I have a background in both TKD and Kenpo (which I am currently studying) and would like to know if you feel your instructors are adequately preparing you for "street" confrontation? The common complaint/response I hear from many is that TKD has placed too much emphasis on sport/tournament training and has lost some of the original purpose - training for Korean military self defense. I pose this question not to be critical of TKD, but rather to have each individual question his training and make sure you are getting a secure sense that "I can really defend myself should I be faced with an attack". My TKD instructor added joint locking techniques, balance interuption techniques and knife fighting scenarios, at my request, to keep the "realism" in the training. I appreciate your thoughts (what changes would you like to see, techniques that are good for sparring - not good for practical defense etc..) Stay safe! -Kenpoist
As a striking art, yes it's the best I can make it. No nonsense. My instructors are out of the army so it's decent. As a grappler, not yet but I'm studying JJ to manage that range so I'm improving there. Alltogether I'd say that my TKD does what it's meant to do (striking, footwork and distancing) very well.
Like badger,our school trains primarily for self defense. We do plan on entering in tournaments in a few months, but the curriculum will remain in place. Basically wev'e taken kicking techniques from TKD, added the fast hand strikes of Hawaiin kempo,and last but not least grappling submissions and holds. So to awnser your question, absolutely man!
Already having a military police background I was fairly confident I could handle most situations before ever stepping foot into a Do-Jang.. That said however, what TKD and other MA training has done is given me the confidence in my abilities to avoid must so called street fights altogether…If you look back at all the situations which involved physical confrontations in your life you can see how most of them could have been avoided. Foregoing those rare circumstances which would produce a fight or flight reaction in most everyone, even a non-martial artist can be quite a handful giving a life threatening situation. I have seen how adrenaline alone can turn a timid person into a bear. Where TKD and other Martial Arts training comes into play is simply this; when you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, it all becomes rather pointless. When it comes right down to it every street fight I’ve ever been involved in was a reaction to a challenge to me. Why did I participate? What did I need to prove to myself? If I had truly believed I could easily put someone in their place why would I need to actually do it? It was simply because I did not truly believe I could take them and needed to test myself. How easy it has become to simply walk away, the things that at one time would have sent me into frenzy are now easily dismissed as trivial. Having the confidence in myself and knowing (truly knowing) that I can defend myself with ease allows me to not have to prove it. I can walk away, laughing to myself, letting the antagonist believe they have won without their knowing how very lucky they really were.
and if that don't work.. and they try to stop me from leaving well then! it's on!! now!! I can always use a lil conformation in my believe in my abilities.
Self Defense... Dear All, Our dojang teaches the same curriculum as was taught by the Dae Han Taekwon-Do Oh Do Kwan of the Repulic of Korea Forces (Era 1960's). Proudly the chief instructor was certified by the Oh Do Kwan in the early 1970's (after being trained by them in the 60's). To agree with Goat. The best self defense technique that can be taught is avoidance. Add the combat mindset of defense through aggression (only as a final option) and you have "real world" self defense. We train mentally, psychologically, and physically for combat. No childs play (or children for that matter) allowed in our dojang! In a life or death situation second place is not an option. Hit first, hit hard, and dont stop until they cannot hit you back! TAEKWON! SpooKey
This is exactly what m.a. training should be about. Self control is a gift! Badger and myself are lucky to train under a Master instructor who was an instructor for the Korean military and was chief instructor for for Korean marine commandos. So the majority of our training is on self defence. No competitions.
When I first started Tae Kwon Do, one of the main parts of each lesson was self defence to typical attacks. For example, we'd learn counters to shirt grabs, head locks, wrist grabs, etc etc, that would enable us immobilise an opponent quickly and safely. I havent learned any specific new defences like that for about 2 1/2 years now, but I noted all the techniques down and made a little reference library for myself which I practice frequently. I guess things like 1 step sparring have taken its place now, as well as just practicing the art as a whole.
i'm sure some of the 1 step-sparring things we do would be usefull. But so far I only know a few forms
On its own I dont think what I practice would be effective, I know wrist escapes, joint locks, strangle escapes and ground fighting but we never actually spar under a ruleset that isnt olympic style with heavy contact.
