4.0 out of 5 stars
An Inside Look, August 18, 2011
This review is from: Taekwondo Training in Korea (Amazon Instant Video)
I've been studying TKD since 1997. Since I was a kid, I dreamed of going to Korea to train (they used to have TKD training tours back in the day). I knew a guy who went over to train and didn't make it passed day 3! This video will show you why Koreans are freakin' intense! Their techniques are absolutely flawless (I must say I'm incredibly jealous)! Their speed is lightning fast and their footwork is precise. This video gives you a tiny hint as to why Koreans dominate the sport!
Overall, I rated the video a 6.5-7.0 out of 10.
Here's my review
Cons
First, this video is dated (clearly mid-late 90's). However, I bet any of the players in the tape could take on anyone today.
Second, the main coach in the tape is a legend. He gives a few tips throughout the tape (they come up on the screen). It's kind of tease because you can see him giving pointers to his students. This tape is a lot of observation. There's absolutely no commentary. If you're good at recognizing body mechanics and learn well from simple observation, then watch this because it's awesome!
Third, the last portion is sparring. It's cool because the main coach is beating the crap out of a few of his students. He's lighting fast and uses a back kick (offensively) like none other! Unfortunately, it seems like the director and film crew got tired because they really got bad with the camera. It's a whole bunch of quick cut shots with weird angles. No flow to it at all. The last 10 minutes really kind of sucked.
Pros
First, its' a cool sneak peak inside a great Korean TKD gym.
Second, the quality of the athletes in the video is inspiring and intimidating. They are, clearly, experts in their art and have amazing body mechanics.
Third, the drills are fantastic and a must for any TKD coach (especially with a competition team)! They have basic kick drills to warm up, attacking drills, counterattacking drills, footwork drills (with great lateral and diagonal steps), target drills (including awesome zig zag drills), trio drills, endurance drills, speed drills, circular drills, hogu drills, and sparring. It's too bad there's no commentary throughout!
Overall, great video. A must for any olympic style competitor.
If you do not train with a world class or elite coach, then do yourself a favor and get this video. Practice like this and you will definitely see the difference in your sparring!
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