WTF president considering making TKD more like UFC

I saw on Facebook this morning that the WTF president was looking at changing the rules and outlay of competition sparring to make it more exciting for spectators while also increasing the use of hands, I'll cut and pasted what's been written, it's a bit of a read but I was just wondering what people's thoughts are and if it would work? I'm still undecided.



WTF President
Choue Chung-won
It’s probably not a good sign for taekwondo’s health as a combat sport when detractors continue to compare it with ballet. World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) President Choue Chung-won vows to do something about it. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Choue shared some dramatic ideas aimed at rewiring the DNA of the sport, including rewriting the rules to give more points to punches and discarding the mat in favor of an octagon-shaped ring enclosed in a wire mesh cage. If he has it his way, the new version of taekwondo will look a lot like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the planet’s most popular mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, but without the grappling part.

Choue is even mulling retiring taekwondo’s traditional ''dobok’’ clothing and introduce innovative uniforms like the ones used in basketball or football, which promote a larger range of motions and reduce heat and moisture. ''Taekwondo has been all about tradition and pride, its heritage as a martial art deeply rooted in Korean culture and history. But for it to have staying power in the Olympics and reinvent itself as a spectator sport, it needs to make larger strides in its evolvement as a combat sport,’’ Choue said.

''The ‘kwon’ in taekwondo means the fist, but the fist has disappeared in the current form of competition because we reward more points to kicks. We need to narrow this gap to encourage hand-to-hand combat. I love how other sports are experimenting with octagon-shaped rings or round-shaped rings because they seem to give judges better views and allow them to make more accurate decisions on the hits that landed and didn’t.’’ At this point, Choue’s suggestions are just that ― suggestions. The ideas will have to be run through the decision-making process at the WTF. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) wants its combat sports competitions to be more exciting but also safer to athletes.

There will also certainly be resistance from the purists of Korea’s previously-homogenous taekwondo circle, who have been in a difficult relationship with Choue, criticizing him for removing taekwondo too far from its traditional form. Choue has conviction about what he’s trying to do. He takes the IOC executive board's decision earlier this year to keep taekwondo as an Olympic sport ― a vote of confidence it didn’t give wrestling ― as an important victory in his ongoing efforts for change.

The IOC executive board decided on Feb. 12 to include taekwondo in the list of 25 ''core’’ Olympic sports for the 2020 Summer Games. The final decision will be made at the IOC general assembly in September at Buenos Aires. The process has fueled Choue’s urgency to hasten the development of taekwondo as a 21st century spectator sport. ''My goal from the beginning was to fully integrate taekwondo as a global sport. The purists had criticized that the Korean dominance in taekwondo was slipping under my reign at the WTF, counting increasing number of the gold medals that went to other countries in recent Olympics. But I take that as the ultimate compliment,’’ he said.

At the London Olympics, taekwondo athletes competed on a mat inside an eight-by-eight-meter zone, over three rounds of two minutes. The aim of the sport is to land accurate kicks and punches on the scoring area of their opponent. A kick or punch to the torso is rewarded with one point. An additional point is awarded if the attacker has his back to his opponent at the point of contact, making the spinning kick the most important skill in the sport. Choue considers the two-point spinning kick as a mistake that practically eliminated punches from the sport, which killed ebb and flow and frequently making matches look like badly choreographed puppet shows.

''Hand skills will continue to be irrelevant when spinning kicks continue to be everything, so we need a new point system to narrow the differences. Punches to the head have been illegal, despite that kicks landed there are awarded three points, and this difference has to be ironed out as well,’’ Choue said. ''We used sensors in the head and torso gears of athletes, and to be valid, all shots must be of sufficient force. To fully integrate punches again, however, we will also need to reward weaker hits.’’