I'd like to think that our school teaches effective street and tournament technqiues... and would say we are more self defence oriented than tournament. It takes a lot of practice, cross training, hard work, and constant re-evaluation to feel secure in what you do. Along lines of this thread, check out the "Practical TKD Self Defence Tips thread" and give and get some ideas... http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10787
Thanks Thomas. Your previous thread had some great ideas for practical self-defense. Some Helpful multiple attacker info from www.haineskenpo.com : 1. Escape when possible. In the movies, Bruce Lee looked really cool taking on twenty attackers. In the real world, you have a better chance outrunning a group than fighting them. If you can escape, don't be a fool, run away! 2. Always assume there are multiple opponents. Just because you only see one attacker, don't be lulled into feeling like you are now in a "fair" fight. If after the fight, it turns out that their was only that one attacker, that is a bonus. Always treat every fight as a multiple opponent encounter. 3. Mental attitude and emotional commitment. If you must fight, it should be quite clear that you are a crazy person who is not only willing to die, but quite willing to take as many of your attackers with you as possible. Clint Eastwood in one western conceded to a group of gunmen that they would certainly win, but that at least three of them would be shot first. "Who's it going to be...." personalizes the threat and reduces the confidence created through mob psychology. 4. Groups are more predictable than individuals. A group creates a collective intelligence that seems, like an army of ants, to behave in a rather predictable way. For example, several attackers charging you will generally neglect their defense because they do not feel individually vulnerable. Also, much like everyone trying to rush out the same door at once, the group will often charge forward and literally get into each other's way. 5. Line up your attackers and avoid being surrounded. If you are surrounded, you must burst through the perimeter or you will be defeated. By keeping your attackers in a line, you are only fighting one attacker at a time. 6. Make it your intent to never deal with an attacker more than once. If you push down attacker number one, than fight off attacker number two, you will be dealing with attacker number one again. Thus, in a since, your two person attack just became a three person attack. When possible, deliver adequate damage so that attacker number one will not be capable of renewing his attack. Hit hard and hit the vitals, don't play around. 7. Impress upon your opponent's the consequence of attacking you. You want the next guy in line saying, "Ouch, that must of hurt really bad! I don't want to get hurt by this guy..." Breaking the nose with an overhead palm is excellent because it reduces your opponent's vision while causing large amounts of blood to flow from his nose. Blood is an excellent reminder to all members of the group that they are mortal and can be injured. 8. Steal from your opponents. Take their weapons and use them. Knock opponent's into each other. At times, you can even redirect their attacks to land upon another opponent. 9. Stay mobile. Avoid the ground, avoid grappling, and avoid too much time in any one place or with any one attacker. 10. Prioritize your threat and take out the appropriate opponent first. a. Take out the leader. b. Take out the greatest threat (face that guy with the knife first, instead of dealing with him after another guy has you pinned.) c. Take out the attacker who is blocking your exit. d. Attack at the flank so that the opponent's will line up for you. e. Begin to retreat, causing the herd to advanced straight at you, and take out the guy at the front of the line. 11. Keep your vision broad and avoid focusing entirely on one attacker. 12. If surrounded in close proximity by several attackers, strike with your forward and returning actions. Also rebound your strikes on one opponent to hit another. Your goal should be to create space and to position your attackers in a line. Multiple opponent attacks are difficult to survive. You will get hurt, no matter how many things you do right. The key is to do enough damage to enough attackers so that the group mentality and confidence dissolves. If any of your attackers are also armed, the situation is even more difficult. However, Musashi survived a sword brawl against an entire school of Samurai (he was pretty beat up, but he lived), so with knowledge, spirit, and luck, it is possible to beat the odds. Multiple Attackers. (c) 2000 Trevor Haines.
My class teaches extreamly "street efective" TKD. Keep in mind that my class is not your average class, we don't follow any specific type of TKD. But anyway my instructor "formerly a Muay Thai fighter" always has us preparing for street encounters. We spend much time building up taking hits and working on self defence. So yes, I bellieve my TKD is "street effective"
Goat Thanks I have seen those guidelines before but I didn't have them saved or wrote down. Thanks again. Nice set of guidelines. Just kidding around on this part: "Wouldn't it be nice if when you find yourself in a situation like that, your could get them to hold off for a minute or two so you could properly stretch!!" LOL!
