Help with kickboxing from a Taekwondo background.

[KwonFight1995]

Hello all, I've been training in ETC taekwondo for the past 16 years, current 3rd Dan instructor but recently started training at American Top Team in kickboxing, and BJJ.

one thing I'm having a lot of problems is my hands, as taekwondo is mainly kicks, it's been amazing having some of the best kicks in the gym and landing great strikes in spatring. But my hands are lacking big time.

MY question is, has any of you transitioned from Taekwondo to kickboxing/MMA? And did you have difficulties at first adapting to the new fight style? I'm sure I will get there as I've only been training for a month, but after getting hands flying across my face I'm eager to see if anyone has any tips that has been in a similar situation.

 

[ARIZE]

I am in the opposite situation. My primary art is MT. But at one point
I decided to cross train in TKD ITF, mostly to level up my speed and agility.

I don't know what are the rules in ETC TKD, but from my experience the biggest challenge is for you to understand and accept the different mentality of the sports.
Mostly that you are no longer trying to "steal" points, but you are looking to hurt your opponent.
-Speed vs power is in a different percentage.
-Striking distances are different.
-Stance is different for specific reasons. (Kicks to the closed side of the body and low kicks are some of them)
-Close ring vs open space.
-Punches, long combos.
-Strategy on the long term of a fight... Hurt your opponent in a specific place to make him harder for him to fight, tire him, setting traps for later in the fight... Those things are not really present in TKD.

There are two ways in my opinion for you to go...
Either keep your TKD as a primary base, and use some changes for KB, or try to wipe the slate clean, and try to learn proper KB from the start.
But you'll have to be the one to make that decision. And basically, why did you start KB? To be better a TKD, or to learn a new art?

As i said, for me TKD was to help me be better at MT... So i still don't use the basic TKD stance when i fight with them. I still use the common MT kicks, I am still heavy on my guard blocking instead of avoiding and countering.
Obviously i get destroyed in TKD fights, but that was never my primary concern. I've seen some huge benefits to my MT from cross training.

If you have more specific questions, gladly to try to answer.

 

[KwonFight1995]

I am in the opposite situation. My primary art is MT. But at one point
I decided to cross train in TKD ITF, mostly to level up my speed and agility.

I don't know what are the rules in ETC TKD, but from my experience the biggest challenge is for you to understand and accept the different mentality of the sports.
Mostly that you are no longer trying to "steal" points, but you are looking to hurt your opponent.
-Speed vs power is in a different percentage.
-Striking distances are different.
-Stance is different for specific reasons. (Kicks to the closed side of the body and low kicks are some of them)
-Close ring vs open space.
-Punches, long combos.
-Strategy on the long term of a fight... Hurt your opponent in a specific place to make him harder for him to fight, tire him, setting traps for later in the fight... Those things are not really present in TKD.

There are two ways in my opinion for you to go...
Either keep your TKD as a primary base, and use some changes for KB, or try to wipe the slate clean, and try to learn proper KB from the start.
But you'll have to be the one to make that decision. And basically, why did you start KB? To be better a TKD, or to learn a new art?

As i said, for me TKD was to help me be better at MT... So i still don't use the basic TKD stance when i fight with them. I still use the common MT kicks, I am still heavy on my guard blocking instead of avoiding and countering.
Obviously i get destroyed in TKD fights, but that was never my primary concern. I've seen some huge benefits to my MT from cross training.

If you have more specific questions, gladly to try to answer.

I started training in BJJ and Kickboxing at American Top Team for the fact that I love combat sports. I eventually want to start competing in KB, and even MMA in the future. I meant to say WTF Taekwondo as well.

The problem I am having is my hands/feet combos. Basically blending them together and having a strong boxing game along with it, as TKD is all kicks. My hands are below avg. I have a naturally wide stance and can venouver around different combinations coming my way, but when it comes to me getting within close quarters and mixing my hands and feet together in combos, I end up just getting a 1,2,3 to the dome or something similar.

