Author: Andrew Jay

I am ranked 4th dan in Kukkiwon (WT) Taekwondo, and 4th dan in ITF Taekwondo. I also have 3rd Kyu in Aikikkai style of Aikido. I've been practicing Taekwondo since April, 1980, that's 40 years. I've been teaching and writing about Taekwondo for 15 years.
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WTF vs Kukkiwon vs ITF

We are all brothers and sisters in Taekwondo. We may perform our forms differently, or chamber here instead of there. Some of us bounce up and down when we perform our Tul. But in practice, we do embrace very different ideologies – and misconceptions.

WTF?

One of the biggest misconceptions is “WTF style Taekwondo”. WTF once stood for World Taekwondo Federation, but the acronym is the same as urban usage for “what the f**k”. Only English speakers would understand – and use – this phrase (which coincidentally is used more and more in non-English speaking parts of the world). As a result, the WTF made the bold move to change their name from WTF to WT. In other words, they dropped the “F” in their name. In a strange twist, they are still a federation, so, technically they’re called World Taekwondo, but we often refer to them as the World Taekwondo federation, rather than the World Taekwondo Federation. The “federation” was changed from a pronoun to a noun and adjective. So they really haven’t done much when they changed their name. Some of us still use WTF, but technically, their real name is World Taekwondo, and we should be using WT to abbreviate.

Ok, so what is WT, then?

WT is a lot of things. One thing they are not is a style of Taekwondo. It is improper – however common – for someone to indicate that the style of Taekwondo they practice is WT or WTF.

Top Of The Hierarchy – WT

WT is name of a federated organization of Taekwondo organizations, which are themselves federated organizations of organizations. WT is a hierarchically organized system of organizations. A federation, by the way, is a loosely self-governed organization making up a collection of other organizations. At the top of the federation is WT. They govern all that is competition and Olympics. If your aspirations are to compete, the WT is where you will get your resources from.

But as we know, Taekwondo is all over the world, and it has a lot of members. So many members, that a single organization can’t easily manage the day-to-day business of handling them and then deal with competition and Olympics on top.

Next Down The Hierarchy – Regions

Individuals do not become members of WT per se – only organizations can do that. The WT is thus divided into five regions. These regions are themselves federations. The regions are: Pan America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceana.

The Pan America region includes North, Central, and South America; Europe and Africa comprise the Europe and Africa continents, respectively. Oceans is comprised of Australia and New Zealand. And Asia is comprised of the Asian countries including Russia.

Next Down The Hierarchy – Member States

But individuals aren’t members of WT regions, either. Members of WT regions are called member states. Member states are individual countries. Individual people become members of their member state country. As an American, I am part of the USA member state.

The countries that make up the Pan America region are: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominique, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British), and Virgin Islands (US).

WT Responsibilities

Some of the responsibilities of WT (delegated to their regions, which delegate to the member countries) include certifying coaches and referees. This is a bit different than certifying instructors and black belt dan holders. I mention this for a reason, and it will be clear when I explain what Kukkiwon is all about.

WT handles everything about competition. This includes setting up rules, advertising, insuring, delegation of responsibilities, publicity. And coaching and refereeing. If you want to be a coach, you go through your member state country, apply to become a coach, do all that they tell you to do, pay all that they tell you to pay, and fill out all the paperwork they tell you to fill out. Then you become a coach, because the WT tells you that you are a coach. They’ll have done a background check, they’ll ensure that you have the proper credentials and so on. But that’s the route you’ll take to become a coach. They’ll even demand that you take coaching courses, and they provide that as well. It is similar with becoming a referee. You apply via the WT member state, fill out paper, train, pay, and you’re a referee.

It is assumed (and required) that when you become a coach or a referee, that one of your qualifications is that you are ranked. Depending on the job and level of coaching or refereeing, you might need to be several dans (or degrees). So where do you get your dan from?

Kukkiwon Responsibilities

Hint: You don’t get it from WT, you get it from Kukkiwon. Kukkiwon governs all things about the style, including the poomsae you perform, the qualifications to black belt dans, instructor certification, and education.

In that role, it is proper to refer to Kukkiwon as the “style”. The style of Taekwondo is guided by the forms you do, the focus on the techniques, the culture, and all aspects of the kicks and punches we do – but not about the competition. If you want to become an instructor, you apply through Kukkiwon. If you want to apply for a dan grade, you apply through an instructor, who will apply on your behalf through Kukkiwon. As Kukkiwon is the style (and organization namesake), they govern exactly what it is that makes up the style. The rules for becoming a 1st dan are stipulated by Kukkiwon, because that’s the job of the style. Your dan grade has nothing to do with competition, which is why WT remains hands off in that regard.

By now, you should start to see the difference between Kukkiwon and WT. I’ll need to break away from both organizations for a moment so that I can mention one more thing that separates them.

The Olympics

In order to be in the Olympics, each athlete joins (guess what?) a member state. The hierarchy of the Olympics is very similar to that of World Taekwondo – and that is no coincidence. One of the rules set by the Olympics is that they generally do not deal with governments, per se. They deal with non-government bodies that are responsible for athlete liaison, drug testing, qualifications, rules, and so forth.

The problem is that Kukkiwon is a government-run organization which falls under the South Korean Ministry of Sports. It would be improper for the Olympic committee to be working directly with a government organization. This creates challenges for many countries, particularly the more socialist ones where the state controls everything. So, the IOC sets rules so that each region handles the manner of implementing the rules for the Olympics, so long as things are otherwise equitable with the rest of the world. To that end, Kukkiwon is not allowed to engage in official capacity with the IOC. Certainly, South Korean citizens are in positions of power in the government, and the government runs Kukkiwon. It would be uncomfortable, I think, for a French person to be running a government organization in South Korea.

WT…

The World Taekwondo is where this is handled. In the World Taekwondo organization, there is no country requirement or country bias. Leaders are elected through a democratic process which transcends the country of the running members. In this way, anyone from any country can hold a position in the World Taekwondo organization (or in any of its regions’ hierarchies). Thus, the IOC works directly with the World Taekwondo federation in matters of competition and Olympics, and it is not doing so directly with the South Korean government. OK, so Kukkiwon headquarters is based in Seoul. It turns out, so is the World Taekwondo. (And for those who need a primer, Seoul is the capital of South Korea). Whoops!

Alright, so now you know what WT, WTF, and Kukkiwon is. What about ITF?

