How do you win a Taekwondo tournament?

Although many people will practice Taekwondo for self-defense purposes, many will also train for competitions. In this sense, there is such a thing as ‘sport Taekwondo’, although it is also a martial art. Sport Taekwondo has certain rules and point-scoring systems that will need to be followed in order to win a match. Often these rules are the same that are used when Taekwondo is fought in the Olympics. With this said, if you are fortunate enough to win several of your Taekwondo matches, then you will win the tournament as a result. Here are a few things to be wary of when competing and how to win a TKD tournament.

Please note, this article is divided into two areas. The first section is based on the literal ways to win a competition. Here, you will find out how points are scored, what constitutes fouls, and other technical details. The second section is based on the mental and strategic ways to win a Taekwondo competition. Arguably, both of these two areas are equally as important as each other, although very different. From point scoring to mental and physical preparation, this article should have you covered.

What are the rules of a typical Taekwondo competition?

Victory through knockout

Generally, there are three ways to win a TKD match. The first is by knocking out the opponent. Even though protective headgear is worn, knockouts still occur. Obviously, it’s not nice to see someone get knocked unconscious. However, this is a martial art after all so you can expect to see knockouts that instantly end matches.

By rendering the opponent unconscious, you will be victorious as they’re unable to continue. One way to get more knockouts is to practice potentially match-ending strikes such as the Roundhouse Kick. Remember to be respectful if you do happen to knock out your opponent, as being rude is not a good trait. As well as this, disrespectfulness is not part of the 5 Taekwondo tenets.

Victory through points

Points are often used as a way to score in competitive martial arts. Often, if victory cannot be obtained through a knock out, then points will come into play. More often than not in TKD, points will be the main way that matches are won or lost. Of course, knockouts do occur too, but the most common way to win in terms of statistics is by points. So, how are points scored? After 3 rounds, the fighter with the most points wins.

The point system is as follows: 1 point is rewarded for a strike on the body, 2 points are rewarded for a strike on the head/face and 1 point is rewarded for knocking the opponent down. Usually a knock down is the result of the opponent falling due to a powerful kick, or getting swept to the floor.

Remember, these points are only viable if the strike is deemed relevant by at least two out of the three judges. Therefore, if your kick barely touches the opponent, then it probably will not count. The idea of this is to avoid tactical, soft strikes to rack up cheap points.

If the score is even after the first 3 rounds, then a gold point round will occur. This is like a ‘sudden death’ situation where the first fighter to score a single point or more wins. Of course, if you happen to knock out the opponent, then that would also be deemed as a victory. As a general rule, it’s best to learn head kicks as a result of this system. This is because unlike strikes to other parts of the body, they score the most. Not only this, but you’re more likely to get a knockout too.

Victory through disqualification or points being deducted

Disqualification is rare in TKD but does happen. One way of doing this is by racking up over 10 fouls, or by doing something crazy like intentionally punching the opponent in the face. Nonetheless, disqualifications do happen so it’s definitely something to be aware of. More commonly, fighters will have points deducted for certain fouls. Here are the fouls that can get points deducted.

The first foul is pretending the be injured. This is up to the discretion of the judges and referee who would have to decide whether you’re pretending or not. Secondly, you cannot turn your back on the opponent. Whilst this may not harm them, it is deemed disrespectful which TKD is massively against. Third, you can’t push or grapple the opponent.

Remember, TKD is not Karate or Judo, so you’re not allowed to grip their outfit. Punches to the face are also deemed as a foul. Of course, you can punch the body, as long as it is above the waist. Similarly, knee strikes are illegal and lastly, you cannot step outside of the mat. Similar to how points are scored in Taekwondo, a few of these fouls will be more obvious than others and it depends on the interpretation of the particular judges.

How long is a Taekwondo match?

Generally speaking, a Taekwondo match will last for three rounds with a minutes rest in between each round (so a total of two rest breaks). Each round should be two minutes in length. This means if you were to fight a match and eventually win by points, you would fight for a total of 6 minutes, with a total of 2 minutes of rest in between. Theoretically, your match could be significantly longer if you went into a golden round and both of you were defensive. This situation would be very rare however, so most of the time matches are a few minutes in length.

