The rules for using fists prohibit hitting the opponent in the face with the fist during a taekwondo match. It is possible to score points with the fist only on the chest protector.
Punches to the body are allowed, but not to the head. A match consists of three two-minute rounds and will go into a "golden point" round if the score is tied at the end of three rounds. At that point, the first fighter to score — with any technique — wins.
Hand attacks. Taekwondo hand strikes are performed as a close distance alternative to kicks. They are executed in a number of ways from standing, jumping, spinning and rushing forwards. Hand strikes make up fast combinations of strikes which can leave an opponent stunned and unable to defend himself.
Penalties and prohibited acts
The only penalty in taekwondo is a gam-jeom. A gam-jeom is declared when an athlete punches to the face, or punches or kicks below the waist. Also not allowed is attacking an opponent with the knee or the head.
Kicks are allowed to both to the torso and head, whilst punches are only allowed to the body. Below the waist is not a permitted target. If a fighter and their coach think that a point has been missed or that a mistake has been made, they can make a protest.
Taekwondo includes many techniques – such as blocking, dodging and footwork – for defending or evading the attacks permitted within the sport's rules. These techniques can be effective in defending yourself if you're caught in the chaos of a street fight, but they were not designed that way.
In general, Taekwondo training will consist of practicing offensive and defensive forms in order to harden the body. This can involve forms of kicking, punching, jumping, blocking, dodging, and sparring practices.
In taekwondo competitions -such like in the Olympics – punches are allowed to be thrown but not to the face. Again, fighters don't use punches much because landing one to the body only give you one point, where kicks can give you several.
Taekwondo is not all about the physical, and as with the case with most martial arts, Taekwondo has much to do with mental discipline as it does with physical discipline. Taekwondo is not an easy thing to learn, and every single set of moves, every strike, and every stance takes a lot of discipline to master.
Though weapons training is not a formal part of most Taekwondo federation curricula, individual schools will often incorporate additional training with weapons such as staffs, knives, and sticks.
The Korean word for punch is jireugi. Punches are designated as being low, middle, or high depending on where they are aimed. Low Section Punch (also called Low Punch or arae jireugi) - this is aimed at the opponent's navel.
A taekwondo contest comprises three rounds of two minutes each – with a one-minute break between each round. The whole taekwondo contest area is a 10m square mat. Victory in a taekwondo bout can be achieved by knockout, by scoring the most points, or by default if the opponent is disqualified.
In Taekwondo, we call the martial arts shout a kihap 기합 (sometimes spelled kihup, kiai, or kyup). Shouting forces us to exhale. This strong exhale remove air from our diaphragms and brings more power and speed to attacks. Yelling also forces a subsequent inhale, which brings oxygen into our bodies.
So, the question is, can you learn martial arts without sparring? You cannot learn martial arts without sparring. You can learn to kick, block, punch, parry and make different moves without sparring but to know how it works in a real environment you have to do sparring.
In general, though, Taekwondo is one of the safest arts to train, and there is quite a simple reason for it: in many places, kicks to the head are banned, and even where they aren't, they aren't frequent.
Tae Kwon Do (3-5 Years)
Black belts in Tae Kwon Do are achieved in degrees, with the practitioner able to earn the first-degree black belt within three to five years. Some schools stipulate a minimum of four to five years of training before a student can earn a black belt, while others do not.
Taekwondo is a full-contact fighting system designed for self-defense. Its techniques are very practical and may help you stay safe and get out of trouble on the streets. But the biggest downside is the fact that most modern schools put too much emphasis on competition and kicks.
As a whole, karate and taekwondo are both tough to learn and master and require a lot of discipline and determination; one is not necessarily more complicated than the other. Whereas taekwondo focuses on kicks with punches as a supplement, karate focuses more on punches with kicks as a supplement.