Close Topic Options

Martial Arts Body Language

Reading an opponent's face gives the edge in martial arts

There's more to excelling in the combat sport of taekwondo than just being able to produce well-aimed kicks or punches. A participant's skill at reading the emotions on an opponent's face and to therefore anticipate the next move can mean the difference between winning and losing a sparring match. Ref. Source 9u.

Language Body Arts Martial

I don't know if this is big news to people who don't participate in martial arts, but as someone who studied TaeKwonDo for 4 years and holds a black belt, I feel this is so obvious as to be a truism. A fight is not just an exchange of blows (Though for purely physical fighters, I guess it could be), but artful dodging and attacking. Sure you could go back and forth just hitting as hard as you can, wherever you can until someone gets tired or too injured to continue, but that is not the 'proper' way to fight taught in martial arts. As a beginner in martial arts, you are taught about a rhythm and precise movement. You learn to punch properly, block in certain ways, advance and retreat strategically (Though it may just appear to be a kind of route dance routine to the impatient). From here you then learn to spar (Which didn't happen until after 4-5 belts at my studio). This is where you put into practice this give-and-take or ebb-and-flow movement you were taught as a beginner. This involves feinting and reading your opponents reactions, patiently waiting and dodging until you understand when and where you opponent is going to attack and then countering it. It is clumsy at first and takes a long time to get good at, but unless you can read your opponent (And the faster you can read your opponent), you won't win. What is the common perception from others about material arts(Not boxing or 'wrestling')?