What will I need for a Taekwondo tournament?

This may sound obvious, but you will need to wear a dobok. This is the uniform of TKD and you can’t just turn up in casual clothing. Secondly, it’s a good idea to wear protective head gear too. Whilst some competitions won’t force this upon you, many will. In the aid of safety, wearing headgear is commonplace with TKD competitions. With this in mind, the Gingpai headgear is a great price and quality product to protect your head. Even if you’re not bothered about blows to the head, remember you will probably need one of these to compete.

More information on winning a Taekwondo competition

So, by now you should be updated with the rules and regulations. Here’s a bit of bonus information that should tie up some lingering questions. Like most combat sports, categories are defined by age, gender, and weight. With this in mind, you won’t catch women fighting men, or kids vs adults. Similarly, you won’t see lightweights fight against heavyweights.

With regards to how many fights you will have; this is up to how many people turn up on the day. Obviously, more prestigious tournaments will typically bring a bigger pool of fighters. This means, potentially you could face only one opponent on the day. In more busy circumstances, you could end up fighting 6 or more opponents. As a result, this could change your strategy and mindset knowing that you may end up going quite deep.

How to prepare for a Taekwondo tournament

Physical preparation

For obvious reasons, physical preparation for any martial arts tournament is important. Whilst you may be decorated for your technical skills in the gym, it’s a different ball game in a competition where physicality can sometimes win a match alone. With that said, there are certain ways to improve your physicality. By doing this, you’re more likely to get good results on the day.

The first method for this is to start a strength and conditioning regime. This actually has little to do with TKD and is more based on your general conditioning. By lifting weights, you will get stronger. This will lead to more powerful strikes that will make things easier. Similarly, by working your cardio you will be able to perform more efficiently for longer by avoiding gassing out. Lastly, if you improve your athleticism, this will make for easier kicks, blocks, and more flexibility.

Whilst traditional martial arts often glamourize technique, the abovementioned are all skills in their own right and take discipline. Never be afraid to try something different to improve your chance of winning. Of course, these methods stray away from learning TKD, but will still enhance your performance on the day.

Returning to your TKD gym, an obvious method to improve your physical prep is by sparring and doing it correctly. The idea of competition sparring should differ from typical sparring. Instead of looking for technical improvements, your sparring should be more based upon endurance and pushing through the rounds. Basically, the idea is to improve similar aspects listed above, such as cardio and conditioning.

This is done in the setting of TKD sparring instead of a separate gym, so the benefits are more geared towards a real-life situation. A good idea is to ask your opponent to go hard when sparring. The reason for this is to replicate a competition where people will typically fight harder and hold fewer punches. Because of this, you should gain more experience and be better prepared. One issue with competing is the adrenaline dump. However, if your training camp is tough enough, you should properly be able to work around this and prepare for such an event.

A final note on physical preparation is drilling certain moves. If your blocking is good but needs more work, then drill it. By the same token, if your best kick is sharp, then it can still be improved by drilling. Too often people avoid drilling as it’s not as fun as sparring. This may well be the case, but drilling will also improve your muscle memory. Further, you can’t really get injured when drilling and it can also be done whilst alone. For anyone looking to get extra reps in, drilling is your friend and can make a big difference in your game.

Mental preparation

Whilst many will focus on the physical aspects of training, you should also remember that Taekwondo is a martial art, after all. Because of this, you will need to focus your mind as well. As previously mentioned, problems such as adrenaline dumps and endurance are part of competing. Although part physical, these are also part mental. As a result, you can train your mind for this, much like you would train your body. The best way to do this is by preparing mentally before the big day.

One way of improving your mind is by self-visualization. The point of this is to reinforce positive thoughts and visualize winning. By doing this, you should become more confident and focus on your abilities instead of focusing what could go wrong. By doing this, you’re more likely to gain confidence and avoid fighting too defensive. Similarly, it’s a good habit to get into for other areas of life. The result is that you should go in with a clear mind and try to remove nerves or self-doubt. Of course, nerves and a little fear are part of fighting so it’s only natural. However, this method is ideal for removing dread which can become self-destructive.

