How to get better at sparring [point sparring especially] in tkd?
400075
practice makes perfect...you need to find an experienced person who will help you excel.  It is in your best interest to always spar with someone who is better then you who will "press" you but not hurt you. Some people have egos and end up hurting you. In terms of punches the heavy bag is one of the best methods.  As long as you have some one monitoring your technique you can only get better. Mitts are also a great technique to practice and perfect your "moves".(hopefully I hope I answered this correctly)
213539
You may be able to find classes at your local karate/taekwondo school. I know we have classes offered at our local taekwondo school. Just call around to your martial arts schools.\nGood luck!
906472
I have taught Wing Chun Kung Fu for several years - while you may be able to learn some set movements in this way, there is much about stance, power generation and centre of gravity that can not be learnt by copying from a video.\nFind yourself a good reputable instructor and go for it!
5553
To really work on your fighting skills you need to find a jiujitsu instructor.  This will help you defend yourself better.  In this discipline of martial arts you learn to grapple, pressure points, joint manipulation, etc...I mean why try to hit this guy with everything you have when you can snap his wrist with little strength or even bring him to the ground with your pinky...MAKE HIM TAP OUT...There is no better feeling than making someone tapout.
898556
Here is the cheatsheet I bring to get myself in the proper mindset before a tournament.  It has the word "MOVE" watermarked in the background.\n\nMOVE—keep feet moving, keep point moving, play w/ opponent to create opportunities \nPreparations for Attack—if you aren’t ready to retreat, you are already attacking!\nSmooth is fast—smooth hands - smooth feet.  Watch body language and telegraphs\nControl Tempo—Make it happen!  Don’t sit till plan comes to you—MOVE—do something!\nGame Face—come On Guard relaxed and ready.  Quit thinking about last touch on way to line.  \nOwn the Distance—keep steps small on advance and retreats when engaged\nAggressive Defense—keep pecking—force mistakes, set ‘em up-knock ‘em down.\nDefense Distance—feet and blade don’t stop ‘till you find blade. Riposte, explode or 2-step\nRetreat under control—to uncomfortable distance, not out of distance; ready to move NOW!\nGauge opponents’ Comfort Zones—preparation cushion, rxt speed, fave parry, end of strip\nMOVETight attacks, small parries, quick counters, small steps\nCounterattacks—don’t rely on them; remember their devastating mental effect on opponents.\nForgotten—Fleche, balestraF-retreat-parry, cheat advance, jump uncomfortable-quickstart, 2I/CT\nZone—Slow motion—I’m waiting for rxt that I made happen, appears super quick to audience\n\nThese are notes I use for myself, so they need some footnotes if I'm passing them on.  \nPreparations are the steps you take prior to actually attacking, to get yourself at the proper distance to start the attack.  \nNote that the forgotten section is simply footwork and strategy that will fall out of my game because I forget to use it--that list will be different for everyone.  \nGame Face--when you are ready to fence, either putting on your mask or hearing 'on guard', the last touch, your frustration over a mistake or a bad call, the strategy you hadn't quite worked out, and everything else has to be out of your head so you are ready to work with your point.  When you hear the word 'Ready', you are ready.\nAggressive Defense--there are a lot of false attacks in this style.  The idea is to keep your opponent from making good attacks and good ripostes, and eventually frustrating them into making bad attacks or ripostes.  Always attack first, but don't over-commit to the attacks, be ready to let them fail and do another one, just to frustrate your opponents attempts to properly set up.  AggD is just one mindset you can use, but is a good one when you are out of ideas--it prevents your opponent from taking control of the bout.  It is very tiring though.  \nCounterattacks--do them too often and you'll lose, but doing one well can mentally crush an opponent--they thought they were making a good attack that you totally ignore, and you steal a touch while you are at it--it is much worse than being parried!  You can make someone abandon the best part of their game.\nThe stuff on gauging opponents is to be done between bouts, not during the bout.  \n\nThat's what I do--hope it helps.
856251
Do shadowkicks... shadowkick combinations and feinting techniques. Do bullet kicks or multiple 45's.\n\nhave a partner and hit kickpads with combo's.\n\nMUST AVOID HEAVY BAG. It will destroy your taoekwondo game.
842020
Practice with a partner. Take turns, 1 punches & the other blocks. Mix up the punches, don't get into a pattern. Use feints as well.
347090
There are many martial arts schools that teach weapons at more advance belt levels but rarely few that actually have students spar with them. The two martial arts I've trainined in that teach weapons and they are taekwondo and shotokan karate. Why don't you try kendo?
636468
I took a look at www.mugendojo.com. They've taken a bunch of martial arts and attempted to combine them. These martial arts are not the same and some are built upon different philosophies. You might end up getting a sample of each and a mastery of none. \n\nHere's some info from one of my old answers:\n\nHere's what I would do:\n\n\n1. Get a sheet of paper and write down exactly what kinds of benefits you wish to obtain from studying karate/martial arts. It's a good idea to know exactly what you want to achieve.\n\n2. Go to www.smartpages.com and look up MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION in you city and state. It will tell you what martial arts are taught in your area and where the schools are located.\n\n3. Once you know what martial arts are offered in your area look their definitions on the net. Note the similarities and differences between each. A good place to do that is www.wikipedia.com.\n\n4. Visit the schools in your area. Ask for a free class. Make sure you find a Master Instructor who is overseen by a larger governing body.For example: Many Tae Kwon Do schools belong to the World Tae Kwon Do Federation. Verify your instructor's credentials.\n\n5. Choose a martial art that lines up with your goals.\n\n\nSome Martial Arts:\n\nTae Kwon Do and Karate will provide you with a great cardiovascular workout. They will also tone you. For the best results go to class around 4-5 days per week and at least 20-30 minutes a day at home to practice your moves.\nKoei Kan and Isshin Ryu are two good styles of karate. You can also look up Kenpo.\n\nThe best thing about the Kung Fu styles is that they are usually "complete" systems meaning they cover stand up, ground, and weapons combat. Yu Chia is an interesting form of Shaolin Kung Fu.\n\nKrav Maga, an Israeli style of self defense, is a superb physical workout. Around 4-5 days of Krav with transform your body. I've watched it happen. Fair warning! The workouts are intense! Take a look at Jennifer Lopez in the movie Enough. She's doing Karv Maga.\n\nHope this helps!
