GO ITF!!! One WTF class i went to was reeeeaaaaally bad: they did not use sine wave, their punches were off-centre, their shoulders were not properly squared for punches either. I could not believe it- what had they actually been learning in all their lessons?! I was supposed to be amazed by kicks etc. but their best acrobaticism was nothing i could not already do. However, I'm sure this school is just a very bad example and I bet all you WTFers go to better schools ^_^
As far as i know, your gradings will be accepted in whichever WTF club you train with, someone correct me if I'm wrong please.
As UmYang, says, it really does depend on the school. My ITF school concentrates primarily on self-defence, and the instructor tries to apply everything to a self-defence situation. Some people think that WTF schools just train for the sports aspect of TKD, but I know some students of WTF who train just as much for self-defence as for the sport. It all depends on the instructors motives and personal style. Neither style is better than the other.
whats better, sex or chocolate? I am an ITF insturctor, and one day a year and a half ago, I accidentally stumbled into a WTF tournament thinking it was an 'open' tournamnet. After humming and hawing for awhile they decided to let me compete. Now I had never really seen a WTF function, and was not fully aware of all the differences, I figured we both kick, so good enough for me. WELL I have to say there are many differences, and I found out from ample warnings of punching the opponents face when she got too close, and she was getting points kicking my back (wierd). It was an eye opener. I also met a WTF instructor that day who felt bad for me because I was so out of place.... we are now engaged and living together. He has a WTF school and I have an ITF school, needless to say we both do cross training. He can argue until his face is blue that WTF is better and I can hammer back that I preffer ITF, really, it's personal preferance. I like the fact that in WTF tournaments you can see your score as your fighting, but I alsoike to punch. You take what you like and appreciate it.
Just a short note on the ITF vs WTF things The mens & women's TAGB national teams (Scotland, Wales & England) regularly get invited overseas to take part in open competition which WTF style sparring (they have all gone to Switzerland this weekend). Now, TAGB is based on the ITF style (without the sinewave, concetration is more on hip twist, acceleration & body drop) and the sparring is "semi contact" which points being scored anywhere on the head and on the front of the chest. However, when the TAGB teams travel to these open competition they very very very often wipe the floor with the WTF style fighters even though they are fighting to different rules and with different tactics. I wouldn't dare to say that ITF is better than WTF as I know very little about WTF so am unqualified to make a judgement, but surely the success of the TAGB teams says something. Whether it's just about stamina, mental attitude or what I don't know but......... Also, when I went to the World Champs in Cardiff last year it was my observation that there was more contact in the ITF semi contact sparring than in the WTF full contact style. The contact in ITF was heavy and there was a lot of it - it came thick and fast for the whole duration of the rounds. With WTF the contact was heavy but it came in very short bursts, usually at the end of the round (I assume each fighter was being conservative for the majority of the time trying not to let their opponent score). Finally, what is it with WTF style ladies that they must have their hair poking up out of the top of their helment so that when they bounce it flaps up and down?????? Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!!!!!! I will admit that has been the butt of many a TAGB joke
Top quality fighters who train relentlessly will do well regardless of the ruleset. They will do even better if their ITFish (don't let Madhoose hear you say that )association includes former WTF Olympic competitors to help coach them.... Mitch
ahh glad I stumbled upon this thread, I am thinking of doing Taekwondo near to me rather then travel the world which I do. Thing is I have only two choices, first was an hour lesson for £5 which I don't think is good the other is a class that teach ITF style. Would doing ITF mess up the WTF training or would it be a case of me being able to adjust easily to both. (I'm keeping one of my clasess here in London) Tans
Hey Tansy, I have taken more then one style at a time and the only bad thing I did was get confused on hand and foot positions. As Bruce Lee thought, if you learn one style and one style only, you become a slave to that style and therefore are limited. If you train in different styles and train in different ways, you achieve the goal of having "No style" and no limitations. He believed that having no style allowed you to adapt to any situation. So enjoy both schools and take only that which matters to you. :Angel:
Thank you, yes Mr Lee was pretty much right. All I was concerned with is forgetting to do one thing in one class and doing it in the other since one differs slightly to the other...did that make sense?
It is surely not a simple thing to do, so you can't really expect to be able to do it quickily. Give it time, you'll get use to it eventually. Just keep training!
WTF. Though some schools may have their own ideas, hence an ITF school might also do full-contact sparring. But in general and in normal competition ITF is semi-contact. Interestingly enough I talked to a guy who has competed internationally in both. He reckoned the contact in our (TAGB) 'semi-contact' sparring was heavier than WTF 'full contact'! Mitch
its all a mater of a schools definition of full and semi contact. But from experinces in full contact kickboxing matches the TAGB and UKTA guys hit harder than the kickboxers.
Yes, I'd go with this. At the Worlds in Cardiff last year the contact was much heavier in the "semi" ITF style than in the "full" WTF style. Also taking into account that the hit rate in ITF is much higher than in WTF everyone pretty much took a beating.
I understand that there is now a ?professional full contact ITF ciricuit. Certainly, having competed unwisely in an international ITF contest, the level of kicking contact was pretty much full on, hands much less so. I dont think semicontact lifts you 3 feet in the air.
I think it depends on the organisation and the situation. In the organisation im a part of it is semi - contact for green belt and above. However the higher the rank the more is allowed and red belts are pretty full on. Our blackbelts spar full contact and knock outs are allowed. Also in the rules is says that a lot more contact is allowed if people walk into it. My friend got a serious collar bone injury from an axe kick when he was a green belt but becuase he walked into the other guy won (my friend couldn't continue). Basically we are encouraged to keep it semi contact but they say if they're walking on to it feel free to kick them as hard as you can!
