Watch This Funny Ass Vid

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

You're trolling now, queer.

[zY|]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

You're the one that's inexplicably mad.

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

I do honestly get annoyed when people talk shit on Karate and TKD. I am definitely in the camp that says that both styles are great if trained properly. Instead of attacking the training methods of modern McDojos, people attack the styles themselves.

[MMA_scientist]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

Sport TKD blows 9 year old gnads.

I fail to see the difference between traditional TKD, the self defense system the korean military developed, and karate. So yeah if you take away all the rules and the point of the fighting style, it could be effective... but then it wouldn't be TKD anymore, it would be kickboxing.

Kyokushin Karate is a legitimate striking art though (as opposed to the weaksauce Shotokan that is taught here in the U.S.).

But you are right I think SPX, its the fact that when you learn TKD and Karate, you don't spar full speed. Boxers and kickboxers are the best strikers because the practice it full speed all the time.

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

I fail to see the difference between traditional TKD, the self defense system the korean military developed, and karate. So yeah if you take away all the rules and the point of the fighting style, it could be effective... but then it wouldn't be TKD anymore, it would be kickboxing.

TKD is a fractured art. Just like karate has different styles, and you should expect something a little different from Shotokan to Isshin-ryu to Kyokushin, the form your TKD training will take will vary a good bit across organizations.

I mentioned before the difference between ITF and WTF TKD. WTF, which is what I think you mean when you refer to "sport taekwondo," is Olympic-style. No punches to the head, tons of safety gear, and stop-point sparring. However, kicks are allowed to the head and it's full-contact.

The ITF, however, which can trace its origins back to TKD's founder, allows punches to the head and sparring is point-based continuous sparring, which is exactly what kickboxing is. In fact, Pro-Taekwondo matches basically look like American kickboxing matches (think ISKA). You can't kick below the waist, and knees, elbows, and clinch fighting are disallowed (all of which is gay, I know), but it's full-contact and the fighters learn to hit and get hit.

Observe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwBHkpC5KJs

(Skip ahead to the 3:30ish mark if you don't want to watch the walk-ins)

In local ITF tournaments, I hear they want you to use "reasonable contact" and that contact is lighter below the DAN levels, but once you reach blackbelt it's essentially full contact and knockouts and broken noses are common occurrences.

When people think of TKD though, they pretty much only think of Olympic TKD. Quite honestly, I'd take the highest level of ITF guys over the highest level of Kyokushin guys, because both should be used to handling heavy contact and Kyokushin guys are not used to getting hit in the face. Also, ITF guys can kick better.

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

^^^^ No thoughts on this, Scientist?

[MMA_scientist]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

^^ I hadn't seen your post... but I generally agree. I said it in a piss-poor way, but I think traditional TKD is basically the same thing as kickboxing.

I have seen some pretty badass TKD guys that I know for a fact would knock me out. I think the stigma comes from the little kid black belts and and suburban strip mall schools. This means that most self respecting fighters don't train it past elementary schools.

One thing I like about bjj is that you cannot advance past blue belt until you are at least 16. This means that to be a blackbelt, unless you are a phenom, you will be at least 23 or so... a full grown man that can defend his blackbelt.

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

I think you are right in that TKD has absolutely become so commercialized. A lot of it has to do with insurance. I have talked to a few instructors on forums about it, and they speak wistfully of the old days and say that they would love to be more hard core in their training, but that the insurance premiums are just ridiculous when you take away too much safety gear or go full contact.

Personally, what I would be okay with doing would be to train at a good, solid TKD school that teaches ITF TKD to learn the techniques, learn the technical elements of the style, and get some good light-to-medium contact sparring in. And then also, outside of class, have a core group of guys who are okay with putting some gloves and headgear on and going full contact, and allowing the full range of techniques that are taught in TKD, but not allowed in competition.

Speaking of this last point, I hate how people feel like if you throw a knee or an elbow, then you're doing muay thai. Pretty much ALL striking arts teach knees and elbows. I know TKD does because I did them in the forms back in the day when I was a kid. But they're not allowed in competition, so apparently if you actually do them it's muay thai. While I do agree that it's stupid not to allow them, they are taught, and nothing's stopping you from making up your own rules with a training partner as to what will be allowed and not allowed.

[SPX]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

Also, re: kickboxing.

One thing to remember is that Kickboxing came from karate and was actually called full-contact karate in the days of Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Bill Wallace.

Today we have the ISKA. International Sport Karate Association

A lot of of people don't understand that.

[MMA_scientist]

Re: Watch This Funny Ass Vid

There are a lot on instructors that are legitimate. But there are a lot of candy asses too. Since you can get your blackbelt without actually being able to do anything, you can also open up a school without actually being able to do anything. I see a lot of TKD instructors that are basically ballerinas. They are flexible, and can kick to the ceiling, but my head down windmill style kung fu would destroy...