The disciplines
DRAFT 2026-11-04. Facts carry URLs. Level assignments, the ladder map, the class plan and the kids program are PROPOSALS for Anthony Pettis to rule.
Head-height kicks, earned belt by belt.
Taekwondo is the Korean kicking art. It was standardized in the 1950s and 1960s from the postwar kwan schools (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo; https://itftkd.sport/history/our-history/). World Taekwondo governs its Olympic form and Kukkiwon certifies rank (https://www.olympedia.org/sports/TKW; https://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/eng/contents/view?contentsNo=83&menuLevel=2&menuNo=84). Its scoring rewards head-height and turning kicks over everything else: a punch to the trunk scores 1, a kick to the trunk 2, a kick to the head 3, and a valid turning kick doubles the score (WT Competition Rules Article 12, https://www.taekwondobond.nl/wp-content/uploads/WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Kyorugi-in-force-as-of-January-1-2026.pdf). As an educational system it runs on a ladder of colored geup grades and black-belt poom and dan ranks, each tied to a set poomsae. Youth competition bars head contact for the youngest and lowest-ranked children (https://teamusa-org-migration.s3.amazonaws.com/USA%20Taekwondo/Migration/Documents/2023%20USATKD%20Kyorugi%20Rules%20-%20Modified%20Head%20Contact.pdf).
The disciplines
1945 onward
After the Japanese occupation, new kwan (school) founders opened martial arts schools in Seoul; taekwondo is mainly derived from karate (Shotokan and Shudokan) with taekkyon and some Chinese influence.
en.wikipedia.orgApril 11, 1955
The name Taekwon-Do, submitted by Choi Hong Hi, was approved by a naming board of politicians, military and business leaders and historians; the ITF treats this as the art's official birth date (Wikipedia cites Choi 1993, p. 246, and Kim 2007).
itftkd.sport1955
Name meaning: tae (strike with foot), kwon (strike with hand), do (the art or way).
en.wikipedia.org1959
Choi Hong Hi became president of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association (ITF account); Wikipedia dates the founding committee of the Korea Tae Soo Do Association (later KTA) to 1959.
itftkd.sport1961
The Korea Taekwondo Association gives 1961 as its founding year (originally the Korea Tae Soo Do Association, renamed Korea Taekwondo Association in 1965).
en.wikipedia.orgMarch 22, 1966
The International Taekwon-Do Federation was founded by General Choi Hong Hi with founding associations from Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, the United States, Turkey, Italy, Egypt and Korea; Wikipedia places the founding in Seoul.
itftkd.sport1972
Choi Hong Hi went into exile in Canada.
en.wikipedia.orgNovember 30, 1972
Kukkiwon was founded to inherit, develop and promote the spirit and skills of taekwondo; it is called the World Taekwondo Headquarters and sits in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The building was constructed in 1972 as the KTA Central Dojang and renamed Kukkiwon on February 6, 1973.
kukkiwon.or.krMay 1973
The KTA and Kukkiwon hosted the first World Taekwondo Championships, 200 athletes from 17 countries.
en.wikipedia.orgMay 28, 1973
The World Taekwondo Federation was formed in Seoul at an inaugural meeting at the Kukkiwon with 35 representatives; the WT Competition Rules record this as their enactment date.
olympedia.orgAugust 5, 1978
The Declaration for the Unification of the Kwan was signed by the nine kwans; Kukkiwon dates its Poom and Dan ranking system to this unification.
en.wikipedia.orgJuly 17, 1980
The IOC recognized the federation at its 83rd Session in Moscow.
olympedia.org1988 and 1992
Demonstration sport at the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.
olympedia.orgSeptember 4, 1994
IOC adoption of taekwondo for the Sydney 2000 Olympic program.
en.wikipedia.org2000
Official Olympic status from the Sydney 2000 Games, with four weight categories per gender at the Olympics against eight at the World Championships.
olympedia.orgJune 2017
The World Taekwondo Federation renamed itself World Taekwondo.
en.wikipedia.orgJanuary 2026
World Taekwondo has 215 affiliated member nations; the current WT Competition Rules took force January 1, 2026 (last amended October 23, 2025) with a further amendment set effective June 1, 2026 (that edition lists an amendment dated April 11, 2026).
olympedia.orgThe disciplines
The disciplines
28 of 28 techniques
The ready and attention positions that open and close every drill, form and match; the referee starts a bout with Joon-bi (ready) and Shi-jak (start) (USAT rules Art. 10).
