Magarita Flow

I don’t like Olympic Taekwondo as an example of the martial arts it’s cleaned of any real aggression, that’s the problem with Olympics they tidy everything up and take the heart out of some of the sports and events. As a sport it’s closer to fencing than Asian martial arts, the kicks that they get a score from, especially the head kicks, are sometimes just flicks to the head, like a rapier score. They can’t block with the legs, there are barely any punches, they are no take downs. The fighters spend too much time on their arses, rubbing their shins and toes. Stylistically it’s not very attractive to look at. Occasionally some of the fighters look like proper martial artists, but on the whole their stances are very high to avoid head strikes and there is very little movement around the square. They are exclusively side on to avoid kicks to the torso so there is very little ducking and weaving like in boxing. Occasionally some of the fighters do some really great spinning kicks, especially their counter attacks, the reach and flexibility they have to fulfill the head strikes is very impressive. But the points to the head encourage so much openness that they inevitably end up on their arses after attempting them, and the fact that the opponent can’t grab the leg for a take down means they leave them hanging in the for what seems like a lifetime. The electronic jackets are not very stylish at all. It reminds me of a theatre exercise or a drama game. As a tactical fighting game/sport to do with kicking it’s pretty good, as a martial art it’s diluted version of the real thing. I have no doubt that the fighters are good and were they to compete in a kickboxing scenario their precise kicking techniques, their athleticism and their tactical and positional awareness would would be pretty fearsome. But the rules they play to in the Olympics are too clean. I prefer Sando, Muay Thai or even Savate.

G-Eazy (via keepupfreeup)

Flatbush