Chapter 23: Traditional versus Sport
Page 2 of 4
If you ask a ITF practitioner to describe WTF stylists, you may hear:
- They do not have real power in their techniques, just fancy kicks and quick footwork.
- Everything is geared to competition, so the emphasis is on speed and scoring. Thus the techniques have little use in practical situations.
- Hand attacks are seldom used especially to the head.
- WTF president is a political figure who is not a Taekwondo practitioner.
- Patterns have no aesthetic value and are not emphasized.
- Kicks lack power which is why they do little breaking.
If you ask a WTF practitioner to describe ITF stylists, you may hear:
- They use old-fashion kicks that are not useful in sparring, e.g. too slow, use too much movement, leave you vulnerable, and use too much energy.
- Since they use light or no contact sparring, they would not survive in WTF sparring.
- Use hard blocks instead of avoidance.
- Low, wide stances slow techniques and telegraph movements.
- Few aerial kicks and little innovation, which lead to lower skill levels.