As I know I'm probably overthinking it as I've only been training in KB/muay Thai for a month and my hands will come with training.

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

I started training in BJJ and Kickboxing at American Top Team for the fact that I love combat sports. I eventually want to start competing in KB, and even MMA in the future. I meant to say WTF Taekwondo as well.

The problem I am having is my hands/feet combos. Basically blending them together and having a strong boxing game along with it, as TKD is all kicks. My hands are below avg. I have a naturally wide stance and can venouver around different combinations coming my way, but when it comes to me getting within close quarters and mixing my hands and feet together in combos, I end up just getting a 1,2,3 to the dome or something similar.

As I know I'm probably overthinking it as I've only been training in KB/muay Thai for a month and my hands will come with training.

practice the jab and the jab cross. that'll even up everything else. I'll write more when I think of it.

 

[ARIZE]

As I know I'm probably overthinking it as I've only been training in KB/muay Thai for a month and my hands will come with training.

As long as you understand that you are a beginner when in comes to punching, and commit to basics, you will start to see development real soon.
As Jimmy jazz said, during sparring try to throw simple 1-2 combination... Just to understand the distance, rhythm etc..
Work the technique and simple combos on the heavy bag when you have some spare time at the gym.

You will have some huge advantage in comparison to other people over there, with 16y of experience... As thebookofspeed said, you will probably easily adapt your kicks when using a KB stance. Obviously they will need some practice too, but it will come quickly.
But for punches, you will have to start from 0, be patient and put a lot of hours on it.

(Normally my advise would be: Fuck punches, just kick the shit out of them. Use the side kick to keep them at bay. Back kick them when they approach.
But I'am sick with fever and probably delusional those days, so...)

 

[AndyMaBobs]

The main thing you want to do is build a solid guard. In kickboxing a lot of the defence is blocking and deflection. The real risk for you is jabs, hooks and low kicks - the angles are weird and they can catch you off guard. What you don't want to be is like Raymond Daniels who gets lost whenever he's in their with a tough kickboxer.

What I'd suggest is looking at a guy like GSP, and all the different ways he throws a jab and how he uses it to set up his kicks and takedowns. If you develop a solid jab and a good defensive guard, you're already on the way to having success. Don't worry about much else for now, just practise jabbing and defence (including checking kicks) and the rest will just come naturally.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

As long as you understand that you are a beginner when in comes to punching, and commit to basics, you will start to see development real soon.
As Jimmy jazz said, during sparring try to throw simple 1-2 combination... Just to understand the distance, rhythm etc..
Work the technique and simple combos on the heavy bag when you have some spare time at the gym.

You will have some huge advantage in comparison to other people over there, with 16y of experience... As thebookofspeed said, you will probably easily adapt your kicks when using a KB stance. Obviously they will need some practice too, but it will come quickly.
But for punches, you will have to start from 0, be patient and put a lot of hours on it.

(Normally my advise would be: Fuck punches, just kick the shit out of them. Use the side kick to keep them at bay. Back kick them when they approach.
But I'am sick with fever and probably delusional those days, so...)

^ a good point too about the side kick, it's not as common as you'd think it'd be in kickboxing and in MMA basically no one outside of Holly Holm and Wonderboy use it.

 

[fluffball]

Sanshou guys use front foot side kicks to great effect in KBing, that could be a good source of inspiration for combining TKD and KBing. It was for me.

 

[eternaldarkness]

I started training in BJJ and Kickboxing at American Top Team for the fact that I love combat sports. I eventually want to start competing in KB, and even MMA in the future. I meant to say WTF Taekwondo as well.

The problem I am having is my hands/feet combos. Basically blending them together and having a strong boxing game along with it, as TKD is all kicks. My hands are below avg. I have a naturally wide stance and can venouver around different combinations coming my way, but when it comes to me getting within close quarters and mixing my hands and feet together in combos, I end up just getting a 1,2,3 to the dome or something similar.

