About TKD Sport Rules

[Iron Fist 05]

I have never seen a TKD match in place, but I was watching the Titan Games on ESPN2 and they had a couple of mathces on there and all there was was kicking!

 

Now before you think to yourself, "hey what a loser!" I do know that TKD is mostly kicking, but is it really ALL kicking? It would seem logical that there would be an occaisonal punch here or there.

 

............or is TKD a real rival of western boxing?

[ninjanurse]

Olympic style TKD is almost all kicking techniques, very little if any hands. They go continuously for rounds and the judges add up points scored-yes like boxing.

 

Traditional TKD is what you will see in Open Tournaments and is a mixture of techniques in a point sparring format.

 

I am a TKD stylist an I prefer point sparring myself.

 

[karatekid1975]

Me too, Heidi. I visited my TSD dojang, and I found that I am much better at point sparring than what they do in WTF TKD. They allow hand techniques AND take-downs (not at tournies for the take-down part, though). I found that I have a mean and quick back fist

[Musipilot]

I'm glad someone started this thread, because I've been dying to ask. Can someone explain the point system? I have a tape of some matches, but the commentary is in Korean.

 

I noticed too at the Olympic trials it was mostly kicking, but after watching several matches it was hard to figure out what exactly was scoring points. What do you get/lose points for? Are some attacks worth multiple points? Thanks

[ninjanurse]

AAHHH! There's nothing like a well placed backfist to the temple...gives me shivers just thinking about it!!!!

 

[karatekid1975]

Heidi, hehehehe yea it works and it is legal in Tang Soo Do sparring. So is a ridge hand, which I have used. I'd fake a kick and "thump" them in the head with a ridge hand LOL.

 

The scoring thing in my TKD school goes like this:

 

Hand techniques: punches to the body only (vest area, that is).

 

Kicking techniques: Head kicks (on the helmet area only) and to the body (anywhere on the vest, except the back).

 

Scoring: 2 points for head kicks, 1 for body shots.

 

You get a warning or loose a point if you kick or hit the face or below the belt. Some judges will give you a warning if you kick the back of a person. You loose a point if you take them to the ground, or purposely trip them or something like that. Eventhough my TKD school allows take-downs (sometimes .... it depends on what we are doing), in tournies, it's not allowed.

 

I hope this helps

[monkeygirl]

In my TKD school, this is how we do point sparring:

 

Kicks are two points, punches are one point. Usually, we go until one person gets 5 points, or to the end of two minutes. Blackbelt competitions use a 5-point spread, meaning one has to win by 5 points. So if one fighter has 2 points, the other one has to have 7 before they can win. Or to the end of three minutes, if there's a time limit at all. Personally, I don't like time limits. Sometimes, however, they have to be used because people won't get a move on!!!

 

Scoring areas are: Side and front of head gear, sometimes the back of the head gear. No contact to the face is allowed (although they like to overlook that matter in blackbelt competition), but a good show of control (i.e. punching just barely in front of the face) will sometimes be counted as a point.

 

The other scoring areas are anywhere on the body above the belt. That means stomach, chest and ribs...no back shots.

 

Fighters get a warning if they make face contact, excessive head contact (if the person's head snaps back from being hit so hard), or kicking below the belt. Two warnings in the same match by the same person results in disqualification. If the fighter draws blood, they are automatically disqualified.

 

As far as Olympic rules, I have no idea. Those are just the rules of my dojo and other dojos in the area.

[Ryan]

I have been to different tournaments with quite varied rules. In my school, we only point spar if there is a tournament coming up. Usually we just free spar and only break if someone gets hurt or the time is up for that round. In our free sparring, there arent too many rules. Really just no strikes below the belt or to the back. Of course we are expected to use control and not hurt anybody....too much.

 

The last tournament I went to was last saturday. It was an open tournament with all different styles. Rules for that tourney were:

 

2 minute rounds to 5 points, whatever comes first.

 

No strikes below the belt, to the back, or to the face. Doing so results in a strike. 3 Strikes and youre out.

 

All strikes to the body/head using a punch or kick is 1 point.

 

It was pretty fun because the judges were lenient, and they werent calling taps as points. You really had to hit your opponent. Also, the best part was getting the opportunity to fight kung-fu and karate guys among others.

 

Another tourney that Ive been to recently had very different rules. You didnt even have to make contact to get a point. If they thought you 'could have' made contact you got the point. Strikes to the body were 1 point, kicks to the head were 2, and jump kicks to the head were 3. The worst part was that we couldnt punch to the head. I scored probably 2/3 of my points last week with head punches. I didnt like that one very much.

 

I prefer to free spar because it better prepares you for the street. There is no one to yell 'break' out there.

[KoreanTiger30]

I am USTU referee and a referee for the MD TKD Assoc. and I will give you a general summary of how points are scored.

 

1. All attacks hand/feet must show some sign of power now just hear the sparring vest make a noise.

 

2. All hand techniques must be closed fist (no pushing the opponent away)

 

they score 1 point for a hit, if you knock them down with a point you score an additional point. Only hand techniques to the midsection.

 

3. All feet techniques to the midsection score a point and if you knock them down an additionall point is awarded.

 

4. Foot techniques to the head score 2 points and if you knock them down an additional point is awarded.

 

5. you can kick to the back area now as long as the instep overlaps the spine no direct spinal shots.

 

6. you can run off someones legs and attack but you cannot kick below the belt

 

7.you can only push someone with your chest.

 

8. as long as the instep overlaps the back of the head you score two points.

 

9. you can score points on the shoulders with say an axe kick if it contacts the shoulder straps of the chest protector.

 

email me if yo uhave any more questions.