GM Choi has ALWAYS said that you take your opponent out with on or two blows, so you shouldn't have time to get out of breath.

But he did have substantial experience on the street, so, unlike many high-ranking dans in TKD, he knows what he's talking about.

There seems to be a contradictory here. If you want to train to be street effective as a fighter and if your motto is "fight as you train". Then why is there so much emphasis on patterns? And why have an exaggerated move such as the sign wave?

I am not disputing whether the sign wave works or not. I am simply referring to the exaggerated move that is down during the performance of patterns.

And why focus on pattern training instead of two man drills and free sparring? These are the best ways to prepare for physical confrontation.

TKDfan

Yes in self defense a situation should be over in a matter of seconds if you only use techniques that have been developed to be delivered with full power but in sparring matches they last longer.

TeK9

There is not an emphaisis on pattern trainning with TKD taught by GM CK Choi that is the whole point of this thread. They are only done as a traditional exercise and it has nothing to do with fighting hence his focus on the sparring patterns shown in the reference interviews.

Ok one must realize that ITF TKD is a SD art form. While its primary physical purpose as per its principle founder is SD, it also places more emphasis on its use in building a more peaceful world while striving to build positive character traits in its students. With that in mind, one must understand that ITF TKD is NOT simply a combat street SD system, but rather a way to a better overall life. With that concept, it can possible be as effective in concentrating on street SD skills, as it has much more than it is trying to impart to its followers. So if one wants to learn strict SD for the street, then one's training MUST reflect that sole or primary goal.

To someone who has trained with & strived to learn more fully SW, I can attest that for me it is a no brainer that it works by helping to build more power. In fact it is only 1 aspect of the 6 factors of the theory of power. However that does not mean that it will take the form in the street or in the ring that it does while training in isolation with fundamental movements. It is a theory. Please compare it to learning how to shoot a gun. There are many principles that one adheres to on the range when learning how to fire a gun. For example, stance, breath control, trigger pull or squeeze, sight alignment etc. However that is training on the range. In most gun battles, one simply draws their weapon & points in the direction of the threat & fires away. Boxers I believe train in the same 6 factors of the theory of power that those in ITF TKD do. They might not label it the same & use it in the same proportions or degrees, but I believe it is all there. But just like a street gun battle, a street fight does not allow for all factors to be implemented as they can be in the isolation of training with the fundamentals.

Well again, ITF TKD is more than just SD. So its system must take time for all aspects of it. However when devoting the time to SD & realistic fighting, then that is just the manner that should be followed. JMO

Funny who reads these boards.

I rec'd a phone call last night.

GM CK Choi did not include the ITF pattern set after 1982 in the information he taught his students.

This corresponds with the General's unilateral decision to go to North Korea. It also corresponds with the ITF and WTF merger committee meeting held in Vancouver. BC that year.

GM CK Choi still held classes and taught Tae Kwon Do at his school in Vancouver unitl 1986, but the focus was on fighting techniques. While I was not there I have talked to people who were and I understand the training was quite difficult. Fighhting/sparring was full contact for those who wanted.