Taekwondo or Kung-Fu?

Question

Ever since I started taekwondo I've always dealt with this dilemna. Which is better? I've trained in taekwondo for 7 years. In taekwondo we train as much with our upperbody as our legs (and that bothers me) and in kung-fu it seems the leg techniques aren't as strong as in taekwondo. I'm not afraid of harder training, but if I'm going to choose a martial art I want to choose one and stay with it, so I can be proficient and master it.

Answer 1

Which style is better? That is the eternal question. If you like the style that you are doing then stick with it. But if yuo are questioning the style you are doing then you already know the answer. I have been training kung fu for 7 years now. I have sparred numerous tkd guys. I'll admit you guys have fast kicks. But everyone of those guys ended up on there backs because they trained for point sparring not the contiunious sparring that we do. The high kicks allow for a TKD guy to be swept very easy and given the opportunity will do it every time.
Techniques are very strong in Kung fu, there are many different styles like Hsing i a very hard straight line internal art. It can be very devasting it's counterpart is Pa Kua circular in nature just as devasting. Both are taught to upper students. Both teach getting close to your oppenent somewhere most people don't know whats going on.

You have 7 years of training why would you want to go back and start over? I say take your knowledge and master that. If you are second guessing which style is better then the one YOU are doing is the best. Make it the best, find out how to exploit the weakness of the other arts using your art. Yes TKD has strong kicks, use them. Make them your ultimate weapon. I speak to you as a martialartist not as a I am a kung fu student and can but won't say TKD this or Kung fu that I am saying look inside you, only you know the answer. Good luck, keep your guard up and train hard.

Answer 2

Stick with your Taekwon Do (you already have 7 years.)
You really start to learn in a martial arts discipline AFTER you have your black belt. Everything before that was preliminaries!

Kung-Fu (including Taiji) takes a LONG TIME to master.
All of the internal martial arts (Kung-Fu) take at least a decade to become proficient (let alone "master!")

If a person is just learning a single form (Crane, Dragon, Yang 88 Form, whatever...) they are not studying Kung-Fu, they are studying "a kung-fu technique."
.

Answer 3

what is your purpose in learning? if your sole purpose is to lose weight then maybe a martial art is not the way to fill your excercise portion of your weight loss plan- the most important thing in weight loss is adjusting your food intake and what you eat and when. thats another matter though. excersise is important, but secondary to that. the asthma issue isn't a problem as you need to just work out a plan with your pulmononlogist as to what meds you should be on for prevention of attacks based on the seriousness of your condition. also running for endurance helps, while not the optimal form of excercise for weight loss, it can help your asthma and while it might not be HIIT (high intensity interval training) it is better than nothing. however, if you are looking to learn to fight, then BOTH cma (chinese martial arts, aka: kung fu) and tkd have bad reputations as far as realistic training goes, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist but it is harder to find. you need to train against a fully resisiting opponent under a REALISTIC set of conditions. ie: when sparring if your sparring looks more like tkd than a muai thai fight (the intensity and the rules) then it is NOT realistic. your uncle has a vested interest in tkd since he is an instructor and will likely swear up and down that a ruleset that prohibits punches to the head or striking the supporting leg is realistic, sorry but common sense dictates otherwise, and you will not be able to guarnatee a one hit ko. find a school that trains realistically, Ie: fully resiting opponents and don't worry about the asthma so long as you have it under control you should be able to participate in any activity. but thats your physician's job and stuff you might do on your own.

Answer 4

great answer from ana. as she says, there are many types of kung fu with many different types of teachers. before making a choice, look through the schools in your area and find the best teacher you can.
one of my black belts from taekwondo has done kung fu for a few years, and then switched to ninjitsu, and then back to taekwondo. he told me that in taking kung fu, u need to learn a long time to get really good at it and to use it in a self defence situation. thats why he switched to ninjitsu after a few years. he still learned a lot from kung fu though.
my suggestion is that, if you really can, try switching through the martial arts and find which one you enjoy best.
this summer i plan to start wing chun to experiment and mix with my itf taekwondo.

Answer 5

Kung Fu would be my choice, as Taekwondo has a set ending point. Kung Fu is a way of life that opens up more knowledge and possibilities as you progress.

Answer 6

There is no set answer to which is better when comparing martial arts. It depends on what you want out of that martial art. Unfortunately, you don't give us too much to go on other than you don't seem to want to work your upper body as much as your legs... and many arts involve hand techniques.

There are many, many styles of kung fu, each with distinctive stances, strikes, and focus. For all the styles that there are, only a handful of them are taught outside China. One thing common to most kung fu styles, both internal and external, are that the art is mostly hand techniques presented in different ways through different stances. If you don't wish to work with your upper body as much, then kung fu is not for you.

There are five kwan, or schools, of Tae Kwon Do: Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, O Do Kwan, and Chung Moo Kwan. Others are splinters from these five recognized WTF schools. All five kwan have in common that they are 70 percent kicks, 30 percent strikes/blocks. There are only 8 basic kicks in Tae Kwon Do -- front, ax, side, round, hook, thrust, crescent, and back -- but these are presented in different ways (jump, spin, jump spin, shuffle, stationary, step across, drop, pivot). Contrary to what a previous poster said, Tae Kwon Do is more than an art; it is a way of life. The 5 Tenets -- courtesy, integrity, self control, perseverance, and indomitable spirit -- guide us both inside and outside the dojang, and increasingly so as we rise in rank. There is no "ending point" in TKD, especially in light of the fact that very few practitioners rise to 10th Dan (only five are alive that are recognized by the Kukkiwon).

Since you have devoted 7 years of training in Tae Kwon Do, I would recommend that you continue with your training as you've given so much time to it. However, if you are unhappy with the art, then perhaps it is time to try something else. Visit other training halls, talk to both instructors and their students, observe classes, and see what appeals to you. You seem to prefer the striking arts... perhaps karate-do or Muay Thai might be your answer.

Answer 7

Go with Kung Fu it has alot of variety and fludity of styles and forms, I think Taekwondo has too many kicks you need variety and style.

Answer 8

TKD is ok, BUT, it also trains some bad habits,

pulling the fist back to the waist.

long extended power (they do not have short power techniques)

terrible hand techniques.
**

I trained TKD the old hard way.

2 years, 3, 1/2 hour classes everyday.

we had to break boards at yellow belt

bricks at green or blue belt.
**

then i met a preying mantis tai chi guy that moved in on my kicking range.

every time he hit me, i went to block it, and he hit me 5 more times befor i could react.

then i tried to react, and he hit me 5 more times!
**

to end this, I say...you already know how to kick.

It is time to learn better in close fighting that will definately improve you.

kung fu
muay thai
boxing

it doesn't matter.

it is time to get out of TKD for sure, and expand your knowlege and use of other techniques.

Answer 9

stick wit tea kwon do. its so kool. ive been training for 2 years and i luv it. it really depends on which 1 u want 2 do. i mean tea kwon do is da korean foem of karate and da hardest form of it 2 learn while kung-fu is alot easier 2 learn cuz it aint as difficult. since u have been training in tea kwondo for 7 years u should just stick wit it.

Answer 10

Both are good for you but I'm a Tai-Chi man.