Whats better to watch, olympic style or itf style sparring?

hey fellas!!

True,but a kick to the face is still a kick to the face.i understand your point of view but getting kick is still something you wouldn't like.they do need to pratices on their techniques but i have seen good kicks from ITF.

 

For a martial artist, it really depends on their preferences whether they like ITF style or WTF style sparring, so its harder to judge.

However, for common people who doesn't practice and/or doesn't know well about martial arts, I would say that WTF is more exciting and fun to watch than ITF (except the fight in the last Olympic...man I fell asleep most of the fight ) That is why TaeKwonDo is one of the most popular MA in the world because of the fancy footworks & kicks.

 

Yea, Steven Lopez is really puting out a bad name for Taekwondo. Too bad Steven Lopez was the hype rather than Chu Mu Yen or the Iranian guy.

 

I have never seen an ITF fight with sloppy kicks, but i can see why those who are backing the WTF do so because of 'flailling hand techniques/punches'. When i used to spar in the junior girls, they just used to come running at me with there arms swinging everywhere. It doesn't look good for the audience watching as the fight then becomes a kind of unentertaining 'cat fight'. Now i've moved to the adults, they tend to be a bit more chilled out and try and make the fight look good, as well as hurting you!
I definetly never saw (or felt) any sloppy kicks in any of the competitions i've watched/entered though. I can also guarantee, i'm not guilty of flailing my arms around, if a punch is going to go in, i make sure its a good clean shot.
The reason i love watching and competing in ITF fights is because i find WTF fighters are too static. ok, they have speed when they execute a combo of techniques, but they spend half the fight bouncing on the spot.

 

right on, my thoughts exactly.

I love watching ITF fights because they're practical. Not saying that "ZOMG TKD IS THE BEST STREETFIGHTING MARTIAL ART EVER AND IT ILLUSTRAITS A REAL FIGHT LIKE WHOA!"- because I know it doesn't. But in the world of Taekwon-do and similar martial arts, the fight is practical. The head is open- jab-cross-hook combo to it. You're too far for a kick, jump it in, kick low, punch high. It's the better game of chess, in my opinion.

Watching WTF fights I get annoyed very easily. You'll normally hear me screaming "OH COME ON, HIS HEAD WAS WIDE FREAKIN' OPEN!!!! PUT YOUR DANG HANDS UP, THEY CAN STILL KICK YOU IN THE FACE!!!"

I respect WTF fighters as excellent athletes with tremendous speed- they can fire off kicks wicked fast and do so without virtually any hardships. But their competitive fights are just....painful, so very painful for me to watch.

aw man, chu was amazing, THAT was a good fight. That and Korea v. USA in womens featherweight. Though Korea kind of got jipped 'cause of the warnings, it was a wicked good fight... well, I liked it, at least.



-kat

 

Let's face it, WTF stylists are going to prefer watching their style sparring, and ITF stylists will prefer watching their style. Aren't going to be too many of either organization that prefer the other.

 

Wynnema and a few others have stated opposites, so there are a minority that will own up to preferring the other style to what they practice.

I don't know about anyone else, but i'm just happy to see taekwondo in the olympics, and would hate for it to be taken out because of a lack of interest.

 

the new rules will help to keep it interesting. e.g. penalised for not attacking.

 

Thought I would clarify the ITF "style" in a non-ITF organisation thing.

I train with TAGB. Our sparring is semi-contact and you can score anywhere on the head (3 points for a kick, 1 for a hand technique) or on the front of the chest (2 points for a kick, 1 for a hand technique).

Point stop sparring is the norm in large competitions for juniors & executives. Also for yellow and green belts. As an adult at blue belt or above you are looking at continuous sparring which I think is what people have been referring to as "kickboxing rules". However in some small competitions they stick to point stop only. LOVE continuous - I personally find point stop a little frustrating because you just get into your flow when they call hetchyo - aaargh!!!

My preference is definately ITF (I saw at lot of WTF style at the World Champs in Cardiff last year but preferred ITF). WTF have too much bouncing around at opposite sides of the ring for my liking - I guess the competitors are being conservative.

And what is it with the females that they have to stick their hair out the top of their helmet so that it flaps around when the bounce up and down???????

 

Link to Qis Sparring WTF style

Just thought i'd include a link to a wtf match i had last november.

Just to throw in some low level wtf sparring.

i personally think that they both have a lot going for them(wtf + itf)

wtf is good because you dont have to worry about giving the other guy a bloody nose/really hurting them.

but it is lame because you wear body armour, and can't punch to the noggin.

although itf make you wear foot guards... which strikes me just as strange as the body-armour of wtf.

Unfortunately i've not had a thai fight yet(i'd get killed), but i think they have it right(no pads).

-Qis

p.s i was watching a kickboxing match the other day, and one of the competitors had padding on his feet, like in itf...

 

Hahahah Noggin!

 

i prefer continuous too tkdally, although my fitness is letting me down lately, so i seem to be doing better at point stop. I need to rethink my tactics in continuous too having just moved in to the heavyweight womens and facing new people.

 

I don't really go for TKD sparring that much, sorry folks it isn't my cup of tea. I prefer to watch a martial art that has a mixture of throws, strikes that includes low kicks and a referee that doesn't keep getting in the way of the fighters. But If I had to sit down and watch one, it most likely be ITF because it has punches in it.

 

hands down "ITF Style" in the loosest terms as i guess you mean itf as in every style thats not WTF

 

Dr Moose has it right, i enjoy watching hightlight reals of WTF, but watching the whole fights bore me stiff, ITF is definately more entertaining, better technique involved.

i also heard from my GF (whos sister is 1st degree BB) that in TKD (dunno which) that you don't get points for punches? whats with that?

 

I'm ITF and I prefer to watch ITF.

I've seen many olympic games (not for real) and there doesn't seem to be as much realism and well executed and greatly timed techniques as in ITF. It's not just waving and slashing 20 kicks in a row at your opponent and hope to get a few points.

I still like WTF though, must be a blast

 

Thats WTF. ITF give points for punches

 

ok thanks for that.

 

The clash of the titans vids of old had some great TAGB & FSK team bouts with sweeps and they looked like soooo nuch fun(even got Master Walton in his hey day fighting sweeps allowed). Im a fan of using Punching Kicking and Sweeping but leave out the groundwork it keeps the pace of the bout up.