Originally posted by OneDumbG0
Why is Tae Kwon Doe garbage? 60% of it is kicking, which is using your longest part of your body to attack and defend, 30% is grappling and wrestling toe to toe and 10% is striking with your hands. Hell, even Bruce Lee and UFC grapplers give respect to kickers. Knock the shit outta someone's body whether its their leg or their gut or head, and keep your distance, and you're friggin golden. UFC restricts fighters with a small round ring. Nobody gives respect to UFC fighters outside that ring. You've been watching too many web videos, man. In pure technique and skill in mixed arts battles, Tae Kwon Doe has dominated in the past several decades. If you studied mixed arts, you'd know that the small ring they give is a ridiculous advantage to grapplers and even then, a minority of kickboxers still end up coming out on top.
Funny, I do follow martial arts, and I'm pretty much aware that kicking is considered highly ineffective in real fighting. To the extent that it IS used, it's mostly kicks against the other person's legs because your leg doesn't have to cover as much distance and isn't made as vulnerable with such a kick. Kicking is otherwise HORRIBLE -- it's slow (even the fastest kicker can't complete a kick NEARLY as rapidly as the fastest puncher can complete a punch) and easily countered compared to a punch, it puts you on one foot (and therefore easily knocked off balance and down), and if you kick high, it's a good way to lose instantly as your leg is grabbed. Having your arm grabbed is bad ... you could end up in an arm lock. But at least you still might have your balance. Having your leg grabbed is DISASTROUS ... you're hopping on one foot, pretty much at your opponent's mercy.
The UFC octagon, by the way, is quite large -- large enough to get a halfway decent running start going toward your opponent. How much space do you NEED, man? Would a whole city block be good enough for your kickboxer fighter? Or should the space be even bigger ...?
And I've watched the fights, and it isn't the size of the octagon that's the problem. People who try to kick very much get taken down right in the MIDDLE of it, with plenty of room left to retreat. It has nothing to do with not having enough room and everything to do with the fact that for the most part, kicking. Just. Sucks.