At APFC
Day one: feet shoulder width, fists at belt, eyes forward; bow on Kyeong-rye; every class starts and ends here.
Short natural step and the long, deep front-weighted stance used in Taegeuk forms for blocks and punches.
At APFC
On lines across the floor: step, settle, check the knee over the toes, then add a block.
Rear-weighted L-stance used for knife-hand blocks and quick front-leg kicks.
At APFC
Introduced with the knife-hand block in the middle Taegeuk forms; weight 70 percent on the back leg.
Wide, square stance for conditioning and basic punching lines.
At APFC
Punch-count drills from the stance; builds leg endurance and hip position.
The narrow, side-on sparring stance with the rhythmic bounce, step-in, step-back, foot switch and slide that manage distance (Kukkiwon families ditgi and pihagi).
At APFC
Shadow work in front of a mirror: bounce, switch, step; then with a partner on a line, no contact.
Kukkiwon's listed family for landing safely; the APFC Foundation level already names stance, guard and breakfall.
At APFC
Back and side breakfalls on mats from seated, then kneeling, then standing, before any throw or sweep is shown.
Snap kick with the ball of the foot; the first kick learned.
At APFC
Chamber (knee up), extend, re-chamber, set down; taught holding a wall, then on paddles.
The turning kick with the instep or ball of the foot; the main scoring kick of WT sparring (2 points to the trunk, 3 to the head). Koh 2004 found head blows and concussions most often from a single roundhouse kick against a closed stance (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15666571/).
At APFC
Pivot the standing foot, knee across, snap; low targets first, then paddles at trunk height; head height only when flexibility and control allow.
Linear kick with the blade or heel of the foot; also a pushing defense.
At APFC
Chamber across the body, drive the heel, hips over; taught on a shield.
Spinning rear kick with the heel; the WT rules count it as a turning kick only when head and shoulder rotation occurs, and a valid turning kick scores double (4 to the trunk, 6 to the head).
At APFC
From a stationary position looking over the shoulder before any spin; shield only until the line is straight.
Downward heel kick to the head or shoulder line; listed with the roundhouse among the kicks reaching the head in the 1999 World Championships video study (https://lida.sport-iat.de/djb/Record/4007435?lng=en).
At APFC
Leg swings for height first; taught on a paddle held high; never to a partner's head below the rules' age and belt thresholds.
Whipping heel kick that curls through the target; the spinning version is a high-value turning head kick in competition.
At APFC
Hook kick from a side-kick chamber on a paddle; spinning version only after the back kick is clean.
Inside-out twisting kick, and the pushing kick used to jam an opponent; the WT rules penalize repeatedly lifting a leg or cut-kicking without a follow-up technique (Art. 14.4.1.5).
At APFC
Taught as range tools: the push kick to stop an entry, always followed by a scoring kick in the same motion.
Two or more kicks off the same chamber or in sequence; the volume game of modern sparring.
At APFC
Paddle doubles: same leg twice, then alternate; counted in rounds for conditioning.
Straight punch using the knuckle part of a tightly clenched fist, the only permitted fist technique, scoring 1 point to the trunk; punches to the head are prohibited (WT Art. 11 and 14); 2026 PSS punch sensors with judge validation.
At APFC
From horse stance, then as the close-range answer after a kick lands.
Jumping front, roundhouse and spinning kicks, a Kukkiwon technique family.
At APFC
Only after landing mechanics and breakfalls; on pads, never as a first-contact technique.
Breaking boards with hand or foot; USA Taekwondo publishes separate Breaking Rules effective January 1, 2026 (https://www.usatkd.org/usatkd-competition-rules).
At APFC
Rebreakable boards, side kick and palm strike first, as a test of alignment and commitment rather than power.
Downward forearm block covering the groin and thigh line.
At APFC
First block learned, with the front stance, in lines and in Taegeuk 1 Jang.
Inward or outward forearm block for the trunk.
