and from my interactions with others in the community (at least down here in Miami), that a lot of the non McDojo instructors know this and concentrate on the point fighting before a tournament but do include either a great deal of judo in their training or some boxing, with the judo addition being the preferred secondary principles taught.

[@philipfontaine8964]

My 1st style was TKD and I started it in 1975 while in the USMC. As time went on, and as "The Olympics" continued to allow more events, TKD changed focus to an "Olympic style" in order to participate. The popularity of the sport grew while the practical side of the art was less focused on. Styles don't fight, people do and each style has it's methods. Not all portions of any martial art are designed for defense, not all it's practitioners are of the age to enter the ring. A good curriculum would cover a wide range of movements for health, fitness, self defense and sport.

[@trinitybaptistchurch1888]

What a thoughtful, balanced, and respectful video! Well done :) My wife just started studying Tae Kwon Do and loves it.

[@bigballs935]

Great video! I think you made some good points. One thing too, I think they would have very good distance management, similar to sport styles of karate. And with any martial art, getting regular exercise will make you a better fighter! (Better than doing literally nothing)

[@claireabbott6112]

I agree. Strangely, I was taught to keep my hands up and to punch (full contact which I think is less prevalent). I have little upper body strength so happy the focus was mostly on kicks. When I first started I was amazed at how flexible I became and that I was doing jumping kicks within months. My kickboxing stepdad (an instructor and fighter) did not think highly of it tho :)

[@Marcus-up5wk]

This is the best explanation I’ve heard yet.. I’m a second Dan ITF black belt (Karate based TKD :)- I went into boxing after 14 years of training and found I picked it up very quickly.. Same recently with Muay Thai. In fact guys at Muay Thai now ask me to teach them kicks.. In particular spinning backkick and spinning heal kick..

[@azrael1045]

I have my 3rd Dan in ITF TKD and when trained with contact and solves the "no hands" problem. I found it a fantastic base to cross train from

[@thejanitorssweeps5883]

Good video rob, I started out inTKD 36 years ago back then we had what we call a shocking blow in competition and knockouts were common, all your points are valid.

[@imawarrior313]

U and ur knowledge is a blessing buddy

[@pahand]

First, I am sad to say that you are right across the board. I have been practicing TKD since 1972 (now that is back in the day). Tournaments were all open tournaments AND there was no safety equipment. There was crazy rules like no contact to the face or head, unless the opponent was rushing in. So you can imagine what happened. People were getting their clock cleaned as they rushed in. I did it myself and got booed by the crowd in Gainesville because I nailed the guy as he rushed in. In general, you got a point by demonstrating that you could have followed through with the kick or punch. If your arm was fully extended then no point. I believe that despite the constraints of the early tournaments, we had more control of our kicks and punches. Paradoxically, in a street fight switching to full contact was not that hard. Because either way you had to hold it or let it go. I proved it in a few street fights. Naturally, some people got taken off the mat on stretchers so there was a cost to the lack of safety equipment. So I was around when sport TKD became the be all end all. Examinations went from one on one to group examinations were almost everyone passed. We passed kids all the way to black belt and they couldn't fight for real. And as soon as they got in a real fight and lost they quit TKD. My nephew was one of those. The disservice then is on the side of the instructors who are going through the motions. If we don't teach people how to fight a real fight then what is the point. In 1972 Master Jack Johns had classes that were 2 1/2 hours long and covered everything. Even what ifs that were aimed at what to do with a streetfighter. I knew streetfighters in Atlanta who regardless of your style they would punch you out so fast that you never knew what happened. They can be beat but you have to learn. TKD is not bad, they just lost their way from the martial art that came over from the Korean military to the sport practiced today.

[@darkwolfe6286]

I think it is not only a very a very accurate assessment of TKD but for many martial arts that have become popular as a form of training and exercise. You can see where many basic martial arts have been neutered to be more easily accessible for general audiences and not for more dedicated practitioners.

[@areshorror]

I've been doing Taekwondo for over 8 years, love the sport. The way I see it, if you devote time and effort into making it fun, but also effective and applicable for real-life scenarios, it can be a valuable asset. However, if you just do it for fun or something in your downtime expecting it to protect you on the street, then it's not really worth it. Lucky for me, my Taekwondo academy has a nice medium for the disadvantages you explained. It teaches you to keep your hands up (even when semi-contact sparring), it doesn't focus so much on kicks, and it focuses on hard/full contact striking when on the off-season (aka 2 months competitive, 2 months defensive). It has also in the past offered alternative forms of martial arts to be taught at the academy that are similar to Judo and Jiu Jitsu, although I am not sure if they took it away completely from all academies, but they stop doing it at ours unfortunately.