ITF

As it turns out, Kukkiwon is not the only style of Taekwondo out there. There’s another style called International Taekwondo Federation, abbreviated ITF.

Hierarchy

ITF is fraught with their own politics, as there are at least four ITF organizations, all claiming to be the official style. (Yes, ITF is both a style and the namesake of the organization). And part of the confusion people have originates from the fact that there is (or was) a World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and an International Taekwono Federation (ITF). WTF is not a style, whereas ITF is a style. Confused? Yeah, well so is everyone else. That, and the fact it’s easier to say and write WTF (and now WT) instead of Kukkiwon, which tends to be a mouthful to say. So, when you hear someone muttering about the WTF style, you know they really mean Kukkiwon.

Style or Organization?

ITF, then, is a style and an organization. Well, it’s “a style” and there are 4 “organizations” all claiming to be “the” official name and style. The four organizations are: ITF (headquartered in Pyongang, North Korea), ITF (headquartered in Benidorm, Spain), ITF (headquartered in Vienna, Austria), and ITF (headquartered in Sejong City, South Korea). Well, there is another tiny little outpost in Middlesex in the United Kingdom.

Vienna headquarters has a web domain “itf-tkd.org”.

Benedorm headquarters has a web domain “tkd-itf.org”, and redirects to “taekwondoitf.org”.

South Korea headquarters has a web domain of “itfofficial.org”.

Well, on it goes. There are a myriad ITF organizations, actually. But the one thing they all have in common is this: they practice the Chang Hon style of forms: the family of forms that General Choi, Hong-Hi, founder of ITF, himself invented. Collectively, they’re called the Chang Hon family of forms, but, some organizations (and indeed, schools) differ on how they perform them, and the difference is striking.

Terminology

Broadly speaking, those who refer to the Chang Hon family of forms as “tul”, sometimes spelled “teul”, (which is Korean, and means “pattern”, and this particular word derives from Chinese “taoulu”, which is what Kung Fu practitioners refer to their forms in China) perform their forms with a signature sine wave pattern. You’ll see them perform their movements in a deliberate up and down motion, with a strong hiss in their breath as the perform a movement – every movement. The other way the Chang Hon forms are called is “hyung” (sometimes spelled “hyeong”) which also means “pattern” in Korean. These schools tend to perform the same forms without the bouncing up and down.

Incidentally, the Kukkiwon/WT practitioners universally refer to their forms as “poomsae” (also means “pattern”), and they do NOT bounce up and down, either.

There you have it: poomsae, hyung, and tul. They all mean “form”, “shape”, or “pattern” – they’re synonymous.

Differences And Similarities
Chamber

Well, there are other differences and similarities, too. The tul folks will chamber their hands at the waist, just as the poomsae folks do. The hyung folks tend to chamber their fist at the chest.

Kihap

The hyung and poomsae folks breathe more or less silently when performing their forms, except at particular spots in their respective form that call for a shout, or “kihap”. The tul folks loudly and forcefully hiss at each movement, but don’t generally issue a kihap in the performance of their forms.

Applications

The tul folks tend to be very scientific and exact with their movements, and do tend to include a great deal of self-defense in their curriculum. The poomsae folks have no idea what self-defense is, and how poomsae applies to self-defense (okay, that was sarcasm…) And the hyung crowd tend to balance sport and self-defense more or less equitably.

Note, these are stereotypes, and schools within each type will vary. I’ve seen tul schools chamber at the chest, and I’ve seen Kukkiwon schools hiss. I’ve seen hyung schools chamber at the hip and teach self-defense.

Books

The “bible” for each style is different. For the Kukkiwon folks, they’ll always refer to the official Taekwondo textbook which Kukkiwon re-releases every few years. The ITF folks always refer to General Choi’s Encyclopedia of Taekwondo, which never changes.

Culture

Poomsae schools are open for change, and strive to improve through change. In other words, they evolve. Hence, you’ll see new sets of forms and new techniques used in those forms, as well as noting some techniques have been subtracted out. ITF folks always practice with preservation of history and legacy in mind. Change is non-existent. You strive to do better by improving on the technique, not by throwing it out or adding in new ones.

Conclusion

IMHO, there’s no one way better than the other. I bemoan the changes to Kukkiwon, as it is truly becoming only a young man’s sport with all of its jumping and flipping. But I also bemoan the ITF because they could use some changes, but they won’t because of the reverence to Gen Choi. They tend to preserve from a historical context, so change is non-existent.

One thing that is interesting to me is that in their respective tomes, there is virtually no mention of self-defense. The forms were not built from the perspective of self-defense, the way Karate’s forms were. For some reason, either the Japanese did not teach the Koreans the meaning of the forms, or the Koreans didn’t understand the applicability, or they rejected the idea altogether in an attempt to create their own style separate from the Japanese. There are debates on this topic as well, and so I won’t weigh in here, except to say that this is debated.

I did say that the tomes have “no mention of self-defense”. That’s not entirely true. Reading both tomes, you will come across one or two applications for each form’s most prominent or odd movement, and then there is a brief explanation of how it can be used for self-defense. The descriptions are laughable – so much so that it appears to be somewhat of an afterthought, rather than a purpose of the movement considered when the forms were made up. I completely reject nearly all of the self-defense principles, in both books, and I’ll go through them in greater deal in other blog posts, so you can agree with me or disagree.

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What’s Wrong with Kukkiwon-Style Taekwondo Self-Defense

Evolution of Taekwondo

Taekwondo used to be about self-defense.  It was battlefield tested in the Korean and Viet Nam wars.  In the dojang you are not taught battlefield tactics, although the concepts are loosely taken from the battlefield and applied to street defense. You practiced without sparring gear.  You worked hard to get a black belt (and every color leading up to it).  It took a long time to get a black belt.  There were meanings to the forms.  Breaking meant breaking things. 

Now, competitors dress up like astronauts, and schools sell $6 worth of material that wholesales for $50 and retails for $250.  6-year-olds can get a black belt.  One can “earn” a black belt in only 2 or 3 years.  You do forms just to get through a test.  And they make boards that are 1/4″ thick and can barely withstand the pressure of a sneeze.

In its technical application, Taekwondo is about self-defense, breaking, forms, and sparring.  But in each of these areas, Kukkiwon Taekwondo has withered away into a system that does not adequately prepare the student for self-defense.

Illegal Sparring Techniques

Sparring is limited only to punches to the trunk, and kicks above the waist.

