What do you all think about Taekwondo being added to a mixed martial artist's striking arsenal? Do you think it would be a good addition or a waste of time?
There is some good stuff; spinning back kicks have been good for a fair amount of fighters. Timing and speed is timing and speed, so that will help as well. There is also a lot of things like keeping your arms at your side to protect your body, landing kicks with the foot instead of the shin, and no punching to the head that will be important to forget.
If TKD was a good base for MMA than there would be MMA fighters with TKD bases. The problem with TKD is that it is all flash and no fire. Jumping kicks are poor kicks in MMA 99% of the time because it is harder to generate power with a jumping kick and it's much easier to lose your balance. TKD doesn't train punches to the head. Side kicks have been used effectively, but there is a risk in throwing side kicks too... Mixed martial arts requires fusing of the best aspects of any martial art you can find. There is little, not nothing but little, to be found in TKD that can't be found better elsewhere.
Those furious leg kick flurries wouldnt hurt an MMA fighter. But TKD probably will help hone a fighter's keeping distance, and getting in and out of the kill zone as fast as he can, after throwing a combo. I think the spinning backfist is from TKD? And they dont use their fists for striking enough. It's more of a kicking game. But TKD's still a good martial art.
There are loads of guys who have done TKD in the past (and even have black belts in it) but have moved on to other forms that they use for MMA. The black dude from the other night was using TDK kicks and they didn't seem to do much to his opponent. He also had his chin straight up in the air like he was asking to be knocked out. He sure wasn't a poster boy for why you'd want to use TKD in MMA.
I thought that was Kickboxing... I watched Taekwondo at the Olympics and there were no punches at all, to any part of the body.
From what I've heard it's "better than nothing" but not necessarily better than any other martial art. Not enough real sparring and realism etc. I've never done it, so I can't really say.
Well, maybe the spinning back fist IS from muay thai, not sure. I've seen a lot of TKD matches, and what's the best thing about it is teaching you how to time your strikes, keep a measured attack and counterpunching. It's like fencing, a little. But yeah, those kicks wouldnt hurt as much as Muay Thai kicks. A lot of times, theyre kicking while in the air, and they have no base. It's like 2 roosters cockfighting in the air, slapping each other with their wings and clawing each other.
Poor choice of words. What I meant was countering with roundhouse kicks, 45's a and other types of kicks. Yes, world class TKD tournaments seem to use about 85% kicks, 15% hand strikes. "Counterkicking" didnt sound right. But IIRC, one of the highest points you can get with TKD strikes is a hand strike to the top of your opponent's helmet.
I was actually asking. :good From what I had seen I thought there might have been a different type of TKD practiced at the Olympics where no punches are allowed.
