Taekwondo

Give me everything you know about Taekwondo
😬

I feel like I'm being called out here 😳 TKD basically splits into two camps, ITF and WTF (the Olympic style). ITF leans a bit more toward the gritty side, since you can throw punches to the head and strikes below the belt are allowed... it honestly feels a lot like kickboxing rules. In WTF, those aren't permitted, so the matches follow full-contact rules minus the punches to the face. There's also the gear difference; ITF fighters don't wear the heavy chest protectors or headgear that WTF practitioners do. While people might assume ITF fighters are tougher, that isn't really the case... WTF fighters tend to come out on top in sparring because their kicking technique is just far more refined. If anyone actually wants to dive deeper into this, I could always write more 😳 😁

You’ve always got Wikipedia and Google at your fingertips.
If you have a specific question, or if you're looking for actual impressions on something, then by all means, ask.
This is just a bit... unnecessary, I suppose.

😘

Chloe Torres said:I feel like I'm being called out here. 😳 Basically, TKD splits into two worlds: ITF and WTF (the Olympic style). ITF is a bit more rugged. You can throw punches to the head and below the belt. Honestly, the rules are pretty close to kickboxing. In WTF, you can't do that, so the fights are full contact, just without the punches to the face. Also, the gear is different—ITF fighters don't wear the heavy chest protectors or headgear that WTF practitioners do. Now, even though it might sound like ITF practitioners are better fighters than WTF practitioners, that's just not true. WTF practitioners actually win more often in sparring because their kicking technique is way more advanced. If anyone wants me to dive deeper, I'm happy to write more. 😳 😁

What kind of rules are they using to win? WTF practitioners have this nonsensical guard and can just soak up hits, whereas ITF fighters can go toe-to-toe with actual kickboxers. Just look at some of the legends who started with an ITF base and crushed it in other sports: Zelg Galešić, Thomas Barada, the King of taekwondo " Barada, and Serkan "Turkish Samurai" Yilmaz. I've honestly never seen a WTF practitioner reach that level of greatness...

rustyangler02 said:I don't get what criteria they even use to decide a winner in WTF... those WTF practitioners just rely on this nonsense guard and being able to soak up hits, whereas ITF guys can actually go toe-to-toe with kickboxers. Just look at the fighters who started with ITF basics and absolutely crushed it in other sports: Zelg Galešić, Thomas "King of taekwondo " Barada, and Serkan "the Turkish Samurai" Yilmaz. I honestly haven't seen anyone at that level coming out of the WTF crowd.

Look, there's no denying Zelg and Serkan are elite fighters. 👍

nimbleranger4 said:Zelg and Serkan are top-tier fighters 👍

And Thomas Barada too... take my word for it. Honestly, fighters who train under ITF rules transition into pretty much any kickboxing style—from semi-contact all the way up to K1—without breaking a sweat. They are incredibly tough opponents to deal with. Their footwork is solid, their movement is lightning fast, and they have these explosive entries. Plus, those rotational strikes? Super dangerous. They can end a fight with a nasty knockout at any second. They might be a bit weaker on hand techniques (they aren't as big on crosses or uppercuts), clinching, or low kicks...

rustyangler02 said:And then there's Tom Brady... take my word for it. Honestly, fighters who train under International Tennis Federation rules transition into almost any kickboxing style—from semi-contact all the way up to K1—without breaking a sweat. They end up being nightmare opponents because their footwork is elite, they move incredibly fast, and their entries are just explosive. Plus, those rotational strikes? Deadly. They can catch you with a nasty knockout out of nowhere. Their one real weakness is usually hand technique (they aren't big on hooks or uppercuts), clinch work, and low kicks...

Look, I don't know the guy personally, but I trust your call.👍>

nimbleranger4 said:Look, I don't really know the guy personally, but I trust him. 👍

You can find his clips all over YouTube!

rustyangler02 said:there are tons of his clips on YouTube!!!!!

Alright, I'll check them out.

nimbleranger4 said:Zelg and Sergei are actually incredible fighters 👍

Sergei is just a WTF official 😉

http://www.sporvideo.net/serkan-yilm...o-k-1-fighter/

Chloe Torres said:Sergei is a WTF official. 😉

Check out this clip of Sergei. He’s a total powerhouse on the mat. Seriously, his technique is next level. It’s wild to watch him move like that. You can tell he’s been putting in the work. Just pure skill. Definitely worth a look if you want to see some high-level fighting.

