WTF hand protectors -> more punching?

I'm not sure what you meant VDJ? Are you referring to point sparring or hands to the face?

I do understand the hands to the face but for the poinnt sparring I am well aware that there are many schools that are full contact, as I remember quite some time back you provided a video that I enjoyed. However I still know of many ITF organizations that have not changed and still point spar. As I am aware of quite a few Karate organizations that point spar.

Funny story Dereck, as I said newbs always punch, it's a natural reaction. That or freeze up and take the hits.

The quote on my previous post was from the WTF website and how they are going to handle punches. They've always aloud them but most judges never honored the punches; I suppose they are going to train them to catch these punches.

As far as ITF sparring is concerned I don’t know much about their method of sparring. I do know it's more controlled; although VDJ has posted several times that some ITF schools have full contact continuous sparring.

I can only respond from what I know of open tournaments in which all styles’ compete with one another, usually however, you do not see any Olympic style sparring TKDer's here, Because there is a discrimination against kicks. SO WTF TKDer's usually don’t do well at these tourneys.

However, you do see a lot of traditional TKD now whether they are ITF associated or not doesn't really matter...But you see them spar along with other styles. Point sparring to me is like a game of tag, in fact it's probably even safer, because all you have to do is make it seem like your technique is going to hit and sometimes the referee will stop you and award you a point. This is why WTF TKDer's don’t do well, because these guys are usually into full contact sparring, and if they kick a round kick to the stomach and land, they could be penalized for excess force or if they land a round kick to the stomach but the other competitor did a flying back fist and grazed the face of the kicker, points would be awarded not to the kicker but to the competitor who through the back fist, because he landed first. Totally unfair. This happened to me. Live and learn man.

Now I've seen the teenage and adult black belts go at it, now these guys know nothing about control, these jokers go full contact and literally start to brawl, I mean it pretty much turns into a boxing match. And I believe this is the reason why WTF has kept Olympic style sparring purely kicks, because its aesthetically pleasing and shows how brilliant and beautiful the arts kicks are and it is kept unique.'

Just as boxing is kept strictly no kicks allowed. It is so not to ruin the aesthetics to its spectators. It is kept organized. Otherwise it would suffer the fate of kickboxing.

Personally I think the real reason Professional Olympic TKD sparring is dull to watch is not because of the techniques and their limits. It is because the Olympics are it, it’s the spot to be in, and it’s the pivotal moment. It’s no longer just about combat, 2 competitors scoring points on one another; it is now about strategy and not just about skill superiority. It becomes more about letting the clock run out, stalling for time. This is where the action pauses, where you see one competitor frantically trying to advance on the other and the one with the lead score is running around the ring letting time run out. This is one of the major issues that should be addressed.


-Tek

Dereck & Tek,

I don't know if I'm clear enough (though I thought I had been). When I say that the ITF has continuous sparring, I mean that it is continuous as they don't stop to award the point, it scores and contiues on just like olympic, although the scoring criteria is different. They still need to show control and lighter contact with blows to the head.

HOWEVER ! There have been some venues in which they have had full contact KO matches (as like the video I posted some months ago and it's a shame that the video can't be brought up again). But what I am getting at when I say that they are continuous is that they no longer do the stop point. When you come right down to it, all sparring matches are point matches, it's how we decide the winner. As I thought that the video we are refering to showed, you can allow hands to the head, see some great kicks in which KO's occured and kept the integrity of the match as it did not look like a kick boxing match.

VDJ

I'm dont think it's going to improve the sport. Maybe it will get some of those jealous people from ofther MA off our backs, because of the lack of punches. But screw them...we shouldn't bend to thier petty comments. WTF TKD sparring has seperated itself from all other arts, it's uniqueness is what made it shine and what has made TKD one of the most famous of sports.
Kicks are done at mid and long range. I have seen punches done at mid range and they just dont work well when punching to the chest, they work good when aiming for the face, because it doesn't take much to knokc back the opponents head, however, before the rule was, if it didn't move the body it would not receive a point. And although many boxers like artist would punch thier little hearts off they would stil score very few points. Besides the only punch that scored before was a straight rear arm punch. Will the WTF score upper cuts? I mean this punch is done inclose and is actually better suited for body shots.

I think changing the colors on the uniforms is a good idea, but I'm not so keen on the gloves, some competitors already wear those cloth forearm with thin foams covering the hands. I say we should just stick with these. Perhaps making gloves mandatory is just a play by the WTF to make more money. Now there is something to think about. I mean look how often they change the chest protector, it's one every year, and chest protectors do not come cheap.

Tek,

I'm sorry but olympic sparring does not "shine" by any stretch of the imagination ! They need to do something to make it shine. It doesn't HAVE to be punching to the head (but I think it adds more realism). We spent a half hour after class tonight watching some matches on video, some of them were with Steven Lopez, and they were all snooze fests. BOUNCE, BOUNCE, SWITCH FEET, PICK UP LEG SKIP IN, SWITCH FEET, DOUBLE KICK, BOUNCE, BOUNCE, SWITCH FEET. NARABUM KICK BOUNCE, BOUNCE ROUND KICK. The women were much more exciting to watch. If they don't want to allow punches to the head, then MAKE them kick ! Don't wait so long with the bouncing and trying to fake this and that, because this looks like a tag match. They worked hard and long to get it in to the olympics, and it only became a full medal event back at the games in Sydney (when Herb Perez won gold back in "92, it was still a exibition sport). They need to do something, 'cause if they don't, you can probably kiss it goodbye after the 2008 games in China.

VDJ

I agree with VDJ ... they are boring matches sometimes. Maybe what they should do is implement something like Pride Fighting does. If nothing is going on or they feel somebody is stalling then yellow card them. Obviously they can't take money from a purse but they sure could take away points. Now with points taken away you have one person who wants to get them back and another that wants to capitalize on it ... now we have action. Action is what is needed so that it is not so boring.

On the other hand you have to understand that some people do not understand the game they are playing. It is a chess match and it involves setting up, fakes and such. But that is still not an excuse for stalling when you have more points waiting for the clock to run down. If they can play that game then you can't get mad at them for it. But change the rules and you can eliminate stuff like this. Hands to the head may not change the dynamics enough to make this exciting ... but then again it could ... but I believe that it will take more than this. Also change some rules and then you have changed the dynamics. BUT with that said I have seen some spectacular matches both in the Olympics and right in my own back yard. It is those that make you stand up and get excited. They are there you just have to look for them to really enjoy Taekwondo for what it is.

Punching to the face is not going to help out TKD sparring. It will just end up cause slap fights with no technique what so ever. That was what it was like back in the 60's and 70's before the rule change to no punching to the face. Plus with the chest protectors the punches to the body don't hurt... that much .. and rarely to they even move the person unless you do a reverse mid punch to the chest while the other person is kicking. And even then its more of a push to get the person off balance and followed with a rear leg round house kick to knock down your opponent.

Problem isn't how to allow scoring of punched but how to force the two combatants to fight. Olympic boxing has this same problem where the winner of the fight runs from the other guy to prevent him from scoring but I believe the referee can penalize the person for runnning away.