Adapting TKD to MMA

[2xRoundhouse]

I have TKD/kickboxing experience, now im trying out some grappling arts. My goal is to become good at mma.

Many say TKD is useless. I would agree that most of it IS useless, but I recommend doing TKD for at least a little bit for the following reasons:

1. First and foremost, TKD footwork is elite. TKD focuses on setting up hits with footwork, and you need to get fast on your feet to survive. Although footwork is often overlooked, I think it is the most important part of stand up because it lets you control the match and set up that KO far better.

2. The high kick. When set up by the elite footwork, the high kick is a dramatic way to KO someone. a-la crocop, nuff said.

Honorary mention - tkd. although it does not allow leg kicks, imo is great for developing kicking technique that will translate into great leg kicks.

Thoughts/input?

 

[g.quagmire]

Kicks I use most:
Right low kick-MT
High right kick-Karate/TKD
Spinning heel kick-TKD

Arms:
Right hook-Boxing
Spinning backfist-TKD
Right elbow point-MT

Point: "TKD" is as pointless as all the "karate" you see on ESPN.

Each has things to pick and choose, as you obviously know.
I've never taken TKD, and I use two of it's tools. Heel kick snaps ribs when done right-see Loiseau/McCarthy. Backfist, obviously Serra/Carter

 

[krellik]

I have TKD/kickboxing experience, now im trying out some grappling arts. My goal is to become good at mma.

Many say TKD is useless. I would agree that most of it IS useless, but I recommend doing TKD for at least a little bit for the following reasons:

1. First and foremost, TKD footwork is elite. TKD focuses on setting up hits with footwork, and you need to get fast on your feet to survive. Although footwork is often overlooked, I think it is the most important part of stand up because it lets you control the match and set up that KO far better.

2. The high kick. When set up by the elite footwork, the high kick is a dramatic way to KO someone. a-la crocop, nuff said.

Honorary mention - tkd. although it does not allow leg kicks, imo is great for developing kicking technique that will translate into great leg kicks.

Thoughts/input?

As long as you are at a mma gym that has: Solid boxers that can hit you in the face hard, solid thaiboxers to kick your legs of and to impose a solid thaiclinch on you, and lastly and most importantly good wrestlers who can take you down at will unless you stand in a stance that make you hard to takedown.

If you got all those things you will get a quick reality check for what works and what doesnt, report back to us how it goes and be sure to post vids and pics after you have competed.

Oh am im not saying that it isnt good, but you need to get that reality check from good people as fast as possible so you can focus on the things that works for as much of your effective training career as possible, if indeed mma is your goal.

 

[krellik]

...And also dont come into mma training with a chip on your shoulder wanting to "prove" how badass tkd is, be humble an adjust as your mma trainers see fit, they should know their mma. (if its a solid gym)

 

[2xRoundhouse]

...And also dont come into mma training with a chip on your shoulder wanting to "prove" how badass tkd is, be humble an adjust as your mma trainers see fit, they should know their mma. (if its a solid gym)

Please read my post before replying. I never said I was going to "prove how badass tkd is". I merely said that the footwork and kicking taught by TKD are effective weapons which can be adapted to mma.

edit: the least you could do is read the title, and you didn't even do that. It says, "Adapting tkd to mma," not beating up wrestlers/mt artists using pure tkd

 

[krellik]

Please read my post before replying. I never said I was going to "prove how badass tkd is". I merely said that the footwork and kicking taught by TKD are effective weapons which can be adapted to mma.

edit: the least you could do is read the title, and you didn't even do that. It says, "Adapting tkd to mma," not beating up wrestlers/mt artists using pure tkd

Your a bitchy little thing arent you?

I come from a boxing background and do mma now with intention to fight in a few months.
So I have basicly done a similar thing you are going to do as in going from one style and then going to the sport of mma, it was just some general advice that could or could not help, neither did I fucking say what you was going to do, I told you what to avoid fucking doing.

 

[2xRoundhouse]

Your a bitchy little thing arent you?

I come from a boxing background and do mma now with intention to fight in a few months.
So I have basicly done a similar thing you are going to do as in going from one style and then going to the sport of mma, it was just some general advice that could or could not help, neither did I fucking say what you was going to do, I told you what to avoid fucking doing.

you could have still read the line that goes

Many say TKD is useless. I would agree that most of it IS useless, but I recommend doing TKD for at least a little bit for the following reasons:

Not to mention that 'adapting' already implies discarding what you shouldn't do and using the things that actually work.

edit: i see your point and completely agree with it, i'm just saying there is no need to warn me against using jumping 360 tornado kicks against elite wrestlers.

 

[krellik]

you could have still read the line that goes, "Many say TKD is useless. I would agree that most of it IS useless, but I recommend doing TKD for at least a little bit for the following reasons:"

First of all dont be such a whiny bitch, if someone wants to give you some advice because he genuinelly wants to help, dont start to fucking bitch about it. You made a pretty fucking general tread about adjusting tkd for mma and I chimed in with my thoughts on whats most important, getting that tough hard sparring at a dedicated mma gym (not some bjj guys that moonshine a bit on mma). Why? Because that will kill of many of your illusions of what is effective or not.