[@tkdguy5494]

I love your respectful but truthful view. I've said things like this for years, and that is the art itself is fine, but the way it is generally taught is the problem... but it's only a problem if you take TKD for the purpose of fighting. Like you said, many people take TKD for fun or exercise, etc. They aren't looking to compete in something like MMA. And while a lot of people frown upon instructors being so lax in promoting their students, fact is, the instructor needs to make a living. Like it or not, the TKD instructor (unless he has income from elsewhere) is a businessman first, and a martial arts instructor second. He needs to be able to support himself and his family financially. That means attracting the most students as possible, and that means making the TKD school a place that attracts people of all ages, ability, etc. This is just the reality of it. And yes, TKD guys can kick very hard. To say TKD is useless because Muay Thai students can kick harder misses a fundamental point. And that is there is only so much power one needs to knock someone out or break bones. This reminds me of in school how kids would say, 'I have a 9 mm" and the other kid says, "yeah, well I have a 45" but the point is both are deadly and it doesn't matter if one is more powerful than the other, you won't survive either one. As for TKD sparring. TKD is trying to be a sport as much as a martial art. It's not as if the leaders of the leading TKD organizations don't realize that in real fights there is a lot of punching to the face or grabs/grappling/clinching. Of course they know that. But they are trying to make it a sport and aren't worried about practical fighting, anymore than boxers are worried that their sport isn't effective in a real fight. And the reason for what seems like ridiculous rules in Olympic TKD (no punching to the face, no leg kicks, etc) is because they're trying to make it unique sport, one that is and LOOKS different than kickboxing. if someone wants to learn to actually fight, TKD in general isn't the place for you. And I can't blame them, if I were a TKD instructor, I wouldn't gear it towards fighters either, as that's not where the money is. And if I did happen to promote TKD for fighting purposes, the elephant in the room would be why someone wouldn't just join an MMA gym where they will learn a much more well rounded fighting system than TKD. So I say, join TKD but know you're doing it for similar reasons someone joins cardio kickboxing or joins boxing. To get in shape and have fun or because you like the unique sport of TKD. And another thing I do have to say, is that because TKD is so popular and attracts everyone from the soccer mom to the hardcore athlete, there is going to be a low level of proficiency in general because most people simply aren't very athletic or in good shape. So this means the average TKD fighter who gets in a fight (I'm not even talking about MMA) is usually someone who isn't very good at the art to begin with. I remember once I had a friend who told me he was almost a black belt and still got beat up in a fight. Well, I came to find out that by almost a black belt, he was only a green belt, and based on what his brother said, he didn't even fight back because he was one of those kids that was super timid and unathletic. But this is the type of story that happens all the time. I even remember once one kid in my TKD class was purposely slacking off and the instructor got fed up with him. And my instructor looked at him and said, "Do us all a favor, if you get in a fight and get beat up, don't say TKD doesn't work."

[@andycampbell85]

Fantastic breakdown of the sportive side of TKD. Very comprehensive! One factor you missed is how long the average TKD guy spends doing forms vs sport. I did TKD for 12 years and we did forms around 85% of the time which left very little time to practise the fighting stuff. In other combat sports they don't waste time too much time, if any, with kata.

[@Veloce2000]

Yes Andrew. I share your grouses. Most likely you'r from ITF stating 85% time in patterns. The WTF places more emphasis on kick drills & sparring. Nvrtheless, both ITF & WTF are aimed at the masses, children. No need for toughness in Tkd, just speed, flexibility & reflexes. I'v switched over from TKD to kickboxing , nvrtheless my fast snappy Tkd kicks do hav som advantage when mixed with slower but harder Thai kicks. Yes i dread patterns, only good for foundation as a white to yellow belt. But too many ITF Masters spend most of their time on patterns, i cannot change them so i change my martial art🤣🤣

[@andycampbell85]

@@Veloce2000it was ITF. Don't get me wrong. I loved every minute of my TKD training. It's a fun martial art with lots of benefits.

[@Veloce2000]

@@andycampbell85 True👍👍. The discipline, respect & courtesy is good for society.

[@YouilAushana]

I guess I was very lucky to have an incredible instructor through Tae Kwon do black belt or it's just me but I have found it to work very well. Not just flailing kicks and the hopping that has the opponent time you perfectly and having myself stuck in the traditional forms. My instructor would wack us with the bamboo sticks and made sure we had great form and weren't messing around. We also learned the straight punches, kicks, throws, knife defenses and certain locks breaking boards that weren't particle board as my Instructor was in a high rank of the Korean Military.

[@seeratlasdtyria4584]

Had occasion to do some field work during the VN Conflict with some members of the White Horse unit. When I asked what 'style' of combat arms they were using, the roughly translated response was a 'variant of TkD. Dunno what has happened to TKD since, but those little bastards were lethal back then.

[@anthonyrussell0912]

very well thought out video. well done

[@ThePsychoguy]

Gotta say I enjoy your breakdowns of TMAs. Surprisingly perceptive, open minded, and insightful.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

You might have inspired me to do more overviews. Didn’t think anybody really liked em

[@isaiahsmith2197]

Thank you for making this video!

[@d.hunter1099]

All valid points. My first martial art was TKD, I was very good at it but never understood all the not throwing the kicks full power, so I eventually moved to boxing and then picked up Muay Thai. In Muay Thai, while my leg kicks fucking sucked the first few weeks and I was a mess trying to coordinate boxing and TKD together thinking it would work, I was absolutely destroying people in terms of kicking because of the mobility and footwork TKD gave me. My line of thought about TKD now became basically "it's great if practiced properly and integrated in something else, otherwise it's trash".