Exactly. My bad. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fighter, not just the skill level.👍

Chloe Torres said:I feel like I’m being called out. 😳 So, there's basically two sides to USA Taekwondo: the ITF side and the World Taekwondo Federation (which is what you see in the Olympics). The ITF style is definitely a bit rougher. You’re allowed to throw punches to the head and hits below the belt—honestly, the rules feel a lot more like kickboxing. In the World Taekwondo Federation, those aren't allowed, so the matches are mostly full-contact, just without the punches to the face. Also, big gear difference: ITF fighters don't wear the chest protectors or headgear, whereas the Olympic style uses all that stuff. Now, it might sound like ITF fighters would be better because it's "tougher," but that’s not really how it works. If they go head-to-head, the World Taekwondo guys usually come out on top because their kicking technique is just on a whole different level. Anyway, if anyone wants me to dive deeper into this, just let me know! I can write more. 😳 😁

Just gotta get it out there! I’ve got this kid training with me at Metallurgy, and man, he is absolutely obsessed with the sport. He keeps hitting me with a million questions, and honestly? I'm totally out of my league. Back in the day, I used to do some karate. I can handle the katas just fine, but when it comes to the actual forms... yeah, I'm pretty clueless.

By the way, Tony Ivas took third place at the World Championships in Canada last week. He’s coaching a kid now!

rustyangler02 said:seriously, what kind of rules are those that let WTF officials win...

honestly, same here. 👍

silentgardener32 said:Just get it out there! I’ve got a kid training at Metallurgy right now who is absolutely obsessed with the skill. He keeps hitting me with a million questions, and honestly, I'm stumped. I did some karate back in the day, so I know my katas, but don't ask me about forms. I'm clueless.

By the way, Tony Ivas took 3rd place at the World Championships in Canada last week. He's the one coaching the kid.

Tony is a fantastic fighter. I actually know him from the kickboxing circuit...
Big congrats to Anthony, and send my best to everyone back home in Water.
And yeah, we're definitely talking about ITF here...

rustyangler02 said:Tony is such an incredible fighter. I’ve actually seen him compete in kickboxing before...
Huge congrats to Anthony! Sending my best to everyone back in Water.
And yeah, we're talking about the International Tennis Federation here...

Right, the International Tennis Federation. The national team is actually out training in Water right now.
Chloe Torres, man, we're all just sitting here waiting for you to post something about USA Taekwondo. Come on, give us some insight on the forms!

So, what's on your mind? Feel free to pick my brain—I'm a former American national champion, after all. 🙂 😛

I suppose I could talk about forms, though there isn't much to say... for every new rank or belt you aim for, you have to master a new form, except when moving up from the initial white belt stage. They function much like katas in karate, essentially being a choreographed struggle against one or more imaginary opponents. It isn't just about memorizing the sequence of moves, but rather executing them with the right intensity—staying sharp, fast, and exhaling sharply after each strike to give the whole thing a sense of combat readiness... and then there are the actual competitions dedicated solely to form performance

wanderingridge said:What's on your mind? Feel free to ask anything—I'm a former American national champion, after all. 🙂 😛

Which version of the champion are we talking about?
Why the negative vibe toward USA Taekwondo? Honestly, I think you're missing the mark on that one.
So, what’s the deal with the merger between the World Taekwondo Federation and the International Tennis Federation? Honestly, you probably haven't heard a single thing about this.😁 )

rustyangler02 said:1. Champion under which version?
2. Why such a negative take on USA Taekwondo? (I honestly think you're a bit off base there)
3. What's the deal with the merger between World Taekwondo Federation and the International Tennis Federation?? (You definitely don't have a clue about this one😁 )

1. World Taekwondo, specifically a champion in forms. Not talking about sparring at the academy.😬
2. Look, I've been training for ten years, so I figure I’m somewhat qualified to weigh in here. As far as a sport goes? It's great. Fantastic conditioning, flexibility, all that jazz. But as something actually effective... well, not really. I mean, sure, it *can* be effective, but it's all very loose and conditional.
It's fine for, say, girls or kids.
3. No clue. I haven't been involved in that world for 5 or 6 years now.

wanderingridge said:1. WTF, I think they're champions in forms. In sparring at the academy? Maybe. 😬
2. I’ve been training for about ten years, so I guess I can claim some competence here. As a sport, it’s great—killer conditioning, flexibility, all that good stuff. But as something effective for real life? Not so much. Sure, it *can* be effective, but it's a bit hit-or-miss.
It's fine for kids or girls, though.
3. No clue, since I haven't been involved for 5 or 6 years now.

1. Ka-te-do.🤣
2. I spar against TKD fighters quite often (but ITF style), and I have to admit they can be pretty "effective." I mean, sure, the gear helps and all, but on the street? Hmm... only a smart, careful, trained, and calm fighter stands a chance at closing the distance and getting into a clinch where those guys are actually weak. Everyone else who just acts aggressive or tries to swing wildly is going straight to sleep.👍 And don't even get me started on the tall ones (the long-legged types)! Total nightmares. They're dangerous as hell!
3. This was the answer I expected. Honestly, the question wasn't even really directed at you, it was just there in case someone happened to know something.