In demonstrating what that really means, it is plainly obvious that as a martial art, there is a lot lacking.

Elbow Strikes

That stuff you do in Taeguek 5 and 8 is meaningless, unless you apply it for the self-defense curriculum which does not exist.

Face Punches

In several of the Taeguek, Palgwe, and Yudanja forms are illegal in sparring, and without a self-defense curriculum, and actual practice to use the technique, is liable to garner you a sprained wrist if you don’t train properly for it.

Knifehand Strikes

In Taeguek in Taeguek 3, and that really strange “swallow poom” in Taeguek 4, are totally illegal in sparring, because hand strikes must only be of the clenched fist. You can block with an open hand, but you can’t score a point with it.

Upper Cuts

The upper cut in Taeguek 7 is not illegal in sparring, it’s just that it’s useless because where you hit the kidneys you are not likely to record a punch from the electronic scoring sensors. They’re built to detect hard kicks, not punches which are often not strong enough to count as a strike by the sensors. The upper cut in Taeguek 8 is illegal because there are (1) no grabbing, and (2) no punching to the head.

Knee Strikes

In Taeguek 7 is illegal in sparring, and will get you DQ’ed for illegal technique. You can’t even block with the knee. And you can’t grab the head, that is an illegal technique also.

Backfist Strikes

In Taeguek 5, 7, and 8 are patently illegal in sparring, and will also get you DQ’ed. Further, the grabbing alone in Taeguek 7 (just before the backfist) will also get you DQ’ed.

Throat Strikes (arc-hand, kawi-chigi)

This is also illegal in sparring and will get you DQ’ed.

Strange Techniques
  • Taeguek 4’s “swallow poom” (jebipoom mok chigi)
  • Keumgang, Pyongwon, Po Eun’s “cup and saucer” (dolzeogi makki)
  • Keumgang’s crane stance
  • Keumgang, Taebaek, Won Hyo, and Chung Moo’s “diamond block” (keumgang makki)
  • Sipjin and Gae Baek’s “push mountain” 
  • Sipjin and Se Jong’s “yoke block”
  • Chonkwon’s “spreading wings”
  • Chonkwon’s “mountain push”
  • Chonkwon, Taebaek, and Do San’s “wrist release”
  • Gae Baek and Se Jong’s 9-block
  • Keumgang and Gae Baek’s mountain block

These are all generally legal in sparring. But there is no reason to use them, unless you use them to strike, and unless done with a clenched fist or foot below the ankle, you can expect a warning.

There are other techniques that are not present in Kukkiwon poomsae, but do show in some ITF forms, such as the eye pokes (Choong Jang hyung), are patently illegal in sparring. Kukkiwon’s textbook occasionally describes such techniques, but they are not seen in any form.

And you can forget about grappling or weapons. In fact, Taekwondo is taught as an “unarmed martial art”.

Breaking

Breaking is often showcased in flamboyant flips and partner-assisted lifts with multiple arial breaks of very thin boards. And yet, breaking has little martial relevance.

What Is Self-Defense

So really…  What is self-defense?  Isn’t it a means for protecting oneself?

This tends to be a loaded question, and it requires an understanding of what martial arts, combat sports, and self-defense are.

Martial Arts
Etymology

“Martial” means “of, or pertaining, to war“.

“Arts” in this context means several things, which in of itself embodies martial arts perfectly, and is stated well by Merriam-Webster:

  1. skill acquired by experience, study, or observation
    1. the art of making friends
    1. a branch of learning:
      1. one of the humanities
      2. arts plural : LIBERAL ARTS
    2. archaic
      1. LEARNING, SCHOLARSHIP
  3. an occupation requiring knowledge or skill
    1. the art of organ building
    1. the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects
      1. the art of painting landscapes
    2. works so produced
      1. a gallery for modern art
    3.  FINE ARTS
      1. one of the fine arts
      2. one of the graphic arts
  5.  archaic : a skillful plan
    1. the quality or state of being artful
  6. decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter
Putting It Together

When you put it all together, you can deduce this general definition based on word etymology:

“A branch of learning war skills acquired by experience, study, or observation“

As a result, you can see the concept of wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, karate, aikido, muay thai, etc are not really “martial arts”, despite that we commonly call them that.

And the definition begs the question: “how does this help me in self-defense“?

It doesn’t – and was never meant to. But if we study an example of what martial arts historically really is, we can see why.

Example Of Martial Arts

A modern example of martial arts is the military. When a soldier goes to boot camp, they learn all sorts of skills – not necessarily related to fighting. Of course they learn how to fire rifles and throw hand grenades. They’ll also learn some hand-to-hand combat. But, they’ll also learn first aid, wash clothes, take care of personal hygiene, bivouac, command structure, and other soldiering duties. And when a soldier goes to MOS training, they’ll learn to focus on a particular skill, like infantry. Or cooking, or chaplain, or engine repair.

That is because all of these skills train soldiers to become as independent as possible during war. There won’t necessarily be a laundromat in the deserts to wash uniforms, nor will there be a place to worship – and even if there were, there’d be no guarantee of safety. As a result, militaries around the world – and importantly throughout history – have taught their soldiers to become independent. We call this branch of discipline and knowledge “martial arts“. Yes, first aid, cooking, and radio communications are just as important to a soldier as learning how to build and deploy bombs, fire M-16s, and drive tanks.

Rationalize The School As A Place To Learn Martial Arts

And notice that few dojangs, dojos, and kwoons will teach their students how to fire M-16’s, etc. How is it then, that these places are teaching “martial arts“? There are two kinds of answers.

One is :

Just because. We’ve been taught that what I’m learning is a martial art, so, I’m learning martial arts, so get over it. [insert your martial art] is a martial art.

The other answer is

They aren’t. You’re being taught only a small part of what war skills are, and then adapted for private use. So, strip out the first aid, tank driving, and Claymore mine planting, and keep the hand-to-hand combat skills, then adapt it for… (well, we’ll get into that in a minute) and you have what we call “martial arts“.

Are You Really Learning Martial Arts?

IMHO, what you are learning in any dojang, dojo, kwoon, and gym is anything but martial arts. In most cases, what you’re really learning is combat sports or self-defense.

As if it wasn’t contentious enough to say that your beloved BJJ, MMA, Taekwondo, Karate, boxing, and wrestling classes weren’t truly martial arts, it gets worse when I say they’re mostly not even self-defense. Either because of the focus of the instruction or because of the ignorance of the instructor.

