ITF Taekwon-do Competitions

ITF Taekwon-do competitions consist of several disciplines;

Sparring
Competitors are grouped by belt colour, gender, weight (adults), height & age (children). There are also veterans categories.

Sparring takes place on matted rings, with 4 corner judges and a centre umpire. Points are awarded according to technique, for example jumping and spinning techniques score higher. In most BTC competitions younger children cannot score to the head for safety reasons.

Patterns
Competitors are grouped according to belt colour and age group. Two people perform their pattern in front of a panel of judges, the judges decide on the winner who then goes through to the next round in a pyramid system.

Special technique
For children and teenagers, consists of either flying kicks to cover distance over hurdles and hitting a pad, or flying high kicks to hit a high target.

Power
Power is for over 18's, and consists of breaking a number of rebreakable boards with a variety of hand and foot techniques.

NB World & European Championships are only for selected Black Belts

Wirral UKTA Members Competing Nationally & Internationally

Not all competitions are the same

With the fragmentation of Taekwon-do organisations, there are many groups and organisations all holding their own 'English Championships' 'British Championships' even so called 'World Championships' and they are very varied in their size and standard.

Local inter-school competitions held by some organisations are bigger than so-called 'British Championships' held by others, so some titles have to be taken with a pinch of salt. Official ITF World & European Championships are not accessible to beginners, small children, or just anyone who wants to have a go. They are only for Black Belts who are selected to represent their country having attended regular coaching sessions with ITF National coaches and having proved themselves at National level.

National competitions, however, are accessible to most students, from yellow belt up to black. The ones we take students to are extremely well run and organised with experienced judges and umpires. They take place in prestigious venues on fully matted rings and sometimes run over 2 days. UKTA competitions are free to spectators and there is always a great atmosphere.

We at Wirral UKTA have covered the entry costs of our members for several years now and often provide fee transport too