I Tested the Strangest Self-Defense Techniques From Early Taekwondo!

#Taekwondo #MartialArts #MartialArtsHistory Early Taekwondo was about far more than kicking. Its early training manuals included grappling, joint locks, throws, takedowns and even unusual self-defence techniques against weapons. In this video, I go back to one of Taekwondo's earliest English-language training manuals and test five of its strangest self-defence techniques to find out whether they actually work — and whether early Taekwondo was originally intended to be a complete martial art. Taekwondo is now famous around the world for its spectacular kicks and competitive fighting, particularly through modern sport Taekwondo and the Olympics. But the techniques found in some of the earliest Taekwondo training material paint a much more complicated picture. So I decided to reconstruct these techniques as closely as possible and put them to the test. Are these forgotten Taekwondo techniques genuinely useful? Are some of them surprisingly effective? Or were they never particularly convincing in the first place? I'll be rating the techniques as Convincing, Plausible or Unconvincing based on how they actually work when put into practice. And by the end, we'll tackle the bigger question: Was early Taekwondo really designed to be a complete martial art — and how did it become the kicking-focused martial art we know today? ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Early Taekwondo Was More Than Kicks 00:59 — Technique #1: The Handshake Escape 03:58 — Technique #2: The Kneeling Throw 07:32 — Technique #3: The Bench Twisting Kick 10:38 — Technique #4: The Belt Grab & Wrist Lock 13:11 — Technique #5: The Bayonet Defence 16:40 — Final Verdict: Was Early Taekwondo a Complete Martial Art? 📚 Further Reading: Tae Kwon Do 1965 — Choi Hong Hi The original 1965 Taekwon-Do manual by Choi Hong Hi. Paperback: https://amzn.to/4zuU8UA A Killing Art — Alex Gillis A detailed history of Taekwondo, including its political, military and cultural development. eBook: https://amzn.to/4cM9bPG Paperback: https://amzn.to/45zTPKs 📘 My Books: Legendary Masters of the Martial Arts eBook: https://amzn.to/47DBD4g Hardback: https://amzn.to/47SzcJU Paperback: https://amzn.to/47DBIF6 The Martial Arts of Vietnam: An Overview of History and Styles eBook: https://amzn.to/41bESMq Paperback: https://amzn.to/48jTgWz Top 10 Techniques Every Fighter Should Know (Series) Kicks: Ebook: https://amzn.to/4cdrOMM Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Qc5732 Elbows and Knees: Ebook: https://amzn.to/4mzYOlT Paperback: https://amzn.to/4taBuO2 Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. WATCH NEXT    • Taekwondo’s Dark History: The Truth They D...   🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE For more deep dives into martial arts history, myths, and real-world effectiveness — subscribe.