Are there any open tournaments?

[Leo89]

From what little I know, my school goes up against other schools that are also kukkiwon style, but I'm curious to know if there are any tournaments where they don't care what taekwondo style or organization your styles under?

Also, is pro-taekwondo still a thing?

 

[Kickboxer101]

Best thing is to ask your instructor he'd be the one who enters you and would know more about the local stuff in your area

 

[Dirty Dog]

Best thing is to ask your instructor he'd be the one who enters you and would know more about the local stuff in your area

Not necessarily. By definition, an open tourney would be... open... meaning anybody can sign up.
Just don't go expecting to represent your school unless you do so with your instructors endorsement.

You can find local tournies easily enough with a little google fu...

 

[KangTsai]

Pro taekwondo was a thing for a long time. ITF, the Olympics etc.

 

[Leo89]

Pro taekwondo was a thing for a long time. ITF, the Olympics etc.

Is it still a thing though?

 

[KangTsai]

Is it still a thing though?

Of course. Taekwondo was in this year's Olympics and who knows how many other competitions there were.

 

[TrueJim]

I think Leo89 means actual professional taekwondo (i.e., people who make their living by competing in taekwondo). As opposed to Olympic-level amateur taekwondo.

Leo...I've been told that there is still professional taekwondo in Korea, but I don't know much about it.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Pro taekwondo was a thing for a long time. ITF, the Olympics etc.

That's not what he's talking about. There was, for a time, a group that tried to have professional TKD bouts. Like Olympic TKD, the ruleset was designed to emphasize kicking almost exclusively. It didn't do very well, since most people instinctively understand that limiting yourself to kicking is rather silly. It lost out to things like K1 and the PKA.

 

[Leo89]

That's not what he's talking about. There was, for a time, a group that tried to have professional TKD bouts. Like Olympic TKD, the ruleset was designed to emphasize kicking almost exclusively. It didn't do very well, since most people instinctively understand that limiting yourself to kicking is rather silly. It lost out to things like K1 and the PKA.

What I don't understand is, if we have jireugi (even if it's considered rudimentary by boxing standards), why not allow it as well?

Could a Taekwondo-in partake in K1 or PKA?

 

[KangTsai]

That's not what he's talking about. There was, for a time, a group that tried to have professional TKD bouts. Like Olympic TKD, the ruleset was designed to emphasize kicking almost exclusively. It didn't do very well, since most people instinctively understand that limiting yourself to kicking is rather silly. It lost out to things like K1 and the PKA.

I know, I just answered the question. I don't really like point fighting myself.

 

[WaterGal]

I think Leo89 means actual professional taekwondo (i.e., people who make their living by competing in taekwondo). As opposed to Olympic-level amateur taekwondo.

Leo...I've been told that there is still professional taekwondo in Korea, but I don't know much about it.

I know they have teams in Korea sponsored by companies like Samsung, but I'd be curious to find if that's something the competitors get paid for, or if it's more like, say, roller derby where the corporate sponsorships are only enough to pay for the cost of taking part in the activity.

 

[msmitht]

Open or point fighting tournaments are everywhere and a total joke . is tag with both feet and hands. Lots of flashy forms that all resemble Mike Chat style. wtf style allows for full contact kicks and punches to body with contact levels to head varying , depending on your belt level and age. pro tkd was on air 2x I think and went bye bye.
If you want to punch try boxing. if not satisfied with tournaments your instructor recommends then change schools or styles. is your money and time. don't waste it.

 

[TrueJim]

I know they have teams in Korea sponsored by companies like Samsung, but I'd be curious to find if that's something the competitors get paid for, or if it's more like, say, roller derby where the corporate sponsorships are only enough to pay for the cost of taking part in the activity.

I can ask. We often have interns at our school, interns from Korea. One them was, I was told, a professional taekwondo sparrer in Korea. I'll ask what that means exactly.

 

[Dirty Dog]

What I don't understand is, if we have jireugi (even if it's considered rudimentary by boxing standards), why not allow it as well?

Good question. There is no good answer. The best anyone can come up with for why punching is so heavily de-valued in WTF-style tournaments if to differentiate TKD from Karate. I personally find this reasoning idiotic. Non-WTF style tournies set their own rules. In our school, we absolutely punch, and we punch to the head.

Could a Taekwondo-in partake in K1 or PKA?

Sure. Style is/was irrelevant.

I know, I just answered the question. I don't really like point fighting myself.

Open tournies are not synonymous with point sparring. I've fought in many open tournies. I've taken students to many. We've never done a point tourney.

Open or point fighting tournaments are everywhere and a total joke . is tag with both feet and hands. Lots of flashy forms that all resemble Mike Chat style. wtf style allows for full contact kicks and punches to body with contact levels to head varying , depending on your belt level and age. pro tkd was on air 2x I think and went bye bye.
If you want to punch try boxing. if not satisfied with tournaments your instructor recommends then change schools or styles. is your money and time. don't waste it.

Again, point sparring and open tournies are not the same thing. Most of the open events I've been too have been 2-3 minute rounds, punching, kicking, and often allow sweeps, throws and takedowns (although not generally rolling on the floor grappling).

 

[drop bear]

It woul be like catch wrestlers who pretty much have to bjj comps.

You would just go do some kickboxing.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

If you want to punch try boxing. if not satisfied with tournaments your instructor recommends then change schools or styles.

I teenager I know signed himself up for a tournament and on the line for "Master:", he wrote "Master Kim" figuring that there has to be at least one Master Kim at the tournament. I laughed at that one.

 

[Leo89]

If you want to punch try boxing. if not satisfied with tournaments your instructor recommends then change schools or styles. is your money and time. don't waste it.

No, a waste of time and money would be dropping the art instead of trying to better understand it, I know I'm not the only one with the goal of understanding its strengths and weaknesses, as well as adapting to and overcoming my opponents.

There's punching in this art, something worth understanding and training in.

Also, you pretty much lost me at tournies being a joke.

 

[msmitht]

Point karate tournaments are a joke and a waste of time. Never said all tournaments.

No, a waste of time and money would be dropping the art instead of trying to better understand it, I know I'm not the only one with the goal of understanding its strengths and weaknesses, as well as adapting to and overcoming my opponents.

There's punching in this art, something worth understanding and training in.

Also, you pretty much lost me at tournies being a joke.

 

[Leo89]

Point karate tournaments are a joke and a waste of time. Never said all tournaments.

Not for the karateka partaking in them.
I'm sure they serve a purpose.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Point karate tournaments are a joke and a waste of time. Never said all tournaments.

Not for the karateka partaking in them.
I'm sure they serve a purpose.

Well, if we consider sparring to be training for fighting (which is not universally true by any means) then point sparring has what I personally consider a fatal flaw.
The assumption that you will only need to hit your opponent once, especially with the little backfist pops that are so popular in these events, is patently ridiculous.
Frankly, I will gladly let you hit me once, if in doing so I can set up a counter that will allow me to inflict more damage than you.
By the same token, I consider WTF-style sparring equally flawed due to it's utter reliance on kicking and total devaluation of punching.