582431
Go to the gym ask boxers there about training. Search the web for tips and sites that will help you get started or improve in areas you need to. Also, find a good sparring partner.
646201
bjj and muay thai everytime\nthats if you want something that actually works. if its just to look good,capoeria, aikido, wu shu, taekwondo.\ni use the general rule\n1 grappling/ground (bjj)\n1 clinch and take down (bjj and mthai)\n1 striking (muay thai)
1038821
While any system, if taught well, can help with your listed goals, a medium to close range system maybe a good fit for you. Tae Kwon Do has good systems but they have more emphasis on long range attacks. At long range, you are more likely to have a shorter reach than your opponent so you'll have to work extra hard in this style to be as good as someone who's taller and stronger. Karate may be a good choice. It's not overly complicated for the most part. Techniques are fairly straight forward and many are applicable and progress can be tracked easily when you spar. Kickboxing and Muay Thai are effective, but the training is rough and unless you are doing this to compete, the rules in the ring will limit your thinking on the street a little. Kungfu is great but good luck finding a real master. Besides, it's got an all-show-no-substance reputation around from so many bad practioners getting beat down that you'll more likely get into fights when idiots pick on you once they learnt that you study it. So unless you are looking to get into fights or plans to devote a lot of time and effort and willing to trek around for a real master, Kungfu isn't a good choice. Other Japanese and Korean internal arts can be groups similarly to Kungfu. They are effective but requires a great deal of dedication.\nHere's how I would find a fitting style.\nPart-time (6 hours a week) for self defense: Shotokan Karate, TKD\nCompetition: Muay Thai and Kickboxing\nFull devotion (21 hours a week or more): Internal styles and other Kungfu
1173117
My training is similar to yours.  I train BJJ, Muay Thai, and Boxing.  I also have a strong background in wrestling, having done it for over 6 years and having coached it for a short time.  Right now I'm not near any schools, as I work on a Navy base in Italy.  There are a couple of guys here with different backgrounds and we spar together, teaching each other what we can.  When I get back to the states I'm going back to my BJJ school, and looking for a muay thai gym if I can find one.\n\nI think you're training now is ideal for MMA.  Boxing and muay thai have awesome footwork and striking techniques. Combine that with the comfort muay thai fighters have in the clinch and the ground fighting prowess of BJJ and you have a very well rounded fighter.  All that's missing is the takedown ablility of wrestling or judo.  I've trained with many higher ranked (in belt)BJJ practitioners, and I've always had them off the takedown.  They eventually improve their position and get me with a submission, but that will change in time.\n\nI don't completely agree with your view on Kung Fu, though.  It's true that there aren't many MMA champions with Kung Fu backgrounds, but I don't think that is because of the stye.  I think it's more because of the training.\n\nKung Fu, traditionally, was a mixed martial art form.  The chinese brought together various famous fighters to study their styles and techniques and to develop strong fighters for battle.  It's techniques are effective and it has potential for MMA  Presently, though, I don't think Kung Fu is practiced in a way that builds great fighters. Especially in the US.  It has become more of a forms based martial art and the practitioners don't spar enough, if at all.  It's possible for a Kung Fu fighter to study for years and have less ring time than a Muay Thai boxer would get in his first few months at a gym.
95598
What style of defense are you focusing on? Try working more with the double end bag and see what kind of exercises your trainer would recommend for your style.\n\nYou will probably have to do quite a bit of sparring, focusing on defense and without hitting your opponent. If you can do that then you will be better able to put it together with your offense later.
288238
What do you mean by "better"? \nNeed to defend yourself and want to have skills for all possible scenarios?\nThen what you need would be something like Kajukenbo:\nKA (from a Korean style of karate) JU (from judo and jujitsu) KEN (From kenpo) BO(from Chinese boxing, kung fu) \nThis style has developed a reputation as "the perfected art of dirty streetfighting" \nThe second factor of the kajukenbo philosophy is the notion of taking what works and not being afraid to try other martial arts styles. \nYou learn to do anything it takes to win. \nEven if you have to bite, scratch, and kick, there are no rules. You have to fight like an animal if necessary.
792969
This is a very confusingly worded question!\nI am presuming you are saying that someone who is good at forms can also be bad at sparring?\nYes this is the case, because sparring has to do with timing as well, whereas forms are more to do with well drilled movements....
559393
There are some excellent books and training videos out there. Check your local bookstore for them. I am trained in Kempo and reading a book written by the late master Bruce Lee. It's called "Tao of Jeet Kune Do." Not only does it provide great training methods but it gives great mental insight as well.