[deadstealth]

4 years American TKD (Jhoon Rhee => Alan Steen => L. Wheeler => me) This was a very competitive school. The difference between "hard rock" korean TKD and American, is that the korean style has almost no hands. They block with dodging or kicks. Chung Do Kwan TKD incorporates about 30% hands.

2 years American kickboxing. This class was either the TKD guys that wanted no rounds and more lax (real) rules or the local street toughs that couldnt/wouldnt be in the TKD class. So this was my intro to using TKD vs boxers and kickboxers.

It takes a while to build KO power with snapping kicks, but once you get to concrete breaking level, you can throw the kick, and the only thing they can do is not be there (or shoot if they grapple). I dont understand why people like muay thai style kicks so much over the snap kicks...if both have ko/bone break power, then the faster one, that doesnt leave you open if you miss, is better IMO. The sidekick is by far the most underutilized tool in mma, and the front snap kick to the body is another one that is ULTRA useful against boxers that like to square up. I dont see anywhere close to the amount of body kicks there should be in mma.

I will say that TKD lacks a bit on the hands. Most of what I learned until the kickboxing were punches that were straight, fast, and accurate (point punches) rather than angled and powerful (damage punches) However, if your footwork and cardio are good...and you arent fighting in a closet...its hard for a boxer to get close enough to hit you. My leg is longer than any boxers arm.

The other thing I wish TKD had is leg kicks. I can actually throw a mid level or head level roundhouse stronger than I can a leg kick. There is no mention anywhere in TKD or the american kickboxing I did where kicks to the leg were allowed, and that is a major weapon for the muay thai guy and for any striker vs juijitsu/boxing.