What do you think is best i regards to scoring on semi contact matches. Continuous semi contact .. or point stop (w.a.k.o style) ? personaly I feel point stop is easier to judge.
I used to do semi contact and continuous. I thought both were flawed in the scoring. Light continuous never remains light and people go in ill prepared. Been there and done that!!! And referees can't adequately protect the ill equipped fighter. Semi is frustrating because of the flippy floppy pathetic attempts at touching the opponent that get scored. no point should be given unless everyone watching goes "**** that would've hurt"!!!! It's trying to do the impossible - high pressure martial arts with minimal contact - and not surprisingly it fails!!!!! Or worse people take liberties and hit their opponent really hard. In full contact martial arts noone goes into competition unless they're well prepared. In semi contact people go in not realising their at their opponents mercy. Overall I think both should be dropped but that's just my opinion
I don't think one is better than the other, its down to the individual fighter's preference. Personally, I prefer light continous (we call it Clicker) because it has a faster pace, and because you don't know the score till the end, it takes the pressure off. I don't see any real difference in judging them, aside from stopping the wuko fight after a point has been scored.
granted .. different comments there from both but .. As a WTF style of fighting paractitioner I found the restraint and technical excellence needed in point stop a breath of fresh air. Most TKD matches in WTF are settled with 1 point. And it has got to the point now where the points are judged by electronic scoring systems. Also WTF always ends up as a brawl when the fighters become tired. (brawl used gramatically both fighters clinging on ) Continuouse I agreed opens the way for the less scrouplious fighters to exact some punishment on fighters that may be technically better. Just wondered what people thought to the nature of fighting demonstration. Stoppy
WTF TKD is not exactly the most exciting format either imo... If anything I'd say continuous is better but it shoud be made full contact and people should be prepared for it. Calling it light contact is a big misnomer, it's anything but!!!
True ... and my point exactly WTF fighting has to be on par with chess for complexity in setting up the oponent for the score (win) and watching paint dry for excitment. Only the Koreans make it look good. But I think it is the officials that need to take control of the semi contact. I recently went up to demonstrate the WKAO rules to one of our BTMU members. Both 6th dans are ex BTCB and so spar pure WTF. I spared with one 6'5 16 stone guy in various methods of semi contact (or his perception of it) and came away with some vary bruised ribs and seeing a few extra stars. The fact is that every body's idea of semi contact is different. As the scoring officer for semi contact in the BTMU I told him that it was not allowed to be that full on, and he said well how will you know. Easy I said if the player goes down under heavy blows I warn then disqualify the player that causes harm. If both fighters go at it, both risk the early exit. The main focus is on control, and on the other side of it I overrule many points thats are just glancing taps. You have to show form technique and control to win, the attack has to be deemed powerful to do damage and the point is scored for the players control. thats why we use two scoring ring officials and back up corners with a head of court to officiate immediatly on discrepencies. Full contact IMO should be left to the semi-pros and pros where the risk is better justified. JS
In our school we do the stop point system. I think It has its upside and downside. I think it can make you a more controlled fighter. We do full contact once we reach a certain level, and yes we do use the W.A.K.O style.
Thanx for the comments mani.. I think all Im saying is that to get the new students into the competitive side of MA's then I feel it is better to offer a safer (perspective please) alternative to saying hey who wants to fight for your club oh by the way its full contact but youll be fine. Stoppy
Gotta disagree with you Stoppy, sorry!!! The way things are now newbies go into competitions and get spanked because they assume light contact and their guard is appropriate to their expectations – loose and sloppy. So when someone chins them by accident (nerves and adrenalin!) or on purpose (nastiness) they are totally unprepared for it. I think its better and safer to assume full contact and let them prepare for it, not let them have to learn the hard way as I and probably many others did. You will have less people competing, true but those that do will go into it and know exactly what they are expecting. And most importantly don’t let them compete until they are ready, just like boxing and kickboxing clubs
Ok .. I take your point .. but dont think that I didnt come through the hard way .. Ive been training scince 1984 and believe me when we graded for coloured belts back in the BTA days Master Quigley always insisted on realistic sparring (practically full contact) with little to no protection (to todays standards) shin guard, groin gaurd and Geodeureo Makki. Its just with the new Eurocrats making sports safer, I feel it is up to the officials now to take the lead an put some metal back into the dicipline. Maybe Im to Art orientated??
