xma and taekwondo?

Question

i do taekwondo and my idol is steve terada hes a xtreme martial artist and I've been trying to mimic hes style of xma (well the ones i can do anyway) and i was just wandering can i do xma style through taekwondo training so far I've been trying to do gainer flash kicks and butterfly twists and any tips on xma or taekwondo would be helpful thanks

Answer 1

Having competed on the national tournament circuit for a lengthy time and watching younger, gifted and talented martial artists compete in the open kata and weapons divisions like Mike Chateranabut, Jimmy Kim, the Pak brothers and a number of others twenty five years ago that helped start all this there are some things I have observed. First TKD is a great martial art for this since it includes among its techniques a lot of jumping, spinning, and jump spinning kicks. Secondly that while not everyone has the ability to do some of these techniques that you mentioned some people can develop them and their ability to do them through the proper training and coaching under a gymnastics or tumbling coach. That is what some martial artists do today who don't necessarily possess the ability to do some of these things or learn them on their own.

I have recently already seen two younger junior black belts who could not do a decent kata or form much less a dynamic type technique like what you are mentioning who were looking for a school and instructor who had studied XMA. So there are indeed some schools and instructors out there that are using this to just generate money and students. Being a traditional Japanese stylist and doing martial arts for forty years I can look at this and appreciate the athlecticsm, skill and dynamics of it. The same muscles, balance, coordination, flexibility, and agiality it takes to do these things it also takes to be a good martial artist in any style. So TKD is a great style that lends itself to this but I think you also have to keep them seperate in you mind. Your instructors will still expect you to do a tradtional TKD form for testing and demonstrate the knowledge, use, and execution of tradtional TKD techniques when testing which will also usually be more effective while XMA is more for flash and show.

Answer 2

Taekwondo will help you because of the flexibility work they do, and also the high kicks needed, but you need some gymnastics and tumbling training for the flips, gainers, etc. one handed upside down kicks, etc. It is super important to learn how to land properly and how to tuck for flips. Your neck can be broken if you don't learn these things. You definitely need a spotter while you are learning flips. Train with the gymnasts on the side, keep up the TKD, and order some good dvds from Century. The Rock Solid ones are very good. I have several. Remember, your basics like punches, stances, and kicks still must be crisp and perfect, not just the fancy stuff.

Answer 3

Yeah, Mike Chat started with TKD and Capoeria when he came up with XMA. In addition to your traditional training, add some gymnastics and that should help a ton. I'm trying to add XMA to my routine now that I'm not going to test again for 5 years (just got my 4th Dan), and I'm finding it difficult to just pick it up without having some gymnastics in my background.

Answer 4

Strongly advise you to keep to the basic moves. Once you have mastered them, you will find the fancy stuff are for the birds and the movies. Nice to see but not practical. A good martial artist is one who can instinctively use each move to its full advantage.

Answer 5

Tae kwon do or modern wushu would be the best forms to take for XMA. Oh yes, and gymnastics also.

Answer 6

As you develop you will find little tricks of your own, things to add that make your own personl style more spectcular. This happens with any well developed skill you find your own little tricks and add ons. Good luck train hard but train smart