[@hopelesslydull7588]

That's a nice pad wall. Also very good points. Transplanting the legs-only complaint to boxing was really smart.

[@andywade5930]

Late to the party but love the common sense approach in this video. Not a TKD practitioner but respect all practioners of all martial arts as long as they are decent people. Train, get fit, have fun, work towards being the best version of you you can be and you're winning.

[@aspiesoft]

Good video. Just adding some extra info as a TKD practitioner (10 years of practice). One small thing to add, generally I feel like your legs tend to be stronger than your arms. You walk on your feet all day, but not your hands. I think TKD was smart about the decision to favor a stronger long ranged weapon. For someone who has less upper body strength, using kicks can be helpful. Also, we do practice punches and a small variety of hand techniques in TKD. In self defense, your goal is to get as far away from the opponent as possible, so you have more time to run. You also never know if the person attacking you has a weapon, so it is safer to keep a distance. Also, at a longer distance you have more time to react to your opponents movements. For those saying TKD may struggle at a closer range, TKD does have some close range kicks to the head, like crescent kicks :)

[@matejkokoska1781]

And dwi chagi that is some fast, deadly and powerful close range kick

[@streetsmarttaekwondo]

Great breakdown of how to make Taekwondo work the way it should. I have always said. If you want to be good in tournaments. Then practice hard tournament-style sparring. But if you want to be effective in the street. You must get that tournament-style fighting out of your head. And train like your life depends on it. Because in fact, it very well may. Therefore, when you practice on a bag, Target, or whatever. You must practice using full power in your kicks. And because it is for Street altercations. You must also learn to use your hands as well. But most important of all. As you must also practice full contact sparring street style. With a fair amount of control of course.

[@awallace616]

pretty good video, and as a tkd instructor and as someone who competed for years, I will agree with many of your points. One cralification i would like to add though is how points are scored in sparring, and how it has changed in the past 15ish years. In modern tkd sparring (olympics) the hogu (chest protector) has pressure censors in it to auto add point when the amount of force passes a certain threshold, so weak kicks will not score. This however had the unfortunate side effect of changing what moves are effective, and making it look (and feel tbh) like tag with your feet. Prior to about 2010-2012ish tkd sparring was a lot more "physical" and had a lot more knockouts. A large majority of non-olympic level tkd athletes agree, this older style was much better, and more "realistic". The amount of knockouts, tkos, and even a few broken ribs I witnessed in this era can easily attest that tkd kicks are far from weak.

[@Ricardo-cp2lu]

I know taekwondo since late 1980s and they suffered from the same problems back then. The problem with taekwondo is not the number of KOs or broken ribs - it's just a superficial way to attest the utility of a martial art, good for the public and nothing more. The whole thing is that taekwondo teachs everything wrong: distance, space, timing, defense, blocking - in every aspect it's worse than any other striking martial art that I know. In other words, It's technically poor, unrealistic and uneffective. I'm a former muay thai coach and I've trained many taekwondo practitioners and competitors who made their way into muay thai - they came to me knowing absolutely nothing about fighting.

[@lasvegascity]

As a girl practicing tkd I also like the principles they teach and where they are headed to. Sabumnims(masters) don't just teach how to kick and punch in dojang, but serve as babysitters or even teachers time to time, which I think is one big reason for its worldwide success. It's not because they are mcdojos, they are just following their principles. They teach Chung, Hyo, Ye in tkd. To translate literally they mean something like courtesy and loyalty, but it's much more than that. Chung is loving your country, Hyo is respecting your parents and appreciating their contribution, Ye is respecting and loving your neighbors. So basically they put great values on forming healthy relationships with others, especially with your family. Therefore babysitting and making sure kids do their homework also fall under Hyo in the aspect of reducing parents' burden which ultimately leads to a 'happy family'. I wouldn't affirm every dojang provides such services out of pure intentions, but at least they have a plausible excuse. If I were to become a mom someday I would definitely send my kid to a tkd dojang. I mean one Sabumnim from my dojang used to drive a suv to pick up kids directly from their schools. What kind of parents could say no to a well built tkd master taking care of your kid?

[@lasvegascity]

And he just defined me as a future soccer mom in the vid😂

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I think the issue is that those things are GREAT, but they should be perks in addition to good training, and too many places flip that order.

[@timvreeland4971]

Nice video and excellent analysis. Reminds me of something that always stuck in my mind for 20+years. My first instructor always said, "There is no such thing as a useless art only useless applications." .

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Well said!

[@williamqpnguyen4110]

great opinion, my master once told me a punch is a punch a kick is a kick. different martial arts give you tools and you need to explore for yourself what tools you need or want to use

[@XMAN-mj4zt]

Great INFORMATION !

