How come there are like no people that like TKD?

lol I did taekwondo and I loved it, but people tend to get an impression that its inferior to Muay Thai, and they're both quite similiar (from what I seen).

I think its a visually spectacular martial arts with the best kicks and they should definitely show more of it on TV!!

I know you said no MT people. However I need to have my say on this. TKD is a very popular martial art and like most things that are popular people will jump on the band wagon in the hope of making some money of the back of it. This has resulted in a lot of schools been opened. However many of these schools will be uninsured and the quality of teaching will be low. This doesnt just happen in TKD, but it has happened in other martial arts such as Karate, Ju Jitsu, MT, etc.

It will keep happening until martial arts are properly regulated. There are bodies setup and insurance companies are trying to curb unqualified instructors teaching by ensuring they belong to an organisation and are not just a one-man band. However the martial arts community is still very fragmented and until everyone can agree poor quality teaching and schools will always exist.

What has happened in TKD is now starting to happen in MT as well. In the UK Muay Thai is very fragmented and there are several organisations and thousands of schools teaching what they want to teach. We do have a set cirriculum for our schools, as it is our business. I think "business" is a keyword, as a lot of instructors and schools are just doing it as a hobby. Things are getting better. However it going to be a long time before we will see standards across the board.

I like TKD its a cool martial art but its not as easy to be good in as other martial arts because kicking fast and hard is a hell of a lot harder then punching fast and hard anyone can throw a punch its normal but very few can throw a good kick. People just have not seen how great some people from TKD can fight because they have never seen a skilled person in it. Its hard to become skilled in TKD its take much more Strength & Conditioning to excel in then most martial arts

Personally I love TKD, it's the only one I train in and I wouldn't consider training in another until I have reached my black belt in it.

For the complaints I have heard about TKD "belt factory" schools I encourage you to try TKD outside of the US. I live i nthe UK and I have only trained at two schools. However I know that in the ITF style both these schools are intense. We train hard, we do a lot of work and in a variety of things. All our sparring practice is continuous even if we can only fight point stop until blue belt. We're taught how to punch, and we use it (this is the difference between ITF and the olympic WTF style, though that might soon change) in fact our punching techniques are borrowed from boxing/kickboxing. Often our instructor will push us through a two hour sweat session every few weeks to ensure we're in shape. And people fail the gradings all the time. After green tag you had better know your korean inside out, better know your pattern perfect or you will fail. My instructor tells of a time he was grading at another school and a guy grading for his black belt turned up. Our instructor sent him away straight after he bowed because his belt wasn't tied on right.

Now TKD in the UK hasn't gotten quite as big as the US, The two main schools that will train you hard is TAGB or the GTI. And it also helps that nationally we're used to competing on a global level and having to face some really tough nations (watch the people from Argentina, they are amazing) Luckily some of our instructors come from the old days of TKD and never bought into the McDojang thing. My own instrucotr is Tony Sewell and I didn't know it at the time but he's kind of a famous name in TKD.

Anyway, there's a lot going for TKD, like any marital art you have to tran hard to get the best out of it, and if you can go up in belts wihtout putting in that effort then it is your instructor's fault for not holding you back until you're ready. And for the positive about it's popularity that does mean that there are plenty of national and inernational tournaments around, and that is where you can see how your school measures up.

Because 99.9% of the tkd schools are crap. They teach without regard for realistic rules or counterpunching and combos (they teach for point sparring, which causes students who train that way to have bad habits in a fight).

When people generally say "tkd sucks". they are in fact saing it because they have not seen or sparred against a student who trained tkd realistically. Is it possible that somewhere there is a tkd school that does train this way, its possible, but because most people haven't seen one, they will continue to **** on it till they do.

TKD is known for having schools that are in fact "belt factories" where you just show up, and get a rank whether you deserve it or not. Thus you have 6 year old blackbelts, lard *** black belts who couldn't even take on a mewling infant and other such anomalies that bring down the reputation of the style. These things are not exclusive to tkd, but it has gained the reputation for it.

EDIT: Non-resistance applied to TKD?

I've rarely (if ever) heard that complaint, I thought that one usually goes with CMA and aikido. Far as I know, in TKD there is resistance, but training for a tournament with very limited rules.

Because its the most used martial art in America. And with that, has come a TON of schools that hand belts away with how much time you spend in the Dojang, not with how much you learn. For example my school. The adults in the class have to EARN their belt, but the children are handed one every 3 months. Now with that said our master also is a master of Hapkdio, and that is SUPER traditional. Many people have dropped out because he wont give them the next belt because they have not earned it.

Want to know if you are in a crappy Mc Dojo?

1. You sign any length of contract stating that you will be a part of his school.

2. You get a belt each time you test, regardless of knowledge. (think back to your last test, how many people failed? none right... yea... welcome to fast food Martial arts.)

3. The sparring on a "live resistant opponent" as you hear most of the brain washed BJJ kids talk is not all that important. Not all arts train solely on beating someones ***. With that said, there should be some time for the self defense portion where you REALLY try on someone. There is nothing worse than a false sense of security.

4. Kids under 18 allowed to get a black belt... THAT IS BS... and in the old days of your art, IT WAS NOT ALLOWED... the Poom belt... LOL

EDIT: To Bluto, I was talking about the self defense portion. As you stated the live resistant sparring is just point sparring, and wont help in a self defense situation... you need someone that wont cooperate to help you there.

Did youfinally realized you made a huge mistake when you start poke at the hornet nest?

I would have answer this question somewhat postively, but since you make up lot false claim about Muay Thai, I have nothing postive to say.

Wanna know why I don't like TKD? Go visit ATA or other black belt factories and you will see.

Because it's only good for kicks. matter of fact, that's all that it is. Once you get past the kicks, you'll get you *** kicked a lot sooner than you would with a different martial art. I couldn't stand TKD when I was learning it, and I quickly switched to Vale Tudo and boxing. TKD is good for showing off to me. Not for fighting or defending yourself.

People like what? you have to be more specific.