Self Defense

Self-defense is a strategy of defending yourself against the average assailant. It’s not meant to suggest self-defense against an armed military combatant, mercenary, or covert government operation, which is typical for martial arts. Real martial arts.

I’m talking about barroom fights, street thugs, home invasions, carjackers, hold-ups, and the like. It generally implies the training for hand-to-hand combat – situations for when the common population has generally nothing to help them defend themselves.

Pointing Fingers

It’s funny to see the MMA crowd whine that Taekwondo isn’t realistic for the street, or that Taekwondo whines that Wushu use weapons like butterfly swords and spears are illegal on the street and so the style is irrelevant, or that Aikido requires compliance and has no strikes. And the outlier is the one trained in handgun use, and says none of you have a plan to deal with an armed mugger, while the others argue guns can’t be taken into many places.

It’s comical and petty, because they’re all bitterly pointing fingers at each other about realism, and each are as culpable as the other, because they’re not truly understanding what it is they’re studying, and worse, what self-defense really means.

Ideal Self-Defense Strategy

For good self-defense skills, you ought to have a broad range of instruction, and some of that necessarily needs to require hand-to-hand fighting. Use of fire arms, grappling, kicking and punching, weapon disarming, and ethics and law are all necessary components of good, well-rounded self-defense skills.

Consider the adage: “If the only tool you have in your toolbox is a hammer, then all of your problems will look like nails”.

If the only thing you have learned for self-defense is carrying a firearm, what will happen to you when you get into an argument in a bar with a drunk patron?

That’s right, you’ll be taught to use the firearm, and that is not an appropriate use of justifiable force. Indeed, you risk injuring other innocent people, you may be barred from carrying it into the bar, and if the person insulting you has used only words, you can be jailed – or even charged with murder.

And if you are taught how to kick only above the waist and punch only the trunk, what do you think will happen when you are accosted on the street by several muggers each armed with a knife?

That’s right, you will get hurt. Badly. You may not survive.

In each of these scenarios, the fault is entirely yours: you did not understand what self-defense means. You did not seek competent and complete instruction.

Well-Rounded Self-Defense

You may encounter several places that have competent, but incomplete instruction. For example, an MMA school teaches grappling, a firearms school teaches how to use a handgun for self-defense, aikido teaches about mindfulness and using the opponent’s aggression against them are all good self-defense learning strategies – as long as you study them all. In addition, seek instruction about law and ethics. It may mean the difference between you or the perpetrator going to jail or being sued.

Don’t listen to the concrete black-and-white justifications of “better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”. That is nonsense and is a strawman argument for using deadly force in all situations. You have a family to support, yes? Well don’t risk that by going to prison. (And, don’t risk that by being buried 6′ underground, either).

Self-defense is a narrow concept with broad considerations. It’s like insurance: you hate to pay for it until you need it. Study it in its entirety. But don’t think you Taekwondo classes at the strip mall or the MMA gym turning out state champions are going to be all that you need to know for competent self-defense.

Know that there is no one single style that teaches all aspects of good self-defense, nor does there exist any seminar that adequately teaches proper self-defense you can use competently on the street. You WILL have to put in the time, energy, and money to learn self-defense. That trophy on the wall will not help you.

Combat Sports

Combat sports can be an important part of learning self-defense. It’s just that they are not the end-all-be-all for self-defense. Boxers will tell you “nobody ever messed with me when I took boxing”. BJJ students say similar. Taekwondo students say similar.

Statistically, most of us will not need to resort to self-defense, and if we do, most of us will either hand over the cash or car, or will talk our way out. The remainder of the time, we will need to resort to hard skills, either with hand-to-hand or firearm skills.

Each combat sport teaches an aspect that contributes to the sport – but not for the purpose of self-defense. Of course, you can apply many fighting techniques to self-defense and claim that the sport works for self-defense. But if we get to the adage of having only a hammer in the toolbox and then apply it to self-defense, we end up with something that can kill us or a loved one.

Dangers Of Relying On Sport For Self Defense

Consider the guy who’s mugged on the street by a perpetrator, and takes the perp to the ground and applies a rear-naked choke on the guy. Great, you took him out and you’re safe. Except you weren’t trained to think about the guy’s friends, each of them armed with knives, bats, or guns. Besides getting the beating of your life, what is your plan now that you are on the ground and outnumbered?

Or consider that a mugger sticks a knife in your face demanding your money. Your state-champion high kicking skills allows you to knock his block off his shoulders – except the knife cuts through your femur artery. You’re dead in minutes.

The Three Authorities: Criminal, Civil, and Spiritual

Consider that you are in a crowded place, a fight ensues, and a drunk breaks a bottle over your head. You pull out your side arm and fire 2 shots at him, and one of them kills him. The other kills an innocent person. You might be cleared of the homicide charges for killing the guy with the bottle, but you may be charged with killing the bystander. You will most certainly have to fight a civil suit from the person’s estate (and possibly from the estate of the bottle holder). It’s possible you even survive all that – but will you survive the thought that you took an innocent person’s life? Your spiritual beliefs will play a role as to how you may survive – or not survive – this episode.

Relvance to Taekwondo

Kukkiwon Taekwondo doesn’t have a curriculum for it, and neither Kukkiwon’s textbook nor Gen Choi’s Encyclopedia of Taekwondo describe much in the way of self-defense.  For Kukkiwon in particular, it’s not defined as part of any dan grading requirement – only sparring, forms, and breaking.  We punch and kick according to tournament rules.  Classes are spent refining roundhouse and spin kicks, not something that should be used on the street.  Any kick where the foot is raised above the waist, or that requires to spin on the balls of the toes is just asking for trouble. 

What The Purists Believe

There are purists out there that say their spin or round kicks can knock out their opponent and have the trophies to back it up.  They are forgetting two key details. 

The first is that not everyone can break more than two boards with either kick.  With that lack of skill, apply that on the street with an opponent who is filled with adrenaline, has weapons and friends, and you’re throwing these techniques in sneakers on uneven ground.  You really think you have a shot at a knock out? 

The second thing that is oft-forgotten is that street fights have no rules.  You can kick anywhere – including the front of the face, the groin, and knees; or you can strike with any hand technique – including eye pokes, palms to the nose or chin, or knifehand to the neck or throat; or you can catch and trap your opponent’s strikes.  So take that round or spin kick that can’t break boards and apply it to someone whose natural reaction is to catch your foot.  Think you have a shot at a knockout now?