At APFC
Paired with a step and punch on lines.
Rising forearm block for the head.
At APFC
With the walking stance; in sparring it becomes the guard hand.
Open-hand block from back stance.
At APFC
Introduced with dwit kubi in the middle Taegeuk forms.
Hands up and chin behind the shoulder; athletes lacking blocking skills, and adolescent athletes, showed increased concussion occurrence (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24247189/); Koh 2004 recommends development of blocking skills. Lifting the leg to block is penalized in competition (WT Art. 14.4.1.5).
At APFC
Hands up is a Foundation habit; partner drills with the coach throwing slow roundhouse kicks to be caught on the forearm or shoulder.
Stepping off line, leaning back out of range and sliding back without turning the back; turning the back to avoid an attack is a gam-jeom (WT Art. 14 interpretation).
At APFC
Mirror footwork, then touch sparring where the partner tags with a paddle.
A counter-kick delivered against the opponent's kick; the term is common sparring usage, but the Kukkiwon textbook terminology list retrieved here names only chagi (kicking) as the family and does not list bada chagi separately (https://www.mastkd.com/2026/09/taekwondo-terminology-an-educational-guide-based-on-kukkiwons-taekwondo-textbook/).
At APFC
Partner throws a slow roundhouse; student answers with a back kick or cut kick on the pad held by the coach.
Short pushes are allowed as a quick impact, but prolonged pushing, grabbing, hooking the leg, and attacking the back of the head PSS or the trunk PSS with the foot in a clinch are prohibited (WT Art. 14).
At APFC
Push and go: one push, disengage, kick.
Grabbing and escaping wrist, lapel and collar grips, from Kukkiwon's hoshinsul families.
At APFC
Static grips first, then moving; the beginner's self-defense module.
Wrist and arm locks from the self-defense syllabus (Kukkiwon family kkeokgi).
At APFC
Slow, tap early, standing only; never in sparring.
Sweeps and throws from the self-defense syllabus (Kukkiwon family neomgigi) with nakbeop as the prerequisite; WT competition penalizes grabbing and attacking a fallen opponent.
At APFC
Only on mats after breakfalls are automatic; in the APFC context this is the handover point to the wrestling and jiu-jitsu lanes.
The disciplines
World Taekwondo Competition Rules in force January 1, 2026 (Article 7): three rounds of two minutes with one minute rest and a one-minute golden round if tied; in the best-of-three system each two-minute round is decided separately and the match score is rounds won; round length may be adjusted by the Technical Delegate to 1 x 3, 1:30 x 3, 2 x 2 or 5 x 1 minutes. Article 4.1.5: Senior at least 17 in the year of the event, Junior 15 to 17, Cadet 12 to 14, age by year not date; Article 4.1.3: a Kukkiwon Dan or Poom certificate is required. Article 14.7: ten gam-jeom loses the match, five in a round loses the round under best-of-three. The per-round point gap in the best-of-three system rose from 12 to 15 on June 1, 2026 (the whole-match point gap in the three-round sum system is 20 points at the end of round 2 or during round 3). Permitted techniques (Article 11): straight punch with the clenched fist to the trunk only, and any part of the foot below the ankle to the trunk or the head (area above the collar bone; foot only). Prohibited acts (Article 14, each a gam-jeom): crossing the boundary line, falling, avoiding or delaying, grabbing or pushing, lifting the leg to block or cut-kicking without follow-up, kicking below the waist, attacking after Kal-yeo, hitting the head with the hand, butting or kneeing, attacking a fallen opponent, foot attacks on the trunk PSS or back of the head PSS in a clinch, misconduct. USA Taekwondo durations (USAT Art. 7): World Class seniors 3 x 2 minutes, World Class cadets and juniors 1:30 rounds with 30 seconds rest, all color belts and youth 1-minute rounds with 30 seconds rest. USAT Modified Head Contact Rules: no head contact for ages 7 and under (all belts) and 8 to 11 color belts; light contact for 8 to 11 black belts, cadet (12 to 14) color belts and Grass Roots black belts, junior (15 to 17) color belts and 33 and over; full head contact only for World Class cadet black belts, junior black belts and seniors 17 to 32. MMA context: the ABC Unified Rules of MMA (amended August 5, 2026) set five-minute rounds (professional) with one minute rest and list kneeing or kicking the head of a grounded opponent as a foul; amateur MMA bouts are 18 and over in Wisconsin (SPS 192.06(2)(a), applying to professional or amateur mixed martial arts contestants) and Illinois (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1370.710(c)); there are no youth cage bouts.
