A fix for the TKD public image?

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 5/25/2006 2:28am

Originally Posted by TKD Black Belt

What kind of TKD school is that? F*ck I got my BB when I ordered a signed copy of Der's autobiography. Coincidentally the book was entitled Der's Big Book on Why TKD Sucks.

Hmm, maybe I should reevaluate my priorities and stop going to TKD tournies just to pick up chicks.

TKD

OK. That just made my night, and I've had a night so messed up I had to start a thread about it.

**Slydermv** · Posted On: 5/25/2006 8:54am

Originally Posted by Abe Frohman

But but over on MAP they told me to always ki-hap for intimidation and chi power!:blob9:

Fuckin' MAP...:jerkit2yf

**TKD Black Belt** · Posted On: 5/25/2006 9:12am

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

OK. That just made my night, and I've had a night so messed up I had to start a thread about it.

No worries, I spend huge hours in the Dojang studying my 'Sarcasm'. My Sabumnim indicates that I might be at least on par with a 3rd degree BB now.

TKD

PS - The last time I stopped into a TKD club the discussion went like this:

Instructor: This is MR. X he is a 2nd degree BB

ME: Um, actually sir, just a first remember I kept avoiding promotions?

Inst: Yah, that's right but we were going to give you a 2nd dan anyways so you might as well get used to it.

"TKD - Making pajamas look cool for millions of years, at least...."

**kyokushinkid** · Posted On: 5/25/2006 9:57am

Originally Posted by BFGalbraith

I have done TKD before and sincerely feel that it is very close to being a "total loss" when it comes to martial arts... still, people have TKD tatoos that are hard to get rid of, so we continue to try to save it.

TKD's basic problem is that it's part of a larger family of martial arts that has very significant issues as a whole: Karate. There is a reletively small group of karate schools called "Knock Down Karate" (like Enshin and Kyokushinkai.) Knock-Down Karate is charactarized by the style of competion they embrace: full contact and continuous. (They are know for bare-knuckle tournaments with no face punches (but face knees and kicks) like the "Sabaki challenge," and for participation in kickboxing matches like the K-1.)

The solution for TKD is participation in this style of competition:
http://sabaki.enshin.com/

TKD must embrace Knock Down Karate to become good Karate, because Knock Down Karate is the only good Karate. Am I saying that TKD should become Kyokushinkai? No, Enshin has a different style of fighting and is still also Knock Down Karate. Especially in the traditional lots-of-high-kicks bare knuckle matches (see 1st rule under "scoring" in the link above,) I think TKD could find a real place for itself, if the TKD evolved with what the students learned through participation in Knock Down Karate competition.

But TKD must internalize what it learns through competing in Knock Down Karate. TKD's sparring practices have influenced the way they drill punches and kicks so that many TKD schools practice NOT putting full body behind certain strikes. I've heard of TKD people cross training in Muay Thai... this is appropriate because so many Muay Thai schools put more of their weight on their rear leg (and are thus very much like what TKD would be if it were practiced in full contact with leg kicks. This Muay Thai comment is serious. In Choy Lay Fut I studied, though it had Muay Thai type leg blocks and kicks, when practicied full contact it actually was much more like American Boxing because of putting the weight on the front foot more than the back foot.) If TKD competes in the Sabaki Challenge, it will become a less rigid "snappy" piss-weak striking system, out of neccesisty.

Everyone knows TKD is a reletively new martial art, so it's foolish to keep the art static and unevolving because there's hardly been enough generations pass to have serious "traditions of cultural value." (That always screws up a martial art anyhow.)

American Kenpo is a "knockdown" karate. But it also uses JJ once you get on the ground.