I think that Tkd is for tall people because they can better or make use of kicking better than short people although I am in no way saying that shorties shouldn't learnthe way of kicking or anything like that
It seems to be the general conscensus that Tae kwon do is best-suited for you if you're tall, slender and flexible. But not necessarily so.... There is an article in a back issue of BB mag by Phillip Ameris, discussing adapting a martial art to your body type. Since the article is no longer available online I'll post it here. Tune Your Technique To Fit Your Physique by Philip Ameris (http://www.taekwondo-ameris.com/master_ameris.html ) Modern martial artists are fond of repeating maxims. These days, one of the most popular is, The way you train determines the way you fight. Taekwondo practitioners who study under New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based Philip Ameris operate under that guiding principle as well as a slightly different one: The way you’re built determines the way you fight. Ameris, who holds a seventh-degree black belt, claims too many people automatically assume that every taekwondo practitioner can execute the powerhouse kicks and aerial techniques for which the art is renowned. What they fail to consider is that the student’s technical ability is only a part of the effectiveness equation. Selecting the proper techniques to master is just as important because that picture-perfect jump spinning kick an Olympic champion used to score in the 2000 Games might not even be within the realm of possibility for the average person. In reality, it is your physique that determines which techniques will work best for you and, therefore, which ones you should focus on in training, Ameris says. So whether you are short and stocky or tall and lean—or fall somewhere in-between—you can succeed by simply using your natural assets. As long as you keep an open mind, he says, you can adjust your approach to the art to make it work more efficiently for you. With more than 32 years of experience in the martial arts, Ameris, 40, knows what he’s talking about. He counts numerous national and international titles and a stint as captain of the 1988 USA Taekwondo Team among his many accolades. Now the technical director of the Action International Martial Arts Association, he credits his open-minded approach to modifying taekwondo’s techniques and principles to his famous instructor. “Master Cho is [very] athletic—he can jump high, spin and so forth,” says Ameris, who is the highest-ranked student of the Black Belt Hall of Fame member. “Whenever he taught me something new, he would say: ‘Your hips are too big to do that kind of kick,’ or ‘You’re going to be off-balance, and the kick isn’t going to be so effective. Don’t give up because you can’t kick like that. Modify it for your body type.’” The following is Ameris’ interpretation of Cho’s advice, along with a smattering of Ameris’ own discoveries, on how to tune your technique to fit your physique. The Compact Fighter If you have short limbs and a compact body, you generally cannot jump as high as a person who is tall and thin or who has a medium build, Ameris says. Therefore, you should compensate by developing your power kicks. Instead of trying to use your legs to launch your body high in the air, you can jump to cover the distance between yourself and your opponent. That will enable you to get close enough to him to land a hand or foot technique, he advises. “A lot of people who are stocky like me or who are shorter think they can’t take taekwondo because it’s not made for their body type. But you can adjust the kicks so the art is more effective. You can do jump kicks, but just don’t try to jump high.” Whereas a tall practitioner may rely on his long limbs to keep his opponent at bay until he closes the gap and strikes, you might have to set up your opponent before attacking. For example, you might want to execute a spinning punch or kick before throwing your killer roundhouse, he says, or you could throw a high punch followed by a low kick and then another high kick for the knockout. “If you throw a roundhouse kick, you will probably want to lead into it with something,” Ameris says. “If you’re short-limbed, it can be hard to catch someone with a single technique.” When moving forward to narrow the gap, you should step to the outside of your opponent’s lead foot, making sure you are at a 90-degree angle to him, Ameris advises. You can also use hand techniques and footwork to close the distance and set up your moves. Another option is to use a fake to create an opening, he says. Regardless of the specific strategy you choose, it is essential to move quickly when you throw your techniques. Otherwise, a taller opponent will pummel you before you even get close enough to hit him, Ameris warns. Doing splits and dynamic isometric stretches such as leg raises and kicks will give you the flexibility and speed you need to get in, strike and get out, he says. The Tall, Thin Fighter If you have long legs and a tall, thin build, you will probably be able to control the fight from a distance while staying outside your opponent’s reach, Ameris says. In addition, chances are you’re adept at executing acrobatic techniques such as jump spinning kicks and double kicks, which you can use to drive your opponent back as soon as he begins his advance. “If you’re a little bit longer and a little bit taller, you can just lift your leg up and catch your opponent,” he says. “And you can throw the technique you want to score with from a distance without having set up the other guy beforehand.” The drawback to being tall and thin is often decreased leg strength, Ameris says. To boost the power potential of your quads, you should do body-weight exercises such as squats, he says. Supplement that with hill running and distance running for strength and endurance. The Middle-of-the-Road Fighter If you have a medium build, you enjoy the best of both worlds. You are more versatile in terms of your choice of techniques, and you possess the power you need to make those techniques work, Ameris says. A typical medium-build fighting strategy might begin with you standing close to your opponent. You could launch an inside punching combination followed by a jump spinning hook kick that moves you away from him once your foot strikes. Alternatively, you could use your speed and power to execute a lead-leg double kick, which might be followed by a roundhouse kick and a reverse punch, he says. Like your tall, thin counterparts, you can use your reasonably long legs and flexibility to maintain a buffer zone between yourself and your partner. If necessary, you can jump high or long to cover that distance, Ameris says. If you have a medium physique, you should do plenty of bag work to improve your hand and foot coordination, he adds. In addition, you should do body-weight exercises to build your leg strength and stretches to increase your flexibility. Be All You Can Be The best way to fine-tune your taekwondo technique starts with a request for assistance aimed at your instructor. He will be able to identify which moves best suit your body type and help you modify other techniques to make them more effective. But if a qualified teacher is not available, you’re on your own. You already know your physical limitations, Ameris says, so you just need to match up those observations with the techniques of the art and train accordingly. “You have to know what will work for you,” he says. “It doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of time working on a technique that’s never going to be effective.” Ameris offers one final caveat: The techniques you decide to employ should also depend on the person you are fighting. If he has any experience, he will know what works best for him. If his arms and legs are long, he will use them to keep you away. If he’s short and powerful, he will use mobility and combinations to get inside your perimeter. Even though you must pay attention to the attributes he possesses, you need to stay focused on what you are doing, he insists. “You can’t change what he already has, so your best strategy is to make him react to what you do. Make your strengths neutralize his strengths, and then finish him.”
