Tae Kwon Do, anyone ... ?

[TK17]

I hesitate to post this and get laughed at for being the only guy not in Wushu ...

I just tested for my second degree black belt a week ago; been doing TKD for six years now, teaching for four, and it's been a big help in life and in getting me ready for PK, which I only discovered after Team Evo posted on Bilang. Anyone wants to know more about the art, I can represent it; anyone else in the art and wants to chat, I'd love to get some fresh perspectives, see how it's done elsewhere.

-TK17

[Mac]

Hi, i'm doing Taekwondo. Been doing it for two years. I found it to be very similar to Karate been doing that for 6 years.

Taekwodo has helped me ALLOT with my kicks. The stretching and warm up that we do in class takes up 1 hour of our 2 h 30mins. I have noticed that the warm up in taekwondo is pretty intense. (i liked that)

V.cool on your 2 Dan black belt. (i am assuming that you passed it)

What was the grading like?

[Jingshen]

You are not the only guy not in Wushu =) i myself also practise other arts as well as Wushu...

Even though over here in Britain(dont know how it is in the states) Tae Kwon Do is Wushu's mortal enemy dont hesitate to post here...this board is for all styles...

We welcome your expertise and any advice you have to offer those in similar styles =)

good luck with your grading results =)

Jingshen

[Spike]

Hey i practiced TKD for a while, its a nice art. I am only just starting to get into wushu and have done karate for the last 14 years so i wouldn't worry about coming from a different style, i don't , I have practiced pretty much every mainstream style at one time or another and TKD is one of my favourites, the reason i am hoping to get into wushu is i am moving to the more "fanciful" martial arts. It does remind me of Karate a bit but my sensai was very, very traditional and my TKD instructor was more mainstream so their were alot of differences. For instance with TKD i didn't have to sweep the dojo before and after every lesson . I also used to teach and really enjoyed it, have you ever taught very young students. I am hoping to one day start a proffesional martial arts class it would be interesting to hear your views on instructing.

Spike

[Mac]

Jingshen said:

Even though over here in Britain(dont know how it is in the states) Tae Kwon Do is Wushu's mortal enemy

Really? Why are Whushu and TaeKwonDo mortal enemies?

[Mac]

V.cool spike. 14 years of training is impressive.

Just wondering what style of karate did you train in?

[Mac]

Hi TK17, what style of taeKwonDo do you train in. ITF or WTF?

[Spike]

Shotokan

[PanLi]

Hey i nvr realised taekwondo ws moratl enemy lol hm stay away from three classes?!?!

i never really chnged martial arts myself only done kungfu (traditional wushu) thn wushu ( sport wushu) but they are the same really just one more practical and one more for show

i guess its good to have trained in a couple and thn take wot u hv learnt and combine it.

[simon]

i also do tae kwon do. started 5 years ago.
its great!
started jujitsu this october and its a very good complement to tae kwon do. lots of falling, rolling, throws, "Hebeltechniken" (grab wrist - turn it around stuff)
its also cool

[TK17]

Sorry I'm so late replying ...

I do WTF Tae Kwon Do, under a Korean master here in the states (Lee Brothers Tae Kwon Do ... six masters from the same family, but it turns out there are seven brothers ... we never hear about the seventh one; I think he's an accountant or something).

Mac,
The belt test grading was fairly varied; Master Lee is edging into a more modern view of the art, so there are some requirements a lot of Tae Kwon Do artists don't see. For the black belt test, I had to perform every poom sae (kata, form) I'd ever learned, all in a row, from white belt up to black belt. I also had to demonstrate each of the 50 Ho Sin Sools (one-step self-defense) that I'd learned coming up through the ranks. I had to pass an endurance test consisting of 5 of every single roll and fall I'd ever learned, from front fall all the way up to spinning dive rolls with punches over an obstacle, 20 of every kick from front kick up to flying triple kicks, 10 minutes running, 60 sit ups, 50 push ups, 30 leg lifts, and 20 leap frogs, all with a time limit. I had to demonstrate a freestyle weapons form (I chose single nunchaku) as well as a preset choreographed form (staff). I had to perform a street skit, which is a choreographed fight sequence that I wrote and trained up six other people to help in. I had to spar full contact against two attackers simultaneously, using kicks, punches, grabs, locks, and throws. Lastly, I had to do a speed breaking involving five board techniques and a cinderblock technique in under two minutes, including setup.