WT Article 4.2 to 4.4 and USAT Article 4.5: WT-approved dobok or competition uniform, trunk PSS (hogu), head PSS or head protector, groin guard (USAT: mandatory for male and female), forearm guards, shin guards, gloves (USAT: open-finger approved gloves required for World Class cadet, junior and senior black belts, red, blue or white, with red or blue gloves matching the chest protector; optional in other divisions), sensing socks with PSS or instep protectors, mouthguard (white or clear, at least 3 mm, covering the upper teeth; braces need a dentist-recommended guard). Forearm and shin guards go under the uniform; the head protector enters the area tucked under the left arm and goes on after the bow; cracked headgear is not allowed; WT Cadet Championships use a conventional head protector with face shield (WT Art. 4.2.5.1). Contestants need a valid annual medical certificate and must pass inspection with no piercings (WT Art. 4 explanations 7 to 9).
WT Article 12 (identical in USAT Article 12): 1 point for a valid punch to the trunk protector, 2 for a valid kick to the trunk protector, 3 for a valid kick to the head; a valid turning kick doubles the score (4 to the trunk, 6 to the head, 6 replacing 5 on January 1, 2026); 1 point to the opponent for every gam-jeom, and 2 points for a passivity gam-jeom (crossing the boundary, falling, running away) in the last ten seconds of a round. Validity and impact are decided by the electronic Protector and Scoring System except punches, which use PSS punch sensors with judge validation from 2026; a head kick that fails to register can be reviewed only on the center referee's request. Best-of-three round tie-breakers: total points by turning kicks, higher-value techniques, fewer gam-jeom points, registered hits, then superiority. Match score is the sum of three rounds, or rounds won under best-of-three.
APFC's own rule
There are no youth cage bouts. Wisconsin licenses professional and amateur MMA contestants only at 18 or older (SPS 192.06(2)(a), https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/administrativecode/SPS%20192.06). Illinois registers amateur MMA contestants only at 18 or older (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1370.710(c), https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/068013700F07100R.html; https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/illinois/Ill-Admin-Code-tit-68-SS-1370.710). Members under 18 train and grade in every discipline and compete in the component arts under their own governing bodies.
The disciplines
Kukkiwon's ranking system consists of Poom (1st to 4th Poom) and Dan (1st to 9th Dan), granted by evaluating taekwondo spirit, technical proficiency and training level; only Kukkiwon-certified poom and dan holders may compete in international taekwondo; the system dates to the August 5, 1978 unification and over 12 million certificates have been issued. Only Kukkiwon may issue a document called a Dan certificate; clubs issue graduation certificates while the Kukkiwon certificate takes up to eight weeks. Colored belts (geup) count down toward black: USA Taekwondo ties yellow to 7th and 8th geup, green to 5th and 6th, blue to 3rd and 4th, red to 1st and 2nd, with Taegeuk 1 and 2 Jang for yellow through Taegeuk 8 Jang for red; the eight Taegeuk forms run Il Jang (8th geup) to Pal Jang (1st geup); belt orders are not standardized across styles and clubs. Poom is the junior black belt: the UK Kukkiwon Office table sets 1st to 3rd poom at up to and including age 15 and 3rd to 4th poom up to 18, with dan minimum ages of 16 for 2nd dan (15 if starting from poom), 18 for 3rd (15 from poom), 21 for 4th (18 from poom), 25 for 5th (22 from poom) and waiting periods of 1, 2, 3 and 4 years between grades; USA Taekwondo describes poom rank as 14 and under black belts (black-and-red collar and belt) and the AAU allows poom belts for junior black belts 15 and younger. Kukkiwon's own regulation text on the age line was not retrieved.
