How to Win in Competitive Sparring (Taekwondo)
At the very beginning The moment you hear of a competition you may wish to enter, this is when your training should begin., Build up your Stamina The fight in the ring will last three rounds of 1-2 minutes, depending on what competition you enter...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: At the very beginning The moment you hear of a competition you may wish to enter
You should indicate your interest to your teacher as he is the one who will be your coach during the tournament, and handling most of the administration matters.
In most matches, Yellow, blue and red, and black belts compete in Taekwondo sparring tournaments.
If you aren't at that level yet, don't despair, but train for the future such that once you are able to enter a competition, you will be better prepared than most. -
Step 2: this is when your training should begin.
In between, there will be rest periods of about half a minute.
In order to sustain this kind of pace, you will need to build up your stamina.
Run every other day, at 70% of your heart rate or do interval sprints.
In order to do this, subtract your age from
220.
This value is your maximum.
Multiply this figure by 70%.
The result is the number of beats your heart should make a minute as you run.
In order to count this easily, divide it by 6 so that you only have to count for 10 seconds.
As you run, press your finger against your carotid artery and feel the pulses, counting for 10 seconds.
For example, if you are 16, your maximum heart rate is 220-16=204. 70% of your heart rate is then 204*70%=
142.8.
You can thus calculate that in 10 seconds, your heart should beat
142.8/6=23.8.
Therefore, as you run, feel to see if your heart beats about 24 beats a minute.
If it is, you will be able to build up endurance this way.
Do a whole array of kicks with strength until you are tired, and time yourself.
When you are able to keep this up nonstop for
4.5 minutes, you're doing well. , It also loosens the muscles and prevents strains.
Ideally you should stretch everyday.
Pushing yourself slightly beyond your limit will allow you to stretch further progressively, but beware of over-aggressive stretching which might result in torn muscles or ligaments. , The target areas are the front and sides of the hogu, and the front and sides of the head.
Any other strike would either not be considered, or considered a foul. , Only participants above the age of 12 (18 in some places) are allowed to kick at head level.
Practice your kicks with a bag or hand mitts, in order to develop accuracy and strength.
You should practice the following kicks everyday, at least 10 times each with both legs:
Turning kicks, both with the front and rear legs Back kicks (Back thrust) Back hooks Side kicks Slamming kicks (Axe Kick) Jumping back kicks Jumping back hooks , Despite this, working on your punches is good, because if you can punch strongly, you will be able to weaken your opponent.
Practice with a heavy bag. , Practice all sorts of blocks until you can do them simultaneously with your kicks.
For example, as you do a turning kick, the front of your body may be open, a good place to counter-attack.
Ensure you are constantly blocking your head and your body with both arms, and be prepared to knock away kicks from your opponent. , You should skip away to the side, or backwards, as quickly as possible.
Practice this until your reactions are quick and you can successfully dodge a kick at full speed. , When your opponent brings up their leg for a kick, you should immediately identify what kick it is and counter where they are open.
A good counter should involve blocking or evading their attack and then striking quickly.
For example:
If the opponent does a turning kick, you can either lean back to avoid it or use your arm to block it, then go in with a turning kick of your own.
Or, you could just attack quicker than your opponent, and strike with a suitable back kick or hook.
As long as you hit them first, with power, you should be able to earn the points.
If the opponent does a back kick, evade to the side and attack with a turning kick. , The following tips will ensure a better defence and better attack position:
Stay on the balls of your feet so that you are ready to move when necessary, and move quickly.
Bounce up and down as you do so so that you can hide your next move, and also such that you will be in a better position to perform jumping kicks.
Your front arm should be up and protecting your head from attack.
This arm should be primed to move sideways or downwards quickly to block off and attack.
Your other arm should be close to your front and also ready to move. , You must choose which category you will be in, and stay within that weight.
There will be a weigh in several weeks before the fight. , It would be good to 'carbo-load'.
This involves eating starchy foods which store themselves in your body as glycogen, which can easily be used to produce energy during your match.
Do not starve yourself to maintain your weight category; neither should you dehydrate yourself. -
Step 3: Build up your Stamina The fight in the ring will last three rounds of 1-2 minutes
-
Step 4: depending on what competition you enter.
-
Step 5: Stretch Constant stretching will allow you to kick higher and faster.
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Step 6: Equipment Most sparring matches require the use of the hogu (body protector)
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Step 7: a helmet
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Step 8: arm and shin guards
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Step 9: gloves and groin guards for both genders.
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Step 10: Practice your Kicks During the tournament
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Step 11: most of the kicks you will be doing are turning kicks
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Step 12: due to competition rules which disallow pushing kicks.
