My first formal martial arts training was in Tae Kwon Do. I stayed long enough to earn my first black belt… but I never wore it! Instead, I went looking for a different art.
Why?
I’ve received that question in a couple of emails since my interview on the Martial Thoughts Podcast with Jaredd Wilson. In the interview, I mentioned how I quit TKD, but didn’t take the time to detail the reasons. So, let me clear it up right now.
You can either watch the video or scroll down for the article. Let me know if you think I made the right decision! 😀
Why I Quit Tae Kwon Do
First off, you should know that I respect all martial arts styles, so I won’t be bashing Tae Kwon Do. The fact is I learned many important lessons as a TKD student and I am grateful to my teachers for sharing their knowledge with me.
You should also know, as I wrote in, What Is the Best Martial Art, that I don’t believe there is a “best” martial art… only the best art for you. So, if Tae Kwon Do is the perfect art for YOU, then keep going!
But for me, I eventually had two major gripes that convinced me to quit Tae Kwon Do. One reason may sound a little silly, the other more serious. Let’s start with silly.
REASON #1: Fear of the Future
Do you like stretching? I don’t. But even if you do, how much time are you willing to spend on it?
Don’t get me wrong—I believe in staying in shape, but I don’t believe I should need to do a full split to be at my best. Unfortunately, even in my youth, I was spending more training time stretching my legs than actually practicing fighting skills, which is what I wanted to learn.
As a result, I started to worry about how my legs would hold up as an older man. And I wasn’t alone whining about that. My teachers were always complaining about how their backs hurt, their legs were getting tighter, and their bodies were slowing down… and these guys were in their 30’s! Their 30’s!
Here’s the thing—I wanted to be a martial artist for life. I wanted to train skills that I could not only maintain as an older man in his 60’s and 70’s, but dare I say, improve? If I was going to devote my life to training in an art, is it too much to ask that I keep getting better?
Of course, aging is going to limit all martial artists in some way. I get that.
In the end, no one beats Father Time.
But I sensed early on that Tae Kwon Do students would be more severely limited than students of other arts. I hated the idea of devoting years of my life to develop skills that would only get harder to do over time, not easier.
I also didn’t like the idea of possibly needing hip replacements. In short, I saw a future where the rewards of Tae Kwon Do would be shrinking, not growing.
Yes, you can make the case that Tae Kwon Do is a rich and complete enough art to keep practicing without throwing high kicks or breaking bricks, but let’s be honest—
Who wants a Tae Kwon Do teacher who can’t throw high kicks? Or whines about getting older? Or makes excuses for not sparring anymore?
Right or wrong, I started to see Tae Kwon Do as a young man’s art. Especially in sports-oriented schools.
Believe me, it was not an easy decision for an egotistical young man to walk away from his first black belt. The temptation to keep going or join another TKD school was strong…
…but my ambition to find an art that answered my needs was stronger.
Having said all of that, if you want to make the most of your flexibility, here are some stretching tips that you can practice even as you get older.
Oh—and yes, I know there are 60 and 70-year-old Taekwondo masters out there who can still kick like 20-year-olds… good for them! I just wasn’t sure I could be one of them.
The bottom line—my fears and insecurities were telling me that if I stayed in Tae Kwon Do, I would be breaking my bones instead of boards by the time I hit 60.
REASON #2: Four Arts In One
I don’t know about your school, but in my Tae Kwon Do school, we practiced many, many forms. We also practiced free sparring.
But wait—there’s more!
We also practiced three steps… and one-steps.
We also practiced self-defense techniques for chokes, grabs, weapons, and being pinned on the ground.
Oh, yeah—we also broke boards.
The way I saw it, we were asked to practice four distinct sets of skills: forms, free sparring, pre-arranged sparring, and self-defense. That wouldn’t be a problem if the principles and movements were the same for each set of skills. But they weren’t!
The principles and movements we practiced in the forms were completely different from the movements we practiced in sparring.
I mean, completely different! Talk about confusing.
To be fair, my biggest gripe with Tae Kwon Do was not so much the art, but how the art was taught. In my opinion, the teaching methodology was a fractured mess.
15 minutes of this… 20 minutes of that… 10 minutes of something else. Just when I was making progress on one skill, we’d switch to another.
It felt like TKD suffered from ADHD. Which taught me an important lesson as a student and later as a teacher…
Sometimes the more you learn, the less you learn!
