Tkd sparring v/s other styles.

[atyabchabe]

what do you think about TKD sparring (WTF style) compared to other martial arts fights like (muya thai,karate all styles, sanda,kickboxing...).and which you one do you think it is more practical in the street.

gaby Noufaily

[Bugeisha]

I don't personally care for the WTF/Olympic sparring. Matter of fact, I don't like any kind of point sparring...

[tkdcanada]

Although I've never been in a street fight, I have sparred and competed, and I know that sparring isn't street fighting. WTF TKD sparring has very specific rules that competitors must follow and there is somewhat of a safety net there in that you know not to expect certain things. You don't have that in street fighting or self-defense situations. When you spar by certain rules, you are putting yourself in a certain frame of mind and you are conditioning yourself to think by the rules of the competition. To transfer that into a situation where there are no rules would be a recipe for disaster, IMO. However, sparring (WTF style TKD, which is my area of experience) does have it's place and it's purpose if you enjoy that kind of thing (which I absolutely do).

[Eliz]

I'm not much on Olympic Sparring either.

Like Michleine said, a certain training or competitive atmosphere is maintained (or should be maintained) in Martial Arts. I've seen plenty of street fighters come into "learning" environments. They always seem driven by a certain anger or passion. Something they can't initially control.

[Bugeisha]

I definetly think that Olympic sparring has its place- it's a sport. I don't practice it simply because I'm not personally interested in sports (although I'm fostering an interest in MMA...). For those who like the competitive/sportive aspect of taekwondo, it's the way to go.

[Jared Sutton]

Although I've never been in a street fight, I have sparred and competed, and I know that sparring isn't street fighting. WTF TKD sparring has very specific rules that competitors must follow and there is somewhat of a safety net there in that you know not to expect certain things. You don't have that in street fighting or self-defense situations. When you spar by certain rules, you are putting yourself in a certain frame of mind and you are conditioning yourself to think by the rules of the competition. To transfer that into a situation where there are no rules would be a recipe for disaster, IMO. However, sparring (WTF style TKD, which is my area of experience) does have it's place and it's purpose if you enjoy that kind of thing (which I absolutely do).


Amen!!! Especially if you've never been in a street fight before. Point sparring is a game of tag in a set area. There are no walls to get pushed into or trash cans to get thrown. But sparring gives you a basic idea of what fighting is and is helpful in discovering your speed and other strengths. It also works the mind to constantly react. But there is a big difference in point sparring and street fighting and I think that it is the instructor's responsibility to press the differences when teaching about both. :bow:

[Rikamarudude]

I'm a very competitive person and a sports junkie. I love all TKD sparring. The thing is to seperate the nuiances of the different types. Point sparring has its advantages in that it is a safe controlled enviornment and can give begining martial artists the chance to practice their art practically. Olympic style is the same way but gives you a more realistic feel of constantly moving and defending. I also appreciate mma and am personally begining to train for an amatuer open ring competition. Sparring is a sport and should be treated as such just like collegiate wrestling isn't truley applicable to fighting either.
:up:

[nythius]

It should be noted that Olympic style sparring is continuous, not point. Also regarding contact, Olympic style is absolutely full contact. I don't do Olympic style but anyone who's seen a real WTF Blackbelt will likely attest to how intimidating they can be.

[Gae-Bek]

what do you think about TKD sparring (WTF style) compared to other martial arts fights like (muya thai,karate all styles, sanda,kickboxing...).and which you one do you think it is more practical in the street.

gaby Noufaily

As far as style vs. style for sparring goes; I've done Taekwondo for 11 years (ITF and WTF), and done my share of Olympic sparring. I don't really enjoy it as much anymore (training to fight some MMA later this year), but I still occasionally get out there and do it.

Being that our school is a University Club Sport, I see lots of guys from different styles come through all the time. I always fared pretty well against all of them, no matter what they did...be it another style of Taekwondo, various styles of Karate, Kyukido, Kung-Fu, whatever.

The one guy who stomped me though, was a Muay Thai fighter. I had speed on him and I could hang with him; but after a few minutes his raw power just wore me down. He finally hit me with a beautiful 1-2-3 (jab, cross, hook) combo with all three landing in the same spot, opening up my left eye.

Needless to say, that day really opened-up my eyes (no pun intended) as to Taekwondo's weaknesses (or maybe just my own :laugh:).

When it comes down to it though, Taekwondo trains for sport and self-defense. Actually training to fight is a different animal all-together. Hence, the reason that the USTU calls Olympic style competitors "players" and not "fighters".

