Yes there is a need to have a live partner when training in contact activites.  But there is still a need for drills.  When I wrestled, we did over an hour of drills and then 30 mintues on live wrestling.  before conditioning.  In my TKD class, we do similar drills,(punches, kicks and combos, forms) then depending on the day work on self-defense or sparring. 

There has to be a balance between both live training and drills.  The drills help develop insticts so that when you are sparring or being attacked.  I don't know how manny times I've thrown a wrestling move in during self-defense when the ast. Instructor attacked.  Just focusing one asspect makes a person an immcomplete Martial Artist.  

MMA is becoming more and more popular but I've noticed that most of the guys that compete are calling themselves fighters and not martial artist.  I think most of the MMA growth is American based, but there is more internatonal attention growing as well. 

Martial arts has always changed over time.  Certain aspects of come and go, but I don't think that traditional training will ever completely go away.  It may loose popularity from time to time but it will still be around.  

Yelp I have to air on the side of the real world fighting.  Let’s take young Leroy Green that lives in the Hood. He has never been to one Martial Arts School. He seen all the van "rawr" movies Bruce lee, Jackie Chan etc. he has learned all the movies.  Leroy gets in fights coming after School.  He learns what works and what does not.  Sometimes he spars kids that have been in traditional martial arts classes and learns form his mistakes.  I have trained with those kids and men. I have been that person above.  I tell you what I have walked in tournaments and walked out a winner Never been training years in a shopping mall school.  I grew up with no kick bags etc. That was Till I found my grandpas old duffle bag form the army and stuffed it with rags.  I did not learn to fall on plush floors and soft walls kick targets I kick tree leaves dangling form their branches.  I learn to do flips in my grandpas back yard that was lucky sloped like a wedge used in gymnastics school.  Ha ha  ha.

As a teen I spared different dudes from different schools.  Now I can walk right in a mma fight and more than hold my own.  I won my last cage fight. Hands down voted unanimous.  This is not to brag.  But I learned one steps three steeps and patterns it had made me a lot better.   I still cross train in BJJ mma. But mma is no substitute traditional martial arts.   I believe every TKD should cross train in boxing and mauy Thai and bjj or hapkido’s grappling to learn triangles arm bars etc.  All can be added to your current traing. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars with your local mma school. 

I have to say this about cross train in Bjj it won’t help you on the concrete in the glass embraced alley.  REmember mma is a sport with rules!  Olympic TKd is a sport with rules! Point sparing is a sport with rulls.  To be a true martial artist you mix them all with one rule. Train as real as you can- ground fighting stand up included, joint locks.  Use you ridge hands and eye strikes but not for real. One rule you and your sparing partner should have you both leave the same way you came.

Use all the tools you can to be a better martial artist. Always sweat and use quality not Quantity.   Don’t skip form art to art with out a firm foundation. When I became able to work I enrolled into a martial school close to me.  And I cross trained but never left my school.  When I became a black belt my master sent me to others schools to teach me and me to teach them. Learned judo and other styles.  Cross train- Bruce lee did it but he had a good foundation in wing chug. Let tae kwon do be your foundation.  You can have a firm foundation in any style but a foundation is a black belt.  Every art has it holes and problems that can be exploited.  Learn yours. Learn how other arts think.  This is the way to the ultimate martial artist not just a tae kwon do.     

Master Samuel T. Robertson IV

this is my point. all fights may go to the ground. true but, MOST end up on the ground. humm so think.....if starts standing up it can end standing up. Even so you can punch and strick and kick on the ground.

If they happen to go to the ground guess what ; they end up back on their feet some times.

This is why mma trains stand up and ground. you need both is cage fight. but its a sport. A sport that will knock you out or tap you out but its aGAME with refs, points and bells.

Im not saying tkd is the best art in the world. or the worst. its what i teach but my sons..they learn tkd 1st then he learns the rest of the arts i know. i dont belive one art is better then the other. just what ever floats your boat you train in. try to learn them all.

i have been in real world fights. I've had guns in my face. ive been stabed. true bjj can help you in almost alll fights. any martial art can. However not all fights end up on the ground. I'm not biased. I have other black belts other then tae kwon do. I have a rank in Bjj im a asst instructor in the class i take. here is the school i traina and have a belt in. http://www.fostermma.com/

in my class and classes all over the world in mma schools i see guys roll. THATS ALL THE WORK ON IN SOME CASE.  I stand them up and and KICK them down with out using my ground game. why?

im better on my feet then the ground. from your feet you can fight more people than on your back or in the guard. Bjj fails to how you how to arm bar two people at the same time! i can kick two people at the same time i can punch two people at the same time but cant upa two people at the same time.

look your in a alley, on your back after sprawling. you end up rolling now there is glass in your back while your setting up your sweep for your triangle. your about to pass him out not tap because he not going to know how to tap. if he does he can attack again. while you laying there passing out your attacker; all his boys are stoping you in your head! your stationary sitting duck all your gross skills are occupied. ive been there. on my back surrounded. i survied on my Feet..

You can take what i say or leave it, thats your choice. I wont tell you anything i would not tell my son. that end up on the ground bit has been a selling point for years for the ground schools. well school is in. ground guy needs to close the gap get his fighter to the ground. Striker needs distance to react kick etc. its a game of death who gets who in their world weather its on the ground on standing up. to tell the truth is a variable. fighting is a veruble i seen non trained guys beat experienced fighters.

i was not piont my topic to you. you keep doing what you do cross train. im not agents you. jsut like a lil debate.

Master Samuel

HeeIlCho, I have a question, have you have been in a really street fight? Do you plan on getting in one?  I study both ITF and WTF forms.  I've also been trained don't put yourself in a sitution where you'll get into a fight.  

But I've been is some really street fights in Downtown St. Louis during my high school years.  One thing you learn is that you never want to go to the ground.  I did once and got put into the hospital.  I guy with steel toed boots mule kicked me in the head.    

I would slam some people and fall on top to protect myself but never stayed there.  

It seems that you are more concern about fighting, like Master Samuel says no art is better the other and also he pointed out that people can learn things by trial and error and improve, meaning that anyone can win a street fight were rules don't apply.

Cross training sounds like a good answer to you.  But you do sound like you are pissed off with your training and that should be taken up with your instructors.