With its foundations in Korea, many although not all of the terms used in

taekwondo are Korean in origin. Here is a quick guide to some of the key
taekwondo terms you can expect to hear when getting started in the sport.

Boundary line: the marginal line around the outside of the contest area. This
defines the outer edge of the taekwondo mat.
Chest protector: protects the torso and marks out the scoring areas on the
body during taekwondo.
Chung: the taekwondo contestant wearing blue.
Contest area: a 10m (32 ft) square in the centre of the mat where a
taekwondo contest is conducted.
Deuk-jeom: a point in taekwondo.
Dobok: the clothing worn by a taekwondo practitioner.
Dojang: the area in which taekwondo is practiced.
Gam-jeom: a penalty that automatically costs a contestant a point in
taekwondo.
Head guard: worn by a taekwondo competitor to protect the head. These will
be coloured either blue or red.
Hong: the taekwondo contestant wearing red.
Knockdown: a ruling when a contestant is knocked to the floor. This is
followed by a mandatory count of eight by the referee.
Knockout: a ruling where the referee stops the contest and declares a winner
if the opponent is unable to continue.
Referee's mark: a point marked out on the mat where the referee begins and
ends each round.
Round: one of a series of periods that make up a taekwondo match. Contests
are normally three rounds long, and these rounds are separated by rest
periods of usually one minute each.
Scoring area: the area of the opponent's face or body where a legitimate
strike may be made to score a point in taekwondo.
Shi-jak: the referee's command which starts a taekwondo contest.
Taekwondo Rules

Photo credit: BUGNUT23 / Shutterstock.com

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport that was developed in post World
War 2 Korea by various martial artists but is usually attributed to military general and
martial artist Choi Hong Hi. Taekwondo is based on the native Korean martial arts of
Taekkyeon, Subak and Gwonbeop but also has significant elements of other martial arts
such as Japanese Karate and to a lesser extent Chinese Kung Fu.

As a martial art, it is known as a style that focuses particularly on kicking, and

experienced practitioners can be seen performing various spectacular head height and
jumping kicks. There are various Taekwondo administration bodies but the main two are
the ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) and the WTF (World Taekwondo
Federation) but it is the latter that is the best known as it the WTF form of Taekwondo
that has been a major part of the Olympic Games since 1988.

Object of Taekwondo
In Taekwondo competition, the object is to land kicks and punches upon the scoring
zones of your opponent. These are the the torso and the head and both kicks and
punches must be accurate and powerful, as light tapping kicks are not counted by
scorers (or electronic scoring systems in major competitions). At the end of the three
rounds of the match, the player with the most points is declared the winner, but the
match can end early by one player knocking the other player out.

All Taekwondo practitioners, whether competitors or not are at all times expected to
uphold the five tenets of Taekwondo. These are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-
control and indomitable spirit.

Players & Equipment

In Taekwondo competition, fighters compete against other fighters of the same sex.
They are also placed into weight categories to ensure that fights are as evenly matched
as possible. In junior competitions, there may also be age categories too.

The white taekwondo uniform that competitors wear is often called a gi, but technically
that is the Japanese name for a martial arts uniform and the proper Korean term is a
dobok. A coloured belt is tied round the middle of the dobok and the colour signifies the
grade of the practitioner. The belt system goes from white for beginners through to
yellow, green, blue, red and then black for more experienced practitioners. Black belts
then receive their ‘dan’ grades as they progress further in their experience and
expertise. In a Taekwondo match, each competitor wears several pieces of protective
equipment and these are:

 Head guard
 Chest (trunk) protector
 Groin guard
 Forearm guards
 Hand protectors
 Shin guards
 Mouth guard

Scoring
Scoring in a Taekwondo match is simple. A player gets:

 One point for a basic attack to the opponent’s torso

 Two points for a spinning kick to the opponent’s torso
 Three points for a kick to the head

In major competitions, electronic scoring systems are used that are placed within each
player’s chest protector and are adjusted to take into account of the weight category of
the fight. For head kicks (and fights where electronic scoring is not used), a panel of 4
judges push a button when they see a scoring point. When at least 3 judges agree, then
a point is awarded.

Winning the Match

Once a Taekwondo match is over (at the end of the 3 x 2 minute rounds), the winner is
the fighter that has the most points. If both fighters have the same amount of points,
then an extra round is fought called the golden point round. In this round, the first fighter
to score a point is declared the winner. Taekwondo matches can be won earlier if one
fighter knocks the other out or if one fighter is disqualified for a rule breach.
Rules of Taekwondo
 Taekwondo matches should be contested by competitors of the same sex and in
the same classified weight category.
 The competition area is a mat that measures 8 metres squared.
 Taekwondo matches are contested over 3 x 2 minute rounds with a rest of 1
minute between rounds.
 Each fighter attempts to knockout their opponent or score points by landing
blows on their opponent’s torso or head. Kicks are allowed to both to the torso
and head, whilst punches are only allowed to the body. Below the waist is not a
permitted target.
 If a fighter and their coach think that a point has been missed or that a mistake
has been made, they can make a protest. A video replay is then looked at by
judges and a decision is made.
 Fighters can lose points by the way of penalties. These can be incurred by
actions such as:
o Punching to the face
o Attacking with the knee
o Attacking below the waist
o Stepping out of the ring with both feet
o Turning your back on your opponent
o Pushing, holding or grabbing your opponent
o Feigning injury
 The match is won by the fighter who knocks their opponent out or who has the
greater number of points at the end of the three rounds.
 If the match is a draw, a golden point round is fought, with the fighter landing the
first scoring point being declared the winner.