Is tae kwando good for self defence?

Question

if not which martial art is?

Answer 1

sure all martial arts are but they won't just 'make' you good at self defence you have to learn and use the techniques correctly

Answer 2

It CAN be, it depends on the training methodology.

the problem is that most TKD schools train for point sparring under point sparring tournament conditions which are not only not realistic, but the rules are such that they will make you a worse fighter for having trained that way.

if you train realistically and your sparring looks more like muai thai or kickboxing with strikes to the face and counterpunching and such then you are most likely training realistically.

that doesn't mean what you learned from point sparring "typical" ata type of c**p training can't be refined and carried over to another school and then trained properly, just that that type of training alone needs further instruction and application to be able to use more of it realistically.

many a point sparring students get hit with a cold hard dose of reality the first time they strap on gloves and go at it in a more realistic and unstructured ruleset or type of sparring that isn't "race to the target forget power" type of sparring.

Answer 3

yes, but only of your willing to train hard and train realistically. Like all arts taekwondo is only good if you know how to use it, that is why if you look for a school to train at, you need to find out what their focus is on. Many schools will have focuses on different things such as sport, self-defense, show, etc. While some schools will offer all of the above, these schools are few so it's best to decide what you want out of martial arts, and if you feel differently later on, you can switch to another school.

Answer 4

Any martial art can be utilized for self-defense. Praticality isn't something confined to styles: It's confined to schools of styles that specialize and do a good job of preparing one to use their techniques as such.

With any martial art that doesn't cover all fighting ranges, however, one must be advised about the various levels in which self defense can take. Grappling isn't utilized in TKD while sparring, so it's advised that you take a grappling art with it, just as someone would advise a grappler to take a striking art.

If you aren't sure, then you can take self-defense classes, but you would still have to look for good schools again.

Answer 5

Anytime you learn any form of self defense it is good for you. Go for what you like, you will do better in something you like than just something for self defense, but even if you don't like it and have the opportunity to learn it you may find you do like it after all. My son took Karate when he was young and he loved it. He is a second degree black belt. It has a name besides second degree but I don't remember what it is, too long ago.

Answer 6

the best for self defence is Jeet Kun Dou

combine with Dao Dan Do for real fun

Answer 7

Most Tae Kwon Do schools that I know of DO NOT train for point sparring, but instead do "continuous sparring"...like is done in the Olympics.  Any WTF school will do continuous sparring, but ITF schools will be more likely to do point sparring.  I trained for almost 7 years in TKD, and we did do self-defence with knives and guns.  A lot of it will depend on the specific school.

Answer 8

Yes Tae Kwon Do is a good martial art, along with many others.  As a Krav Maga instructor, I have respect for anyone who uses a martial art to harness the instinct for self defense, and that is what martial arts do.

I have said many times, it is the martial artist, not the art.  The only gripe I have with TKD is that they do not do a lot of training with modern weapons (gun, knife, bottle, bat, etc).  These are things left to those of us who teach Combat Arts, as opposed to tradional martial arts.  But many Combat Arts derive techniques from traditional Martial Arts for our own purposes.

Is TKD good for self defense, well it is only as good as you are.  The greatest challenge we as instuctors face is bringing out the survival instinct in students, so they don't freeze up in combat situations.  This bring out of the survival instinct is part of our challenge as instructors, as a student your challenge is to use the tools we impart to save yourself...unless you intend strangling an attacker with your black belt, in which case we have done our job, both of us.

Answer 9

The main problem with WTF TKD is Olympic rules almost force you to fight exclusivley with feet.  Really not a good idea in the street where you should mostly use hands and maybe some low kicks along with elbows and maybe some knees.  ITF uses point sparring alot, which I also don't like for the reasons mentioned above.

I have trained and teach both Karate (Kyokushin lineage) and Muay Thai kickboxing.  I generally prefer and use MT type free style continuous sparring.  Also have trained in Jujitsu and like to mix in grappling.

Answer 10

Any martial art can be good for self defense if you train hard and are taught properly. Conversely, any martial art can be utterly useless if you don't train hard and aren't taught properly. It's dependant, in the end, on how much you put into it.

Are you going to take Taekwondo or Wushu for a couple months and be a master? No. It takes years and years to become more than average skill wise in any martial art. However, there are techniques taught from the very beginning in ALL arts that can be applied practically for self defense. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it, and here's why.

If you can't make a basic front kick, right lead, low roundhouse, or ridge hand work for you, then it won't matter what advanced techniques you learn later - you'll have the same problem.

The problem that comes into play is that spoiled, privelaged, and lazy people look for something they can pick up and "master" without much work or dedication. That's why the dojo in the US are so poor for the most part - they cater to lazy people who want instant gratification.

You get what you give, it's really that simple.

Answer 11

Yes in can be.

I am surprised at the Krav Maga guy. I agree with his comments. All martial arts can be good for self defense. It is not the Art. It is the martial Artist.

Everyone that participates and trains in martial arts have there own preferences and opinions. Usually we all think our style is the only or best style. This may be true, but it is only true for that individual. There is no best style(art). All have their strengths and weaknesses.