[@carritohmc]

I did TKD for about a year as a kid, and half a year as an adult, I think the distance management aspect is useful, but limiting kicking to no leg kicks for WTF hurts it for self-defense. I moved on to Judo, wrestling and boxing because those were the styles that I struggled the most against when doing MMA. Fast-forward 20 years and I enrolled my son in TKD, so he can get some of the useful aspects of TKD (stretching, light sparring, fitness, distance management), and I don't want him to get as much head trauma as I did boxing as a teen. But I also train him in boxing and MMA. To counter your point on boxing vs TKD, what I've noticed for TKD is that their punching is detrimental...the way they teach it, at least at my son's class, will get you hit against an untrained opponent (haymaker) because they drop their other hand to a chamber when they punch to the body, they drop their uppercuts extremely low and throw them without setups, no hips or thighs for power, whereas in boxing, while they do not kick, at least that's better than teaching sloppy kicking techniques that will get you hit. I think boxing and wrestling have more applicability out of the box for self defense than TKD because most untrained people will naturally punch, or grab, which are things those two "sport styles" deal very well with. Either way, I do agree with you that there are some useful things in TKD, and can be applied well to self-defense or full contact combat sports if practiced a certain way.

[@mrdcato]

Great points. If you're accustomed to American Karate for example and spar a TKD black belt for the first time you might feel like you're in danger as I did. The kicking speed and power was overwhelming. After that I went the TKD route. There are different types of TKD tournaments/rules. In many formats its whoever has the most points after 2-3 rounds or whoever gets knocked out loses, so the power conversation on kicks ends there. That said, alot of today's tournaments do look like a game of footsy and hugging which is frustrating to watch. In terms of hands its a matter of what you put into it and/or what your school allows in terms of hand use in sparring. I think TKD schools should alternate sparring days with "all bets off" (use hands and feet to head and body) and just feet days with hands to body only. This will quickly raise awareness in realism and better prepare students for a range of tournament formats.

[@peterscalone6167]

I boxed for a long time and due to my age and not being able to get in the ring anymore I started Taekwondo a couple years ago. Point sparring is going at about 50 percent on your punches and kicks. The objective of Olympic style sparring is to win by knockout or points. In Olympic style sparring kicking to the head and body is allowed, and only punching to chest area. I can say that having competed at the state and national level I have that same nervous ( I can get hurt feeling) I had when I also stepped into the ring to box. Olympic style sparring is basically the same thing as any other combat sport. Some fighters try to win on points and some fighters go for the stoppage.

[@Yaveshtolethien]

Great analysis. Looking to start tkd, with only a basic striking, and strong wrestling background...

[@glitchy_bffs4535]

Good summary. Joe Rogan talks about this and his breakdown is similar. I am 50 and train TKD with my 9 year old daughter. There is value in isolating on only high kicking to learn that one skill really good. We both do the Olympic style sport sparring. It is hard to learn to kick someone successfully who is fully trying to stop you and only has to worry about above the waist kicks. Yes, the hands are low and that isn’t really actively taught it is just the best way to do it when you are only sparring with kicks. Sparring like this also forces you to solve problems with kicks. Many people do charge forward to close range where kicking high is very tough. You need to move/kick your way out of it (though it is possible to pick up 1 point for a single punch to the chest..this is lower points than any kick). You are also encouraged to try tougher kicks as they score more. Last thought, our daily training is all kicking drills with someone holding either a kicking pad or target and always moving in some way, usually forward or backward just due to practicality. We do learn to kick full force just don’t spar that way.

[@SebastianDavidPB]

I did ITF TKD back in the day (late 90s) . We were taught to use knees and elbows on self defense techniques, also training included some judo moves (on which I've sucked), since the instructor had a background in a couple of fighting styles our class looked almost like an mma class. At least once a week we had semi-contact free fight sparring (no hits to the groin and head the rest was fair game including takedown grabs). The kicks back then were more aggressive and there was no way to know what kind of kick was coming at you once the foot was in the air, as it could be changed in a split second to anything. Also if there was more than 1/2 minutes hesitation during sparring it was considered noncombative behavior (meaning 40 pushups as punishment).

[@a7699aaa]

Semi-contact sparring without hitting the head is not representative of a real fight at all.

[@Sergei__v]

Not only that, I would add that it's crucial to read up on fight tactics, how to set up your opponent so that you can land your combo effectively, how to distract, mislead and trap them in a perfect position and THEN land your technique. This is the ART part of TKD.

[@marcelo90z]

I am a TKD practicioner, and just a white belt with only less than a month of experience. I can understand why people would have the criticisms. As with anything, it depends. In my TKD gym (from Brazil, maybe our context is different from the US), I train with a quite old-school black belt, yeah the most emphasis is kick training, but we do spare some time also to train a variety of punches and hand movements to train our precision. Granted it's not boxing levels of training, there are still time reserved to throw hands. And because of the heavy emphasis with point fighting in competitions, it ends up being a lot different from a real fight situation. TKD ruleset encourages you to be precise, fast, and to properly connect your attacks, with less emphasis in hitting the head and grappling out of the equation. But unlike boxing, it makes TKD more like "leg fencing" in the worst case of weak kicks for scoring, and "boxing with feet" when strength is involved. Also it depends on the ruleset and how much contact is involved. Plus, realistically speaking, no good fighter will be a mono-style practicioner. For someone to become more specialized or well rounded, you will need to vary with more than 2 or 3 styles. I am currently a blue belt in BJJ, so at the very least I know how to handle myself if someone gets closer than my kicking range. Also, the worst part is not a specific fighting style/martial art, it's a bad gym or dojo - and believe me, there is also a plague of bad BJJ gyms around here in Brazil alone because of the strategy of spamming belts, so of course it will tarnish the reputation of any fighting style

[@Sorestlor]

All I can say when I see this is I got really lucky to find a good TKD instructor because it seems we did things very different.

