Is taekwondo underestimated?
It seems as if this martial art is not really taken seriously i will be honest i thought it was a little silly looking at first but after watching quite a few fights it seems these fighters are not to bad at holding their own, considering they seem to do well against muay thai and boxers (not win all the time) which really surprised me. I have no knowledge of this martial art really though so if i am chatting out my ass then don't worry.
Amatuer Kickboxer: 3-0-0
Is Taekwondo underestimated? In theory, yes.
Are most Taekwondo 'fighters' underestimated? No.
The problem with TKD fighters (like most martial artists) is that they are trained for a specific sport - in this case TKD. TKD might look like 'fighting' (primarily to people who watch too many films) but it's nowhere near the same thing because of all the rules (a similar point can be made of MMA). TKD practitioners are generally therefore no more suited to fighting than people who lie on the floor swining their arms around are suited to swimming.
There are two exceptions:
1, People who claim to train 'traditional' TKD. This is because TKD was actually designed for the Korean military to use. The original/traditional form from the 1960s is therefore designed to be efficient and lethal. People who practice this will tell you that they could easily kill you - the problem is that they've mever actually killed anyone with it. No pressure testing = no way of knowing whether you can do what you think/claim you can.
2, People who use TKD in MMA. These people are bloody horrible. These are people who have taken the skills they have learnt from the sport of TKD and adapted them (through lots of sparring and pressure testing) into their MMA arsenal. We have one at our club and he's horrible to fight against. He throws Thai kicks and boxing bunches as good as everyone else from his training with us but every now and then you just get smashed in the face with a spinning hook kick out of nowhere. It has, however, taken him a long time to adapt this effectively into MMA.
Conclusion: TKD (as with every other martial art) is only as effective as the person who is using it, and they are only as effective as the way they train.
Watch this horrible TKD/Muay Thai half breed style to see the damage it can do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mePhUm5OpbQ
LANCASTER AND MORECAMBE MMA - Home to Shay Walsh, Matty Steele and Alex 'The Marksman' Makhonin
Just watched that video, fuck me that bloke is dangerous!!!!
That guy is an animal!
I would try and learn it but I have to much to take in as it is I think learning tkd would just mess me up while i'm learning other stuff. Currently I am already training in kickboxing, judo, mma and I still have so many other arts want to add to my arsenal but I would rather get my basic techniques really sharp than have loads of badly practiced techniques
Amatuer Kickboxer: 3-0-0
Agreed. Thing is, I did TKD as a kid (stopped when I was about 12ish) with my sister who took it up again, she's now a 2nd dan but it means bollocks all, I genuinely dont believe that she could'nt look after herself in a dodgy situation. Also, her daughter (who has just turned 10) is going for her black belt this year. Wrong in my honest opinion as she could think that she's well trained to protect herself but I doubt it.
I'm not besmirching TKD at all, I think it's a good MA and if you train it and take what you want from it then good stuff, I just reckon that it's one of those MA's that chucks around belts like they mean nowt. Or that might just be my sisters club.
yeah i don't like those places that say self defense when it really isnt my mum wanting to start doing a self defense class but to save money i teach her to fight so then she dosnt get mugged off learning loads of rubbishOriginally Posted by clarky14
Amatuer Kickboxer: 3-0-0
there is good and bad in every martial art. its a case of taking what you can use from it and adapting it to what suits you as a fighter.
tkd can give excellent attributes, especially flexibility and accuracy in the legs, however if you want to improve your striking you probably wouldnt go near a tkd gym.
it has a lot to offer in some respects, just as karate does but on their own, they are not an 'all round' great system. Muay Thai is probably all round, the most complete standing art but then it doesnt have any ground game but again, take and adapt!
Marianne.
Team Phoenix
How about you give me your mums phone number, I will look after her ;-)
its all about how you train to be honest. I trained Hung Gar kung fu for a few years and, to be honest, couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo if it came to a real fight. However, i trained one week in New York with a chinese guy who was involved with some less than savoury people and his version of the same thing i was training was devastating.
So - i think Emmet J was pretty much on the money. Go to the TKD school and see how they train. If it's "competition" TKD then avoid at all costs.
If you wanted my mums number you're such a trooper to go near it
Amatuer Kickboxer: 3-0-0
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