Carlos, You raised an Interesting point about the child bearing hips lol!! since I'm a lowly red belt, could you please explain to me how the difference of hip shape would nessecitate a different teaching approach, do you teach ladies differently?, if so how? Lynz
As a "TKD Chick", I didn't learn to kick differently than a male, and consiquently don't teach kicking differently to either gender. I teach the way I was taught- without gender bias or favoring, and without special rules/different ways of doing things for each gender. I've noticed that people in my dojang commonly thought that females were weak. And in actuality, they were weak. When I started assissting my instructor with classes, people were taken aback that I wouldn't settle for them scraping by or half arseing things. They didn't expect me to say "Do it again!" after tul work, after every female before them just saying "Yeah, that was good, next." The people in my dojang (and pay attention to my use of the phrase "the people in my dojang) weren't used to a chick making them work so hard that they sweat off what they had for lunch. When I approach a person of a different school, they automatically think that I half ass what I do. Only after they see that I'll go punch for punch numerous times do they realize that I'm not the standard girl, and that I can take a punch as well as deliver one. I personally enjoy and feed off of peoples ignorance and arrogance in this fact- there's nothing more gratefying than punching a persons perceptions of the "Norm" as well as their stupidity right in the stomach. Seeing that happen and knowing that I did it actually makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside But, that's just me. ^^ -Kat
then move on. as far as the hips are concerned, this is the first time i've heard that someone might teach tkd differently to men and women. how funny.
From my experience, the fundamental technique between men and women doesn't differ; however there could be some issues due to the different shape of men and women. This is mainly due to balance in that women tend to have a lower center of gravity than men because of the wider hip bone structure whereas men have a slightly higher center. This basically equates to watching as a coach how they are throwing the technique in balance and realizing that their body structure could have an impact on how they are learning the technique. Good coach in my opinion is able to compensate and be able to adjust a person's balance based on their observation of the technique and body type. Again fundamentally the technique doesn't change, but the way in refining the technique may . . . but this is as much as an individual thing as it is a gender thing.
I think the shape/flexibility of women's hips often lets them deliver a turning kick without using full rotation of the supporting foot. I'm thinking ITF style classical turning kicks here, not WTF 45's. I think it's something women have to concentrate on more to some extent simply because their body will let them perform the incorrect movement comfortably, whereas most men can't. This is purely based on observation; women seem to be able to deliver a pretty good kick with the supporting foot at a 90 degree angle rather than closer to 180 . However, I do think it still compromises the technique as the hips don't roll over so less power will be developed. This is nothing to do with a women being better/worse at TKD argument, I've been kicked round the gym by too many female TKDers to make such a comment, merely an observation from my experience. Mitch
Bubbly - LOL you obviously have never met me. You are either very brave or very well protected to make such sweeping statements about thai boxers!!
Stupid - I hate fun, don't care about my shape - its a shape and thats what counts and I started doing TKD to fight with the boys off the streets.
When I first started tkd back in 96,my wife joined with me.My exp with gender & tkd was that my wife was always a better kicker then me,right up to the day she quit.If she stuck with it,I have no doubt her kicks would still be ahead of mine. But on the flipside,she always had a rough time with hand techniques(slow & nothing on them).
