Conditioning for TKD

[allitfootwork]

OK, so TKD isn't exactly MMA. Accepting that however, and given the number of people who started in it, anybody got any recommendations for conditioning for it?

 

[True2KungFu]

yea, assuming we are talking olympic style....

I dont really buy any of those taekwondo training tapes so i dont know what they say, but stuff i do works pretty good.

1. Run like 3-5 miles 2 days a week, preferably after practice or the morning of if you can.
2. Depending on your school, they may do alot of high intensity stuff there or they may not, so class is possibly conditioning as well
3. Do 2 days of round/burst based training. so do varied work rest intervals from 30s, 1min, to 2 min, I try to do 6-8 2minute rounds of whatever i chooose. The best options for this are sprints, hill sprints, burpees, and jump rope. Mix and match so it dont get boring.
4. If youre training on your own, do your techniques on the bag in rounds just like when you fight. I usually do about 14-16 rounds on the bag and then i do my conditioniong work after, but the bagwork is conditioning in itself. I usually work on footwork and setups for my techniques the first 1.5 minutes and throw as many as possible the last 30s of each round for a harder workout.

I guess thats about it as far as what i do, and i dont gas. So hope that helps

 

[Henry Swanson]

Check out Alwyn Cosgrove's site. He was a former competitive TKDer.

www.alwyncosgrove.com

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Tabata method, HIIT, barbell complexes. You can also use the 25 kick drill every now and then in class.

 

[True2KungFu]

the above are good, but you gotta have the aerobic base before doing that . Make sure you can run 5 miles before you start doing intervals and complexes. i wouldnt really say tabata is necessaary.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

the above are good, but you gotta have the aerobic base before doing that . Make sure you can run 5 miles before you start doing intervals and complexes. i wouldnt really say tabata is necessaary.

Can you please elaborate on this? The two are two totally different energy system works. Any martial art is anaerobic in nature.

 

[True2KungFu]

I agree that it is anaerobic in nature. But the aerobic base builds 2 things. 1. Work Capacity - so one can train those anearobic efforts at a higher intensity. If you got someone who cant run 3 miles, how are you going to expect them to do 6x400's or 6x600's. Sure they might do allright on the first two, but the last few will resemble nothing more than a fast jog. Its the foundation man, you gotta build the base before doing that specialized stuff. I know this from experience. In terms of training, if you are doing rounds on teh bag or paddles, youre giong to want to do alot. I do about 16 or so rounds a workout and this is like an hour. If all i did was GO-rilla cardio, i wouldnt have the work capacity to maintain a high pace during my rounds.

2. Like i said, it increases recovery because of the steady rate of breathing and the lowered heart rate that comes with it. Thus in between rounds or Intervals, you will be able to recover faster and thus go at a higher intensity.

Im not saying distance running is the be all end all. Thats the problem with EVERYONE on this forum, they think things can only be black or white. Im saying it is a necessary component of training and you must progress in that before you start doing stuff like intervals. It will allow you to train harder and longer.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

If you noticed, you also have to consider what is being doing in class Running may help, yet it can only do so much. I still believ that a mile would suffice for martial artits, a 5k from time to time wouldn't hurt but one can start building a base with 15 minutes of HIIT scaled to fitness level

 

[knuckleball]

You could run, run, run, from your TKDont dojo to the next BJJ/MT dojo.

 

[MikeMartial]

You could run, run, run, from your TKDont dojo to the next BJJ/MT dojo.

LOL I was waiting for someone to make a comment like that.... :icon_lol:

 

[DaleCaliente]

You could run, run, run, from your TKDont dojo to the next BJJ/MT dojo.

Say that after getting a sidekick in the ribs. I train MT too, but the elitist comments are so pathetic. A great TKDist could KO all the Gracie Wannabes out there.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Maybe the guy has no aspirations to compete in MMA and wants to just pursue TKD.

I've seen TKDists who are great athletes and bust their asses in training, definitely respectable in my book.

 

[True2KungFu]

obviously ya know, you can train tkd for like 2 hours a day 5-6 days week, and youll still get flying armbarred by joe schmoe who trains BJJ+ MUAY THAI 2 times a week. of course. Oh yeah, but thats only after you are in a bar and all of a sudden wanderlei silva comes after you and you cant check his leg kick because you do tkd!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[allitfootwork]

Nothing wrong with TKD as long as you don't pretend it's MMA. Sonny is spot on - I'm looking at it as an athletic thing, nothing more.

Not studying it to become a cage fighting bad man. FWIW, I've trained judo, boxing, sub wrestling and K1 style stand up - still do the K1 a bit.

But I enjoy the TKD, for the competition and challenge and the other components (the forms, breaking and the whole trad discipline bit) are something to explore as I get older. But its a sport or a hobby (like fencing maybe) rather than a pure combat thing.


Thanks for all the sensible advice guys

 

[True2KungFu]

you sound like me. Not to many people realize the depth of competition in national and international tkd..and how hard alot of those guys train. My tkd instructors are more renowned for their judo... so most of the tkd bb's are also judo bb's.... Where do you train at allitfootwork?

 

[allitfootwork]

In the UK! I've only just started it but I'm hooked.

I think it is interesting how people here mock TKD, when the fitness requirement for top competitors is very high.

Then again 8year olds with black belts, and the whole 'I don't need to grapple, I can kick' attitude may have something to do with it!

 

[Henry Swanson]

There were a few TKDers who made the transition over to kickboxing at my gym, some of them were quite good and could give some of our MT guys a run, until of course they clinched.

 

[MikeMartial]

There were a few TKDers who made the transition over to kickboxing at my gym, some of them were quite good and could give some of our MT guys a run, until of course they clinched.

Heh. That sounds like my exact story. I was doing fine holding my own against experienced MT fighters during my first few MT classes---until the clinch. Then I was like "Holy shit I'm about to get owned in 2.5 seconds".

TKD was a nice stepping stone, but as an art in itself, it has so many holes it looks like swiss cheese. Plus, WTF Olympic-style shight shot the hell outa any decent reputation TKD might have had.

But, it's always good for your 8 y/o that doesn't want to get hit in the face. :icon_twis ok, ok, I'll stop, not all TKD dojangs are McDojos.

 

[allitfootwork]

Mike, I agree - if you just want to get good at violence, MT is a superior style.

But as a pure sport - I like TKD. I just think you have to treat it as a sport - like rugby, but with other art components.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I actually find that Rugby can be good also if you want to get good at violence. LOL!