[@siennas254]

Honestly whats worked for me has been training taekwondo during the school year when I'm at uni and training muay Thai during the summers. I get lots of dedicated taekwondo training and drilling and I get the luxury of sparring with a popular full-contact style. Makes me wish I had more of the full tkd experience I always hear about from my dad that he had 40 years ago.

[@jtlbb2]

When I practiced Olympic style taekwondo in the 90s, it was full contact continuous sparring. The kicks were as hard as we could throw them, and we were looking for knockouts. And a hit didn’t score unless it cause “trembling shock” to your opponent. I haven’t kept up, but from what I’m heard this is no longer the case. And that’s truly unfortunate. Because even the 90s Olympic style sparring left a lot of gaps (most notable punching to the face) but if it’s watered down even from that then it doesn’t bode well for the arts reputation. But my opinion is that taekwondo can be an effective tool, but like most one dimensional arts, it needs to be supplemented to be more well rounded.

[@alienvillains1465]

I have a red belt in taekwondo and I've used it in multiple street fights and it works very well

[@ataksnajpera]

Red belt can be useful for choking your opponent

[@stephenlee1059]

I applaud this analysis. I received a black belt in TKD in 1980, before it became a sport. I was trained by a former Golden Gloves boxer and wrestling coach, who himself was trained in TKD, as a social worker in narcotics rehabilitation, by New York City narcotics detectives. His partner was a former Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam. To assume that these men couldn't fight because they were TKD practitioners would be idiotic. If you train for tournaments, as you say, that's fine, but that is what you are doing. The strength and variety of TKD kicks make it an extremely valuable skill set if you train to fight for real. It helps to cross train, but that's true for all martial arts. That's because in the end, a martial art style is simply a platform to learn technique, and that's it. Good instructors teach tactics, and tactics win fights. And as you say, train to fight in TKD and train to hit with balance, speed, precision and timing, and you will hit like a truck. I've been on both ends of those kicks, so I definitely know what I'm talking about there.

[@bw5020]

This video is extremely important. And I'm very glad more KZbiners in the martial art field are following this kind of lead. I cannot tell you how toxic things have gotten because people remove context and nuance

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Thing is, extreme opinions get views. Even this video, which is doing pretty well, has waaaay less views than the full on hate videos

[@bw5020]

@@CombatSelfDefense I actually didn't think of that. Good point actually. It's unfortunate because it seems like just as with politics, Polarized ideas and opinions run the game. I seriously applaud you for your efforts even if I think they are criminally unsung.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

@@bw5020 in my offense, I have plenty of clickbait videos on here

[@bw5020]

@@CombatSelfDefense I love what you did there 😆 In your defense(lol), I find even those tend to be like " I see you clicked.. Actually, here is a nuanced video but I'm glad you fell for it. Imma make y'all smart"

[@danielgeoffreyanakjuliusno5208]

TKD, efficiency depends on the instructor. I trained under its sport element(old school full contact, 90's), its self defence element and its understnding that you as individual has flexibility to change your techniques to face individual confrontations. In experienced street fights, TKD gave me well reaction to attacks. I had no problems punching someone to the ground but obviously not sitting in traditional forms of Poomse punching. I respect gyms that teach traditional, n sport n self defence giving all a balance percentage n how fast reactions n foot work and accuracy will save onself.

[@DoctorZisIN]

If you go with TKD make sure you get a quality teacher, first of all. There are many nuances you won't know about otherwise. One advantage I see in TKD that few mention is that in a stressful situation people tend to forget their training and the techniques they've learned in other martial arts. Kicking is a natural instinct that is hard to forget. Your foot is already protected and you can kick without fear, even if you're not an advanced practitioner.

[@bangisamu6851]

first, thank you for changing my perspective on taekwondo. that's right I also asked where is "Kwon" in taekwondo which for decades only shows Tae-do, And unfortunately that is the name for one of the martial arts in Japan that is more honest about their movements, namely taido which focuses on the feet.

[@Turiptle]

Good to know that someone finally considers the good points of the martial art.

[@duancook9198]

As a Taekwondo practitioner, this is a great video.

