Seattle, WA: World Martial Arts & Health, GM H.T. Yun - Does it look like bullshido?

[BFGalbraith]

The thing with this school is that while it's based on TKD, it crosses over to other arts, for example they do teach quite a bit of Judo Locks and sweeps which to me is a plus.

Generally speaking mixing martial arts is a good thing. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is generally regaurded as the best "martial arts system" here on Bullshido.net IF the school actually participates in some kind of full contact competition (such as sport jujitsu or pankration.) I agree with this notion for the most part. Them mixing Judo into their TKD is all talk unless they spar using those mixed-in Judo throws.

But i do have to say, that i have doubts about learning 1000 of forms cause really once you have the basics, i don't think more forms, which seem to be often just different combinations of the basic techniques, will help you fight any better (if that's your concern).
So i guess i kinda agree with you, espceially after you know the basics.

I actually have the exact opposite opinion. I think forms should be for advanced students only, because they refine techniques that can only really be learned durring sparring. This is a controversial view obviously.

(In the case of the Karate/TKD forms I've learned, they didn't really help me learn to do any full contact continuos sparring moves better, but they did help me learn the "control" I needed to do well in stop-and-go point fighting... and learning those forms is something I regret, along with participating in point fighting.)

As for TKD being an efficient self defense art or not... always felt if one person attacked me (well bare hands anyway) i would want to use my Judo/JJ techniques... on the other hand say 2 guys attack me, then i'm very doubtful of the Judo techniques... something like TKD might be more useful if you can keep/"kick" them out of range etc ... But maybe in that case my ice hockey fighting 'arts' would be the best anyway, especially if i have my stick on hand :-)

A) your better off with a weapon than without against multiple opponents reguardless of the martial art style.
B) I have found throws to be effective against multiple opponents, more so than kicks (these throws I used did NOT involve me landing on the opponent.)
C) I have never "seen someone keep multiple opponents at bay using kicks", have someone swing two heavy bags simultaneiously at you from opposite sides, and try to keep them both away using kicks, and you'll see how the physics involved get complicated.
D) Muay Thai (and other kickboxing styles) have a reputation for being good against multiple untrained opponents, and I've heard numerous first hand accounts describing this. For TKD to be on the same level it's got to be practiced in such a way as to qualify as a kind of kickboxing, and these days that means lots of low round kicks to the opponent's legs.
E) "Striking arts are better for multiple opponents" is based on the falacy that one kick or punch will probably stop an opponent. This is extremely unlikely, even with the best of fighters.

I see you don't believe in TKD too much, that's your right, what art do you practice and which do you think as of "the best" then ?

"I don't believe in TKD too much" is not strong enough... I despise TKD, but you'll have to check out that other forum to see my concerns because they are too numerous to cover here.

What I am doing and what I would recommend other people do are two very different things. I would recommend other people find what they are looking for, and then go find a full contact version of it. If they don't know, then they should do Judo or Kickboxing to get enough full contact experience to judge future martial art adventures by. For example, if someone found TKD and liked it, I would say "good, now go do Kickboxing if that's the type of technique you are interested in."

I have done a few years of Chinese-rules kickboxing in the past, related to my Choy Lay Fut/Tai Chi experience. What I am doing right now is helping a friend set up a full contact weapon sparring club, and I may be getting back into Judo - both of these things are to help me perfect my Tai Chi. I do not recommend people do Tai Chi, and if they insist they then have the burden of finding a full contact Tai Chi school which is almost as hard to find as it sounds.

[BFGalbraith]

I know the place, but I've never been there. Some of the guys I train with are former/current TKD players. I'll ask around if they know anything about it. As for jiu-jitsu, it looks like the Gracie-Barra downtown might fit your schedule (www.bjjseattle.com/schedule.html). I don't train there, but some other posters on here do.

If morning classes work for you, there's also Marcelo Alonso's academy in Wallingford (www.mabjj.com), which is where I train. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, etc.,

Those would both be very good ways to go IMHO Featherdusterrr... very serious stuff there. BJJ is like the opposite of TKD, both in technique and reputation/typical-quality-of-instruction.

[featherdusterrr]

Thanks i'll probably check that school (bjj seattle), their location and schedule are VERY convenient for me.
Also as i said before my original formation back in france was judo ju-jitsu and i did like it a lot, i find it efficient and like the full hands on aproach.
The school i was at while it was not BJJ, they did focus a lot on grapling, i read somewhere that typical JJJ school are 70% standing and 30% down, the school i was has was about 50/50. (i hear Bjj is 30/70)
Also that school was heavily targetted toward competition judo & jujitsu as low as yellow belt they would put you in competitions, and the school had good results in France.

The bjjseattle schoold seem to be quite similar and it seem reputable, so i'll go have a look.

Ho well, seem like i might have to take a decision ....

[koreis]

I know the evenings are a bit rough for you, but the location of Ivan Salaverry MMA should be close to ideal for you. And the quality of training is second to none.