I can't wait for someone to bring out that wonderful fact that 97.24679854523908542308543% of all fights go to the ground.
Actually, studies show that 97.35% of all fights go to the ground..
I can't wait for someone to bring out that wonderful fact that 97.24679854523908542308543% of all fights go to the ground.
You don't know me, phate, you don't know what my life was like. You have no idea if / what my martial arts credientials are, you don't know if I've ever been in a fight. So maybe you should think before you open your mouth.
Hello folks,
I do boxing but due to some personal relations breaking down I have a lot more free time on my hands.
I'm looking into doing a martial art for self defense reasons, two are offered in my area: Muai Thai and TaeKwanDo.
Self defense would be my primary goal and I'd much rather a practical martial art rather than a flash sportive one. I have no problem with what either course focuses on, the boxing doesn't really come into it as I'd like to try something new.
Sparring would be ok with me but obviously I'd want to get a lot better first before I went against someone.
The two sports clash as regards time so I'd be unable to do both.
So that is why the military in most countries teach it? You can do better than that.
These are the BEST TKD fighters in the world, competing in the Olympics. Granted, this is only WTF (World Tae Kwon Do Federation), but ITF isn't too much different.
Do you really think these guys could have any chance of fighting in a crowded bar, in an alley way, or after someone as already grabbed them from behind? Self defence is what the OP is after, and these guys dont even guard their face. Their kicks are flashy and impressive looking, but thats all. They dont cause real damage, and they dont even punch. Kicking isn't allowed below the belt (to the legs). Most of the strikes thrown at eachother are endless, low powered roundhouse kicks, done with the instep.TKD has become an embarassement. I remember when my old TKD master told me how pathetic he thought TKD had become. I left TKD not much long after the 2000 olympics, after only a year of doing it.
Now we have seen the best TKD fighters, lets take a look at 2 of my favourite Muay Thai fighters shall we.
Ramon "The Diamond" Dekker:
Buakaw Por. Pramuk
Who would you rather fight?
You're compairing olympic sparring with UFC fighting. It's like comparing fencing with sword fighting.
Just fine, what do you think they do they suddenly just curl up in a ball and scream for a referee? Sure, some forms may have better technique in certain situations than others, but you're acting like a master at TKD might as well just start crying at the first sign of a fight.
I'll tell you something that Lei alluded to, but I'm pretty well versed in a martial art myself. It's not TKD, but I have trained with TKD olympians and real fighters. These guys are not a joke. They could kill you, phate, and if you doubt that you're delusional.
Please, tell me, have you ever trained for ANY martial art, if so, how far did you get?
If your motive is street-fighting or to show off, taekwondo or any martial art is not for you. Showing a demonstration video from youtube is a farce just like showing a karate (or any other martial art) dude breaking ice.
What I learned in the self-defence class of taekwondo would enable me to easily kill someone if the worst came to the worst but that is not why i learned it. When being taught martial arts they should tell you that your skills are not to be used for street-fighting or showing off. Discipline and self-control are also taught alongside self-defence.
Seeing some of you have a lot to learn, I would not wish to partake in any further indisciplined discussion if you want to pursue martial arts with the wrong motive.
I'm done with this thread, phate still wont cough up any form of credentials other than his buddies like to spar, and half of you are talking out your butts. Have fun.
Seeing some of you have a lot to learn, I would not wish to partake in any further indisciplined discussion if you want to pursue martial arts with the wrong motive.
Talking out of our butts? We aren't the ones throwing around scentences like "They could kill you in a bar" as its some sort of incredibly thought out rebuttle.
The OP asked which style he should choose for SELF DEFENCE. Instead of giving reasons why you think TKD is effective in a SELF DEFENCE situation, you stay on the same thread that Olympic level TKD fighters or masters could kill us. Do you need to train TKD for 15+ yrs to be Olympic or Master level before you can defend yourself effectivly? What about your run of the mill TKD fighter, who has 6 months under his belt. Would he be able to defend himself? Especially considering a large percentage of his time would be practising his forms and 1 step sparing for his next grading. He spends hrs and hrs practising how to do a jumping spinning hook kick into a brick after jumping off a wall.
Another guy does Muay Thai for 6 months. He doesn't have any gradings to practise forms for, but rather he has a full contact fight coming up. He spends his time practising his jab, cross and hooks, aswell as his teep and shin kicks, thats all he focuses on. He spends hrs sparing with everyone in his gym, most of them fighters who are also training for up coming fights.
The TKD guy spars with very little contact, most of the time pulling his kicks. You cant kick to the legs and alot of the kicks are designed for the head, so you cant follow through. Instead of resembling fighting like it is supposed to, it looks like some flashy ballet. After his 10 hit roundhouse combo to his opponents torso, using his instep and very little power, they get too close and move back to the starting position.
The Muay Thai fighter trains with 60%+ power behind his punches and kicks. He wears gloves and so he can punch to his opponents head without worrying about breaking his hands or his training partners nose. They kick hard and never pull them. When they get close, they clinch and throw knees to eachothers body. They keep clinching until they throw the other to the floor.
After the 6 months is up, who can defend himself better? This thread is about SELF DEFENCE, nothing else. Learning how to defend yourself in the least possible time is SELF DEFENCE.
I have trained both TKD and Muay Thai. Have you? Have you ever spared with a Muay Thai fighter, or have you ever attended one Muay Thai gym?
I've had 4 Muay Thai fights, 2 in Thailand. I wish I could fight more, but unfortunatly, my bosses don't appreciate me coming in with broken noses, bruises and black eyes. When I get my ass back to Thailand, I hope to fight 2 times a month if I can.
Hapkido, TKD, Karate and BJJ are all really expensive. Find yourself a good Boxing, Muay Thai, or Judo gym. They are very reasonably priced and the standard is always high.