Spike,
I've taught an incredible range of students, thanks to the academy being so successful ... I've taught people from ages four to sixty-four, from white belt up to black belt, and in groups ranging from one-on-one to the one time when I was fifteen that all of the other instructors who were supposed to be there bailed for some reason or another (including Master Lee, who was on vacation) and I ended up running the 6:00 class of 42 students. Just this past summer my protege earned his deputy black belt, making himself the first student I've ever taken from white belt to black belt. Teaching has been the greatest aspect of the art, because it exposes me to every possible viewpoint on how things ought to be done. Teaching the smallest kids is really rewarding because you get a sense of enthusiasm and genuine improvement from them that sometimes doesn't come from older students. Plus, everyone always says "Oh, I wish I'd started younger!" ... when you teach the four-year-olds, you say to yourself, OK, they started as young as they could, now let's make that advantage worth everything we can.

Simon,
I just started Jiu Jitsu, too, for the purpose of rounding out and complementing my training. Cool, eh?

What sparring experiences do you guys have to share? For the most part, I've only done Olympic sparring, but I know some schools shake it up a bit. And, WHY are TKD and Wushu mortal enemies??? Someone, please!

-TK17

[Jingshen]

Lol..i shouldn't have mentioned it, don't wnt to make a point of crossing opinions here - ruin the atmosphere ...lol..though as i always say practising any martial art is better than no martial art, and obviously different people shine better in different styles so its all here and there anyway...

Its all in the past...

Sparring? We do both Qing Da (semi contact) and San Shou (full contact chinese boxing) The rounds last about 1 minute and a half to two minutes depending and are fought on a lae tai using trditional Chinese techniques with a kickboxing flavour is the easiest way to explain it - whatever it is - its deadly!! and scary lol...

I prefer this to the first touch method i see here in Britain in other styles...this allows the practitioner to show his/her style and make use of other qualities like stamina which all add up to make a good fighter..

People question whether it would work out of the ring..one look t the sn shou fighters at the european wushu championships and id say definitiley, one hit knock outs at any chosen moment is scary power to wield..especially against someone so strong..

[TK17]

I like continuous sparring better than "point" sparring (as it's called here; you know it as first touch sparring). There's a huge focus in Tae Kwon Do on retreating/reacting strikes & multiple strikes, and I agree that you can use stamina to greatest effect a whole lot better if the match doesn't stop every ten seconds.

[simon]

you do Tae Kwon Do for 6 years and teach people with black belt?
charyot - kyongned!
i never did a lot of tests (im just 9th kup - i used to be 8th kup but started with white belt again when i changed to Sabomnim Kim's Dojang here in Vienna)
though i got one of the best yop chagi (side kick) at where i train
(its my favorite technique)
I rather wear a belt that is below my abilities than being overestimated.

We do olympic sparring. (3x3min). though i never been to a tournament (though i would like some day). Sabomnim Kim (9th dan) was korean master twice. He is just great when it comes to sparring.
Jingshen: i think all sparring work out of the ring, because you learn fighting spirit. You learn to overcome the fear, to keep going and to give everything.

Jujitsu is really cool! i think its the most complete Martial Arts ever. Though Tae Kwon Do is more fun and you have easy access to free sparring (Jujitsu sparring is soooo dangerous for your joints. you can only face a real mature opponent in order for both to be safe. A good friend and training mate of mine does alot of jujitsu and hes got troubles with his wrists and elbows very often)
Another thing why i prefer Tae Kwon Do over Jujitsu is that the techniques are allrounders (its a kick ok? just hurl it into your opponent), while in Jujitsu you always practice an answer to a certain attack (its kinda Ho Sin Sool in my mind).
Anyhow... we live in a Martial Arts Wonderland full of outstanding styles. We are the richest people in the world!

check out this site: www.judoinfo.com (g-g-g-great, makes me want to start judo )

[TK17]

This is an excellent site, Simon ...

I agree with you on belts ... I made deputy black in April 2001, first degree in August, 2002, and just went for second degree two weeks ago (notice how I rushed to first and then wised up and waited to second). I wish that this test I just went through was actually my first encounter with black belt, because it was the first time I truly felt ready to be one. Some schools just go faster, though ... I guess it's more about what you carry inside than anything else. I've been advising more and more students to wait and take it slowly, and it's having an effect; you can see the greater levels of discipline and skill in those who take the time to perfect technique.

Kudos on the language use, Simon ... nobody around my academy pays much attention to it anymore ... Ko mop soom nee dah, Chin Goo!