Does the Tabata Protocol really work?

Okay, Im 15. Im 5'7''. my fitness level is very high. i participate in boxing, wrestling and jiu jitsu and for all of those sports you have to be very physically conditioned. i dont train like a professional does, but i do get a ample amount of cardio time in. on off training days (when i dont box) i usually go for a 45 minute run, and come back and do some two minute rounds of jump rope. then i rest and go back out for a half hour run and then come back and do 4 rounds of jump rope, each two minutes. now im able to stay fit under this routine, but i heard about the tabata protocol training method or HIIT or whatever. they say you can burn WAY more calories and fat then you would with just a long - low intesity run. i go intense on the jump rope but the runs i dont go that fast. so should i just do the tabata protocol and stop doing my long runs? im kinda paranoid, because since the tabata protocol is only 20 minutes, i feel as though im gonna get fat and im not doing enough work. ive done the tabata protocol before and i feel burned out, but as i said, im kinda paranoid about it only being 20 minutes. they say that not only do you burn a lot, but your metabolism is revved up for the next 36 hours. so is one tabata protocol session a day enough exercise to keep me in shape? (on the weekends cuz im training about 3 hours on weekdays)