I think this is why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has grown in popularity in recent years. It’s not just because of the rise of MMA, it’s because they offer a focused learning experience. In case you’ve never been to a BJJ school, let me explain…
In a typical BJJ class, you practice the same moves, the same way, throught the entire class. The movements you practice during warmups are the same movements you practice in drilling. The movements you practice in drilling are the same movements you use while rolling.
Guess what—the next time you come to class, you’re going to do those same moves again!
Consistency builds skills. Skills build confidence. Confidence makes you feel encouraged, instead of frustrated and confused.
BJJ isn’t the only art set up like that. I used to get the same feeling as a student of Aikido.
Some may criticize Aikido for spending all their time on a relatively small number of techniques… on the other hand, they spend all of their time on a small number of techniques!
Even when Aikidoka practice with a jo or sword, the movements are related directly to their empty hand techniques.
Which is great! That’s how you learn. That’s how you get good. Consistency! Reps, reps, reps!
When I walked out of Aikido class, the techniques stuck with me. I could see Aikido everywhere. The training methodology was solid.
Unfortunately, where I felt Tae Kwon Do was offering too many skills, I felt Aikido didn’t offer enough, so I quit that art, too. But you still won’t hear me bash Aikido—I learned a lot there, too.
Beyond BJJ and Aikido, you can expect to see the same positive benefits of consistency in most Judo, Muay Thai, Arnis, wrestling, and boxing programs as well. They all typically offer a focused learning experience.
Sadly, many traditional Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and Kung Fu schools don’t. Many break up their art into jagged pieces that don’t easily fit back together. As a result, it can feel like you’re making slow—or worse—NO progress.
No, I’m not saying that ALL Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and Kung Fu schools suffer from being “four arts in one”.
There are schools out there that are excellent at building connections between forms, drills, sparring, and self-defense… but years ago, when I was searching for a focused Tae Kwon Do school, I couldn’t find one.
As a side note, if you’re a teacher, I hope this article will encourage you to teach in a way that connects dots for your students. In the beginning, your students may be impressed by how many different skills you require of them, but over time, they may become overwhelmed.
For more thoughts about teaching, check out, One Trick to be a Better Teacher and Are You Giving Your Students Your Best?
A happy ending.
Thankfully, I eventually found styles— and more importantly, teachers—that made me happy. Which styles am I talking about?
It doesn’t matter!
That’s my martial arts journey, not yours. I would prefer that you think about yourself…
- Why did you sign up for martial arts?
- What did you want out of it?
- Is that still what you want?
- Are you getting what you want from your style?
- Are you getting what you need from your school and teacher?
If so, then keep training, my friend! Work as hard as you can for as long as you can!
If not, then hey—no hard feelings. Take a look around for a style or school that will help you meet your goals. Your hard work should be rewarded.
Just remember—you don’t have to hate where you are to be excited about where you’re going. Every style is worth something.
Good stuff Ando. As a long time TKD (similar to ITF, we can hit you in the face) student I understand where you’re coming from. That is why I practice Tae Krav Kwon Maga Do.
Tae Krav Kwon Maga Do! I LOVE that! Thanks, Kevin! 😀
Ossu! Well, you had better reasons to quit than I did. Even though at the time I didn’t know I have a medical condition, I should’ve known that I’d have stopped losing ground and would have started making progress towards my next belt if I’d simply stopped helping with the germy little kids’ class! It’ll be a nuisance when I get to be a Sensei, but I’d rather stand firm on an age limit than to not show up most of the time ’cause I’m sick as a dog.
Ha! I work with kids for a living, so I hear you. COUGH COUGH… excuse me.
Part of good self-defense is keeping your hands up, but not in your own mouth or eyes! Keep those germs away! Stay healthy, Jo! 🙂
I loved what little time I got to spend helping with that class. I’m glad you get to teach kids for a living 🙂 It was a relief to get the diagnosis – now I know what situations I can and can’t handle. Seems that our dojo’s limit of ages 8 and up works for me 🙂 The three other sister dojos close to my home are 8 and up, 12 and up, and 16 and up. So my future as a Sensei is all set 🙂
HA! Sounds like a plan! 🙂 Then again, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out… never mind…
Great article, Sensei!
Like yourself, I’ve gone back and forth over which style would be best for me in regards to both a long-term investment, as well as a style that would be the most practical when it comes to everyday life. While I love the grand spectacle and power of the kicking techniques in Tae Kwon Do, I’m reminded of a scene in the film, ‘Timecop’, in which the villain tells Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character that the best thing to do with all of those fancy kicks is to go on Broadway! lol. More importantly, as you said, the kicks probably wouldn’t be used in a real fight. I’ll admit, I’m a traditional karate guy. Also, I feel that traditional karate is more practical from a self-defense point-of-view. In the end, now that I’m older, I want to find a martial art that truly suits me. Thanks for writing this great post.
