INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
ITF Tae Kwon-Do is the ultimate spectator sport in martial arts, the skill and beauty of the pattern movement, the lightening fast speed and intensity of sparring, the awesome power in the multi-disciplined power breaking event and athletic ability in special technique.
ITF Tae Kwon-Do boasts the best competitions with the best competitors in
all events. It
is no small part that one of the reasons for this continuing spread of high
technical competition standard throughout all the European countries is that the
umpires and judges are trained and continually re-trained to a high technical
standard. There
can be no successfully run championships without the quality of the umpires.
The philosophy is that why should competitors train so hard to be
excellent if only to be judged by substandard refereeing. This is so much the
case and common complaint with competitors from all martial arts disciplines.
ITF has addressed this issue and its policy that only properly trained umpires
with up to date technical knowledge, can be referees and umpires. This had led
to a higher standard of fairness for competitors and an increase in technical
standard in competitors because the judges know exactly what the correct
techniques are.
An ITF International Championship is a truly professional spectacular
event. Seen
below is a pictorial view of the 1997 World Championships in St. Petersburg,
Russia.
In the ITF,
it can now be said that worldwide, the highest standard of competitors now rests
inside Europe. Unlike before, no
longer is Europe dominated by the rest of the world in competition. That is what makes this tournament the blue riband event on the Tae
Kwon-Do calendar and why this tournament should not be missed.
About the
Competition
All
International competitions have individual and team participation events.
Only one competitor from each country can be registered for each event.
That means that only the best competitor from each country can compete.
This essentially makes each round a final, as the standard is so high
there are no easy rounds. The events contested are pattern, sparring, power breaking
and special technique. Only black
belts of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
degree status can enter the competitions. The
competitors are further split into male and female categories and senior (18+)
and junior (13-17).
Pattern
practice is the backbone of the Tae Kwon-Do training structure as the student
learns all the fundamental movements from them.
A new pattern or patterns is introduced to the student each time they
progress up a grade level. Each pattern gets progressively harder in technical
difficulty the higher up the grades the student gets.
In Tae Kwon-Do there are twenty-four patterns
The pattern
event is a technical demonstration of fundamental Tae Kwon-Do attack and defence
techniques against an imaginary opponent. The
demonstration of the pattern and it represents all that is Tae Kwon-Do.
For competition, the patterns are structured similarly to that of
sparring, in that it is one against one, with winner going through to the next
round. Each competitor will have a compulsory pattern to do, designated by the
jury president, and an optional pattern which the individual will select
themselves. The fourth dan could be asked to perform any of the first eighteen
patterns as part of the compulsory selection, therefore the competitor must be
very proficient and fit in order to win through to the next round.
Pattern
(Team)
The
theory is the same as that of the individual
competition in that countries are drawn against
each other and must demonstrate greater technical
proficiency over the other country to win through
to the next round. The main difference is that there is a team
of five competitors performing the pattern instead
of one individual.
The
difficulty here is the demonstration of technical
symmetry between the five competitors. The
team pattern is further made difficult with
inclusion of choreography into the pattern. What
this means is that certain individuals can be made
to stop and start the progression through the
pattern in sequence to create a specific style and
rhythm to the pattern. Additional points can be made to overall
score depending on the degree of difficulty put
into the choreography.
Sparring (Individual)
Where
pattern was a demonstration of Tae Kwon-Do technique against an imaginary
opponent, sparring is a demonstration of certain Tae Kwon-Do techniques against
a real opponent. To make the system
fair to people, competitors are segregated into weight categories.
The competitors spar for two times, two minute rounds with three rounds
fought in the final. Points are awarded for techniques scored to the head and body
executed from a standing or flying position. To prevent unnecessary injury,
competitors were protective equipment that cover the hands and feet.
There is no attacking to the back or back of the head nor is low kicking
allowed. This entails that the
competitors must train to a high technical standard in order to develop
sharpness and accuracy in order to score points.
The winner of course is the one with the most points.
Warnings and fouls are given to the competitors for illegal movements and
techniques. These result in minus
points. The minus points are
deducted from the original points score.
Sparring (Team)
Team
sparring is fought on the same basis as the individual events. Two countries are drawn together. There are six competitors in each team and only five can
fight. For each winning bout, there
are two points given. For a drawn
bout, one point is given. The
winning team is the one that has the most bouts won. If the actual contest
between the two countries is drawn, each country must put forward their best
competitor to win the deciding bout. If
that fails it goes to the first point scored.
Team
sparring is generally the most hotly contested and passionate events at the
whole championships.
The
difference between individual and team sparring is that each fight lasts for
only one round. There is no weight classification for this event. The tactics
of the coach is as important as that of the competitors’ skill as he has to
try to match the correct competitor with the opponent
selected in order to win
the bout. There are occasions where
he must concede prudently and save his best competitors for the proceeding
bouts.
Power Breaking (Individual)
This event
demonstrates the competitors’ power and technique. Reusable breaker boards are used and the competitor is given
five different techniques, two hand and three foot.
A designate quantity of 1” breaker boards is pre-selected for each
technique. Three points are awarded
for each completely broken board and two points for a half-broken or bent board.
The winner is the competitor with most points accumulated over the five
techniques.
Power Breaking (Team)
This event
is has the same criteria as above with exception that the five breaking
techniques must be split between the five team members.
Special Technique (Individual)
Where power
breaking demonstrated the competitors power and technique from attacking
techniques on the ground, special technique is a breaking technique with the
target at a predetermined height and distance from the competitor.
In this case the competitor has five individual techniques with which to
attack targets suspended at height from the floor.
Four of the techniques will be for a target at height, the remaining one
is for a target at distance. Generally the height is around 2.2m with one of the
techniques involving the competitor to spin in the air 360°
before striking the target. The
evolution of this event is that breaker boards (one) has been replaced with a
spring loaded pad as the essence of this event has been on the competitors
athletic ability. Three points are
awarded for the board being flipped all the way over and two points awarded for
only contact with the board.
Special Technique (Team)
The same
criteria applies to that of the individual event only in this case the five
individual techniques are divided between the five team members.
Special Technique (Demonstration)
 |
 |
|
|
Flying Quadruple Side Kick |
Flying Long Kick |
|
|
|
||
|
Tumbling Kick |
||
