Competitions

ITF Tae Kwon-Do is the ultimate spectator sport in martial arts: the skill and beauty of the pattern movement; the lightning-fast speed and intensity of sparring; the awesome power in the multi-disciplined power-breaking event; and the athletic ability in special techniques.

ITF Tae Kwon-Do boasts the best competitions with the best competitors in all events. One of the main reasons for the continual improvement of competition standards throughout the European countries is that the umpires and judges undergo continual re-training to the highest technical standard. You can't have successfully run championships without the highest quality umpires. The philosophy is: why should competitors train so hard to be excellent if only to be judged by substandard referees? This is a common complaint with competitors from so many martial arts disciplines. The ITF has addressed this issue and its policy is that only properly trained officials 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 standards in competitors because the judges know exactly what the correct techniques are. At the highest level, an ITF International Championship is a truly professional and spectacular event.

Within the ITF, it can now be said that worldwide, the highest standard of competitors are within Europe. Unlike other martial arts disciplines, Europe is no longer dominated by the rest of the world in competitions. This makes ITF tournaments the blue riband events on the Tae Kwon-Do calendar.

All competitions have both individual and team participation events. Up to National level, all belts from Yellow Tag upwards are represented, but International competitions only allow one competitor from each country for each event, which means that only the best competitor from each country can compete at International level. Thus, only black belts of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree status can enter the International competitions. This essentially makes each round a final, as the standard is so high that there are no easy rounds.

The events contested are Pattern, Sparring, Breaking and Special Techniques, while the competitors are further split according to gender, ability, age, height and weight. This means that competitors will always be able to compete against peers of similar physical stature and training level, which is the fairest approach.

Practising patterns is the backbone of the Tae Kwon-Do training structure, as students learn all of the fundamental movements from them. At least one new pattern is introduced to a student each time they progress up a grade level. Each pattern gets progressively harder in technical difficulty the higher the grade the student attains, slowing expanding the student's abilities. In Tae Kwon-Do there are twenty-four patterns.

The Pattern event (Individual & Team) is a technical demonstration of fundamental Tae Kwon-Do attack and defence techniques against an imaginary opponent. The team event (within special tournaments and restricted to Black Belts) is different in that there are a team of five competitors performing the pattern instead of one individual, with each working to demonstrate both technical symmetry with their team-mates and excellent choreography.

	Where the Pattern events are a demonstration of Tae Kwon-Do technique against an imaginary opponent, sparring is a demonstration of Tae Kwon-Do techniques against a real opponent. To make the system fair to people, competitors are segregated by height and/or weight, as well as by age and ability (as in Patterns). Lower level competitors are tested using a point-stop system (the bout is stopped every time someone scores a point), while the higher belts spar continuously for two minutes: this requires a high level of fitness and stamina, which their training should have helped them to achieve. Points are awarded for techniques scored to the head and body executed from a standing or flying position.
To prevent unnecessary injury, competitors wear protective equipment that cover the head, gums, hands, groin, shins and feet. Competitors are not allowed to attack the back, or the back of the head, nor is low kicking allowed. This means that 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.

Team Sparring is fought on the same basis as the individual events. 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 teams 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 event at a championship. The main 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 are almost as important as that of the competitors’ skills, as their coach has to try to match the correct competitor with the opponent selected in order to win the bout. There are occasions where the coach must concede prudently and tactically to save his best competitors for the proceeding bouts.

Another Sparring event at some competitions, is Tag Team Sparring. This is where three competitors (usually of the same gender and of similar ability, but often disparate in weight and height) form a sparring team (often at short notice) in order to compete against other similar teams. Competitors simply swap over at each point-stop, or at the end of bouts, as agreed within their team, in order to compete successfully against each other. This ad-hoc event is considered one of the most fun to compete in and one of the most exciting to watch.

Power Breaking (Individual & Team) demonstrates a competitors’ power and technique. Reusable breaker boards are used and the competitor uses five different techniques, two hand and three foot. A designated quantity of one-inch 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. The team event has the same criteria as above with the exception that the five breaking techniques must be split between the five team members.

The Special Technique (Individual, Team & Demonstration) event probably generates the greatest excitement (and media interest). 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 (over seven foot) with one of the techniques involving the competitor spinning full circle (360 degrees) in the air before striking the target. The evolution of this event (at International level) is that breaker boards are 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. The same criteria applies to the team event, only in this case the five individual techniques are divided between the five team members. The demonstration event lacks point-scoring, but can often involve large teams in breath-taking, highly complex, carefully choreographed displays of athletic skill and accuracy.

• Make sure that you have a current T.A.G.B. / B.T.C. licence.
• Are training regularly and understand what is expected of you.
• Make sure that you have a white T.A.G.B. suit and a full set of sparring equipment. (ie, foot, shin, groin (for men and boys), hand, head and gum shield)
• Make sure you have transport to the venue.

All competitors - juniors and adults - whether competing in sparring or pattern events, or both, must complete a competition entry form. The forms can be obtained from your instructor and must be completed as requested and handed over to your instructor before the closing date stated on the competition information.

• Make sure that you put your correct grade on the entry form.
• Juniors (under 15): make sure you are the correct height for your division. You will be height-tested on the day and if you are not in the correct height division you will be disqualified.
• Cadets (15-17 years) and Adults (18 years+): make sure that you are the correct weight for the division you want to compete in. You will be weighed-in on the day and if you are not within your entered weight division you will be disqualified.
• Executives (male 40 years+ & female 35 years+): Executive divisions are always weighed-in on the day and split into the appropriate divisions.

You will receive a competitor’s ticket from your instructor which must be taken to the competition. Do not forget or lose this ticket. If you forget or lose this ticket, you will have to pay the spectators fee of £7 to gain access to the competition.

You can purchase a ticket from your instructor or you can pay on the door at the competition. There will be a separate queue for spectators. All spectators who purchased a ticket beforehand will be allowed into the competition hall before those who are paying on the day.

Please remember: No spectators are allowed around the competition areas - they must be seated in the seats provided.

• The competition will start with the pattern events first, with the juniors and some designated cadet and adult divisions - these will be stated in the competition information prior to the event.
• Each competition area will be allocated with an area number that will be indicated by the number on the tablecloth and a matching numbered signpost. There will also be a coloured sign, signifying the belt colour and category of the current division, situated underneath the numbered signpost at head high level.
• Listen out for an announcement of the start of your division on an allocated area over the Public Address System (You can also check the running order, which may be displayed on a plasma screen somewhere in the hall, if available).
• All juniors will be height-tested before the sparring competition starts at an allocated area (ie, all yellow belt boys, all heights)
• All seniors and cadets will be weighed-in, before they spar, at the allocated area for that division. Failure to be height-tested / weighed-in will result in disqualification (not being allowed to take part). You must make sure that you are in the right competition area at the right time. If you are unsure, then you must ask your instructor or an official.
• Please take a packed lunch, as catering is usually very busy. Also, take plenty to drink, as tournaments can very humid and keeping hydrated will help maintain your performance.