A similar mental exercise you can do is breathwork. The point of this is to be able to calm your inner body which should, in turn, help out your outer body. By doing this, you should become more comfortable when exerting physical pressure upon yourself. By making your breathing more efficient, you should be able to go deeper into a tournament without getting tired. Over the years, many fighters have spoken highly about the benefits of controlling your breathing which also affects how you think. When fighting, decision-making is key, so it’s important to avoid any excess adrenaline leading to brain fog.

Preparation 24 hours before your competition

So, you’ve prepared for the previous few weeks or months. However, the 24 hours before your competition are arguably the most important. This is where fights can be won and lost, dependent on how you prepare. The first step is to get adequate sleep. Sometimes this may be difficult with nerves. However, if done correctly, then you should feel rested and ready to go the next day. Sleep recovers muscles, resets your mind and helps your immune system. Although the benefits are clear, too many people don’t take sleep seriously in preparation for a competition.

Another big deal is your diet. Obviously, you want to make sure you’re weight is correct so you don’t get disqualified. At the same time, you don’t want to deprive yourself of food or energy. So, remember to keep hydrated and fuelled, and ready to go. Sometimes people eat too little or too much before their first match and they suffer the consequences.

Lastly, you want to make sure you warm up correctly. Some may want to preserve energy before their first fight which can actually be a bad thing. Basically, you want to avoid bad adrenaline and loosen up your muscles so you’re not too tired and don’t stiffen up. To do this, make sure you can feel the effect of your warm up. At the same time, you don’t want to completely exhaust yourself either. The role of a warm up should be to literally warm up your body, so make sure you do that.

Fighting strategy

Another key area of fighting is strategy. As mentioned, you may be able to win a fight on pure physicality or confidence. The same goes for strategy. It may happen that your opponent is actually a better, rounded fighter compared to yourself. However, if you pick the best strategy then you are improving your chances of winning in the process.

A good example of a fighting strategy is by listening to your coach whilst in the moment. This is, provided you actually have a coach. Simply put, a coach will see things in the moment that you cannot. Obviously, your decisions in the heat of the match are down to you. However, you may suffer from tunnel vision too. This is where a coach comes in handy. If they notice you’ve been getting caught with the same body shot several times, they can notify you by shouting. Similarly, if they see an obvious weakness if your opponent’s game, then they can tell you.

These adjustments may not be possible without a coach’s guidance. In other words, they can act as an extra pair of eyes to give you a competitive edge. A good time to listen to your coach is during the rest rounds, which is when information can be passed on without your opponent hearing. Too often, people go ronin and make bad decisions during the fight. Combined with a low fight IQ, this can easily lead to your downfall. So, listening to your coach and trusting them can be very beneficial when fighting.

Elsewhere, you may want to play to the strengths of the rules. This means opting for head kicks that score more than other points. However, if the opponent is significantly taller than you with a longer reach, then this may be a bad strategy. As a result, you may opt for closing the distance and focusing on strikes to their midsection. Basically, the idea is to always focus on the moment and picking the best ways to win. Unlike professional fighting, the sad reality is that you won’t have any tape on your opponent. This means these decisions will have to be made in the moment which is a skill in itself.

Ideally, if you find something during the fight that works, keep at it. At the same time, you don’t want to be too obvious either, so don’t be afraid to mix it up either. One example of this could be having success with hook kicks. Whilst this strategy may rack up points and put you in a dominant position, remember to be wary of counters. The more the match goes on, the more likely your opponent will get desperate and may try to land a knockout. Due to this, be mindful and making defensive adjustments may something to consider. Similarly, if you are winning, there’s no reason to risk it all for a highlight finish in the dying seconds.

Closing thoughts

People compete at Taekwondo for various reasons. For hobbyists, the objective is often to gain experience and exposure to a hyper-competitive situation. To those who take TKD more seriously, the objective is purely to win. Whatever your reasons, you will want to do as well as you possibly can. By following the above guide, you should hopefully give yourself the best chance possible to gain victory. Remember, it may be annoying to lose but there will always be a next time. By the same token, just because you win – it doesn’t make you invincible either. As touched upon earlier, staying true to the 5 tenets is important in TKD, and staying grounded will always be a part of that.