What Are The 5 Rules Of Taekwondo?

Taekwondo classes help to develop flexibility, stamina, agility, and power. It demands courtesy and discipline.

Moreover, it is a perfect sport for self-defense and self-belief. It is part of the Olympic Games as well, so it has some rules.

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In this article, we will discuss what the 5 rules of taekwondo are?

Requirements and Rules of Taekwondo

1. A taekwondo contest can take place between the competitors of the same sex and in the same weight category. 
2. An area where a fight takes place is 8 meters squared. 
3. In taekwondo, there are three rounds of two minutes, and between each round, there is a break of one minute. 
4. Athletes try to knock out their opponents or score more points by landing kicks and punches at the right spot. Punches are only allowed to the body while kicks are allowed to the head and torso. You can’t throw punches or kicks below the waist area.  
5. If a fighter or coach feels that the point was missed, they can make a protest. Judges look at a video replay and make a decision about the point. 

In taekwondo, athletes aim to punch and kick the opponent and avoid themselves from kicks and punches. Taekwondo involves some challenging techniques and tactics to gain points. You must be familiar with the rules to take advantage and stay ahead of the game. 

• Attacking the knee
• Punching the face
• Attack below the waist
• Turning back on the opponent
• Grabbing or pushing your opponent
• Stepping out of the ring with both feet.

• A winner is decided who knocks down the opponent or have more points at the end of three rounds. 
• In the case of a draw, there is an option of a golden point. A fighter with the first landing point is declared as the winner. 

Basic Rules of Taekwondo Competition

Taekwondo isn’t all about knocking your opponent; it is actually earning the most points to be declared as a winner. In taekwondo, competitors earn points by a legal attack on the trunk and the opponent’s head. Moreover, the points are awarded as:

Athletes need to punch with a good amount of force from the middle to the upper part of the chest. Corner referees count these punches, so a punch must be obvious to all referees to earn a scoring point. It is the first rule to score points in taekwondo. 

These points are “bread and butter” of a taekwondo fight. You can score as many points as you want by landing a good kick to the chest guard. You can earn these points by using the simplest techniques. Athletes can use sidekicks, roundhouse kicks, and push kicks to score points. More importantly, it isn’t essential to kick exactly on the chest guard; you can also kick on the rib cage and side of the chest guard. During taekwondo classes, this chest guard allows students to kick hard. In this way, they can maximize their scoring potential. 

As mentioned earlier, it’s all about throwing punches and kicks at the right spot to earn maximum points. When an athlete lands a successful kick on the opponent, he/she can earn four points. Examples of these kicks are tornado kicks, a back kick, and a round house kick that lands after a turn or spin. A roundhouse kick is an exception, and the rest of kicks are used for defense. In other words, these kicks are useful to prevent offensive attacks from your opponent. In your taekwondo class, you will learn these countering techniques, which is the highest skill level technique. 

These kicks are not easy to land. So, when you are able to land successfully, you can earn three points. Examples of regular kicks to the head are axe kicks and primary roundhouse kicks. In taekwondo class, trainers focus on leg strength and flexibility so that you can earn point points with head kicks. 

Spinning kicks are not easy and require discipline and flexibility. These are perhaps most difficult to land and can earn you most points. In most cases, if an athlete lands a spinning kick with enough force, it can result in knocking the opponent. Kicks that can earn you five points include a tornado kick, spinning hook kick, and spinning roundhouse kick. In taekwondo class, you will learn how to use your legs to score maximum points. 

Some New Rules of Taekwondo Competition

For making the competitions fair and more interesting for spectators, rules of taekwondo are continuously refined. So, let’s have a look at some of the latest rule innovations in taekwondo. 

• Now the taekwondo matches are fought on the octagonal matted field of play. It encourages invasive movement and lively footwork. Moreover, it demands good use of peripheral vision. 
• For local and international tournaments, a new scoring system PSS is used. In the PSS system, electronic sensors are built in the protective equipment of athletes, such as the head protector, trunk, and sock protector. These sensors are linked to an electronic scoreboard without wire. When a correct impact is made with the foot and head or chest of the opponent, points automatically flash up on the electronic scoreboard. 
• This technological advancement and use of PSS technology make taekwondo competitions fair and eliminate human error in judging. 

Conclusion

Taekwondo is a sport, and matches take place between the fighters. A winner is decided based on some rules. An athlete who knocks down the opponent or scored more points is declared as a winner.