PROPOSAL for Anthony Pettis to rule; not a governing-body standard
White to yellow (10th to 7th geup): Taegeuk 1 and 2 Jang, stances, three blocks, front, roundhouse and side kicks, breakfalls, no-contact sparring, the first ninety days.
Green and blue (6th to 3rd geup): Taegeuk 3 to 6 Jang, back kick, axe kick, combinations, step sparring and light pad sparring in full gear, first breaking.
Red (2nd and 1st geup): Taegeuk 7 and 8 Jang, round-based sparring built from one-minute rounds (the USAT color-belt format) toward three rounds of two minutes, spinning hook kick, counter kicking.
Poom or 1st dan candidates and holders entering USAT or AAU sanctioned events under the modified head-contact chart for their age and belt; Kukkiwon certificate required for black-belt divisions (USAT Art. 4.1.5) and for WT events (WT Art. 4.1.3).
Dan holders who carry the kicking game into the Fight Team under the ABC Unified Rules; amateur MMA bouts only at 18 and over in Wisconsin and Illinois.
The disciplines
PROPOSAL: a class plan for Anthony Pettis to rule; the round lengths and rules cited inside it are sourced
Cha-ryeot, Kyeong-rye, kihap; the word of the day is one of Kukkiwon's five virtues (proposal; commands per USAT Art. 10).
Joint circles, dynamic leg swings, hip openers, light bounce footwork.
Stances, the three blocks, straight punches, front and side kicks on the count.
One kick family per class (roundhouse week, back kick week); doubles and combinations at levels 3 and up.
The form tied to the student's geup (Taegeuk 1 Jang for new yellow belts, up to 8 Jang for red).
Step sparring and no-contact touch drills for levels 1 and 2; timed rounds in full protective gear for levels 3 to 5 under the head-contact chart for age and belt, using USAT durations (1-minute rounds for color belts and youth, 1:30 for cadets and juniors, 2:00 for seniors; USAT Art. 7).
Static stretching, breathing, Cha-ryeot, Kyeong-rye, dismissal.
The disciplines
USA Taekwondo's Kyorugi Modified Head Contact Rules (effective January 1, 2023) exist to protect non-World-Class competitors from concussive head injuries (https://teamusa-org-migration.s3.amazonaws.com/USA%20Taekwondo/Migration/Documents/2023%20USATKD%20Kyorugi%20Rules%20-%20Modified%20Head%20Contact.pdf); the USAT 2026 Kyorugi Rules state that under no circumstances may head contact be allowed for age and belt groups where it is not permitted under the Modified Safety Rules (https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blteb7d012fc7ebef7f/blt1fff5ed7db67e8ff/6a1ac3046bef77e2d5aaa1dd/2026_USATKD_Kyorugi_Rules.pdf); the American Academy of Pediatrics finds noncontact basic forms carry lower relative injury risk and contact sparring and bouts higher risk, with blows to the head among the higher-risk activities (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27940732/).
no sparring contact of any kind, no head contact, movement and balance games, listening and the bow-in ritual; the youngest USAT competition band is 7 and under with no head contact for all belts (Dragon 6 to 7 on the chart); AAU weight charts begin at age 5 (https://image.aausports.org/dnn/tw/2026/25-26-AAUTKDHandbook-11.26.25.pdf).
no head contact for ages 7 and under (all belts) and 8 to 11 color belts; any kick that touches the head is a gam-jeom, a hard kick stops the match for medical inspection, and if the child cannot continue the attacker is disqualified; only 8 to 11 black belts are on light head contact, defined as anything from a touch to a tap, with no extra points for turning kicks to the head and no 8-count for head kicks (USAT modified rules Art. 2, 3 and chart). Full gear is mandatory: head protector, trunk protector, mouthguard (3 mm, clear or white), groin guard for boys and girls, forearm, shin and instep protection (USAT Art. 4.5); youth, Dragon and Tiger rounds are one minute with 30 seconds rest (USAT Art. 7.1.3); poom belts mark black belts 14 and under (USAT Art. 4.4.1).
