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I was surfing around and I stumbled on a bunch of Tae Kwon Do (TKD) videos on YouTube. Some comments to some of the videos said that the moves in one step sparring are robotic, not fluid and therefore unrealistic. The commenter also said that "You would never survive in a real fight if you relied on those moves as your defense." And another: "Not good. The practioners are WAY too far apart to make this effective training. In sparring or, God forbid, a real fight, the person will try to attack from too far a distance or have no experience in defending a real attack." When I used to train in TKD - I had the same thoughts in my mind, and so did the other students. We used to joke around about how funny and unrealistic the movements are. But in reality, this exercise trains your overall technique and discipline. One step sparring is done repetitively - and eventually it becomes second nature. So if ever the moment arises that you need to execute a move, you wouldn't even think it - you'll just act out the best move for that circumstance.

The video below features the most simple, starter-level one step sparring in Tae Kwon Do. It has simple side-stepping, triple punches, neck strikes, jaw strikes, blocks, elbow stikes and combinations thereof. All moves executed in a disciplined manner with speed and power.

Above is a video which features a Tae Kwon Do 3rd degree black belt test - filmed in 1984. It features one step sparring - but at a much higher level quality of execution. It features faster moves and creative kicks, take-downs and locks. Ignore the corny "Kung Fu Fighting" backtrack. Watch the third move - its probably the most interesting to watch. It's where the opponent does a right handed punch quickly blocks the attack takes a forward sidestep with his left foot so he's side to side with his opponent. Then quickly does a 360 "jump" spin while inserting his right leg under the opponent's right leg and putting his left leg on top all the while taking down the opponent by making sure the opponent's knee is bent.

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