Lacking Realism

To be fair, though, many schools do practice self-defense techniques.  But watch any YouTube video of Taekwondo self-defense.  There lacks true realism in their demonstrations. It’s not that YouTube is the definitive resource out there, but it is the go-to place for people who don’t know better. And it’s not that Taekwondo schools all teach horribly, but it’s the standard, and few schools that rise above that low bar do not feel the need to showcase their skills. 

Conclusion

If you want to learn self-defense here is a laundry-list of thing you need to be proficient in. If an instruction does not cover them, you should either go to a different instructor, or take several classes.

Kicking

Kicking skills are typically taught in Taekwondo, Karate, kick-boxing, MMA, and Muay Thai. Be wary that in Taekwondo, and sometimes kickboxing, the emphasis is on high kicks – exactly what you do not want in self defense. Karate’s kicks are low in some styles, and high in others. It depends on the school and style’s focus. The more there is a focus on sports, the higher the kicks will be thrown.

Punching

Punching skills are typically taught in Karate, kick-boxing, boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA schools. As to Taekwondo, they are taught there as well, but the focus is typically placed on foot techniques.

Grappling

Grappling is typically taught in BJJ, Judo, Jujitsu, wrestling, Krav Maga, and Aikido schools. Some of the better Karate schools will teach it. Few Taekwondo schools teach grappling at all.

Weapons

Weapons are taught in firearms schools, some Aikido, some Karate, Arnis, and Silat. Keep in mind that weapon use as well as weapon disarm are also good skills to have. Also, there are weapons taught for historical context, such as HEMA and feudal-era Japanese weaponry. These are not helpful for modern practical self-defense.

Law and Ethics

Learn about justifiable use of deadly force, castle doctrine, and stand your ground. This differs by state and country, so be careful of the instruction you get. Often, a good instructor here is a good lawyer or police officer.

Well-rounded self-defense

Learn about avoiding dark alleys, how you dress, carrying valuables, defensive driving, safe buying and selling over the internet, locking doors, landscaping concepts, interior and exterior lighting, and identity theft. Self-defense clinics are good for this purpose. Battered women’s shelters are also good, although you must also be a victim here; also, there is a theory that teaching victims to fight back (read: women) can be dangerous and should be discouraged. Don’t fall for that crap. Learning self-defense can only help, never hurt – as long as the instruction is competent.

In defense of others

Your self-defense instruction should include defending others when you are not the object of attack.

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What’s Wrong with Kukkiwon-Style Taekwondo Forms?

Forms – “kata” in Japanese; “taoulu” in Chinese; and “poomsae”, “hyung”, and “tul” in Korean – are supposed to be the spirit of the martial art.  The “art” in martial arts is a double-entendre, and some folks truly put the “art” into martial arts. 

Forms are supposed to have more than artistic meaning.  In fact, they’re supposed to have anything BUT an artistic meaning.  Done properly, the performer (aka, “artist”) should convey the meaning or application of the form, or its parts.  In other words, it’s about interpretation.  (Remind me again, how is this any different from a typical artist’s job??)  Through forms, the martial artist should really be putting the “martial” in martial arts.

History

Taekwondo’s history is cloudy and fiercely debated.  The system of hand and foot techniques and its poomsae are unequivocally new.  The system was named Taekwondo in 1955, a mere 60-odd years ago.  But its techniques are very old – and not necessarily Korean (or Chinese or Japanese or any culture).  Now, the essence of Kukkiwon Taekwondo evolves (some say devolves?) toward competition, but one cannot escape the disconnect between sparring and poomsae.

Although today we practice the Taeguek family of forms, they do replace an older under-belt set of forms called Palgwe, which loosely resemble Shotokan Karate kata (a Japanese term that we in Taekwondo use for poomsae).  Considering that many of the founders of the original kwans which now form Kukkiwon Taekwondo had influences from Shotokan, this isn’t exactly surprising.  The older Shotokan kata are unequivocally built with self-defense techniques in mind.  According to Kukkiwon’s textbook and website, the Taeguek family of forms more closely represent sparring (!)

Yet in studying Kukkiwon Taekwondo forms, one notes a significant lack of “application”, whether to sparring or to self-defense.  Not that there isn’t any, at least for self-defense.  But it’s not described in the official website, or in the official textbook.  And it’s not even described in non-official books.  It’s like… nobody is even talking about it. What’s more, most of the techniques used in poomsae are useless or illegal in sparring. And what we do in sparring is not at all represented in poomsae. Kukkiwon has a lot of explaining to do to make the connection between poomsae and sparring. I do not see it at all.

Application and Analysis

When we study Kukkiwon Taekwondo forms, particularly Taeguek and the 9 yudanja black belt forms, we are told of “application of techniques”.  This is mentioned in both the Kukkiwon-approved textbook, and on Kukkiwon’s website.  There isn’t anything that covers all of each form’s application – a significant omission in my opinion.  It turns out one can learn to perform all eight of the Taeguek forms in just a couple of weeks and be reasonably proficient in demonstrating them, so it stands to reason that Kukkiwon Poomsae are meant to be interpreted as they are: what you see is what you get, or as we say in computer parlance, WYSIWYG.  Indeed, that is often how they are taught and tested:  If you can remember the form and do the techniques within them properly, you pass.  I’ve been studying Taekwondo for 40 years now, and no school, competition, or seminar has ever discussed application.

It seems to me that the powers that decided to put the forms together either had no idea of the application behind the concept of poomsae, or they dismissed the idea altogether as being “too Japanese”. In the former case, having no idea, it means their instruction was lacking. Considering that the Japanese did not have a very high regard for the Koreans during their occupation, this is plausible. In both the former and latter cases, it should be noted that the Chinese did have a concept of bunkai and oyo, so it stands to reason that dismissing the idea of application and analysis as being too Japanese makes this argument less plausible.

Whatever the case, the fact that there is not a section in the Kukkiwon site or textbook dedicated to application or analysis proves that bunhae is not important to the Koreans.  Whether application was a foundation for the forms, or was an afterthought, that is another matter, and is often debated.  Nevertheless,  there is lots still missing.  It turns out that one way to figure out the application of a form’s techniques is to dissect the form, and then apply some imagination as to how it can be used.  The Japanese do this using a process they call “bunkai” and “oyo“.  Perhaps, that was intended for Kukkiwon forms?

