I have more than twenty years training in TKD and am a pretty good third degree black belt. It stands to reason that being able to punch and kick effectively gives you an advantage over someone who just wants to trade punches. Legs are longer and stronger than arms, so good kicks provide advantages in reach and power. Also, having more weapons makes you more unpredictable and harder to defend against.
Learning TKD correctly takes decades, so it is not suitable for those seeking a quick answer to handling the average street fighter. However, if you can find an honest school, and are willing to put in the work, you can make yourself into a terrific fighter. It is also a very captivating experience, as your skills develop and you begin to realize what you are capable of.
For self defense, out of the two, boxing would probably be better. Taekwondo is amazing but boxing teaches you how to defend yourself a lot better. This includes how to block safely and get out of the way of punches and strikes. Taekwondo teaches you similar stuff but I've found that the blocking technique tends to be ineffective and can lead to damage of the limbs. Of course if you really want to focus on self defense and being able to protect yourself then you should look into things like Brazilian Jiujitsu or Krav Maga. Those would likely be the best. It's always good to mix up your training so you get an all rounded experience.
Word of advice though, using martial arts to defend yourself should always be the last resort. Always try safer methods of dealing with problems first. A silver tongue can save you better than a pair of brass knuckles.
Cheers
A style is only as good and useful as your instructor and training.
There is no best style.
They will all work as long as you train right and have a good instructor.
styles are made to adapt to your body type
Your size, body type and sex have nothing to do with the style you want to choose. People that think that your size and body type determine the style know little to nothing about martial arts
Most people will tell you there style is the best or they heard such and such is a great style,
The style is not important, what matters is how good your instructor is and how you train. The style is secondary, they all have there pro's and con's there are no superior styles.
If you have an instructor that can’t teach you how to fight, regardless of the style, what good would it do you?
Choose a school with a good instructor in the end that’s all that matters, that and how you train.
Its the person that has the ability to fight not the style
I concur with what kyle said. I've done boxing and tae kwondo. I learned way more about how to handle myself in a fight from boxing. TKD offers some great tools to add to your arsenal. They have good foot work, kicks, and flexibility. By itself it kind of sucks. It is rarely focused on realistic self defense and is too much into sport. You don't want to use a lot of those hollywood kicks in a real fight. It also depends on the type of TKD. ITF if more balanced with hands and has a focus on self defense where as WTF TKD is almost all sport and not as much self defense. I took up judo for a long time as being able to grapple is very important to know as well. Boxing and Judo or boxing and bjj would be a good combo. Krav Maga is good if you can find a legit school.
You're getting your $10,000 braces off that your parents spent their hard-earned money on and now you want to get your teeth broken in boxing and martial arts? Smooth move. Boxing is going to be far more effective for handling "real world" conflicts than Taekwondo is.
Out of those 2, taekwondo. But you should take Muay thai for striking. It's the best.
start with boxing if you have a decent set of hands, and basic footwork head movement you will be fine in most outside of competition situations then pick up taekwondo to add kicking to your skillset and you can be a decent striker. in the competition aspect both are great and you will get to travel and see some very good practitioners of both sports... but in my experience like most have said its all gonna come down to how much YOU put into it
depends where your braces are , if it is a knee or leg injury don t do taekwondo for a long time as it is known for bring on injuries below the waist.
Given the choice, boxing would work better for you.
Tkd is Sh!t do research on what martial arts can do Study and ask another question :)
Next month when I get my braces of i will be able to be in that but I want the one that is better for me just in case something ever happened I would be able to defend myself witch one would be better for me
It is you, not the style. The style does not matter. Take the class you think offers you the most.
