StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
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ffmcobalt
I'm sure the school makes a major difference, but I still question TKD...your instructor may be able to do "four spinning back kicks" very quickly, but on the other hand somebody else might be able to take him to the ground very quickly.
Other than movies I am not really convinced that these funky kicks are at all useful in real-life. The only time I've seen any spinning kicks - such as actually turning your back to your opponent for a split second - pulled off is in heavily restricted competition... because if your opponent isn't playing by the rules you might as well forget that stuff because by the time you turn around to try and deliver your kick the guy is on you or grabbing your leg and tripping you up.
I don't mean to try and kill my point but the less practical time spent doing as-close-to-real-life-as-possible training, the less abilities one will have if they are ever in a real-life fight. Practicing forms for instance - why? Maybe discipline, or balance or something but honestly that time could be better spent.
I know that they may be intended as practice but realistically nobody in the world can take the most complex and slow, difficult to execute kicks, and actually use them in a genuine fight against a competent competitor.
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That said I'm willing to bet that the best practical training anybody can have is by joining a small tight-knit school of adults who are willing to go hard and are all there not for "excercise" or "fun", but with the primary goal of being capable in a fight.
I'm sure the school makes a major difference, but I still question TKD...your instructor may be able to do "four spinning back kicks" very quickly, but on the other hand somebody else might be able to take him to the ground very quickly.
Other than movies I am not really convinced that these funky kicks are at all useful in real-life. The only time I've seen any spinning kicks - such as actually turning your back to your opponent for a split second - pulled off is in heavily restricted competition... because if your opponent isn't playing by the rules you might as well forget that stuff because by the time you turn around to try and deliver your kick the guy is on you or grabbing your leg and tripping you up.
I don't mean to try and kill my point but the less practical time spent doing as-close-to-real-life-as-possible training, the less abilities one will have if they are ever in a real-life fight. Practicing forms for instance - why? Maybe discipline, or balance or something but honestly that time could be better spent.
I know that they may be intended as practice but realistically nobody in the world can take the most complex and slow, difficult to execute kicks, and actually use them in a genuine fight against a competent competitor.
---
That said I'm willing to bet that the best practical training anybody can have is by joining a small tight-knit school of adults who are willing to go hard and are all there not for "excercise" or "fun", but with the primary goal of being capable in a fight.