Hi Anwar! Thanks for commenting… although reminding me about Timecop may be unforgivable! 😉
It may be the case that there is no one perfect style for you, me, or anyone. It is martial arts, after all. At some point, I realized I didn’t need to fit myself into any art, I needed to fit arts into me. So, instead of looking for styles, I now look for training environments that allow me time and space to figure things out. Like rolling in BJJ or freestyle sparring. It requires more of a self-starter mentality, but I think the rewards are priceless.
Happy training, sir!
“…So I won’t be bashing Tae Kwon Do…” Interesting points but kind of funny – could sworn you were bashing…
I guess perhaps you’ve found tai chi, bagua, or something like it, to your concerns about aging and martial arts.
Enjoy!
Ha! Hi Kevin!
Not bashing at all. I’m sure there are TKD teachers who connect the dots more than others. If I had been given better explanations of form movements and been allowed to use grabs, sweeps, and locks during sparring, I’d probably still be doing TKD. But the schools I visited back then didn’t offer that level of crossover. I also found the same issue in Karate and Kung Fu schools, so it’s not just a TKD problem. (Again– a problem for me.)
Like I say in my bio, my main art is Kung Fu. But honestly, after a while, labels fade. I’m really just a guy who enjoys the challenge of fighting as a means of self-development. I see a lot more in common between the arts nowadays than differences.
Thanks for commenting, sir!
Is judo best for you Mr. Mierzwa?
Every martial art has its own depth to it. If you don’t see that, keep your mouth shut or break your fingers.
Not every Japanese owned Japanese restaurant taste better than other ‘All you can eat’ Asian restaurant owned by other Asians.
Tkd may not be the best in the world but Judo will never get any closer before you get the kick in the face.
BAM! Thanks for the colorful comment, sir.
No, I’m not a Judo student. I’m also not looking for a kick in the face. Like I said, if you found a Tae Kwon Do that works for you, then stick with it. I just couldn’t find one that worked for me.
I began studying TKD at age 44, achieved chodan rank at 48 and had to leave the art at 53 due to knee problems. But those knee issues really started back in high school playing basketball. I transitioned to karate and have since achieved chodan in ryukudo kobujutsu, the study of Okinawan weaponry. I’ve also trained in Russian Systema and have also done some BJJ training. Had I stayed in TKD, I can say with certainty that I never would have achieved the level of proficiency in weaponry that I now have (with much more to learn, of course). But I still treasure my TKD training, and it served me well in karate sparring, which in my opinion is inferior to TKD sparring. Still to come: I hope to train in Krav Maga in Israel soon. I’d encourage every martial artist to branch out, although one must be careful not to merely dabble, but to dedicate oneself to real study.
Hi David! Thanks for commenting. I value my TKD training as well. Then again, I value every training experience for one reason or another.
I agree that branching out in the name of deepening your study, not merely widening it, is the ideal goal. There is no reason to pit one art against another… learn from everybody!
Safe travels on your journey, sir!
I ended because there was so much politcs and the tests were not done based on who deserved to be there but the need of having new assistants faster. In my country tkd did lost it original meaning.
I was never interest about belts. But started bothering me when I would see someone teaching wrong the incomers like there was no “art” in tkd but just “fight”, “drop the opponent”. It felt somehow ridiculous seeing those “jump” “hit” with no tecnique in my club. People can get climb to black belt faster than ever.
Sorry you didn’t have a great experience in TKD. Hopefully, you were still able to make some positive changes in your life to make the effort worth it. We always need to focus on that!
Good points about fractured training.
I found exactly the same with respect to most of the karate clubs I trained which used JKA inspired K K K training methods. there are no relationships between the Kata, Kihon and Kumite.
In fact one bizzare situation we were training self defence techniques and it was a double lapel grab. The technique being taught was, dubious at best so I simply kicked off the Naihanchi/Tekki Shodan application for this and folded my partner over. I got shouted at for this and asked what I thought I was doing. When I responded Naihanchi and got a blank look back. it was soon after that I decided I could no longer train at regular sports clubs.
Today I do still train K K K, but there is now a progression:
Kata -> Kumite (1 & 3 step drills) -> restricted kumite.
I don’t do free style sparring, all kumite has a specific goal of improving the technique, though the resistance does increase. Kata applications split easily down into paired drills. A couple of techniques which repeatedly come up in the kata drills I practice as kihon.