Perhaps Japanese influence on the Korean founders of Taekwondo was not so great that the Koreans had an acute understanding of kata in the same way their Japanese instructors did, and that either the Japanese instructors did not regard their Korean students very highly, or their students did not understand, or their students did not stick around long enough to be taught.  It’s anyone’s guess, and there are many theories.  And anyway, one can also argue that the Japanese themselves didn’t have as good an understanding of application, or bunkai, as the Okinawans did.

One principle about Japanese kata is that they have numerous hidden, or alternative, techniques.  In Japanese, the WYSIWYG part of the applications are the omote bunkai – the obvious bunkai.  A punch is a punch.  The other bunkai is the ura bunkai – the stuff they don’t teach you much about.  These are the alternative – sometimes called “hidden” – applications.  These are techniques that could be used in different ways.  A “low block”, for instance, can be a throw (koshinage – a kind of hip throw).  This explains why some techniques – like the low block – are nearly always executed in a front stance.  It isn’t that this technique can’t be done from other stances, but in order for a koshinage to work properly, it requires a good solid foundation.  When this technique needs to be employed as a low block, then of course it can be used in any stance.  So it takes years to master even the basic forms, just to understand the nuances of each technique and its many applications.

Actually, I don’t really like the phrase “hidden technique”, despite its widespread use; nor do I hold belief that they are hidden due to some political infrastructure prohibiting use of some techniques.  In my opinion, techniques can be used in many ways, of course, but the easy path is sufficient for the beginner: this is a block, this is a strike, this is a kick.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Perhaps, the Korean masters thought the same.  Truthfully, no Korean master I have ever trained with seemed to care about such details, and so perhaps this is how I inherited my feelings on the subject.

It would seem that the Korean founders applied no such concept to their forms.  Low blocks, for instance, are nearly always performed in a front stance, and the front stance’s narrow girth clearly does not allow for proper foundation for a throw.  So a low block is really just that: a block to a low strike.

And if you read the Kukkiwon textbook or the website, a low block is just that: a low block.  This is odd: blocking in self-defense is taboo.  Blocking necessarily requires the attacker-strength-vs-defender-strength scenario.  If the Taekwondo practitioner is stronger, then the block can win.  Otherwise, the block loses.  Blocking should be a last resort – and last resort techniques are definitely not something beginners should be taught, or they’ll turn out to be the first resort techniques used.

Whether the Korean founders weren’t exposed to the concept of bunkai, or they didn’t understand, or maybe they just didn’t care, it’s hard to tell.  Okinawan and Japanese martial art masters of the day were notorious for closely guarding their philosophies and teachings, and so it’s not unreasonable to think they did not want to expose these ideas to any but their most trusted students.  For many Korean students of Karate who would later become founders of the various “kwans”, there is no evidence that this ever happened.  Even many who published memoirs or autobiographies simply stated they “trained under Ginchin Funakoshi”, etc, but never really elaborated on what that really meant.  Nevertheless, the forms are taught today in WYSIWYG format – what-you-see-is-what-you-get.  No hidden techniques.  Not even the Kukkiwon textbook (or the website, which borrows from the textbook) explains anything about hidden or alternative techniques.  There are brief explanations about the more mundane aspects of each form; however, a great many techniques – actually, a majority – are left out.  The intended purpose could have been meant as an exercise for the student to apply his or her own application.  But this just doesn’t seem likely.

In order to study further whether or not there are any hidden (or rather, “alternative”) techniques, one can refer back to history, and from there we start with the Palgwe forms, which are derived from Japanese kata.  From there, we can look to actual Japanese kata.  The Japanese have numerous books on the subject, and there are often debates, discussions, and seminars just on the very concept of bunkai.

Taekwondo has no modern concept of bunkai, more appropriately called “bunhae” in Korean.  Bunhae is only a recent concept – after the fact.  One must still look to the Japanese to find the hidden techniques and then retrofit the hidden techniques to each form’s techniques.

So let’s attempt to apply our own bunhae to poomsae.  Bunhae is the analysis of a form.  We examine the possible applications to discover how the techniques can be used in different ways.  It is thus we discover the “hidden” or alternative techniques.

First, let’s establish some ground rules.

Number one, what we do in the ring is not recommended on the street: some techniques, like high or jumping kicks, can get you killed.  Number two, what we do on the street in self-defense is not recommended in the ring: some techniques, like throat strikes, can kill.  At the least, they are generally illegal techniques with no or negative point value.  So, I would submit that the forms’ applications were modified to represent sparring applications is utter nonsense.  I know, I’m only a lowly 4th degree in Kukkiwon Taekwondo.  And the 9th degree doctorates who gathered to produce what is now the website and textbook collectively established what I label as “nonsense” makes me appear pretentious.  I get it.  Maybe I am.  But hear me out first.

Rule two: There are no such things as multiple opponents.  Perform your forms with the notion you are aware of multiple opponents – this affects your eyeline and attitude – but don’t perform them and explain them in the context of multiple opponents.  Multiple opponents do not take their time to attack you.  Don’t assume this is the case in your forms.

Rule three: The forms are guidelines for your self-defense.  Hand position changes with events that occur in real-time.  Eyeline, duration of technique, directionality, and even sequence of technique are not necessarily written in stone.  The forms are not absolute.  Practice them as if they are, and be rigid in their performance, but don’t be so rigid in their application.  Think outside the box.  For this reason, it is necessary to practice the forms with no more amount of practice dedicated to the analysis of the forms.  Otherwise, your execution of techniques in actual self-defense will be done according to the rigidity of your training – and that wasn’t meant to be.

That’s it.  For now.  Three simple rules.  There are others we can cover along the way, but these I value above all others.  I didn’t make them up, this is simple common sense.

It not exactly a secret that Kukkiwon Taekwondo is all about sparring.  There is a disconnect between forms and sparring.  Just where are the sparring techniques in the forms?  The fancy kicks, like the tornado roundhouse, or the jumping reverse side kick?  What about the front leg kicks?  What about the reverse side kick or even the basic axe kick?  Or Taekwondo’s signature spin kick?  Or even the lowly roundhouse kick?  How about the stepping motions – like the slides, lateral steps, hops, and switch stances?  Why isn’t there any concept of timing in the forms (technically, timing is left for the practitioner’s own style.  But it seems rare for sparring-style timing to be applied to poomsae; just look at any champion-grade poomsae competition, and you’ll note an odd similarity between all of the competitors in this regard, and none apply any sort of sparring concept to their style.)  It turns out, there just isn’t any of this.

