Olympic TKD is full contact? . . . . .Olympic Sparring = Playing tag with the feet
:soapbox:
Once again . . . WHAT?! Yes olympic TKD is full contact in the ring. I am there to kick and punch as hard as I can, if I can score a knockout I'll take it. I've never played a game of tag in the ring ever unless it is while helping a color belt train sparring. Full contact is full contact striking. I am kicking them as hard as I can, I am punching them as hard as I can. Once again I will reiterate, because it is a sport there are rules. Rules such as there are no elbows, knees, joint locks, punching to the face, eye gouging, headbutting, kicking the groin, and a host of others. Same thing with professional boxing, there is none of that, but it looks like they are fighting pretty full contact to me. The rules do not prevent me from striking with full force.
It says it's full-contact in the rules but it's anything but. If you know how it goes, it's by a point system
Yes it is a point system, at least we agree on that. Do you know how points are scored. It isn't just by touching the other player one the pretty dots on their chest. There are certain criteria, as quoted from Article 12 section 2 paragraph 1 of the WTF rule book
Points shall be awarded when permitted techniques are delivered accurately and powerfully to the legal scoring ares of the body. . . .
Please take note of the "powerfully" and the "legal" We are not playing tag. Under the new rules, which I am unable to quote because my new rule book hasn't arrived yet. Scoring to the body is a point (+1), scoring to the head is two points (+2) an additional point shall be awarded if there is a standing eight count given because of a valid technique. Now that you understand the scoring a little better, how does one win
Article 16 section 1 Decisions
1. Win by K.O.
2. Win by Referee Stop Contest (RSC)
3. Win by score or superiority
4. Win by withdrawal
5. Win by disqualification
6. Win by referee's punitive declaration
I see knockout in there, and I also see withdrawal (ie giving up)
Once again I'd just like to say, we can't use the knees and elbows, and grapple, like you may be used to. Those are against the sporting rules, but that does not mean we play tag. They way you may spar has no rules thus it equals no holds barred sparring, which is not what we do (Have I said that yet

) Please keep an open mind about what full contact is. What you practice is full contact, what I practice is full contact. The difference, there are rules in one. What you do is what you do, and there is nothing wrong with that. What I do is what I do, and there is still nothing wrong in that. It is two different worlds.
The lack of knockouts you saw at the olympics again doesn't mean that the kicks aren't landing hard, maybe the competitiors didn't score a good shot, or maybe the other player got out of the way I really don't know because or television coverage was, well none :idunno:
This is all I have to say about this in this thread as it is about weapons not about sparring. The quotes from the WTF referee rulebook is a little out of date, this was a revision before the olympics, 2 years ago so there may be a couple changes. (BTW I am a ref as well)
Okay now I'll apologize for the manner this was brought forth, I get a little fired up about this because I have some karate friends from the local school that give me a hard time about this too
Cheers :asian: