Taekwondo one step

**Mesteren** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 8:55pm

I just wonder, how is the one step done in your class. In our class the attacker pick an attack of his choise, and the defender has to defend himself with a block and/or counter-attack without knowing what the attackers move is. My impression is that there isnt many places which does that, they just have a preset attack.

Is this totally wrong or something?

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 9:02pm

One steps are totally wrong.

Leave your dojang.

**Kilbourn** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 10:19pm

I never did the one step or any step sparing for that matter. Are you WTF, ITF or something else? It tends to be more common in ITF schools.

**jfitzy** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 11:41pm

When i trained ITF this is exactly how we did it (as you described it) but in WTF (i still lulz at that) I dont remember doing it at all.

**jspeedy** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 12:35am

One step is that a dance?

**Mesteren** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 5:55am

Yeah, its ITF.

Is it all ITF'ers who do like that, and just the WTF and ATA who have a preset?

(And i choose to ignore those stupid replies which doesnt have something with my question to do.)

**kwoww** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 7:07am

never really did one-steps in my tkd school.

there were some basic one-step-like punch defense techniques but we really only did those once in a while.

therefore, i get to laugh at you for doing one steps.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 10:14am

Originally Posted by Mesteren

(And i choose to ignore those stupid replies which doesnt have something with my question to do.)

Wrong.

You are training in an inferior method that will hinder your progress in martial arts. Discussions advocating such are completely against the ethos of the Korean Martial Arts forum and Bullshido in general.

One step sparring is a horrible training method for self-defense & is a shining example of everything that is dead & stagnant in Taekwondo.

**Kilbourn** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 11:23am

Listen to Der he’s dead on, but for the sake of clarity I’ll break it down for you. Step sparing, when one person attacks the defender and the defender blocks and counters, is good for white belts because it allows them a taste of being attacked but the focus is on timing and technique. BUT, one you’ve learned the basics from step sparing you’ve got to take it to the next level with free sparing.

This transition should take place around the first 3 months of training but most schools teach step sparing through black belt. This goes along with what Der was saying about Taekwondo being dead and stagnant, it spends so much time with step sparing, board breaking, and forms that little time is spent where it matters the most. Free sparring.

Now your question is if the way you do step sparing is correct. The answer is yes. But here on Bullshido questions that deal with what we believe is not effective training or fighting techniques will NOT be taken very well.

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

You are training in an inferior method that will hinder your progress in martial arts. Discussions advocating such are completely against the ethos of the Korean Martial Arts forum and Bullshido in general.

edit: spelling errors

**maofas** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 2:15pm

Personally, I like one-steps for day-one beginners. They should, however, naturally and organically evolve into real-time sparring drills though almost immediately.

I see a lot of piss-poor examples of one-steps on YouTube. The entire point (imo) is to provide a safe, controlled environment for full-intent attacks. If the person isn't lunging in full speed/power and really trying to take up your space, it sucks (the telegraph of the lunge makes the use of full speed safe for the beginner). If the defender is staying in the line of fire to block & counter against a static opponent who can't follow-up, it sucks. If the uke is frozen in time after the lunge punch while tori moves all around him doing the dance of death ala Bujinkan, it sucks.

Regardless of what you do though, one steps are never going to be realistic fight training. All I like them for is:

1) Teaching people to not panic when stuff comes flying at their face.

2) Practice basic evasion to 45 degree angles vs. straight attacks.

3) Letting people play with the attack and realize just how little they need to move in order to evade. They learn to receive it rather than jumping 10 feet away from it.

Now, could you learn all that just by starting with regular sparring drills, but toning down the speed and intent? Sure and you should (like I said, almost immediately move on to regular sparring drills). I just think it's also good for beginners to also experience full intent attacks in a safe way in order to teach them to not be gun-shy.

There's also a few little extras I add to try and keep a realistic sense of timing in the drill. First using your breathing as a sort of metronome (this might be hard to explain purely in text), second, adding a followup punch after the initial attack. If they're stepping off the line of attack and countering in proper time, attack #2 is irrelevent and just keeps things slightly honest. They're not going to develop a good sense of timing per se (other drills & sparring are better for that), but it keeps them from developing a false sense of timing at least.