Note, for example, in Kukkiwon Taekwondo, that all of the stances are compressed.  The forward stance requires 2 foot lengths apart between heel to toe, and the insides of the feet should touch a straight line.  (The newer guidelines suggest a knee-covers-toe algorithm, which is much better and allows taller folks to compete properly.  The problem is that the new guidelines allow to perform techniques the old way, and new judges in competition are keen to this and will deduct points.  Looks like they giveth and taketh away?)  If I do this technique (the 2 foot length way) in this manner, I feel like I’m standing on a surf board.  Ok, this is reminiscent of Chinese Kung Fu styles, another influence on the original Kwan founders.  But this is a recent change, not something inherited from old-school.  I am unsure whether the Chinese had any particular measurement for the foot distance.  At any rate, this isn’t exactly a position I want to be in when defending myself.  The Chinese have their reasons and their own bunkai for this, but it doesn’t seem to manifest in Korean-style Kukkiwon Taekwondo.  In fact, shorter people tend to exhibit better balance than taller folks, since taller folks’ centers of gravity are disproportionatly higher than shorter folks’.  It used to be that the forward stance was as wide as the shoulders; now, it’s a third of the width.  It used to be that the forward stance’s stride was such that the bent knee just covered the toes from eyseight, while the back knee remained locked.  In this manner, the old way gave extraordinary stability, but at the expense of not being able to move as quickly.

Part of the reason this was done can be found in the Taekwondo textbook authorized by Kukkiwon.  It is a deliberate move to sacrifice balance and stability for speed of movement – ostensibly for sparring.  They don’t stipulate for sparring or self-defense, but if we apply bunhae to the patterns, we see why these compressed stances can only apply to sparring.

But then, why use the odd techniques that are not applicable to sparring, like the stances previously mentioned, or the knife or mountain blocks?  Or backfist?

Connection to self-defense

Conversely, why do we have mountain blocks in poomsae?  Why do we have crane, tiger, cat, and horse stances?  (Oddly, these are the only techniques, except one other, named after an animal – a strange anomaly whereby an eastern ideology (applying names of animals to martial techniques) is used uniquely in the west; the Koreans give names to these techniques that are what they are and not after animals)  These are not used in sparring at all.  In fact, given the curriculum of current Taekwondo techniques, I can’t fathom their use in self-defense, either, as we’ll see in a moment.  Knifehand blocks?  They are not strong enough to block a kick, and their intended purpose is to grab – the very thing not allowed in sparring.  We chamber punches either to counter the punch with the other hand (ostensibly for more power), and also for a pull (which is illegal in sparring), yet why are they in forms for an art style meant for sparring?  Why do we punch at all, if punches are rarely scored?

It seems clear to me that when they changed the forms and moved toward a sparring-centric curriculum, that they didn’t have a plan in place for forms.  And it doesn’t seem that the policy responsible for the changes even gave a hoot about the hidden techniques.  At the very least, one wonders why Kukkiwon Taekwondo dropped the self-defense aspect of its curriculum and kept for the forms.  If they had kept the self-defense (which, by the way, is not officially part of any dan grading!), or instead, they had more sparring-centric poomsae, then things would make a little more sense.

Sparring strategy relies heavily on rhythm, stamina, and technique.  Self defense strategy relies on simplicity and ending the situation quickly.  Very different ideologies, and the forms embrace only the self-defense strategy.  This is unusual, given the lack of self-defense curriculum.

The forms are only 25 movements long, on average.  This is in line with the idea that self-defense should end quickly, lest the encounter evolve into a fight.  Yet, sparring is supposed to last longer than a few minutes, and it’s not unusual for a single round to use over a hundred techniques.

One can learn any Taeguek or Palgwe forms in their gross movements in under an hour – enough time to go home, lock it into the brain, and show up for the next class to polish it up.  For many schools, once the student demonstrates the form without making a technical mistake, they’re ready to test.  So it is common to see students who are adept at performing forms can easily bounce from belt to belt very quickly.

Perhaps, if more emphasis on bunhae were required, or there were more movements, or the forms had to be done with pristine perfection, then maybe we wouldn’t see students testing every 3 months.  Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for a student to not only demonstrate the form, but to verbally assess the application – bunhae – of the form.

In the end, perhaps there isn’t anything “wrong” with Kukkiwon forms.  I don’t agree they they’re sparring-centric, as Kukkiwon suggests.  I do think that in some cases, the movements don’t always make a lot of sense.  This will be the basis of other blog posts.

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So You Want to Start Martial Arts

Ok.  Why?

Did somebody tell you something about self-esteem, or self-control?  Maybe something to help concentration and focus?  Did your doctor tell you to lose a few pounds?

If that’s the case, maybe better to re-think taking up martial arts.  I’m not saying martial arts can’t help with these things.  But that’s not what martial arts is designed for, and you can get the same benefits with other things, like soccer, baseball, swimming, or bicycling.

Or maybe martial arts is on your life’s bucket list – you know, one of those 100 activities you must do before you die.

If that’s the case, maybe better to re-think taking up martial arts.  I’m not saying martial arts can’t be on a bucket list.  But you’ve got the wrong mindset.  Wanna take on somebody in a cage?  Then head on down to the nearest MMA school, tell them you got no experience, but want to get in a cage to see what it’s like.  Let me know how that works out for you.

Or maybe the kid down the block is taking up martial arts, and so maybe you should, too.

If that’s the case, maybe better to re-think taking up martial arts.  It’s not for the dating scene.  Here’s a tip: Walk up to his front door and ring the doorbell.  When mom or dad answers, ask if you can get an ice cream with him.  Or, you would like a date for the upcoming prom.  Or you need a bridge partner.  There’s a thousand pickup lines you can use.  None of them involve the phrase “KIIIIAAAAHHHH!”, “Keep your head tucked in and roll forward”, “Protect your head”, or “Here, grab my wrist”.  Well, that last one might work well for you 😉

Are you a victim of a crime?  Is your child a victim of bullying?

If this is the case, you’re off to a good start.  But be cautious, there will not be much progress for several years.  Martial arts might have helped you or your child, had you started martial arts years ago, and kept at it.  But you’re starting on it now, don’t expect immediate results.  It’s a slow process, and anyone who tells you you can defend yourself after your first class is lying to you. That is the mistake of self-defense seminars, and is what is perpetuated by Hollywood’s half-hour shows where the protagonist takes up Judo and by the end of the episode, manages to deal back some karma.

