Blog 2

– Styles –

In my previous blog (https://tulsonline.com/sinewave), I shared my opinion on why the Sine Wave does not add substantial power to a technique. This blog is about whether that is a problem or not.

You can look at this in two ways, in short:

  1. Within a martial art, different styles can exist for executing techniques. For example, Taekwon-do with the Sine Wave (SW) uses four different styles:
    • Tuls are performed with an up-and-down movement while the upper body remains passive.
    • Sparring uses a short setup from the hip and the core to give speed to techniques. The counter-movement is used as a static block. *
    • A breaking test utilizes both the hip, the core, the counter-movement, and the legs to make the technique as powerful as possible.
    • Self-defense is practiced for liberation and control from the center of the body; however, it does not involve taking the TKD stances.
  • A martial art employs a style, such as working from the hip movement:
    • Tuls, all techniques use hip engagement, counter-movement, and support from the legs.
    • Sparring, a short hip engagement and turn with the back leg, gives the technique its speed; the counter-movement is a static block. *
    • Breaking tests use hip engagement, counter-movement, and stretching of the back leg.
    • Self-defense techniques are performed on the same basis; only the execution is adapted to the situation.
  • Performing all Taekwondo components in a style allows the Taekwondo-ka to master the technique optimally and to be able to handle it in all situations.

It will be clear that I primarily follow the second direction. The SW is therefore not an option for me. Power from a hip movement, on the other hand, is. See (https://tulsonline.com/hip-movement/).

  • The technical styles of all martial arts start to resemble each other during sparring because the rules of these matches require certain techniques and exclude others. Taekwondo, with its semi-contact rules and high kicks that score many points, promotes fast kicking techniques that must be executed precisely.