Tae Kwon Do...Should I?

I took Tae Kwon Do for a few months before and liked it but I felt I wasn't learning enough. So I stopped and took Jujitsu for a while but I didn't like that as much as I expected. I was thinking about going back into Tae Kwon Do or starting at a Karate/TKD dojo. I really like to be able to have fast powerfull kicks knowing, if anyone tries to harm me or someone else they won't be able to get close to me because I could just kick them really really hard. I know a few black belts in TKD and Karate and I wouldn't want to mess with them. So I was wondering if being able to have "killer" kicks would help me on the streets? I want to be a police officer so any extra self-defense would help, and my local station allows outside training (I know a few cops). So is TKD or Karate a good choice? Also, what could I do in the meantime to prepare for training? Any workouts/stretches that are good? I discovered I really love martial arts. I'm getting my license soon so transportation isn't an issue.

Tae Kwon Do...Should I?
Hapkido is known for its powerful kicks. Hapkido is a tactical art based on traditional principles. It covers all phases of combat like Striking, grappling, submission holds, joint locks, etc. Ive been doing it for 10 yrs, and been a cop for 12 yrs. I have to use it on a regular basis. So I know what works and what does'nt work on the street and in the jails. So I rely on it totally. Its easy to understand and recall when your under stress. Because thats when it counts the most. I suggest finding a good instructor and going from there. Do some internet research to find a Hapkido school in your area. If your TKD buddies know any thing at all they'll know what I am talking about. HKD is a Korean art.
Reply:Try different disciplines until you find the one that is right for you. Or just carry a gun.
Reply:Muay Thai is good for a cop to know. The TKD training to get flexible will help in your Muay Thai classes.
Reply:Go for it. I am in TAEKWONDO and I love it. I have been in ATA,MMA,KARATE. I fell in love with ATA. But there is no ATA around my area. So, I found HWA RANG TAEKWONDO FEDERATION. And I enjoy attending classes. So if you really want to go back to TAEKWONDO.
Reply:ur master will tell you the workouts and stretches ask him and tell him about ur situation and yes stick with Taekwondo Taekwondo will do you the best if your school is the right one and not one of those that only care about money so all you do is pay em and they give u belt
Reply:Why shouldn't you?





It sounds like you want to train in a discipine that will teach you a lot in a short amount of time so you can be an "expert" in martial arts. Slow down, killer. Training in martial arts is a LIFE-LONG pursuit. Training under a competent instructor and learning at a reasonable pace, it should take you NO FEWER than three years - if you train consistently and dedicate yourself to actually studying the art you choose - to attain your black belt, and ONLY THEN are you prepared to TRULY begin learning your art. For example, in Tae Kwon Do there is a reason that the first three Dan's are considered NOVICE levels, the next three are considere Expert levels, and only until you attain your 7th Dan are you considered a Master. This is because Martial arts is not something you can go to a school, pay an instructor, and learn. You have to dedicate a portion of your life in time and effort to truly attain a mastery of martial arts, no matter WHAT form you choose.
Reply:Kicks are great but you cannot live on them alone. I have four years experience as a bouncer, and several more studying various martial arts and I can tell you if that first kick does not end the fight your not going to get many more chances. Most fights end up on the ground, so jiu-jitsu is good to know.





I personally love Krav Maga best. It is the most realistic, practical fighting art I have studied. Also, like you, I get bored in traditional arts with forms, etc. We fight every day in Krav.





Remember, a good fighter knows what he or she is best at and will try to take away your best mojo. An example: a friend of mine was a golden gloves boxing champ, we went to sparring a bit and because of his size (5'10", 230lbs) I was not going to go toe to toe with him (at 6', 210). Any kicks beyond low snap kicks or thighs were useless, besides, he had some too. So I took him down and submitted him.





Another friend has phenomenal kicking speed so I took him down too. A friend who is better than me at wrestling, I fight from a distance (kicks, elbows, hammerfist, etc)





So, I suggest and all around study and never depend on kicks alone. There are many MMA schools popping up everywhere. Perhaps try that for a while. Hope that helps.