For instance you mention tkd give you good footwork, sure, but you cant use it in mma, soccer gives you good footwork to, but you cant use that either in mma. You need to start training specific for the sport of mma as fast as you can. Same advice goes if your a wrestler, bjj guy, boxer or what the fuck ever, if you want to compete in mma, train the sport of mma as early as possible, then crosstrain all that you want, that way you will know what works and what doesnt.

Do you train with a hungry and skilled group that is -devoted- to mma (not some bjj guys moonshining in mma)? If so tell us stories and anecdotes from it, what works for you, etc etc

 

[SmashNGrab]

Learn to fight MMA. After you start getting proficient at it, you can start adding in some TKD by seeing what works. Some of the techniques may even prove to be an advantage for you over fighters that have not had any TKD training. Anything unique in your arsenal can be an advantage. Bottom line, TKD would get you killed in a match on it's own. Combined with good MMA skills; sure, why not?

 

[US Tomato Can]

Watch Mark Weir. He's a TKD guy.

 

[SiouxCityFF]

Be nice guys

 

[Kyun]

Many say TKD is useless. I would agree that most of it IS useless, but I recommend doing TKD for at least a little bit for the following reasons:

you are already admitting that it is useless here.

1. First and foremost, TKD footwork is elite. TKD focuses on setting up hits with footwork, and you need to get fast on your feet to survive. Although footwork is often overlooked, I think it is the most important part of stand up because it lets you control the match and set up that KO far better.

Footwork can be learned from boxing or kickboxing.

2. The high kick. When set up by the elite footwork, the high kick is a dramatic way to KO someone. a-la crocop, nuff said.

You can learn the same from MT.

Honorary mention - tkd. although it does not allow leg kicks, imo is great for developing kicking technique that will translate into great leg kicks.

TKD leg kicks will not develop into good kicks for MMA. There is no power behind them. The only kick that I would use from TKD would be a spinning back kick, but then again I wouldn't use it because it leaves your back exposed. Push kick? Pretty much the same thing as a push kick in MT. Really there is no reason to learn TKD unless you have no choice.

just my opinion though...I wasted a couple years of my childhood doing TKD, wish I hadn't watched "Best of the Best".

 

[CowboyPete]

TKD leg kicks will not develop into good kicks for MMA. There is no power behind them.

Go ask a serious TKD practitioner to kick you in the head full force then repeat your statement about no power, please.

 

[Rinksterk**]

Guys who are real good at TKD have powerful kicks. I'm not talking about the 15 year old blackbelt at your local dojang. I'm talking about guys who go out and win comps and train like crazy.

 

[SmashNGrab]

Guys who are real good at TKD have powerful kicks. I'm not talking about the 15 year old blackbelt at your local dojang. I'm talking about guys who go out and win comps and train like crazy.

That is an important distinction.

It's pretty mainstream these days to bash the sh*t out of anything TMA. Although, I don't think they deserve quite as much criticism as they get. What they need is to evolve to keep up to date with the current state of martial arts. You can't fight a modern war with bows and arrows. Of course, then they wouldn't be called TMA's anymore.

 

[Kyun]

Go ask a serious TKD practitioner to kick you in the head full force then repeat your statement about no power, please.

well obviously if I stand there and let him kick me in the head it's going to be different. I'm not going to retract my statement at all because it's my opinion. TKD has been tested in the ring for it's effectiveness and failed horribly. There are numerous TKD practioners that have competed in K-1 and MMA. Do they end up anywhere near the top? I think not.

My entire point is that unless you have no choice there is absolutely no reason to take Tae Kwon Do. You can start in BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Boxing, or Kickboxing at the very same age and end up being a better fighter.

 

[US Tomato Can]

Mark Weir had a Cage Rage title.

If you can count Maurice Smith (started TKD long ago) he became a UFC champ and a world champ in kickboxing.

 

[MikeMartial]

report back to us how it goes and be sure to post vids and pics after you have competed.

That actually made me laugh out loud.

 

[blackriceman]

if u want to adapt it to mma u MUST learn BJJ and have BJJ as a huge part of your game

 

[CowboyPete]

well obviously if I stand there and let him kick me in the head it's going to be different. I'm not going to retract my statement at all because it's my opinion. TKD has been tested in the ring for it's effectiveness and failed horribly. There are numerous TKD practioners that have competed in K-1 and MMA. Do they end up anywhere near the top? I think not.

My entire point is that unless you have no choice there is absolutely no reason to take Tae Kwon Do. You can start in BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Boxing, or Kickboxing at the very same age and end up being a better fighter.

Your statement is scientifically false. You said:

There is no power behind them.

That is literally impossible, as long as the leg is moving and has mass. The fact of the matter is TKD kicks are hard.

Oh and as far as the weak kicks of TKD not being able to compete in high levels of K-1 and MMA, that Cro Cop guy has no future...