cadet (12 to 14) color belts and Grass Roots black belts and junior (15 to 17) color belts spar under light head contact; only World Class cadet black belts and junior black belts spar under full head contact (USAT modified rules Art. 3 to 6); WT Cadet Championships use a conventional head protector with face shield (WT Art. 4.2.5.1, https://www.taekwondobond.nl/wp-content/uploads/WT-Competition-Rules-Interpretation-Kyorugi-in-force-as-of-January-1-2026.pdf); World Class cadet and junior rounds are 1 minute 30 seconds (USAT Art. 7.1.2). Any contestant unable to continue after head contact is out for the day, must have a full concussion assessment, and cannot spar for 50 days (14 and under), 40 days (15 to 17) or 30 days (18 and over) unless cleared by a USATKD-designated concussion specialist; state youth concussion laws also apply (USAT modified rules Art. 3.6). Adolescent athletes and athletes lacking blocking skills showed increased concussion occurrence (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24247189/), so blocking and covering are taught before any head-contact sparring.
USA Taekwondo is an Olympic national governing body, so the US Center for SafeSport's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies apply; the 2025 MAAPP (effective no later than January 1, 2025) sets mandatory minimum standards that limit one-on-one adult and minor interactions and require education and training (https://maapp.uscenterforsafesport.org/); USA Taekwondo offers free SafeSport courses for ages 5 to 12 (15 minutes, parental consent required) and 13 to 17 (20 minutes), a 30-minute parents' guide, reporting channels and the sanction list (https://www.usatkd.org/youth-safesport).
amateur MMA bouts are 18 and over in Wisconsin (SPS 192.06(2)(a), https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/sps/professional_services/190/192.pdf) and Illinois (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1370.710(c), https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/illinois/Ill-Admin-Code-tit-68-SS-1370.710); a child's competitive outlet in this lane is sanctioned taekwondo under the protective rules above.
The disciplines
A meta-analysis of 14 prospective cohort studies found an overall mean injury rate of 79.3 per 1000 athlete-exposures (95% CI 22.8 to 275.4) in competition taekwondo; age, gender and level of play were not significant; the most common injury location was the lower limb and the most common type contusion, invariably associated with contact; most injuries appeared to be of minimal severity and the authors said rule and equipment modifications may be warranted (Lystad, Pollard, Graham, J Sci Med Sport 2009;12:614-621).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAt the 2018 World Taekwondo Junior Championships there were 67 injuries among 889 athletes: 7.5 injuries per 100 athletes, 38.5 per 1000 athlete-exposures and 6.9 per 1000 minute-exposures; lower-extremity injuries (foot and toe) were most frequent, then head and trunk (mostly face); contusions were the most common type; the most common mechanism was contact during an opponent's attack; three mild concussions, none with time loss; males reported more injuries than females (Jeong et al., IJERPH 2021;18(4):2134).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVideo analysis of a 2001 Korean tournament with 2328 competitors analyzed 1009 head blows including concussions; they were most evident when the attacker stood in a closed stance and delivered a single roundhouse kick, the temporal region was the most frequent impact site, and the authors recommended blocking skills, safety education, rigorous rule enforcement and improved headgear (Koh, Watkinson, Yoon, Brain Injury 2004;18(12):1287-1296).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govOf six prospectively studied risk factors in Olympic-style taekwondo, three were associated with injury: heavier weight divisions with higher overall injury incidence, and adolescent athletes and athletes lacking blocking skills with increased occurrence of concussion (Lystad, Swain, Graham, J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2013;53:655-664).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govThe American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report: noncontact basic forms and techniques may have a lower relative risk of injury; contact-based sparring, competitive training and bouts have a higher risk; higher-risk activities include blows to the head and choking or submission movements that may cause concussions or significant head injuries; the report assesses rule changes, protective equipment and training recommendations (Demorest, Koutures, AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, Pediatrics 2016;138(6):e20163022).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govRule-level protections in force: fist to the head, kicks below the waist, kneeing, butting and attacking a fallen opponent are gam-jeom offenses (WT Art. 14); contestants need a valid annual medical certificate and must pass equipment inspection including mouthguard and no piercings (WT Art. 4 explanations 7 to 9); a knock down is declared when a legitimate attack leaves a contestant staggered or unable to continue (WT Art. 17).