And stay with it!
Reply:Let me assure you, learning some good kicks will help you defend yourself for sure. The only problem is how fast you learn them. Karate and TKD teach you at an average rate of one new kick every four months, starting with the most simple and necessary as you should know. If you are going primarily for the kicks, i would say to take something other than TKD. I don't find there style of frond kicks to be particularly effective compared to other styles. If you're looking for different places, try to find one with a vigorous physical exercise aspect. I have always been taught that defending yourself comes heavily from the physical side of your techniques, and doesn't rely so much on your mental abilities like you may think. You just have to remember, choose a style and dojo that trains you equally hard in every way, and it will prove to be the best for you.
Reply:Tae Kwon Do is a great art for learning kicks. You can learn them very fast, and be effective with them. Remember, there is more to defense than kicking. You have to be able to fight in all of the ranges( kicking, punching, trapping, grappling) to be effective. Train in a couple of styles. The style I teach is based on Tae Kwon Do, Akijujitsu, Kenpo, Wing Chun, Judo, and Kung Fu. It is a well rounded system with something for every one.


p.s. If it takes you four months (Matthew ) to learn one kick, you are probably going to the wrong school. It may take you months before your technique is perfect or your accuracy is dead on, but before you leave my class, on your first night, you will be able to do an effective front kick and roundhouse kick( not perfect, but effective ).
Reply:On the 'streets', 9 out of 10 people are unorthodox fighters(someone with no experience in marital arts), which gives them the advantage of the fight, because the way they are going to fight is different from the way you spar. And I know from experience on the streets(used to live in the 'hood' with friends), no matter how 'killer' If you kick me, its gonna piss me off even more and I'm gonna take it too the ground. With that said TKD is a OK martial art too learn, but too be able too defend yourself on the street, you need too learn a ground martial art, like aikido, judo, sambo, shingitai Jujitsu, etc.





A police officer needs too be able too handle the suspect, with out causing harm too the suspect(striking the suspect in any way), TKD focuses on striking instead of come-along's which you will learn when you go through training, however if someone advances you and attacks you are aloud too use the 'necessary' force too take the suspect down, again, what I stated above are good martial arts too compensate your stand-up.





A full body streach, exspecially your legs is need daily for training. A good workout would be too start off the day doing weight-training, power cleans, military press, incline bench, etc. are good workouts(any thing that works your shoulders at the same time as you work other muscles, your shoulders are the main muscles you use when fighting). For working your adamin, you need a full adomin work out, side plans, crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts, bycicle, etc. For your back dead lifts, hyperextensions, lat pulldowns, chin ups, etc. For your legs squats, leg extensions, leg curls, leg pess, lunge, etc.





Doing each of these workouts by plyometrics, you will develop the expolive power needed for, martial arts.
Reply:I would agree with the previous poster about hapkido..... they will teach you the basic kicks of TKD (really are the only ones you should use, but it is fun to get really really good at kicking :) and any real TKD shool will mix in some Hapkido (if they are not a daycare type mcdojo), but looking back at my years studying TKD, i wouldnt mind trading a few of the kicks in my arsonal, to spend more time on throws sweeps and joint locks, but I am very thankful of all the knowledge of my TKD training... good luck man
Reply:imm just gonna be very quick and frank with my opinion. tkd is ****, with those kind of kicks someone can just take you down in a snap and beat the **** outa you, especially with so many ppl into bjj and martial arts now. you only took tkd for a few months and you wanna open a dojo? wtF? police officer? take judo or aikido or hapkido, those are take down martial arts. the police's job is to be effective but do the least amount of damage to other person.
Reply:I realy hate to burst your bubble but I have practiced Tae Kwon Do for a long time and I will assure you I have vast knowledge of many Martial arts...


Tae kwon do will not help you in the streets, don't think you can pull off hard kicks and moves you see in the movies in a real fight.....Tae kwon do is not practical at all it is a great martial art but it is not a form of self defense. Especially modernized Tae kwon is complete crap (for fighting no offense to Tae kwon do doers....I would say you wanna be able to hit someone where it hruts take up something like Muay thai or boxing, even Kung fu (these are the ones most commonly found otherwise I would reccomend Hapkido, Ninjitsu). other wise if you had to choose one I would say definetly go for Karate instead at least karate is slightly more practical.....unless you want to use Tae Kwon Do for sport than thats a completely different issue...Please believe me when i say It can't be used practically i'm a second degree black belt and if I use plainly what i learned in Tae kwon do against anyone in a fight I will surely lose....if you want to take karate i reccomend kempo karate not the common karate do....but I would even pick Karate Do over Tae Kwon Do

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