Maybe, you aren’t a victim – but you want to prevent that.  Or maybe you want to compete in fighting – like UFC or the Olympics.

If that is the case, you’re off to a good start here, too.  Be cautious again: not all schools will teach you self-defense, and not all schools compete.

Believe it or not, many people don’t know why they are interested in it, they just think it’s the right thing to do.  That’s one of the biggest reasons for failure and disinterest, as well as the plethora of misinformation about any particular style.

The most important factor is deciding what you want to get out of martial arts. If you are taking it for the wrong reason, you won’t last long, and your goals will be cut short. If you want weight loss, best to join a gym: the resources there are better for all-around training. Martial arts training, even if you end up at an active school, will not work on all parts of the body all the time. Such places can augment the gym or your private workout routines, but it is not a means to that end.

If you want self-defense, be careful that the school doesn’t suck you in under the guise that their training can be used for self-defense, and then they teach nothing about self-defense. This happens all the time.

Read up on how to find a martial art school.

Don’t get caught up in the myths in martial arts.

Don’t find out until a few years later about what the differences between a “dan” and a “black belt” are.

Nervous about your next test? You can’t possibly do any worse than me, and I was testing for my 3rd dan.

Do you understand what style you are practicing?

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Weapons in Taekwondo

Yeah, sure.  What weapons?  Have you ever seen a Taekwondo school teach weapons?  Lemme guess: sword, staff, and/or flail (nunchaku)?  I’m not surprised. 

By definition, Taekwondo is an unarmed martial art.  Many schools that teach self-defense do so against unarmed assailants, despite that one should never assume an assailant is unarmed.  So how to defend against a weapon when we are not taught how to use the weapon?  What are the ideosyncrasies of each weapon?  What are it’s vulnerabilities?  It is really necessary to know how to use the weapon to defend against it?

Weapons are extensions of the body.  Each weapon, due to its reach, size, weight, and shape has specific characteristics that can be a weak point against the wielder.  Guns, knives, bats… they all have vulnerabilities that, if we explore and exploit them, can be used for a reversal.  And it is reversals that attackers fear most.

There are two important notations by Sun Tzu:

  • “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
  • “Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient.”

If we subscribe to these ideals, it becomes important that we know the enemy’s weapons and tactics before we know how to fight them.  If we didn’t know that a knife was sharp, or that a gun expels a projectile, then, we would not take action to avoid being struck.   I don’t want to violate the tenet that Taekwondo is an unarmed martial art.  But I believe it is important that training should include some study of weapons.  We need not be masters or proficient in their use.  But certainly a cursory knowledge of how they can be used is important.

For those schools who do teach weapons use, why teach old weapons?  There’s nothing wrong with it – it is part of history.  Some martial arts, like Aikido, model their techniques after weapons usage, so knowing those weapons helps with performing the techniques.  But for Taekwondo schools who teach nothing of weapons generally teach techniques as-is.  That is, without teaching how the techniques can be applicable for different scenarios.  In these places, learning traditional weapons provides neither practical purpose nor tactical advantage.

Does it then make sense to teach about modern weapon use?  Should Taekwondo schools teach contemporary weapons, like knives, bats, guns, poles, sticks, bottles, and propellants?  A self-defense program should include defense against these weapons.  These are, after all, the modern choices of weapon – not chuck sticks or sais.  One may argue that many contemporary weapons have traditional counterparts.  Spears and swords, for instance, are present today in the form of poles and long sticks.  Knives, bottles, and short sticks have similar properties that they can be categorized as short singlehanded weapons that can be thrust, slashed, or struck.  But some modern weapons have interesting features that don’t fit into the molds of weaponry of yore.  A broken bottle, for instance, leaves the additional problem of having to deal with detached broken glass, either on the floor or in our (or the opponent’s) clothing.  Propellants have limited range, and if not used properly can be ineffective or self-reversed.  A defender need only use the wind for advantage, or perhaps nearby water for quick first aid.  Not knowing these things could land the defender in very hot water – it could cost a life.

Sometimes, I’ll come across a place that teaches how to use a walking cane.  The cane is versatile, and if you buy into the hype that a cane can be taken anywhere where other weapons wouldn’t be allowed, you would be wrong.  The reality is that few healthy people want to be bothered carrying around a carry-anywhere weapon.  Really – would you walk into a dark alley carrying a cane or a gun?  (Assuming, of course, you have the cojones to walk alone into a dark alley in the first place…)  A supermarket?  A bar?  A baseball stadium?  To work and back?  To the gym?  Out for dinner with the family or friends?  You might do this for a week.  After that, I guarantee, you’ll be thinking this is a total waste of time.  Because the first time you forget your cane, that’ll be the last time you carry one around again.  If you are the type of person who willingly carries around a walking cane, just because you can, you are better off moving to Texas or Oklahoma, where getting a concealed carry permit is not only easy to do, but, allows for such carry into any courthouse, police station, and bar.  About the only place a CW cannot be brought is in a school.

Realism with self-defense is superficial in all of the Taekwondo schools I see or hear of, particularly sport-oriented schools.  Peruse their websites, and some will even claim to teach defense against weapons – without using weapons.

Knife and gun disarms are dangerous, but unfamiliarity with the business ends of these weapons can cost your life.

As you train, be careful of the weapons you use. If you are learning to use them for historical context, that’s fine. But if you are learning from a self-defense application, be careful to choose weapons with modern applicability. It does little to help you to know how to fling nunchaku like Bruce Lee, as these have no modern applicability. Use a staff, long or short, which has some modern applicability such as broom sticks, bats, and poles. A butterfly knife is a fancy, useless gadget, although the business end of it certainly has modern applicability. Same with stilettos and switch blades. The are comic-book weapons, and anyone seriously training for self-defense will skip these weapons. To that end, realism is key, but real knives are dangerous to train with: use rubber ones instead. As you practice, you will inevitably drop or disarm your opponent, and will want to repeat over and over again. Take care that when you return the weapon to your opponent, that is a task done deliberately complicated: you don’t want to be in the real world disarming your attacker and then give him the knife back as you’ve been training. And gun disarms? Go ahead, but be real. You’ll find that there are millions of videos showing gun disarms and most are a joke and the techniques just don’t work. They’re great for fancy, razzle-dazzle demonstrations, but have useless in-the-street applicability.