In their foot techniques, Koreans tend to shy away from the big flashy techniques, like the side jump kick and the side flying kick. They like the straightforward no-nonsense type of footwork. The big techniques may look good, they feel, but they don't consider them too effective and feel they can be easily blocked. The Koreans prefer to stick with such techniques as a fast front kick, roundhouse kick, and inside and outside foot sweeps. But lest anyone think that Korean karate is only soft and dance like, he need only attend one of the country's numerous competitions to learn otherwise.
Korean karate is a wide open type of art where the opponents wear chest and groin guards.
And with good reason. The Koreans don't believe in holding back except in blows to the face. Elsewhere, they let fly and make contact. The old traditions of Kwon Bop holds true in these exhibitions, and at times like these it is easy to see that they are the descendants of the soldiers of the fearsome King Chullg Hae. Their style of competition is bruising and many of the contestants are sent spinning or knocked to the floor.