Yes, sir. In the end, it’s all one. The sooner you make the connections, the better.
Whether you find something in kata and then apply it in kumite, or find something in kumite and then visualize it in kihon, if you’re not unifying your practice, you’re heading in the wrong direction!
I started the martial arts before there was TKD! I did Ghe or Ji Do Kwon depending how it was spelled. It was very kick oriented. After reaching BB I happened upon a Tracy’s Kenpo (karate) school. The instructors were from San Jose, and really trained in Kang Duk Won, a Kyokushin Kai spin off. I switched to their school. They were find with my kicking techniques, but guess what, they taught me to use those two things hanging from my shoulders. After a year, I went back to my “TKD” school and was able to defeat anybody. Now many many years later, those same “hand” techniques still beat “TKD” practitioners.
“…those two things hanging from my shoulders.” HA!
Thanks for the history lesson, Dr. J. And the reminder that we should all train with people outside our own art once in a while just to make sure we’re not kidding ourselves! 🙂
I was really just lucky. In the beginning, Tracy’s hired the best fighters it could find and sent them across the country to spread the system. That’s why Joe Lewis’s name is on my certificate. He was not Tracy’s kenpo, but fought under their name (you would have liked their psychedelic uniforms) and taught us how to fight with his (and Bruce Lee’s) fighting system. We are all links in the great martial arts chain. Some bigger than others (I’m a small link), but linked together just the same.
Interesting… I didn’t know that! Pretty smart move on their part.
And I agree wholeheartedly… we’re all linked in one way or another. Martial artists should stick together! It’s the rest of the world that’s crazy! 🙂
That’s a great piece you wrote sir. If I could only get my GF miss instructor of TKD WTF style to listen to me about branching out and experiencing some complimentary arts. I especially love your quote “your martial arts journey” that is so true everyone’s is different or at least should be I think.
Well I have her thinking about taking what I love which is BJJ, and you are right all the drills are taught over and over throughout the class at various speeds, and then a recurring class does the same. More repetition on the method is never a bad idea. Being a former professional athlete and multiple Letterman in College and High School, I can tell you that repetition of the techniques is so important. My martial arts journey took me around the world and I have about 9 years of time spent towards it, and I as I get older I plan on doing more, which is another point you made. Why shouldn’t I get better with age?
Hi Al! Thanks for sharing part of your journey here. For sure, your athletic background give you insight into the formula for success… which is why it’s so frustrating when you don’t see it being applied in some martial arts schools!
You can either find a style and school that matches your experience or bring your experience into a school when it’s needed! Either way, just be the best you possible!
Keep fighting, sir!
Don’t serve your style;
Your style should serve you.
Thank you, Sensei Ando, for building up the Budo and not tearing it down. I Rei to you, Sensei.
A bow of thanks and respect to you, too, sir! Thank you for the kind comment!
Thank you so much for this article. I’m struggling with this decision right now due to some major changes that have happened with my dojang. TKD has been the most important, fulfilling aspect of my life for the past several years (in fact, I just tested for 2nd degree last fall) and now sadly it feels like an after thought or a relationship that’s run its course.
On a lighter note I really appreciate the breakdown you did of all the techniques practiced in TKD–and we do all those things in very limited time. As an instructor that makes me want to be more mindful of how I link everything together for my students.
Thank you, sir!
Hi Melanie!
I just read your articles, “Why I Teach” and “When Fun Becomes Work” to get a better picture of what’s going on… thanks for leaving those well-written breadcrumbs. 🙂
I’m also a person who leans towards introversion, yet feels great fulfillment in the role teacher. As you seem to have discovered, the trick is balance. I mean, even Jesus had to spend some time alone in the desert! 🙂
To be a great teacher, you need something to give. To have something to give you need time to go GET. That means ME TIME is not running away or being selfish… it’s essential!
For example, yesterday, I attended three classes as a student… and led three as a teacher. (Man, I’m sore today!) That works for me.