[@hazelortiz5569]

I use my tkd foot work and stance mixed with my boxing and it’s doing me pretty well only down fall is we didn’t learn how to block leg kicks so it was my first hurdle my last fight

[@tlewisAK]

As a ITF TKD practitioner, I agree there are a lot of MDojos out there. As to kicks are weak? I beg to differ. We break boards starting at White belt. By the time you test for upper color belts, you’re doing “flying” sidekicks through 4-5 boards handheld. For 1st Dan, I had a standing sidekick through 5 boards, no spacers. Yes the kicks can be wicked tough, it as you said, you have to train for it. Power breaking is one of the toughest events in our tournaments. You punch, sidekick, roundhouse (turning kick), and reverse turning kick through stacks of 5-7 boards depending on rank. As to your last point… in ITF we use our hands, and a lot. In sparring we punch to the head & face. Yes we have kicks, but we have hands too. WT Taekwando (Olympics) typically does not use hands and are more leg centric. And before anyone says I don’t know better because I do Taekwando… I also studied both Shotokan Karate & Gosoku-ryu under Master Charles Scott who studied under Master Kubota. There are advantages and disadvantages to each style, and they all have something to bring to the table.

[@WelchieisBack]

As a 20 year TKD 3rd Degree with 3 schools in Tampa, what bothered me most was your camera focus. Also, I agree with everything in this video. Except the camera focus.

[@afghanrocky]

It’s good strategy wise and gaining new tools but you better hope that you have a foot protector or ankle straps with alot of stretching, because in my dojo there is dozens of ankle strains. Also if you are training legs 2 hours a week your knee or feet could be at risk also. I’d rather do taekwondo temporarily and transition into mua Thai.

[@eclipse4564]

I’ve practiced TDK when I was young and I have a memory of it actually teaching how to kick punch use joint locks and we often sparred mostly 1v1 and at least quite a bit 1v4 but it’s sad to see it’s become more of a sport, I can vow for TKD my grandpa who is a second degree black belt in the martial art tell me stories of him defending himself effectively using his skills

[@kpopfan674]

"You're only good at what you train" - this is basically a reason I argue with judoka about judo when they claim that relying on grips doesn't disadvantage them because they can modify a throw; they don't get trained to throw without using the gi, so they're not always good at it. As for what you said about a lack of punches, depends on the governing body. One of them uses defensive stances and punches. Bu any standing art needs some groundwork at least with the aim of getting up again (not the BJJ nonsense about rolling around on the floor).

[@sooner1125]

I’m forty and just signed up for TKD with my two young kids. As are having a blast. Getting more flexible, strong, better endurance from sparring, and the kids are learning discipline. We aren’t trying to go win the UFC championship. In hindsight Karate might have been better as I like that it’s more complete, but I think anyone doing any martial art they are interested in is awesome!

[@AjaychinuShah]

Reality of situation is, they see TKD, and "it won't be me I'm sure of that," then know off-their-bat I'm unable to do it or just can't, just can't in their words not own. So, what-the-heck or hell opinion they form of this most beautiful and existential artform is quite consequential and likely unfortunate forgotten.

[@ruedassueltas]

You are mostly referring to WTF Taekwondo. ITF practitioners compete extensively in kickboxing tournaments, e.g. WAKO, WKA, etc. ITF Taekwondo and kickboxing are very similar, at least in the combat/fighting aspect of it.

[@patrickwalsh5153]

I trained in Tae Kwon Do in Korea, then moved to the US. The first fight I got into, my opponent did a single to double leg takedown. The full sideways stance of Tae Kwon Do doesn't lend itself very well to takedown defense, as anyone can ankle pick and then treetop to run the pipe on you. Tae Kwon Do may have some decent long range attacks, but is fairly useless at middle or close range and grappling. Frankly, Tae Kwon Do does nothing that Kyokushin karate doesn't do better.

[@AjaychinuShah]

Sure, if you want a record 0-300-1 go for KK. It's too difficult so it works yes it does in an opposite tangent. Are we at Rocket Science class again??

[@AjaychinuShah]

It's a lie. Don't believe anything he says.

[@AjaychinuShah]

Is this being a Domain or Range argument ratio win or lose situation?

[@patrickwalsh5153]

@@AjaychinuShah I'm not sure if you are a troll or just don't know shit about martial arts. Kyokushin karate has a lot of similar techniques as Tae Kwon Do, in part because both were invented by Koreans. It just has more realistic training and better takedown defense due to throws being allowed in many of their competitions and extensive collaboration between their founder and Masahiko Kimura, the legendary judoka. As far as effectiveness, Georges St. Pierre, Guy Mezger, Uriah Hall and Bas Rutten were all Kyokushin practitioners, and showed that it has pretty good takedown defense and striking for MMA.

[@tonytiger6601]

lol. assuming u got ur ass beat toast.

[@hancockjason8758]

I am a teakwondo practioner . U are so on point.

[@raven69600]

For the most part regarding the Olympic style, you are somewhat correct… but from a personal perspective, I trained in boxing and wrestled in high school, I learned a very informal Karate style as a very young boy, but now that I’ve trained in ITF TKD, combined with wrestling, and a bunch of street fights, I have to say it’s up to the person wielding the weapon… 99% of people who make videos about TKD always focus on the WTF Olympic style… and TKD actually has the hardest and fastest kicks of any other art… there is a video that actually shows this using actual scientific methods…

[@johnsalinas1073]

Chuck Norris was a TKD practitioner when he first started but he stray alway from the organization and started his own method fighting style in karate which started a lot other martial art style like kick boxing again how MMA was starting crossing one method with another that works hints…..all time great Bruce Lee changing the way what works and what doesn’t again your videos very diverse with you explaining run down on each and every technique and martial art style…. Great job

[@dennisg3275]

Enjoyed your comments here. All martial arts good. It’s about the right one for you. Good job.

