Taekwondo is a martial art developed in Korea which debuted at the Olympics at the Seoul 1988 Games.
It's one of 5️⃣ the Olympic sports that have mainly been dominated by Asian nations, but recent Games have witnessed exciting shifts and upsets.
The 5️⃣ universality of the sport is no longer in question with taekwondo athletes, or taekwondoin, from Cote d'Ivoire to Jordan clinching 5️⃣ historic gold medals at Rio 2016, and team Great Britain showing talent is abundant in Europe.
There are several taekwondo styles.
World 5️⃣ Taekwondo oversees the Kukkiwon-defined style of taekwondo that is commonly referred to as Olympic taekwondo.
Olympic taekwondo allows the use of 5️⃣ a very small number of the total number of techniques.
From the basics to the equipment, here's a rundown of taekwondo 5️⃣ rules, scoring and the different belts.
Action at a World Taekwondo championships.
Equipment and facilities Taekwondo is a combat sport between two 5️⃣ fighters in the same weight category.
The centre of the competition area is octagonal-shaped and measures 8m in diameter.
Contestants must wear 5️⃣ a dobok or a white competition uniform.
Additionally, they must have a trunk protector, head protector and, for male athletes, a 5️⃣ groin guard that is worn under the dobok.
The taekwondoin must also be equipped with forearm and shin guards, gloves, sensing 5️⃣ socks, and a mouth guard before entering the competition area.
Head protection is usually firmly tucked under left arms when entering 5️⃣ into the competition area and is worn when instructed by the referee.
Athletes fully kitted during a taekwondo match.
Belts Taekwondo athletes 5️⃣ also tie a coloured belt around their waist.
The colour signifies the competitors' ranks in their sport.
The belts range from white 5️⃣ to black belts.
The belt system is divided into 10 grades, or gup, and nine degrees (dan).
Grades start from white for 5️⃣ beginners, through to yellow, green, blue, red and the highest is black.
The black-belt holders, who are the most experienced, are 5️⃣ further graded as 'dan' from the first degree up until the ultimate ninth level.
Taekwondo practioners wearing different-coloured belts
The basic rules 5️⃣ - foot and fist The rules of taekwondo as outlined by World Taekwondo require a standing bow to the referee, 5️⃣ followed by a bow to the opponent, before matches.
All matches last over three rounds of two minutes each, with a 5️⃣ one-minute break between rounds.
Taekwondo athletes bow to each before a match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Taekwondo aptly means 'the 5️⃣ way of the foot and fist', to correspond with the blows and kicks that score points.
The objective of each competitor 5️⃣ is to score points by landing blows and kicks on their opponent's torso or head or to win by knockout.
Blows 5️⃣ must be delivered through a straight punching technique using the knuckle part of a tightly clenched fist.
The kicks that count 5️⃣ are those delivered using any part of the foot below the ankle bone.
Scoring Scoring of a valid point or points 5️⃣ is determined primarily using the electronic scoring system installed in the head or trunk protectors, known as the Protector and 5️⃣ Scoring Systems (PSS).
Points awarded for punching techniques and additional points awarded for turning kicks are scored by judges using manual 5️⃣ scoring devices.
The valid points are: One point for a valid punch to the trunk protector
Two Points for a valid kick 5️⃣ to the trunk protector
Four points for a valid turning kick to the trunk protector
Three points for a valid kick to 5️⃣ the head
Five points for a valid turning kick to the head
One point awarded for every penalty (known as gam-jeom) given 5️⃣ against the opponentTaekwondo explained
Penalties and prohibited acts The only penalty in taekwondo is a gam-jeom.
A gam-jeom is declared when an 5️⃣ athlete punches to the face, or punches or kicks below the waist.
Also not allowed is attacking an opponent with the 5️⃣ knee or the head.
Athletes are penalised if they use their leg to block or kick their opponent's leg to prevent 5️⃣ a kicking attack, have their leg in the air for more than three seconds to impede an opponent's potential attacking 5️⃣ movements, or if a kick is adjudged to have been aiming for below the waist.
Taekwondoin lose points for crossing the 5️⃣ boundary line with both feet, falling to the ground, avoiding or delaying the match, and for pushing or grabbing their 5️⃣ opponents.
Falling to the ground is penalised in taekwondo.
Contestants also have to watch out how they deliver their kicks to the 5️⃣ trunk PSS, as one can lose a point for attacking with the side or bottom of the foot while the 5️⃣ knee is pointed out in clinch position.
Attacking a fallen opponent is also prohibited.
Any misconduct or unsportsmanlike behaviour of the contestant 5️⃣ or their coach can cost a point.
Key decisions Golden Point Round [GDP]: For drawn matches, the contestants go for a 5️⃣ golden point round.
This is sudden death as the first to score wins.
An athlete can be awarded the match if their 5️⃣ opponent picks up two penalties in the golden round.
If a match goes to golden point, all scores awarded during the 5️⃣ first three rounds are not considered.
Win by superiority [SUP]: If neither of the contestants has scored two points after the 5️⃣ golden round, the winner shall be decided by superiority based on the contestant who received a point by a punch 5️⃣ in the golden round, or the contestant who got a higher number of hits registered by the PSS during the 5️⃣ golden round or the one who won more rounds in first three rounds.
If the athletes were tied on points the 5️⃣ one who received fewer penalties during all four rounds wins the match, and if they were tied on penalties the 5️⃣ referee and judges shall determine superiority based on the content of the golden round.
Point Gap [PTG]: A win by point 5️⃣ gap is when there is a 20-points difference between two athletes at the end of the second round and/or at 5️⃣ any time during the final round.
Referee Stops Contest [RSC]: The referee can stop the match if the contestant has been 5️⃣ knocked down by an opponent's legitimate technique and cannot continue the match, or to protect a contestant's safety.
The medical commission 5️⃣ can also call off a match due to a contestant's injury.
A Referee can stop a contest off if an athlete 5️⃣ is injured.
