No, I would not attempt to kick a knife from someone's hand. The point is not how TKD deals with a knife (I don't know yet; as I said, I'm a beginner) nor how MT deals with a knife. The point is that you can take any technique out of the context in which it works and then say "see? It doesn't work." I believe in the axe kicks I've been trying so inadequately to perform so far. I may not use them in a fight, but I believe in the flexibility that training them gives me, and I believe in improving my balance and my leg strength. To put it another way, your option of running would probably not work for me, because to put it delicately, I am disgustingly fat. Dunlop and all. Since I started TKD I'm already lighter on my feet and more energetic. I will lose the weight and I will be faster than I've been in a long time, making running an option. Right now, it is not.
Your point about "they could, but they don't is well taken. However, it doesn't invalidate the philosophy I put forward above. The point is, if the big difference is the shin, then when I've mastered the art of throwing a roundhouse with speed, power, accuracy and no telegraph I'll just start throwing them with my shin. If it works better for me, fine. But for right now, it would be silly for me to pester my instructors with questions about esoteric differences like this when I can't even perform a roundhouse properly in their style.
The problem is that I am NOT a martial artist by any stretch of the imagination. I am not able to throw even one really good roundhouse kick yet. It would be a lot more productive for me to shut up and train in my TKD sessions than to be looking for the door so I can go out and learn Muay Thai. I believe that mindset would lead to leaving Muay Thai before long in order to study Jiu-Jitsu, and leaving that to study JKD, etc. etc.
I don't want that. I want to put my head down and train balls to the wall until I am strong, agile, fast and accurate. A strong, agile, fast, accurate man who applies TKD with a warrior mindset should be just fine. If I need Muay Thai principles, or boxing, or whatever at that point, then I'll go out and find them. But I have to believe that it's easier for a master of one art to borrow from others because he will understand his weaknesses much better.
Right now, all I have are weaknesses.
Your point about "they could, but they don't is well taken. However, it doesn't invalidate the philosophy I put forward above. The point is, if the big difference is the shin, then when I've mastered the art of throwing a roundhouse with speed, power, accuracy and no telegraph I'll just start throwing them with my shin. If it works better for me, fine. But for right now, it would be silly for me to pester my instructors with questions about esoteric differences like this when I can't even perform a roundhouse properly in their style.
The problem is that I am NOT a martial artist by any stretch of the imagination. I am not able to throw even one really good roundhouse kick yet. It would be a lot more productive for me to shut up and train in my TKD sessions than to be looking for the door so I can go out and learn Muay Thai. I believe that mindset would lead to leaving Muay Thai before long in order to study Jiu-Jitsu, and leaving that to study JKD, etc. etc.
I don't want that. I want to put my head down and train balls to the wall until I am strong, agile, fast and accurate. A strong, agile, fast, accurate man who applies TKD with a warrior mindset should be just fine. If I need Muay Thai principles, or boxing, or whatever at that point, then I'll go out and find them. But I have to believe that it's easier for a master of one art to borrow from others because he will understand his weaknesses much better.
Right now, all I have are weaknesses.