Sport Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics. 

Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of the word “Tae” “Kwon” “Do.” It is composed of three parts as shown in the English spelling, though it is one word in Korean. “Tae” means “foot,” “leg,” or “to step on”; “Kwon” means “fist,” or “fight”; and “Do” means the “way” or “discipline.” If we put these three parts together, we can see two important concepts behind “Tae Kwon Do”.

First, Tae Kwon Do is the right way of using Tae and Kwon ‘fists and feet,’ or all the parts of the body that are represented by fists and feet. Second, it is a way to control or calm down fights and keep the peace. This concept comes from the meaning of Tae Kwon ‘to put fists under control’ [or 'to step on fists']. Thus Tae Kwon Do means “the right way of using all parts of the body to stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful world.”

For more information regarding the history of Tae Kwon Do please click here.

The techniques taught in the Tae Kwon Do class is therefore aimed us controlling the fists and feet. A Tae Kwon Do competition is therefore an exhibition of the skills and techniques learnt in class. This means that a Tae Kwon Do competition is not a free fighting frenzy where the only objective is to defeat your opponent.

Although the Martial Art of Tae Kwon Do consists of four disciplines, namely Patterns, Sparring, Self Defence and Break Tests, Sport Tae Kwon Do however only focuses on three of the four disciplines:

Patterns
Forms, or Poomses in Korean language, are a series of defending and attacking movements performed against imaginary opponents in a set pattern. Through the practice of forms, students come to learn the applications of various techniques of Tae Kwon Do. Forms serve a multi-dimensional role, aiding in development and refinement of coordination, balance, timing, breath control and rhythm, all of which are essential skills to the Tae Kwon Do student.

There is a distinct difference between the WTF Poomses and the ITF Tul’s. You can click on each one for more information regarding these different sets of patterns.

Sparring 
Sparring is the discipline where two opponents in the same catagory compete against each other, in order to exhibit their skills. The Competition Area  measures 12m x 12m in metric system and have a flat surface without any obstructing projections. The Competition Area is covered with an elastic mat.

The duration of the contest is three rounds of three minutes with one minute of rest between rounds in male division. For female division and World Junior Championships, three rounds of two minutes with one minute of rest is applied. However, the duration of the contest for male division may be shortened to three rounds of two minutes with one minute of rest between rounds.

The permitted techniques depend on whether the contestants are participating in the full contact or semi-contact divisions.

Since discipline, respect and self control are fundamental principals in Tae Kwon Do, the protocol for showing respect before, during and after a match is very important.

• The name of the contestants shall be announced three times beginning three minutes prior to the scheduled start of the contest. The contestant who fails to appear in the contest area within one minute after the scheduled start of the competition shall be regarded as withdrawn.
• After being called, the contestants shall undergo physical and costume inspection at the designated inspection desk by the inspector designated by the WTF, and the contestant shall not show any signs of aversion, and also shall not bear any materials which could cause harm to the other contestant. After inspection, the contestant shall enter into the waiting position with one coach.
• The contestants shall face each other and make a standing bow at the referee’s command of “Cha-ryeot” [attention] and ” Kyeong-rye” [bow]. A standing bow shall be made from the natural standing posture of “Cha-ryeot” by inclining forward at the waist to an angle of more than 30′ degrees with the head inclined to an angle more than 45′ degrees and the fists clenched at the sides of the legs.
• The referee shall start the contest by commanding “Joon-bi” [ready] and “Shi-jak”[start].
• After the end of the last round, the contestants shall stand at their respective positions facing each other and exchange a standing bow at the referee’s command of “Cha-ryeot”, “Kyeong-rye”, and then wait for the referee’s declaration of the decision in a standing posture.
• The referee shall declare the winner by raising his/her own hand to the winner’s side.
• Retirement of the contestants.

Break Tests
One of the four elements fo Tae Kwon Do (besides sparring, styleforms and self-defence) is the breaktest. It is a obligatory part of the black-belt exam and is s popular element of Tae Kwon Do demonstrations.

Breaking an object is a good way to practise concentration, power, focus, speed and precision on non-living objects, without injuring oneself or another. It is very important to realise that a proper technique is needed and a breaking technique within your limits, because without it you can easily injure yourself, sometimes even permanently!

Practising breaking objects helps you to realise that your body itself is a very strong weapon. It also helps you to understand that during practise with a partner, you have to be very careful.

The material that is most often used for breaking techniques is wood since it can be easily broken with either hand or foot. Other materials include bricks, tiles and sometimes even baseball bats! Breaking objects can be performed with any rigid part of the body. In Tae Kwon Do, the most common are the hand or the foot, but breaking can also be done by using the elbow, the knee and even the head.

In order to break an object, it is best to start light. Use an object that is easy to break, instead of directly trying to break a thick board, and start with a technique in which you feel confident. Use your techniques as they are taught to you and try to be as releaxed as possible. When starting practising breaking techniques, it might help you to focus a few inches behind the actual point of impact.

Text is an adaptation from information in the WTF Website and the Barrel.net Website