One of my instructors is keen on teaching knees, elbows, joint locks, "small digit manipulation" (finger breaking) and even head butts (if you can squeeze one in safely while grappling), and "softening" (striking low, fast and hard). This is more for the adult or advanced students. It seems like a lot of people here don't do that in their TKD programs. I am about to join a more sport oriented TKD school, so I don't expect to find this there. Thanks for helping!
2007-09-04 16:27:49 · 10 answers · asked by tkdg13 2 in Sports ➔ Martial Arts
The head butting, finger breaking, and other non-flashy stuff is more for self defense. My instructors grand masters don't teach the 540 kicks and stuff like that unless you want to learn it for fun. When I asked my one instructor about flashy kicks, he said "I don't do them because people don't kick each other off of horses anymore". And shootersway is right; I have had people grab me, and bending their finger back is easier than removing a hand. And man do they howl in pain. It is a phenomenal way to get them to let go.
2007-09-05 16:14:38 · update #1
That's not traditional TKD training. Joint locks come from Hapkido, but there are no Korean arts that teach small digit manipulation or headbutting. Knees and elbows are just part of normal self defense training.
You should expect to see some of this training no matter what school you go to because it is necessary for helping you learn to defend yourself. Schools that don't at least incorporate this training into their curriculum on occasion are ripping you off - even 'sport-oriented' schools.
2007-09-04 22:49:04 · answer #1 · answered by capitalctu 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's certainly a part of our TaeKwon-Do program, even at the white belt level. Our one step sparring curriculum material is more oriented toward basic kicking, blocking, and striking technique for promotion testing, but we always introduce students to other options for releases from grabs, hair pulls, grounded pins etc. and the maxim of simple is better is definately true in these circumstances.
As our students progress, we continue to expand their general knowledge of defensive use of a variety of technqiues working at long rage, through medium range, to short range engagements. Certainly in the short range engagement we teach striking with all weapons available including fore fists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and feet. We also cover joint locks, pins, finger presses, pressure point use, physical control points and technqiues and so on.
It does sound as though you found a very competent and experienced instructor. I would honestly NOT leave for the sport style school. You can learn Olympic style from an instructor like that, but it's rare to find a sport school that will also be able to teach you good self-derense tehcnique.
I've had a lot of students who had to leave our program due to work, or school, or family obligations who got back to us after leaving and commented on the fact that we taught so much, expected our students to know so much, and they are thankful that we provided such a good grounding for them. You were lucky you had an opporutntiy to expereince the same.
Good luck to you!
Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do
2007-09-07 19:49:43 · answer #2 · answered by Ken C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is unusual for a commercial TKD school to focus on actual street fighting skills for realistic defense. Most just concentrate on tournaments. Trophies bring in the money is the school of thought behind most commercial schools.
Sounds to me as if your current teacher has a genuine interest in helping his students survive in an actual street defense situation.
Most sport oriented gyms teach pretty kicks that look good at a tournament but pull that stuff in a street fight and you are going home in a body bag.
2007-09-05 16:31:23 · answer #3 · answered by DEREK E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is very unusual for TKD. now a lot of TKD schools teach almost only kicks. It has become more an Olympic sport and lost the fighting drive that originally made it so popular. this is an awesome school stick with it. It was the way I was taught and I have defended myself a couple of times. good luck
2007-09-04 23:47:00 · answer #4 · answered by clown(s) around 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your instructor probably has a background in other traditional korean martial arts like Hapkido, Hwarang do or Tang Soo do. Since from my understanding, the original korean TKD was basically a watered down version developed from these older systems by the Koreans, chances are this might be the case, if so, then you're pretty lucky to get the chance to broaden your knowledge.
2007-09-05 05:36:51 · answer #5 · answered by Shienaran 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In street fights in KOREA they were more well known for head butting than kicking according to researchers.Finger locks are a sub set of any good jujutsu method.In ground grappling I always go for the little fingers amazing how fast they submit when I apply it.
No man is stronger than his weakest part.
2007-09-05 09:33:32 · answer #6 · answered by bunminjutsu 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Shienaran and even gave him/her a thumbs up. You were right on. Tang Soo Do does that more so then TKD. And if his instructor is teaching those techniques then it would be safe to assume that he has more mixed martial arts in his training then solely TKD.
2007-09-08 00:41:45 · answer #7 · answered by palerider_2006 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Geez it's normal to learn how to defend yourself in martial arts... Good to know there are a few good TKD schools left out there.. theses techniques you can't take a picture of and turn into a poster, so you think it is unusual?
2007-09-05 01:07:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
that does sound cool. But finger breaking does sound a bit unusual. But the fast, hard hits seem usual.
2007-09-04 23:43:25 · answer #9 · answered by Paul I 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, sounds like you found an awesome TKD school.
2007-09-04 23:41:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