Judging controversies had marred taekwondo in the Olympics since it became a medal competition in the 2000 Sydney Summer Games. However, the employment of an electronic scoring system — enabled by sensors embedded in the body pads, socks and helmets of the fighters — and instant video replay eliminated most of the problems in the London Games. Taekwondo’s lowest moment came in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Cuba’s Angel Matos and his coach kicked Swedish referee Chakir Chelbat in the face over a disputed call in the men’s 80-kilogram bronze medal match.

While the violent meltdown by a high-profile athlete may have dealt irrevocable damage to the public image of taekwondo at the time, the WTF managed to recover by being proactive in the acceptance of technology. Taekwondo athletes now wear socks and clothing fitted with electronic sensors to accurately detect impact and instant video replay was introduced. The results have been positive. Bad decisions and scoring inconsistencies that were previously predictable were non-existent in last year’s London Olympics.

Excitement seems to be the next quest for taekwondo and Choue seemed serious about hanging his legacy on it.

 

Hahaha...ludicrous. I'm going to start a boxing league where you have to do it standing on your head. That'd be a real test of skill.
The purpose of a spinning kick is to increase power. It's not to test what silly positions you can put yourself in and still land a technique.

 

I read the same article on Facebook - here is a news article on it as well http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2013/06/136_137979.html

On the topic, I am not impressed - putting TKD in a cage and allowing punches to the head will not make it more like the UFC. I think they are thinking about adding a cage and saying the word "UFC" because they want a bigger audience and more money.

As a TKD student, I don't really want my TKD to be like the UFC... if I want to watch the UFC, I will watch that, not something "like it". I think the MMA/UFC approach is excellent, although its format does shape how competitors train to compete. If I want to watch TKD, I want to see the style highlighted for its strengths, not a bunch of TKDists 'trying' to be MMAists.

If I were in charge of changing up TKD sparring (and especially if I had to put it in a cage), I would do the following:
1. Matches will be won by KO, ref stoppage, or awarding of rounds
2. Allow punches, elbows, knees and kicks to all targets (except for groin and spine) - all empty hand/foot techniques would be allowed with a few restrictions if need be.
3. Allow sweeps and throws and joint locks
4. Once a player hits the mat (from a throw, knock down, sweeps, etc), the other guy goes to a neutral corner and you get a 10 count to continue. No ground grappling here.
5. Get rid of all the electronic pads and targets - if you can hit hard enough for a knock down or knock out, it only counts when judges have to award rounds
6. Go to a boxing type of round winning (10-9, 10-8 for a knock down)
7. Stay with a uniform (V neck or cross over do-beok) and belt.

 

As a new practitioner this concerns me, though i am ITF. If i wanted to do Boxing or MMA thats the art i would have chosen.

Baza

 

I'd stay with a uniform. It says "martial arts" in a way that satin shorts or a pair budgie smugglers will never do.
It allows more variety in terms of grabs and throws too.

I think in the past martial arts have attempted to narrow what they do and try to be unique.
What people seem to want these days is a return to well rounded fighting skills and a sporting format that better reflects the "all in" nature of many arts (TKD included).

 

I like this Choue guy, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

I personally like the changes, IMO they're very responsible. Clearly the current format of TKD sparring is nothing more than a joke, and some serious changes need to be made to make TKD more martial, especially since one of it's biggest selling points is it's claims of teaching SD.

I do have some reservations though. I don't see the need for the uniform change, nothing is wrong with the dobok, I actually quite like it. And the octagon, if it really makes it easier for judges to score a fight than I'm on board, however if it's just there to appeal to the MMA crowd than I'm against it.

There are some significant hurdles that these suggestions have to go through in order to become a reality. At least as I see it.
- Like Thomas and Rhythmkiller have said, there are people that like TKD in it's current format, and have started training because of it. So changing the WTF would mean alienating these people, especially since these changes are so huge.
- These changes would more than likely make matches more "unsafe", which I see the Olympic board having troubles with; not that I have any issues with that I'm in the camp that TKD's being in the Olympics is its greatest weakness.
- Also I kind of think that this would make TKD lose its identity, which IMO means that it's popularity will decrease. Something that I see other WTF board members holding issue with.