Of course, if there are other issues involving your new location, or if I’m off the mark in my reply, please let me know! I would hate to see someone who’s come so far let their spark die out as a student OR a teacher. Feel free to pour a glass of wine and vent via email: ando@senseiando.com
Keep kicking, Melanie! 🙂
I am new to learning about martial arts. My boyfriend has done it for years in MX now he is here in the US. Please excuse my ignorance. I don’t understand the belt system. I know that my boyfriend is a Black Belt 6 th Dan. I know he has done material arts most of his life also had a school himself. He is 67 hasn’t practiced for sometime regularly. He wants to find an advanced class geared for black belts. It seems we cannot find one. He is frustrated and I am confused because we see so many classes with kids of all ages (bravo) and I am NO expert but these little kids and teens are wearing black belts and they sure are NOT what I expected as a skill level for black belts.Truly, they are ..NOT what I expected. For me it kind of greatly tarnished my idea of working so many years to become a Black Belt and there are 8 year olds, wearing black belts….hmmmm cute for their age, I am impressed at their hard work but NOT what I expected to see representing a, black belt. My guy is very confused & disappointed by this loosy goosy style. Please help us understand. I mean NO disrespect. Thx
Hi Karen!
As you must probably already know, there is no regulation or oversight for the awarding of a black belt. It is entirely up to a school or teacher to determine what qualifies someone to wear one. Even for adults, one school may require a year of work, another 10 years.
Bottom line–who cares what anyone else is doing or wearing? Either you see value in your training or you don’t. The belts don’t matter. Just train! 🙂
Hi Ando!
Nice article. Really.
Did you ever regret that you’ve quit TKD?
I started training in TKD about two years ago. I’m 38 now. TKD is great, on the one hand… On the other hand, the same things mentioned in the article bother me too. Forms, self-defense, sparing… all those have not much in common. In a real fight, one wouldn’t use either of them, I’m afraid. Same applies to stretching and high kicks. Also true. With 60 I wouldn’t (and probably couldn’t anymore) kick someone into the face. I like TKD, but I’m not really sure how to continue with those doubts in mind. It must have been even harder for you since you’ve earned the black belt already and decided then to quit.
I’ve checked out Karate as well. But to me, it appeared like a boring and slow version of TKD. Hmm… don’t know what to do anymore… Quit TKD and start something else? But what? For some reason, I still like TKD.
Hi Denis… or Denizzz!
No, I don’t regret my time in TKD at all. It gave me strong fundamentals like low stances and full hip rotation. It was also a great place to begin facing my fears. Plus, the military training style was very helpful in breaking down my ego. So, all good! 🙂
I can’t say how TKD is affecting your life, so I can’t recommend staying or leaving. The main question is always WHAT DO YOU WANT? Why did you sign up? If you’re getting what you wanted, then stay. If not, then keep looking around. Or try adding a second art before dropping TKD. I ended up adding Aikido while I took TKD, which helped fill in some other questions.
Bottom line– it’s your journey. There’s no one way to do it. If you’re making progress and happy, then keep going. If you hate it and want to move on, then quit. If you’re not sure, then stay where you are… the answer will come eventually. 🙂
Keep fighting!
ANDO
Definitely agree with the part about TKD being the young person’s martial art… or at the very least, the “naturally limber” person’s martial art. If you can fold yourself into a pretzel when you’re young, I suppose you can probably still pull off a high kick when you’re older 😉
Yes, I’d say I’ve definitely turned into more of a pretzel rod over the years! Happy training, Frank! 🙂
There’s a tight link between the different components of Taekwondo practice. They form a compacted package and reinforce each other for a complete Martial Arts system. You just missed the point. The problem is not Taekwondo but you. It may not be surprising to read another article in the future written by you with the title “Why I left BJJ”.
Hey Fernando,
Like I said, I learned a lot in TKD and don’t regret my time training in it a bit. I’m glad that your school has integrated the different aspects of training clearly. Keep going!
Ando
You’re AWESOME!
I’ve been web stalking you for a while and it’s been a pleasure!
Besides from all the very easily accesable advice, tips and facts delivered in a rare truly rational way and tone by you, I also find your narratives of your body moves delivered as what basically are monologues, which is quite often the case on the web, but you must be a truly natural talent as you manage at all times to create a feeling that the viewer is really involved in a dialog with you. It generates a very high level of a sense of involvment, at least for me and a bunch of friends, that is quite rare to find and experience with a screen in between. Well, guess you’re simply one of those people who got IT! Keep it up!
Also, I very much appreciated the story about why you moved on from Tae Kwon Do. More folks should stretch out and give in to that kind of thinking at an earlier age while they are pushing themselves much too hard, even using electric shocks when training and more, when strangely enough, the thoughts of restrain and prediction of their physical future, often manifest very closely in the shape of older fellow exercisers. Within TKD it seems like there are a higher rate of doers that actually have to quit around 30, and I know a few of those that are so joint-sensitive that they always have to change clothes in the heated sauna and often suffer chronic pain at such an early age. Tried it for a while in my teens but got saved from the over-doing of it by being too lazy….