Don’t get me wrong mate…you’ve been training a lot longer than I have (i took up martial arts in 1995) so I’m not trying to patronise you…please don’t think I am. You seem interested in making semi contact MA into some form of respectable combat sport and not the laughing stock it is now. I respect that but I think it’s too fundamentally flawed…. maybe I’m just too cynical! The scoring systems are too difficult to judge and the rules too difficult to keep to…. Can I ask you a question? (I will anyway but that doesn’t mean you have to answer!!!) What is the ultimate aim of Semi and light contact martial arts – what function is served by it’s existance? (everyone can join in btw)
Hmm .. Interesting .. No offence taken. IMHO, for me its to make sparring easier to swallow for the networks. TV that is SKY and C4 bless em have a go at broadcasting events like full contact kickboxing and the 10K events, but there is way to much contact element to it and thus it gets pushed to outer limits of the broadcasting schedual. Id like to see some form of technical competition (not like fight school) but with the same control. Regional comps run in a high-light slot team events. Something that is not style driven. But something that would get people interested. Look at films like Karate Kid when we was younger, no real violence as such but the turnout to dojangs and training halls post KK was imense. Just want to start the foundations now.
Remember masters of Combat? It bombed!!! I'm glad it bombed!!! It sucked Unfortunately it's hard to get past the perception that semi contact is no more than a glorified game of tag! Personally I think MMA has more chance of widespread acceptance than semi contact. There's of lots of groups doing these types of competitions.....too many in fact!!!! That's another part of the probem! The majority of spectators at semi contact events are also competitors or family of competitors. Barely a handul of people will go just to watch for entertainment - they're there to participate. Therin lies the problem. Sorry to be so down on it but these are the issues that really need addressing if the sport is to be properly recognised
I know .. And dont be sorry on the negative highlights youve pointed out .. thats what forums are for. I never said what i hope for would be easy. But one thing is for sure WTF sport TKD aint got the sex appeal in the UK in its current format. I mean we dont even open up olympic trails for the whole country. Its a well you have to be a member of the btcb or affiliated to them or you dont even get a ticket to participate. Now there is negative light.
Aha you pointed another one I didn't mention.... politics!!!!!! Why not a point stop with the fencing idea? Body armour and there has to be a significantly hard shot to a certain part of the body in order to score? Take the incompetent referees out of it, leave them to just look for infringement of the rules...not scoring
Re: Semi Contact scoring ? Best? Interesting question. I like the sudden death aspect of 'point stop', while continuous encourages more spirit. The realism of either is arguable, but they serve as a good introduction to people wishing to test themselves further. As regards the safety/contact aspects, I've seen worse injuries in Semi Contact than I have in Full Contact. At least in Full Contact you expect to get hit hard and prepare for it, in Semi, this is not always the case ( Pele Reid you mutant )
but are we then not looking at situations like the one in WTF where you cant put on a serious competition unless you have the money and infrastructure to have electronic registration body armour and headgear. It's certainly an option if locator tags are inserted into the various pads to give contact proximity and impact to score. But this would require funding that I feel only TV revenues would be able to provide. The idea is sound though.
Im with stump on this... I too have competed in points/continuous/and full contact.... Light continuous rarely stays light, and is a very subjective sport to referee. Points (i call it points not semi contact) has also been getting a lot harder. The idea now is to pummel your opponent as much as you can before the ref calls stop. ANy one remember when there was no straight punching to the face allowed? Those days are long forgotten. Having said that, I think points is still a great sport in its own right, and continous can be ok if handled properly, but at least when you step in the ring for a full contact fight you know what to expect from the bell...
I think they should hire a profesional thai boxer to batter anyone who repeatedly uses excesive contact during semi contact/light continuous competitions Might make people think twice
