taekwondo hyped up for TV

[username237]

Hi guys

Heard a rumour flying round that taekwondo tournaments are to be hyped up, i.e. only one mat instead of 3 or 4, use of spotlighting, a bit like boxing really, where one person would join the mat in a red gown, one in a blue, music playing to each persons walk on etc etc. Apparantly its to attract media interest into the sport. Is someone having me on or has anyone else heard this?

[JaseP]

I've not seen nor heard of this...

[karatekid1975]

Me either. And I do TKD.

[aefibird]

Do you mean for world championship fights? Like title fights in boxing? Is it just for TKD bouts in the UK or for worldwide?

[Sabumnim]

I do TKD and our tournaments aren't anything lke that. Someones having you on!!!!

[Kill Jill]

In Japan, it can be just like this - disco lights, rocky theme tune, bikini clad girls parading with score boards, competitors entering the mats wearing silk capes... Oh yeah, it really happens in Japan. I know the Koreans are a bit upset by such an interpretation. Me too.

[coralreefer_1]

I havent heard about it being hyped up for "tv" so to speak, but I have heard about changes coming to make the "sport" more appealing to larger audiences. I read in some martial art magazine that the scoring system had been changed at major tournaments, so that head shots counted for 2 points, and a jumping kick to the head(of any kind) had counted for 3. The article went on the mention this was implimented to make it more exciting for the viewer, as jumping spinning this and that is far more exciting to watch that "roundhouse chess" like most tournaments seem to be.

Though i havent seen tournament yet that applied this rule, so im not sure if it was hype or not. I also heard the opinion from a very prominent Korean Master, who is well informed on the subject, meeting with the Olympic committee, and otehr organizations, that within the next 5 years, WTF taekwondo sparring would undergo major changes. He listed several possible changes to me, but of the ones he listed, there were 2 that in his personal opinion would become fact.

1. That WTF Sparring would adopt "punching to the face" rule, obviously with protection of course.

2. That the ring would change to a round ring of comparably same size, as opposed to a square.

Remember, this was just this one GM's opinion of the reseults of the meeting he has been to, and the things he knows. Personally I hope the punching rule does not take effect, as then the sport will turn into that * that ISKA puts on ESPN and calles it sparring, where basically you are lunging forward with your hand out trying to touch the other guys headgear. Surely it is more difficult to catch a guy with a kick than hit him with your fist, but if that rule takes effect, then you will not see kicks too much anymore, as people will do what scores a point the easiest. And then, as far as I am concerned, it is not taekwondo anymore. Frankly, i feel that being limited to mostly kicking is what makes taekwondo sparring different from everything else. Sure, other methods are more effective for streetfighting. Sure other methods of kicking are more powerful, but this is the art and game i love, and I want to preserve it like it is now.

Todd

[ninjanurse]

I read in some martial art magazine that the scoring system had been changed at major tournaments, so that head shots counted for 2 points, and a jumping kick to the head(of any kind) had counted for 3. The article went on the mention this was implimented to make it more exciting for the viewer, as jumping spinning this and that is far more exciting to watch that "roundhouse chess" like most tournaments seem to be.

Todd

And make the incidence of major head trauma increase I am sure! With a rule like that why would they NOT allow hands to the face?

[Thruhiker]

Surely it is more difficult to catch a guy with a kick than hit him with your fist, but if that rule takes effect, then you will not see kicks too much anymore, as people will do what scores a point the easiest. And then, as far as I am concerned, it is not taekwondo anymore. Frankly, i feel that being limited to mostly kicking is what makes taekwondo sparring different from everything else.

Todd

I quoted you above saying that if someone doesn't kick very much it's not TKD. The last I knew Tae Kwon Do means the way of the Hand and Foot.

Not everyone will take the easy road to score points. One may set you up by using their hands and then finish you with the foot unexpectedly. This gives a lot more dimension to the sparring game.

[orion82698]

I've not seen nor heard of this...

That makes Two