[@williorio8733]

I’ve been doing TKD for 5 years and these are my two biggest takeaways: 1) It depends on where you train. Some places are serious about teaching you how to fight and some places are what we call “McDojos”. 2) It depends on the martial artist. I’ve met ‘black belts’ who can barely kick above their waist. I’ve met guys who I could probably beat up even without 5 years of experience. But I’ve also met guys who would knock me out cold in no more than five seconds. If you’re serious about learning how to fight well, that will transfer into your training. For example, I train in sparring, endurance, agility and strength whereas other students just show up, do the kicks and leave. At the end of the day, if you’re serious about becoming a good fighter and if you have a good coach, TKD is an excellent martial art. But there are a lot of those who train and are honestly incompetent.

[@sploob865]

TKD is in a weird place in terms of martial arts because lots of TKD kicks look really awkward to pull off in fights but it also still has really good useful kicks that you can use to your advantage, but it might cause someone to get overconfident in a fight because they can do a 720 triple decker no-look scissor spin roundhouse backwards smash double overhead tornado hurricane full twist downwards spiral flame axe kick or something that just won't work outside of the Olympic version of the sport. I'm no expert but that's just my thoughts on it.

[@belikewater2413]

We had a few TKD guys come to open style stand up sparring. Give them space and they’ll catch you, but close them down and use hands, knees, low kicks and they’re very soft and fold…

[@Seantorky3]

I've warmed to tkd lately as I am really impressed by the athletism.

[@1deaver]

Well said. I did TKD first, then BJJ, then Muay Thai. I believe Tkd gave me great kicks,intro to distance, how to breath, great cardio and most importantly it was fun and I still do it for that reason alone.

[@josephgaray6933]

I first did tkd then muay thai. You can incorporate tkd kicks into muay thai as they both work great together. I tried boxing but the boxing footwork leaves legs unprotected and does not allow extend combos with kicks. Just my humble opinion.

[@CentipedeGuy]

I assistant teach taekwondo and ya this is about right, but some of the main things that brought the martial art down was the invention of electric gear witch you can just touch to get a point when before you had to get a real smack, and over fixation on the sport. There is a lot more to taekwondo than what’s in the sport. I was lucky enough to join a class where we learn how to kick with power.

[@eliesaliba7810]

I've trained taekwondo for a number of years now and I agree with what is said here. However this applies only to the sparing parts. There are places that teach genuine taekwondo which seperates the point fighting aspect from the martial art itself; where I train, point sparing is a whole seperate program where students are selected to participate in it depending on how interested they are and their abilities as practioners; this has led to many fighters moving up to state tournaments with one joining the national team in the olympics and a few more competing in nationals. Normal taekwondo which we learn includes a mix of 70% kicking to 30% punching (excluding ground work). Yes we focus heavily on kicking however there are many different hand skills we learn with boxing being a regular part of our training required from yellow belt. As they progress higher, students learn different types of takedowns, wrist rolls, arm bars, leg locks, knife attacks and grappling. This is why I myself found that point sparring and regular taekwondo don't translate well into each other; one teaches you to kick hard, punch hard, be accurate, use good form and keep our hands up while the other is all about getting those small taps in to earn a few points while hands are low.

[@rcarfang2]

I'm in a TKD/krav maga hybrid program now. I didn't like TKD because I can't kick high and I thought I would be disqualified if I used shin kicks instead of ball or foot kicks. The TKD place also have a boxing class on the weekend. I'm already good at punches. I also want to be good at kicks.

[@austinconners3394]

i’m a deputy BB in TKD and i completely agree.

[@vitodecurl]

Absolutely reasonable. Thanx

[@gt6252pc]

The TKD of 20 years ago was legit, basic, and quite powerful and more useful in today's MMA world. Sparing and competition fighting was actually fun to watch.

[@Ricardo-cp2lu]

TKD has always been lame.

[@VigilantGuardian6750]

This guy is rare good eloquent and articulate speaker on theory of these martial arts, props

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Don’t forget my dashing good looks.

[@VigilantGuardian6750]

@@CombatSelfDefense I mean that's a given as it's hard to look bad as being someone who spends most of his life taking care of his body plus probably not smoking, drinking, alcoholizing etc lol Plus it can't be feeling that good to be given a compliment on looks by a guy vs if a girl/woman does it tsk tsk Keep making more vids bro, subbed

[@robertmoore119]

I commented on one of your other videos, and then thos one showed up. But I mentioned this in my other comment. Many people have the opinion that Tae Kwon Do is not effective. Another aspect is that the point tournaments in Tae Kwon Do are the most popular tournament to enter. But there is also another form or Tae Kwon Do tournament, the punches are not eliminated. Those tournaments are much more like sparring in our Tae Kwon Do dojo's. Most of the time, people see point tournaments.

