TAEKWONDO & THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

1. TAEKWONDO & THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

2. TAEKWONDO DELEGATES • Mr Philippe Bouedo • Chairman, World Taekwondo Federation Games Committee • Mr Anthony Ferguson • President, Caribbean Taekwondo Federation • Dr William Darlington • Secretary-General, Commonwealth Taekwondo Union • Mr Usman Dildar • UK Coordinator, World Taekwondo Federation

3. TAEKWONDO What is it?

4. What is taekwondo? • An international martial art • 191 countries • Including 59 Commonwealth countries • The world’s most popular martial art • More than 70 million practitioners… …and with good reason. • A dynamic sport • Often thought to be a minority sport. • Not now! • Possibly the world’s second most popular participator sport… …after fishing!

5. Recognised federations • World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) • Continental Unions • African Taekwondo Union (AfTU) • Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU) • European Taekwondo Union (ETU) • Oceania Taekwondo Union (OTU) • Pan-American Taekwondo Union (PATU) • Commonwealth Taekwondo Union (CTU)

6. Advantages of taekwondo • A force for peace • Competing in harmony • The Taekwondo Peace Corps • A force for health • Fitness • Self-confidence • Sense of achievement

7. Advantages of taekwondo • A sport for all • Equal opportunities for male and female participants and officials. • All ages, races, creeds, social classes. • For the poor and the rich—all levels of society… • President Obama is a black belt in taekwondo! • All abilities and disabilities • Throughout the world… …throughout the Commonwealth.

8. All abilities and disabilities… • Parataekwondo caters for those who might not have considered martial arts. • 1st World Parataekwondo Championships. • A Commonwealth athlete: Amy Truesdale • 2006: Commonwealth Championships • Gold in creative forms • Bronze in sparring against able-bodied athletes. • 2008: 1st World Parataekwondo Championships • Bronze • 2010: 2nd World Parataekwondo Championships • Silver

9. TAEKWONDO A Dynamic Competition Sport

10. Taekwondo matches • 3 × 2 minute rounds • 8 m × 8 m matted court • Scoring • Kick or punch to body: 1 point • Spinning kick to body: 2 points • Kick to the head: 3 points • Win by • Points • KO or technical KO • Sudden death (golden point) • No ‘saved by the bell’! • Safety comes first.

11. Visible, instantaneous scoring • Electronic scoring • Manual • Judges score the points. • Automatic • Sensors in body and head protectors. • Instant display of scores and penalties • Immediate feedback to coaches, players, audiences and officials. • Video replay • Immediate decisions • Fairness • All these give fair and objective results.

12. Understandable Contests • Rules have evolved. • To encourage fast, entertaining, fair matches. • More points for jumping, spinning and high kicks. • Electronic scoring ensures fairness. • Exciting, enjoyable matches. • Continuous action • Some martial arts stop the match when a point is scored. • This and instant score display maximise audience involvement.

13. Newer, better techniques • Many martial arts pride themselves on tradition. • Taekwondo prides itself on constantly evolving and improving. • It has advanced immensely in the past 30 years. • Renowned for its dynamic and varied kicking techniques. • Axe kick, turning kick, counter-kick… • All techniques developed for competition. • But they have improved the whole martial art… …and made it more exciting and challenging for all practitioners.

14. TAEKWONDO An International Sport

15. Distribution of taekwondo • Social inclusiveness • All levels of society • Not the preserve of the wealthy • Projects throughout the world to bring taekwondo to underprivileged communities • Racial inclusiveness • Throughout the Commonwealth • 59 nations and all races • Particularly appealing to ethnic minorities • Fosters pride, confidence and feeling of self-worth. • Particularly important where there is oppression of ethnic minorities.

16. Taekwondo in multi-sport games • Every major multi-sport Games… • Olympic Games • World Games (until Olympics) • World University Summer games • Regional & Continental Games • All Africa, Asian, Bolivian, Central American, East Asian, Mediterranean (from 2013), Pacific, Pan-American, South-east Asian and South American Games • Sportaccord Combat Games • Asian Martial Arts Games • International Master Games • World Military Games …except the Commonwealth Games and Island Games.