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Step 13: Practice your Punches While punching is allowed
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Step 14: it is a commonly known fact that judges rarely count them
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Step 15: and often do not count many kicks as well.
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Step 16: Practice your Blocking Blocking off an opponent's attack will deprive them of points.
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Step 17: Practice your Evading Another way of defending yourself is to evade the kick.
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Step 18: Practice your Counterattacks These kicks are the most likely to score points because many fighters let their blocks fall when they start attacking.
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Step 19: Check your Fighting Stance The stance you adopt on fighting in the ring is very important.
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Step 20: Weight Categories All fighters must be in their own weight categories in order to make the fight fairer.
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Step 21: The Day Before the Match On the day before your match
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Step 22: just practice lightly and do not over strain yourself.
Detailed Guide
You should indicate your interest to your teacher as he is the one who will be your coach during the tournament, and handling most of the administration matters.
In most matches, Yellow, blue and red, and black belts compete in Taekwondo sparring tournaments.
If you aren't at that level yet, don't despair, but train for the future such that once you are able to enter a competition, you will be better prepared than most.
In between, there will be rest periods of about half a minute.
In order to sustain this kind of pace, you will need to build up your stamina.
Run every other day, at 70% of your heart rate or do interval sprints.
In order to do this, subtract your age from
220.
This value is your maximum.
Multiply this figure by 70%.
The result is the number of beats your heart should make a minute as you run.
In order to count this easily, divide it by 6 so that you only have to count for 10 seconds.
As you run, press your finger against your carotid artery and feel the pulses, counting for 10 seconds.
For example, if you are 16, your maximum heart rate is 220-16=204. 70% of your heart rate is then 204*70%=
142.8.
You can thus calculate that in 10 seconds, your heart should beat
142.8/6=23.8.
Therefore, as you run, feel to see if your heart beats about 24 beats a minute.
If it is, you will be able to build up endurance this way.
Do a whole array of kicks with strength until you are tired, and time yourself.
When you are able to keep this up nonstop for
4.5 minutes, you're doing well. , It also loosens the muscles and prevents strains.
Ideally you should stretch everyday.
Pushing yourself slightly beyond your limit will allow you to stretch further progressively, but beware of over-aggressive stretching which might result in torn muscles or ligaments. , The target areas are the front and sides of the hogu, and the front and sides of the head.
Any other strike would either not be considered, or considered a foul. , Only participants above the age of 12 (18 in some places) are allowed to kick at head level.
Practice your kicks with a bag or hand mitts, in order to develop accuracy and strength.
You should practice the following kicks everyday, at least 10 times each with both legs:
Turning kicks, both with the front and rear legs Back kicks (Back thrust) Back hooks Side kicks Slamming kicks (Axe Kick) Jumping back kicks Jumping back hooks , Despite this, working on your punches is good, because if you can punch strongly, you will be able to weaken your opponent.
Practice with a heavy bag. , Practice all sorts of blocks until you can do them simultaneously with your kicks.
For example, as you do a turning kick, the front of your body may be open, a good place to counter-attack.
Ensure you are constantly blocking your head and your body with both arms, and be prepared to knock away kicks from your opponent. , You should skip away to the side, or backwards, as quickly as possible.
Practice this until your reactions are quick and you can successfully dodge a kick at full speed. , When your opponent brings up their leg for a kick, you should immediately identify what kick it is and counter where they are open.
A good counter should involve blocking or evading their attack and then striking quickly.
For example:
If the opponent does a turning kick, you can either lean back to avoid it or use your arm to block it, then go in with a turning kick of your own.
Or, you could just attack quicker than your opponent, and strike with a suitable back kick or hook.
As long as you hit them first, with power, you should be able to earn the points.
If the opponent does a back kick, evade to the side and attack with a turning kick. , The following tips will ensure a better defence and better attack position:
Stay on the balls of your feet so that you are ready to move when necessary, and move quickly.
Bounce up and down as you do so so that you can hide your next move, and also such that you will be in a better position to perform jumping kicks.
Your front arm should be up and protecting your head from attack.
This arm should be primed to move sideways or downwards quickly to block off and attack.
Your other arm should be close to your front and also ready to move. , You must choose which category you will be in, and stay within that weight.
There will be a weigh in several weeks before the fight. , It would be good to 'carbo-load'.
This involves eating starchy foods which store themselves in your body as glycogen, which can easily be used to produce energy during your match.
Do not starve yourself to maintain your weight category; neither should you dehydrate yourself.
About the Author
Paul Scott
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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