ITF sparring tournaments

puunui

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I watched some ITF tournaments on you tube, and was wondering what exactly are the rules. How hard can you kick and punch? Is it full contact? Do you get more points for head kicks? There was one I was watching of an ITF world championships I think, and even though face punches were allowed, the competitors had their hands down by their sides, and even when they were close, they didn't really throw all that many head punches. It was sort of like watching a tournament under the WTF rules, except foam dipped gear on the the hands and feet, no head gear or chest hogu, and head punches which were few and far in between.
 

Lord-Humongous

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I know the clip you are talking about, I watched it last night. I think it was put together by the ITF and the competitors did have their hands low (from the St Petersburg World Championships last year). My experience is not vast so I cannot explain why these guys were sparring this way. However, I have attended & particpated in several of tournaments in my region since 2008 and can confirm the following:
1. Contact can very depending on the age group and what the referee will allow. I have seen people get knocked out but for the most part I'd really call it medium contact because you can be disqualified or lose a point for hurting your opponent. I think the big reason everyone referrs to the tournament as light contact is for insurance purposes and government regulations (until very recently, full contact fighting sports were banned in Ontario).
2. At my school we are taught to keep our hands high in front of our face like boxers. Most people do this unless they are trying to trick someone into an attack or they are really quick and confident (or cocky depending on your take).
3. You aren't supposed to combine more than 2 (or 3 punches), you'll get a warning or point deducted if you start brawling.
4. Kicks and jumping techniques (kicks/superman punches) are worth 2 points. Regular punch is worth only 1 point. I think there are certain techniques that are worth 3 points now too, this might be why the guys in the video were keeping their hands low - to try to pull off the fancy techniques worth most scoring points.
 

Lord-Humongous

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I was unaware that more than two technique combinations constituted brawling by any definition.

Daniel

Sorry, I probably shouldn't have used that word. Using more than 2 (or 3) punches in a row is called "improper technique" or something to that effect. If you chase your opponent down repeatedly punching him/her in the head, you'll get a warning or point deducted. It's not really brawling then, I didn't give it much thought when I typed my original reply. I define brawling as something that happens in a hockey game when you drop your stick and gloves, pull another player's jersey over their head and start blindly throwing fists of rage.
 

Daniel Sullivan

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Sorry, I probably shouldn't have used that word. Using more than 2 (or 3) punches in a row is called "improper technique" or something to that effect. If you chase your opponent down repeatedly punching him/her in the head, you'll get a warning or point deducted.
Okay. Why are more than two (or three) punches in a row, with no other qualifier, considered improper technique?

Not being familiar with ITF tournament rules, this doesn't make sense to me. Also, are ITF tournaments continuous or point/stop?

Daniel
 

Earl Weiss

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Not being familiar with ITF tournament rules, this doesn't make sense to me. Also, are ITF tournaments continuous or point/stop?

Daniel

ITF tournaments are and have been continuous since 1973 or so. Don't have time to check exact date now but GM Nam gave me a magazine I copied announcing the change.
 
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puunui

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ITF tournaments are and have been continuous since 1973 or so. Don't have time to check exact date now but GM Nam gave me a magazine I copied announcing the change.

Did the ITF have tournaments prior to the 1974 ITF World Championships? I don't know if there might have been ITF National Championships in different countries before 1974 for example.
 

Earl Weiss

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I watched some ITF tournaments on you tube, and was wondering what exactly are the rules. How hard can you kick and punch? Is it full contact? Do you get more points for head kicks? There was one I was watching of an ITF world championships I think, and even though face punches were allowed, the competitors had their hands down by their sides, and even when they were close, they didn't really throw all that many head punches. It was sort of like watching a tournament under the WTF rules, except foam dipped gear on the the hands and feet, no head gear or chest hogu, and head punches which were few and far in between.

I haven't judged at an ITF tournament since 2004 so I am not sure of the current rules.

I can tell you that the higher up the level of tournament, with the World Championships being the highest, the level of contact escalated. Lots of hard hitters there and it seemed just short of full contact in Russia -1997.

Now, for the hands down thing, it seems the European preferences seem to carry the day versus American / Canadian preferences which migh almost be a kickboxing style. I know in Russia 1997 and Italy 2001 the scoring did not seem to favor hand techniques. By that I refer to what the judges scored versus what the rules provided.
 
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puunui

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I know the clip you are talking about, I watched it last night. I think it was put together by the ITF and the competitors did have their hands low (from the St Petersburg World Championships last year).


There was a couple. One was I think between two North Korean competitors. They had their hands down mostly, and used a lot of ax kicks. One guy did a counter narabang to the head which was impressive. Saw another clip which at one point had chain punching in it.
 

Earl Weiss

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Did the ITF have tournaments prior to the 1974 ITF World Championships? I don't know if there might have been ITF National Championships in different countries before 1974 for example.

The ITF had tounaments. I would have to research to see when the first world Championships were.
 

Daniel Sullivan

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Good question, I don't know.
The ability to use effective combos and exploit an opponent's weakness in a fight or a match is generally considered to be a good thing. I can see if the person is just going off with sloppy technique, but assuming that they maintain good technique, a combo of more than two or three strikes should not be an issue.

Does this rule apply only to punches, combinations of punches and kicks, or to all combinations, regardless of the striking limb?

Daniel
 
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puunui

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This is the one I was watching.

 
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Earl Weiss

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Some with higher hand s in prior vid and this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UnCmgU1Ao&NR=1

I think the issue is IF you can stay out of punching range and don't punch much then holding the hands higher isn't as neccessary. Unfortuneately a good opponent can exploit this weakness.

Had some guys from Poland training with me and they kept their hands low. I kept telling them to get them higher. But since they were taller than my guys and talented my usual crew could not show then the error of their ways.

As luck would have it I got some other visitors. One was shorter but extremely talented and a Polish National team member. Another as tall and at least as talented. These other people were able to show them the error of their ways. I just shrugged and said "this was the point I was trying to make. ... now why don't you hold your hands higher?" at which point one of their sisters who was also visiting and a Polish team member said "Because they're stupid"
 

chrispillertkd

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The ITF had tounaments. I would have to research to see when the first world Championships were.

The first WC was held in 1974 in Montreal.

The next one was held in 1978 in Oklahoma City. They were held every 4 years like the Olympics back then in stead of every other year.

Pax,

Chris
 

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