17. TAEKWONDO A Commonwealth Sport

18. Commonwealth Taekwondo Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, England, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Helena & Dependencies,St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Zambia and Zimbabwe

19. TKD as a Commonwealth sport • Provides a chance for all. • At all levels of performance. • Elite performance • The Commonwealth has some of the world’s top athletes. • Which countries participated in all Commonwealth Games? • Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland & Wales • All strong in taekwondo. • Smaller nations • Can progress and develop, even if they don’t compete… …but Commonwealth events can let them shine.

20. Commonwealth TKD: an elite sport • Medals • 2007 World Championships • 1 gold, 1 silver • 2005 World Championships • 1 silver, 4 bronze • 2008 Olympic Games • 1 silver, 2 bronze • Rankings • 31 athletes in world top 20 (2010) • 139 athletes in world rankings (2010)

21. Commonwealth TKD: elite players • Two Commonwealth athletes ranked Nº 1 in the world. • Both beat the ‘unbeatable’. • Sarah Stevenson (UK) v Zhong Chen (China) • In Beijing! • Aaron Cook (UK) v Steven Lopez (USA) • 5 times world champion. • 3 times Olympic gold. • Never knocked out before. • No other country has that.

22. Smaller countries • Commonwealth events give smaller countries a shot at the world stage. • The biggest Commonwealth TKD nation is Canada but smaller ones flourish. • Ascension Island. • 8 miles long, 8°S of equator, 800 people • Up to 80 taekwondo students! • Kiribati • 32 atolls in the Pacific • Population 98 000 • Five busy taekwondo schools

23. Advantages for small countries • Low cost • Little or no equipment needed. • Empty hall or clear, open-air space. • Cheap clothing • Sri Lanka: dyed strips of cloth to make coloured belts. • Facilities • Equipment helps but all you really need are… • A good instructor • Dedicated students and… …that’s it!

24. COMMONWEALTH NATIONSWorld Class taekwondo events sanctioned by WTF • 2006 • Sri Lanka 10th South Asian Games • New Zealand 2nd Oceania Championships • Australia 3rd Commonwealth Championships • 2007 • Samoa 13th South Pacific Games • UK World Olympic Qualification Tournament • 2008 • Canada 4th Commonwealth Championships • 2009 • UK British Open International • Cameroon African Championships • 2010 • Bangladesh 11th South Asian Games • Canada Canadian Open • (UK British Open International) • (India Indian Open) • 2011 • (India 5th Commonwealth Championships)

25. Commonwealth participation • 2000: Olympic Games • 8 nations • 2004: Olympic Games • 9 nations • 2005: World Championships • 17 nations • 2006: Commonwealth Championships • 16 nations • 2007: World Championships • 16 nations • 2008: Olympic Games • 9 nations • 2008: Commonwealth Championships • 19 nations • 2009: World Championships • 31 nations

26. Commonwealth Championships • 2006: Brisbane, Australia • 16 countries • 267 players • 210 in sparring • 57 in forms • 2008: Winnipeg, Canada • 19 countries • 250 players • 188 in sparring • 72 in forms

27. Why taekwondo in the Games? • Origins different from other combat sports • Didn’t evolve from games. • Didn’t stick with traditional styles. • Deliberately designed to be visually exciting. • Fair • Objective, impartial electronic scoring systems • Dynamic but safe • Full contact but serious injuries are rare. • Players wear protective equipment. • All tested to international standards. • ‘Clean’ • No doping problems • “The drugs don’t work.” • Banned drugs used in some other sports provide no advantage in taekwondo.

28. Taekwondo sportsmanship • Above all, taekwondo prides itself on its etiquette and good behaviour: • Bowing to opponents, coaches and referees • Shaking hands after the match • In the event of a tie, the winner is decided by… technical dominance number of techniques executed more difficulty or complex techniques or display of better competition manner!

29. Taekwondo: team spirit • Unifying force between different sports • Sydney Olympics • Players from other disciplines came to watch taekwondo’s debut and cheer on their country’s players. • Commonwealth Championships • Harmony between teams • English, Scottish and Welsh teams travelled and stayed together!

30. TAEKWONDO Τάε Κβον Ντο 跆拳道 태권도 テコンドー التايكوندو тхэквондо The friendly sport for the Friendly Games เทควันโด