our coach does the same thing. if a guy is short and stocky he gets them to focus on getting up close with power punches and leg kicks and clinch work. if they are tall and lanky he gets them to focus on a more "keep away" style of using teeps/high roundhouse kicks and long hooks, and of course their jab. of course they dont neglect other parts of their training but you really do need to build on your strengths instead of simply trying to do what everyone else does.
Cannonballken: check out this videoclip: http://www.taekwondo.civ.pl/movies/pitbull.avi (21 MB, DivX) This kid is currently 18 years old, 153 cm "big" and a 2nd Dan. Plus he is one of the most dedicated students I ever had. It's not WTF Taekwondo, but maybe you will find the clip interesting. Best regards Gizmo
As the others have said, TKD as an art needs to be adapted to fit the learners. People need to focus on the techniques that will work best for them. I am relatively short (176cm/ 69 inches) and stocky... so I rely on a lot of close skills (and hands) but also have good kicks (especially back kick). I vary my technqiues based on the size and skill of my opponents... Granted, I don't see myself as ever being a top contender for Olympic tryouts, but I think I represent TKD pretty well. It does show that TKD is so much more than just Olympic style sparring.
koreans arent tall, but they arent very solid either. height is only relative to everyone around you, i would be quite tall in thailand, but not here. koreans do well because they generally have a slim build.
Yeah...that was sarcasm. I wasn't serious. I was making the point that the topic of the thread makes no sense.
I am 6'3" tall and I can tell you first hand that I think the new TKD has been geared towards the shorter person. I cannot punch to the head, so all you have to do is get inside my kicking and you can kick attack till your heart's content. It is absurd to me when i have this guy bumping my chest protector, but I cannot do anything to him. LOL In teh old TKD or Tang Soo Do, I wold have punched him in the head adn he would have learned what distance is about. This isn't to say that a tall person is doomed, but it means we must learn to be inside fighters. Not a bad skill to develop.
Things are changing though... in South Korea, a more western style of diet (higher carbs), the shift from a society that sits on floors to a society that sits in chairs during their formative years, better medical assistance and such has caused a big change in the "size" of young Koreans. The older generation is a bit smaller (especially those who grew up in Korean War era) but the new generation (teens and young adults) are comparable in size to most westerners. Most of the Korean students I worked with in elementary, middle and high schools were on a similar size scale to their US same-age peers (although obesity is not as common in Korea yet.)
*smashes head into wall* in the beginning, black baby jesus made the world right? when he got to korea, he thought ok I will make these guys kinda short and slim compared to OTHER PEOPLE. now fast forward a couple of years and Choi goes OMGLOLTKD. while it was not designed for tall people being taller is an advantage when it comes to reach. saying "but koreans are teh short!?!?!?!" is ridiculous when THE ENTIRE NATION is roughly the same. they are short compared to say the swedish not each other.
*Thomas applies first aid... and narrowly remembers NOT to put a tournaquet on to stop the bleeding..... Nice post by the way.... heee heee heee
LOL! hehehe anyway I am pretty small and I dont find myself being hindered in any way by the fact that Im small except if I have to spar someone who is ridiculously tall or much hevier than me, then again Im not very good at sparring.... Ive gone totally of topic, anyway I dont really have problems with taekwon-do relating to my height.
Im sorry but I disagree im 13 and about 5'0" and as slender as you get it is definetly more difficult for me to spar against tall people but you just have to be smart, for example today I was sparring someone who was over 6 feet tall and as he chambers for a kick I would step in really fast and jam his kick and then I could go around to his side and get more or less a free kick on his torso because hes off balance...sometimes they can get around it but not neccesarily...also because of my small size ive been able to duck underkicks and take a good shot, being small and being good at taekwondo requires you to be alot faster though, and very flexible, I originally thought the same thing because when I first started sparring people taller than me I couldnt find out what to do, but you just have to use your speed and stay in close. If im in close to someone taller than me I can kick and they cant...huge advantage well I hope this helped you somehow
The advantage of being a tall person would be the fact that it is hard to do certain types of throws such as the forward head tilt, either have to jump which is quite funny or sweep their legs first. Green Destiny