taekwondobond.nlUSA Taekwondo's post-head-contact protocol: a contestant unable to continue after head contact is out for the day, must have a full concussion assessment, and cannot spar for 50 days (14 and under), 40 days (15 to 17) or 30 days (18 and over) unless cleared by a designated concussion specialist; no 8-count is given for head kicks in modified divisions.
teamusa-org-migration.s3.amazonaws.comThe disciplines
School-based taekwondo versus regular physical education, 207 children from kindergarten to grade 5 randomized by homeroom for three months: greater improvements in cognitive and affective self-regulation, prosocial behavior and classroom conduct (Lakes and Hoyt, J Appl Dev Psychol 2004;25(3):283-302).
doi.orgRandomized trial of an 11-week beginners' taekwondo course in a UK primary school (N = 240, ages 7 to 11): teachers rated the taekwondo children as having fewer conduct-problem symptoms and better effortful (attentional) control, and they scored better on a flanker test of executive attention; no effects on inhibitory control, impulsivity, prosocial behavior, verbal working memory or switching; children rated the course very positively (Ng-Knight et al., Developmental Psychology 2022;58(3):522-534).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govReview of 23 papers: no conclusive evidence that taekwondo improves anaerobic fitness or muscle strength, but training may benefit aerobic capacity, body composition (fat loss) and flexibility (Fong and Ng, Physical Therapy in Sport 2011;12(2):100-106).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govA meta-analysis of child and youth studies (twelve studies, 507 participants aged 6 to 18) reported that martial arts training has the potential to reduce externalizing behaviors such as aggression, with a medium homogeneous effect size of 0.65 (95% CI 0.11 to 1.03) across the nine intervention and longitudinal studies, and called for further research into the mechanisms of change (Harwood, Lavidor, Rassovsky, Aggression and Violent Behavior 2017;34:96-101).
doi.orgEight weeks of taekwondo (50 minutes, twice weekly) in 14 children with autism spectrum disorder: the taekwondo group improved single-leg stance balance with eyes closed more than controls (P = 0.046) and within-group with eyes open (P = 0.014), with 92 percent adherence (Kim et al., J Exerc Rehabil 2016;12(4):314-319).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govRandomized pilot of 30 children from multicultural families in Korea, 16 weeks of weekly 60-minute taekwondo: better balance (Stork test), lower tension and depression and higher vigor on the profile of mood states, and higher sociability scores than controls (Roh, Cho, So, IJERPH 2018;15(4):757).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govRandomized trial of 37 women aged 65 and over, 16 weeks of taekwondo five times a week: increases in lower-body strength, flexibility, aerobic endurance, serum BDNF, VEGF and IGF-1, and Stroop color-word scores (Cho and Roh, IJERPH 2019;16(6):962).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govThe American Academy of Pediatrics notes that martial arts can provide children and adolescents with vigorous levels of physical exercise that can improve overall physical fitness.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govThe disciplines
UFC.com states that Anthony Pettis has a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, trains at Roufusport, won the WEC lightweight belt by unanimous decision over Benson Henderson, and held the UFC lightweight title from August 2013 until March 2015 (https://www.ufc.com/athlete/anthony-pettis). He began taekwondo at age five and earned his third-degree black belt before turning eighteen; in his words, "Coming from a taekwondo background, a lot of my kicks and strikes are flashy to other people", and he calls himself a taekwondo guy who learned kickboxing and has some good ground skills (mixedmartialarts.com, November 14, 2015, https://mixedmartialarts.com/ufc/pettis-it-started-with-tae-kwon-do/). His mother enrolled him in taekwondo classes at age 5 through the Telesis Program at Alverno College (Catholic Herald, Milwaukee, January 26, 2012, https://catholicherald.org/catholic-herald/general/catholic-education-impacts-mixed-martial-artist/). WEC 53, December 16, 2010, Glendale, Arizona: unanimous decision over Benson Henderson for the final WEC lightweight title, with the Showtime Kick in the fifth round; born January 27, 1987, Milwaukee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Pettis). UFC 164, August 31, 2013, inside Milwaukee's Bradley Center: armbar over Benson Henderson in round 1 at 4:31 for the UFC lightweight title (https://www.ufc.com/news/its-showtime-again-ufc-164-main-event-results).
The disciplines
20 of 20 terms
The disciplines
The disciplines