Is Taekwondo Good For Self-Defense?
Taekwondo is a combat system and an Olympic sport developed in South Korea in the 1950s. Though it is well-spread around the world, many people still wonder how effective Taekwondo is in real life. Does it teach self-defense tactics?
Traditional Taekwondo is a combat system rooted in self-defense and real fighting. Back in the 1950s, it emerged as a military hand-to-hand martial art practiced solely for real-life scenarios. It teaches you how to use all limbs to strike, primarily with kicks, and even the basics of grappling.
But over the years, the emphasis of training has moved from self-defense to point fighting and competition, which had a big impact on the overall effectiveness of the system.
Let’s further discuss how good Taekwondo is for self-defense, and look at the pros and cons.
Why Is Taekwondo Good For Self-Defense?
Taekwondo is created for the Korean military and to be practical in any type of real combat scenario. It is very effective as a self-defense method as long as you train in a legitimate school that embraces traditional methods of teaching. You have to find the right one as the majority of modern schools actually focus on competition.
If we assume you have found the traditional school, here is a list of reasons why you should feel confident about training and skill development.
A wide range of striking techniques
Traditional Taekwondo teaches a person how to use hands and legs to deliver fast, precise, and powerful strikes. This includes direct punches, kicks, as well as elbow and knee strikes.
The emphasis is on hard kicks of all types such as front kicks, roundhouse kicks, jumping kicks, and spinning kicks. Skilled students are masters in using their legs to fire strikes from all possible angles, stances, and even ranges.
Although you need a bit of space to land a kick, this technique is actually very effective in real life. Most normal people do not know how to check kicks, or have the ability to absorb them. A single well-placed kick to the thigh or calf can instantly cause shooting pain and drop the attacker down to the ground. And most likely, they won’t even see a kick coming as most people primarily focus on protecting their heads.
Taekwondo kicks are insanely powerful and skilled students can generate a force equal to hitting someone with a baseball bat. Now imagine a regular person, who has never been kicked before, receiving a full-blown kick. Not to mention if a kick carrying such force lands on the rib cage or head. It will end really, really badly and cause serious injuries.
Students also use punches, but these combinations are not as versatile as kicks. They mostly use direct punches to keep their range and intercept the attack before launching a barrage of kicks.
Self-control and situational awareness
Taekwondo training is not all about physical combat techniques and how to use them in specific situations. No, training also involves mental discipline, self-control, and developing the ability to remain calm under pressure. This is crucial for intense self-defense scenarios where you need to stay calm to maintain high awareness and make rational decisions. All martial art skills mean nothing if your mind enters a panic mode which narrows your mind and limits your fighting abilities.
Self-defense is also not all about physical fighting. No, if you maintain your composure, you can talk your way out of trouble a lot of times. And in order to think well, you must stay calm and control your emotions. This is why traditional training includes a lot of breathing exercises and other workouts where you will practice self-control.
Speed, flexibility, and agility
Apart from proper technique, speed and agility are often decisive factors in any type of self-defense situation. You don’t need to swing big shots with full power to neutralize the attacker or create the space to run away.
Instead, Taekwondo teaches you how to rely on speed, precision, and agility to overwhelm the attacker and destroy their momentum. Having fast footwork enables you to quickly angle your way out to evade attacks, which then leaves the attacker open for a counterattack.
The speed of the punches and kicks also plays a big role. No matter how big, strong, or intimidating the attacker is, you can beat them with speed and agility. The only thing that matters is who lands first and with better accuracy. And Taekwondo teaches you how to pick your shots well and place them even better.
Sparring and self-defense drills
Taekwondo students do a lot of kata where they practice techniques alone in a relaxed and focused manner. However, they also spar on a regular basis where they learn how to apply all the techniques in a real fighting scenario.
Students would simulate a real fight against the fully resisting opponent, which gives them a good insight into how skilled they are, what are their weaknesses, and areas that seek improvement. In some way, you can’t learn how to react and defend yourself in real life without testing yourself in sparring. This form of exercise is also great for developing reactions, instincts, and timing.
Traditional practice also involves pure self-defense drills where students drill specific situations they may encounter and how to react.
Fitness and conditioning
Apart from being skilled martial artists, people trained in Taekwondo are also very strong and durable. Training puts a lot of emphasis on strength and cardio workouts, and flexibility. Due to the importance of kicks, each student must be flexible to perform with proper technique. So apart from bodyweight workouts, they do dynamic and static stretches before and after each training session.
Why Do Some People Think Taekwondo Is Ineffective?
People often think Taekwondo is not that practical in real life because the majority of modern schools focus too much on preparing a person for competition. Instead of teaching them self-defense and how to fight, they learn how to obey the rules and score points in the competition. In some way, these schools are neglecting the self-defense aspect of training, as well as a wide range of techniques, just to focus on kicks and specific skills you need to win matches.
For example, you will learn how to land kicks to specific areas of the opponent’s body to win a point. According to the rules, the action resets in the center each time a contestant wins a point. So there is no spontaneous striking exchanges and continuous action. Next, the opponent is limited in their defense as they are not allowed to get a hold of you, take you down, blast you with a knee or elbow, or attack below the waist.
So when talking about Taekwondo, you should always distinguish modern practice from the traditional one. And if you want to learn how to fight, you must find a school that teaches traditional style, which can be quite difficult these days.
Final Thoughts
Taekwondo is an effective combat system rooted in self-defense application. However, bear in mind that the emphasis on training has changed over the years. Most modern schools put too much focus on competition, mainly since Taekwondo has become an Olympic sport. There are schools that stick with traditional teaching methods, but not many and you might have a hard time finding one.
Overall, sports Taekwondo will give you a basic understanding and limited skills you may apply in a fight. But the traditional style is far more comprehensive, teaches a wider range of techniques, and puts more emphasis on self-defense.