Finally, love your great tips on how to preserve and “save” your body when taking action! Very easy to understand and you always back up those tips with reasonable, rational comments, stories and/or explanations so one never has to do any further research or question your advice.
Will keep stalking you so please don’t quit delivering your pieces. That would be a shame!
All the best to you and many thanks for your productions!
Respect,
Pam
Hi Pam!
Well, you’re pretty AWESOME, too! 🙂
I’m so happy you finally put down the binoculars and stepped out from behind the trees to say hello! That’s the only reason I make the videos and podcasts, you know… to connect with cool people!
I’m also happy to hear that laziness (HA!) saved your joints from being wrecked in your younger TKD days. Hopefully, you still have the power to train into old age. Is that your plan?
And don’t worry–I’ll keep delivering new content so long as I know people like you are out there listening. So, now that you’re out of the shadows, stay in touch!
Respect to you as well!
ANDO
Nice article!
At the beginning, sorry for my English (it’s not my first language).
I’ve started TKD training 4 months ago in my 34, recreational purposes only (obviously) 🙂
The training setup suits me best. 10 minutes warming up and stretching, 45 minutes of techniques or sparring (depending on a day) and 5 minutes of stretching for the end of the training. Instructors don’t teach us forms and brick-breaking or similar, it’s boring and it’s good not to waste time on it 🙂 Currently, I am also not interested in getting any belts.
I’m naturally limber, pretty much flexible or agile (not sure what’s the word), I can deliver really high kicks since I was a child, this is why I chose this sport. Tremendous progress in my speed, strength and fitness is evident after only 4 months, and that’s great.
I agree that TKD is not so much applicable in the real fight (especially from the defense perspective), but I guess the same situation is with other “non-mixed” martial arts. Some are good in close combat, some in other situations. My opinion is that the point of learning martial arts is not just learning to defend or attack, it’s to stay fit and healthy, and eventually to learn how deadly martial arts could be so we should all make every effort in avoiding using it outside the Dojo.
Kind regards from Serbia [not Siberia :)]
Hi Slavisa!
Thanks for saying hello! I’m very happy that you are reaching your goals in TKD. Keep going!
If you’ve listened to my podcast, you know that I agree 100% that martial arts offers more than just self-defense skills. It’s a path to a better, happier life!
High-five from the USA! 🙂
Interesting points about TKD. It is definitely a young man’s martial art. Although, I will say that proper technique is one of the biggest factor in being able to kick high. When I was in my teens I used to be able able to do the scissor splits and I could nearly do the side splits (about 1 inch off of the ground) and occasionally I could do the full side splits. But I am now 40, and haven’t practiced actual TKD in well over 2 decades (I am into MMA now). But I can still pull off head kicks even though I’m not nearly as flexible as I once was. And I attribute this to proper technique. I’m not trying to say yours was not proper, I’m just saying that proper technique helps a lot. No, I cannot slowly raise my leg up high and hold it, but I can still throw a roundhouse to the head.
As for spending so much time stretching… you know, honestly, I always found it therapeutic. But for example, I would stretch for about 10 minutes before practice and then the majority of the time I was stretching it was during times I wasn’t actively training. Like I’d be watching TV as I was working on my splits or something like that. I know it’s rare, but older guys can still be flexible, just look at Bill Wallace. He might as well be a TKD practitioner. And even at his age he’s way way more flexible than I am right now or truthfully, ever was.
Anyway, I’d say Aikido doesn’t get its bad reputation from having a few techniques, it’s that it hasn’t had any successful representation in MMA. Like it or not, MMA has become sort of the benchmark of what works and what doesn’t, or put it another way, which martial arts are effective and which ones aren’t.
Hi Joe! Thanks for the comment!
I say the same thing in my stretching video… http://www.senseiando.com/flexibility-without-stretching/
Proper technique goes a long way in kicking high, as opposed to trying to maintain full splits your whole life! Deep stances also help.
Keep doing what you’re doing, sir!
Taekwondo ATA!!
All ages. It’s not only for competition, it’s a lifestyle.
My son started at 6, now he is 9.
I started at 42, now i am 43. I feel great.
I do everything: traditional forms, wheapons forms, combat sparring and sparring.
And we do use the techniques from traditional forms to do sparring.
Keep going in what you love!!
Best wishes for all martial artists!!!
Love your enthusiasm, Giuliana! 🙂 Yes, keep going!!