[Good advisor]

All are great but remember, what you lern and how you lern will show in the fight,

[Jerusalem]

It should be noted that Olympic style sparring is continuous, not point. Also regarding contact, Olympic style is absolutely full contact. I don't do Olympic style but anyone who's seen a real WTF Blackbelt will likely attest to how intimidating they can be.


I've done TKD for years and sparred in both point and continious matches. I can also tell you that I am nowhere close to being as good as top level players (because that's how TKD sparrers are refered to). I've even had the luck to spar against a national champ (he won :) ).

But at no point have I ever been intimidated by a TKD player. I train for more realistic situations and the amount of openings that they leave would get them beat anywhere but a TKD ring. Olympic style sparring trains the player to strike some of the most well-protected areas of the body and disregard others as "no-go" zones. If I could only find the words to express how I feel when I hear someone else in the dojang say "hey! you can't do that!"

Oly-style sparring is great for footwork, reactions, and endurance...it just leaves a lot of things out that could really matter in a "real" confrontation.

[hizaguchi]

I think TKD sparring is more fun than other arts. When there are no target zones, fights quickly turn into boxing matches. The WTF rules keep things more exotic and interesting by requiring you to throw a high kick if you want to hit someone in the head. That's the image of martial arts that has lingerd in my head since childhood. Even after practicing some more no-nonsense styles such as several different karates, I still can't help by being bored with other styles of sparring. Sure, they're more realistic, but I don't care about realism. If I'm going to spend a considerable portion of my life doing something, it had better be fun.

As far as applications to self defense, I would say that TKD is not really on par with most other styles but is still quite effective. The danger is that many people get caught up in the tournament sparring mindset and forget how much damage a powerful kick to the knee can do. I wouldn't bet money on a TKD student in a street fight against a karate student, but for self defense, I think either style is effective.

[Erik]

Do you folks know of any interesting links to TKD sparring? I'd like to see the difference between TKD, TKD olympic, and what I'm used to with "normal" K-1 kickboxing and Thai boxing.

Thanks heaps.

[hizaguchi]

ITF Tournament Rules (http://www.tkd-itf.org/TechnicalTournament3.htm)

WTF Tournament Rules (http://www.wtf.org/site/rules/competition.htm)

Olympic Rules (http://www.athens2004.com/en/TaekwondoRules)

[Erik]

Sorry - should have been more specific - I'm looking for internet videos clips.

Thanks, though, Brandon. Those are great.

[AndrewSimonsen]

http://www.sc-tkd.com/Video-1.htm
Olympic TKD

[AndrewSimonsen]

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=16245&start=0
Point

[TKDGirl18]

I personally love the olympic style sparring instead of point sparring. I will have to agree the hit one time score a point and start over thing gets really old expecially if youre in the olympic sparring part of the tournement and its the last thing going on. In the 10 tournements I have been to the blackbelts are quite intemidating since I have seen at least 14 knockouts, 25 broken bones, over 100 twisted and or busted joints and ect... in olypic style sparring. Its the closest thing to an actual fight without actually getting into a street fight.

[AndrewSimonsen]

I personally love the olympic style sparring instead of point sparring. I will have to agree the hit one time score a point and start over thing gets really old expecially if youre in the olympic sparring part of the tournement and its the last thing going on. In the 10 tournements I have been to the blackbelts are quite intemidating since I have seen at least 14 knockouts, 25 broken bones, over 100 twisted and or busted joints and ect... in olypic style sparring. Its the closest thing to an actual fight without actually getting into a street fight.
Have you ever had a point fighting match?
Olympic style is nothing like a real fight, it is a sport. If you want something closer to a street fight get MMA, or Vale Tudo, or boxing, or pankration, or wrestling. Olympic sparring is far removed from a real fight. And as for listing injuries, I have never been to a wrestling match where there wasn't a broken nose. Tell you what, you list your injuries from your entire career in TKD I'll list my injuries from this year of wrestling;
4 broken noses
3 cracked ribs
1 dislocated shoulder
2 broken toes
4th 5th 6th (or 5th 6th 7th I can't remember) vertebrae disks cracked
1 dislocated wrist
2 sprained ankles
Things that seperate Olympic sparring from a real fight:
Lack of takedowns
Lack of realistic hand strikes
No ground element
Excessive padding
Unrealistic application of kicks

[OlympicTkD]

Good point Andrew I love Olympic TKD to death but it really isnt close to a street fight 70% of street fights consist of some form of grappling

[Button Moon]

Full contact sparring is good if your a paid professional making a living out of it. Otherwise what is the point in doing it?

Olympic Taekwondo is stylised fighting, it's not real.

[AndrewSimonsen]

Fufilling your inner Tyler Durden