Martial Arts - What Do/Did You Study

Originally Posted by 12stones

I love the "this is better than this" and "that is better than that" discussions that take place whenever martial arts are brought up. The fact of the matter is that in a real situation you can win or lose on any given day. One style is not better than the other; it all depends on the practitioner and the situation that takes place. Jiu-jutsu (it is jutsu folks) is just as good as goju-ryu which is just as good as muay thai, etc. It's all about preparation, training, understanding, and ability. And even all of those don't add up to guarantee you won't get your ass kicked by someone untrained; though it does better the odds.

And for those that think TKD sucks, go watch the ROK Marines training in South Korea and see if you want to join them; it's no joke. Again, it's all about the practitioner.

I agree with most of this, especially that it is the prep, training, understanding and ability that matter most. I still balk at anyone defending TKD as being on the same level as the others. TKD is, in my and many of my fellow artists opinions, the least rounded defense system out there. That's not to say that it isn't a good way to exercise, build confidence, etc. It just doesn't train you for most practical fighting situations. Most fights, as hardcz mentioned above, happen so fast that it is the muscle memory of years of repetition that will dictate how you perform. And even that has a 50/50 chance of backfiring. When you don't have those years of training in close contact fighting (which TKD certainly does NOT focus on), you don't have what it takes for 90% of fights. Seriously, 90% of fights end up on the ground. I have a great jump spinning hook kick, but it's worthless when I'm tangled up with someone or on the ground...