[@karateexpressburnsvillenor3762]

As a Master in Taekwondo, You are correct the Master of the Kwan makes the world of difference in self defense training, We teach Mixed Korean Martial Art, Which includes Boxing and Grabbling, In my training curriculum we also include Muay Thai, Lethwei, Predator awareness and Mindfulness. I tell my students that all Kicks and Punches must have explosive power with Ch power and hip movement.

[@GLPitt1]

I have a black belt in ITF and WTF TKD and it is very limited. If you enjoy it as a hobby and/or sport that is great. But you should also study boxing, wrestling, judo, bjj to be versatile.

[@ColonialUnited]

I Coach soccer for a living. I was told to let up on my kicks. I understood why, but felt in other forms of martial arts that wouldn't be the case. I wasn't even trying to kick hard I'm just used to kicking at a certain speed and force.

[@macrobin675]

Thank you for pointing out the main purpose of competition Taekwondo: is a competition of your feet (boxing with your feet). Competition Taekwondo was never meant to be the ultimate form of self-defense. While traditional Taekwondo is useful for a wide range of fighting skills, competition Taekwondo is more of a contest, maybe the most enjoyable and technical contest that exists today. Purposely removing the function of punches allows a person to throw a lot more kicks and much more complicated kicks. And just like kicking is not allowed in boxing, punching is very limited in Taekwondo. Furthermore, a person well trained in Taekwondo who learns western boxing and some grappling will have a huge advantage in a real fight over someone who never learned taekwondo . Also practicing the Forms and hand strikes in taekwondo and practicing them in application is an excellent form of self defense when incorporated witht the kicks. Taekwondo as a self-defense is making a comeback, the focus is not only on WT competition anymore. In the coming years you are going to see many more hand strikes and self-defense techniques in Taekwondo

[@blacksomania2575]

something you got wrong is WTF / Olympic Style Taekwondo (the version of tkd shown at 3:33) is full contact to the body and head for kicks. punches are only allowed to the body. while most "players" are just attempting to score points and not aggressively looking for the knockout, kos are legal and if you do knock someone out with a kick or someone is unable to continue you are declared the winner. the electronic hogus, socks and headgear have really made the sport more boring and watered down as most people are just trying to kick with however much power is required to score points. but certain fighters do show up to fight and those matches are always the most exciting to watch.

[@brauliochavez2231]

as for power in my day to day training we practiced for power, for speed, and accuracy, in the "domis" then when it came to sparring my teacher always said " if you did not move our opponent you did not scored a point" this was before the electric era tho. ( afterwards istopped competing in tkd and decided to focus more in its functional aspect, because... is a great style just varies a lot in use )

[@jeregamm]

Same. When I trained (mid-late 90s), you had to "visibly displace the body" to score a point.

[@lamarnorth9859]

I think you should look up the history of TKD is pretty interesting. There’s a book called (The killing art) talks about how TKD was started

[@kaaygdabestever6687]

Tkd kicks are good for kickboxing that's why I'm studying tkd now i also think its fun to learn boxing is honestly next and this is for self defense in a street fight self confidence and i just love martial arts fr

[@damienduffy9712]

I have boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and some Wing Chun training. I’m no MMA Fighter, I did box for most of the time the peek a boo style like Mike Tyson. And some other exhibitions in the other fields. I was thinking about doing taekwondo anyone have any suggestions or experiences to see if it’s a martial art/science that may help out with any areas of training I’ve had would it be good to add it to my training? I also really love Wing Chun and am EXTREMELY RUSTY.

[@Madheim777]

ITF TKD or traditional one has suffered a lot due to political conflicts in Korea. The olympic one or WT overshadowed it and cause of that lots of people think that it's only about kicks, while in reality taekwondo is based on karate but with principles a bit different, having a lot of techniques both of feet and hands (after all, Taekwondo means the path of the kick and punch in Korean) and personal defense as well.

[@jessea4280]

We have a few Taekwondo guys in my Muay Thai class. I agree there punching is lacking but I admire these guys because they know they need to learn to punch. I do believe that many of there kicks are great. I would love to do some of those kicks but I think I am too bulky.

[@user-nx2gd9sh2o]

As a TKD practitioner, I think TKD is one of the victims of sports and rules. However, in my class, we practice punches and kicks, because my teacher taught IKD before. We also practice self-defense and some takedown techniques. Thus, it also depends on how much your teachers train you and how much you self-learn.

[@ocantu1987]

ive seen TKD knockouts on youtube and they seem applicabe in a street fight buuut you definitely need more

[@user-sl7iu1uy3f]

I use TKD like mma some kicks are so strong but they made a somethin new its named a score kicks and ist suck.And yeah video is soo good

[@Jake-df2zj]

Taekwondo would be a very great martial art, if lowkicks, sweeps (and eventally knees without clinching) would be allowed in competitions. Forget about handstrikes only focus on kicks, but using the full potential of it. And they should get rid of the chest protection. What do you think?