Plus anyone else sort of see the loose connection to the ITF with regards to the changes in sparring rules?

 

Given the current standard of MMA judging this would seem to be unlikely.
Doesn't seem a UFC card can go by without some judging mess up or other.

 

HAHA than I'm against it, it's probably there to loosely tie TKD with MMA.

Although rings can give certain advantages and disadvantage, there really is nothing wrong with the current WTF ring specifications, so there really isn't any point in changing it.

 

I think if changes need to be made then by all means go ahead. Make the sport full contact but talk of octagons and new uniforms dilutes the art. TKD should remain in it's truest form.

There is nothing wrong with the mat and i fail to see how scoring could be improved with an octagon incased in wire mesh? surely the current viewing is more clear to judges?

Another of my two cents

Baza

 

octagon "rings" at 2012 korean open. No issue with this, a lot of the people I talked to who went to this comp liked it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfDOCE3IpMk"]2012 KOREA OPEN FINAL TAEKWONDO (-68kg Male) - YouTube[/ame]

I do have both my doubts that there will be a drastic change to the rule sets that incorporate the sort of stuff people are talking about, and my reservations it would be better for the sport, I would reconsider my participation in international comps.
I do TKD because I enjoy the ruleset and thats something important to consider (why the athletes, coaches, officials actually participate).

 

Technically (and not trying to be mean), Taekwondo IS full contact... it just has very limited targets

I agree with this part.

In Taekwondo, I learn all sorts of hand strikes (open and closed), all sorts of kicks, sweeps, throws, and so on. If the sparring is going to reflect the 'traditional' art, let me use those things (as well as low, middle, and high attacks)

For 'safety', let's keep a helmet, mouthpiece, cup, and shin guards and add MMA-style gloves (for punching and grabbing) and drop the hogu. Keep the traditional uniform (v-neck or wraparound)

With a good ref there, you should be able to do full contact (not unlike kickboxing) with sweeps and throws while maintaining safety for the competitors. I think the clinch needs to be allowed, perhaps with a time limit before splitting them up (if they can't score with a strike, sweep or throw)

I see nothing wrong with a mat either. A cage could help keep them in the ring and cut down on "stoppages" to get them back to the center. If they want to lean on the cage and clinch - go for it.

 

Yeah i i'm pretty sure the VP was talking about a UFC style octagon, have to read it again but im sure he states a "cage".

Baza

 

As always Thomas your knowledge is well recieved.

Baza

 

The sparring format is already a departure from the origins - there really is no "truest form" or "pure TKD" anyway

Just allowing - or more accurately encouraging scores for - punches will instantly make a difference without any of the other changes and might reduce the awful "can-can" aspects of a lot of the matches

The dobok changes? I can see arguments from both sides. The early "Clash of the Titans" events in the UK had team uniforms which seemed to make the whole think look more polished on some levels, and certainly allows for differentiation between the competitors

 

The modified knockdown rules we use for general Shidokan sparring are no face contact with the hands, heavy contact everywhere else (inc. kicks and knees to the head), 3 seconds of clinch time to get off some knees or a throw and then if it goes to the floor 5-10 seconds of grappling time to secure a sub. If a sub starts to develop in 5 seconds you get a bit of leeway to finish the sub but ground fighting isn't extended.
I like those sorts of rules as it makes for well rounded fighters with an emphasis on striking and quick submissions.

 

I would love to train in Thomas' TKD xD It sounds awesome, is there anyway we can get you to the WTF?

What Hannibal said is very important to remember. The WTF has always been changing, so there is no "original WTF TKD". That being said TKD's reputation for the past few decades is reflected in the more recent rule sets and changing them will be both good and bad for the name of TKD.
I personally would like to see the changes, i think the last olympics were an eyesore, but as a lot of people here alluded too, it would depress a lot of WTF fans.