As I know I'm probably overthinking it as I've only been training in KB/muay Thai for a month and my hands will come with training.

i did a fair bit of TKD as a kid them went to boxing and mma. it depends on what your goals are. do you want to get good at punching or do you just what to be more comfortable so you game implement a kicking game more effectively?

 

[KwonFight1995]

Thanks for the replies guys! It's definitely given me a lot of insight. A lot of it just happens to be with in my own mind. I wouldn't have as much of a problem as someone with no experience. Mainly because I come in, and I can sidekick, back kick, spinning hook kick all day everyday and rock guys left and right with those kicks. But then when I get into a technical boxing combo with them I become fooled lol. I've already had some great success so far with adapting a decent stance, and with my Taekwondo background in competing nationally I'm able to see setups and people telegraphing things like low kicks, or evade and block high kicks. The hard part for me of course mentally is being so skilled in a big portion of the style, but being a total noob in the main art of it. (Boxing) but I'll get there!

Thanks for the tips and help guys!!

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

anyway my thoughts as a tsd and karate guy is to not worry about staying in range and trading shots. Use the jab/kicks to keep them at bay and occasionally step in with a 1 2 to keep them honest. Also use your hands to set up your kicks. You dont even have to land the punches clean or at all sometimea. Just enough time to occupy their mind so the kick can land without them anticipating it. I like the double jab into the spinning back kick or a 1 2 rear leg front kick. As you get more comfortable with that game you can start using more boxing knowing you have that safe zone to fall back on.

 

[eternaldarkness]

Thanks for the replies guys! It's definitely given me a lot of insight. A lot of it just happens to be with in my own mind. I wouldn't have as much of a problem as someone with no experience. Mainly because I come in, and I can sidekick, back kick, spinning hook kick all day everyday and rock guys left and right with those kicks. But then when I get into a technical boxing combo with them I become fooled lol. I've already had some great success so far with adapting a decent stance, and with my Taekwondo background in competing nationally I'm able to see setups and people telegraphing things like low kicks, or evade and block high kicks. The hard part for me of course mentally is being so skilled in a big portion of the style, but being a total noob in the main art of it. (Boxing) but I'll get there!

Thanks for the tips and help guys!!

if that's the case i recommend doing a bit of straight boxing. especially is you can find a good defensive coach. just feeling comfortable being punched at makes a huge difference.

 

[exclamatio]

Really great advice posted so far! I'd like to add that what helped me as a kicking dominant fighter was to train lots and lots and lots of close range boxing. Tying belts together when sparring so we can't move apart, lead feet inside the circle, the kind of drills that force you to train in a certain range, so I couldn't just nip out and kick, I had to get better at defending and countering.

Doing close range sparring every day for a while was what it took for me, keep it relatively light so you're not getting killed every workout, but those hours seeing punches coming at you and having to read the body from so close, it all adds up.

 

[shincheckin]

Hello all, I've been training in ETC taekwondo for the past 16 years, current 3rd Dan instructor but recently started training at American Top Team in kickboxing, and BJJ.

one thing I'm having a lot of problems is my hands, as taekwondo is mainly kicks, it's been amazing having some of the best kicks in the gym and landing great strikes in spatring. But my hands are lacking big time.

MY question is, has any of you transitioned from Taekwondo to kickboxing/MMA? And did you have difficulties at first adapting to the new fight style? I'm sure I will get there as I've only been training for a month, but after getting hands flying across my face I'm eager to see if anyone has any tips that has been in a similar situation.

I fight muay thai. Muay thai is all I know. I would like to cross train TKD for its speed, flexibility, etc. If I could go back in time I would have done TKD when I was younger. sounds like your also at a high level of TKD which is awesome. You should transition into KB/MT very easily. Kicks are harder to learn than punching. Give yourself some time, think about how long you been doing TKD 16 years. Give a yr or so of your new training, once you "catch up" your going to have a huge advantage on guys.

 

[spacetime]

I found the transition to boxing easy. My hands were always more fluid than my kicks. I think it’s simply the other way around in your case.