Category: News Page 2 of 10

Merry Christmas 2022

Merry Christmas 2022

Merry Christmas

On behalf of all of us from the ITF Centre of Excellence and United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia, I wish all our members, their families and supporters a Merry Christmas.

We wish you all a warm and happy festive season, to be shared and enjoyed with your loved ones.

Eat, drink and be merry, for there is always training to come back to and burn it off.

Be sure to spread the cheer among your Taekwon-Do colleagues and friends, who may be spending the time alone, or grieving recent losses, so that they know they are being thought of too.

For those travelling near and far during this time, we hope you stay safe and have a great break.

The holiday season is a time, not just to catch up with family and friends, but also gives instructors and schools a chance to take a well earned break.

Be sure to take the opportunity to relax, enjoy the weather and come back with your energies and motivations recharged.

Look back with pride at all the great things you achieved in 2022, and think about some goals you wish to set for yourself in 2023.

We have lots of activities and events planned already for 2023, so we are excited about the year to come.

Once again, wishing a very Merry Christmas to you all.

Yours in Taekwon-Do

Michael Muleta

President, United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia Inc.

merry christmas michael muleta

 

Gold medal

Eureka Australia Strikes Gold

Eureka Australia Strikes Gold

Aussie team Eureka

Eureka, its Gold and Bronze for the Green and Gold. Congratulations to all who were part of the small but successful Australian team who competed in the recent ITF World Championships in the Netherlands.

After a year delay due to the infamous lockdowns, the ITF finally got a chance to stage the ITF World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Without domestic tournaments for more than 2 years, preparation for this year’s National Team was not as organized as normal.

Due to restrictions, financial hardship and travel reluctance, the team was a lot smaller than past Aussie Teams, and also one of the least experienced, with 5 of the 7 participants attending their first ITF World Championships.

Gold medal

But, oh boy, what an outcome we got, with Charlise Grossel of Canberra, stunning us all on Day 1, winning the Female Power Breaking late in the afternoon. It was a truly amazing result for the World Champs debutant.

We had high hopes that we may be able to snag a medal or two in the Men’s sparring, with the very experienced Zdybel’s getting on the mat. It wasn’t to be, and although both acquitted themselves well, unfortunately they did not make it through to the medal rounds.

So Day 2 ended, with everyone still on a high from that awesome Gold medal on the opening day. The general feeling in the camp was that we probably wouldn’t get any more medals.

Day 3 proved us wrong, the Men’s Power Breaking Team stepped up and became Bronzed Aussies with literally a smashing performance, coming in Third Place. To be honest, as great a result as it was, they were really only a whisker away from cleaning up the Gold again.

Bronzed Aussies

So all in all, a fantastic result at a very enjoyable and well organized and run event.

Congratulations to the squad who represented Australia. Phil Zdybel combined his competing in Sparring, Patterns, Power and Teams, with coaching other team members. Joshua Zdybel also competed in the same events. Jordan Steele and Kirby Ellis took part in both Power events, while Grace Ellis competed in Patterns. Then of course there was Australia’s new Golden Girl, Charlise Grossel competing in Patterns and winning gold in the Power ……. Eureka !!!

Katrina Cubit worked very hard Umpiring for 3 days, whilst INO President Master Michael Muleta was part of the 4-person Tournament Committee coordinating the overall event.

So Australia, and more specifically United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia (INO#23) as the National Organization, was well represented and people knew Australia was there….. oi oi oi.

 

SEE FULL RESULTS HERE

 

AUSTRALIAN RESULTS

Charlise Grossel – Gold, Junior Female Power

Phil Zdybel, Josh Zdybel, Jordan Steele, Kirby Ellis – Bronze, Adult Male Power

taekwondo resources

New Black Belts

New Black Belts – Congratulations

new black belts

Congratulations to all the new black belts who were tested and successfully promoted over the past 2 weeks in both Newcastle and Rockhampton.

Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree, travelled to Newcastle, NSW early June to conduct some Black Belt Examinations and an ITF Masterclass at the Titan Martial Arts school. Some black belts had also been promoted the week before, by Sabum Michael Omay.

Those promoted included:

  • Michael Omay 6th Degree
  • Scott Gannon, 5th Degree
  • Sam Wilson, 5th Degree
  • Alex Sorensen, 4th Degree
  • Simon Aliendi, 3rd Degree
  • James Magill, 3rd Degree
  • Chris Streets, 3rd Degree
  • Archer Woller, 2nd degree
  • Tim Kerkhoff, 2nd Degree
  • Maclean Davis, 1st Degree
  • Travis Charlton, 1st Degree
  • Sapphire Tabas, 1st Degree
  • Tiarne Sattler, 1st Degree
  • Kalleah Sattler, 1st Degree
  • Amy Burke, 1st Degree
  • Jerrome Teasdale, 1st Degree

The following week, Master Muleta travelled to Rockhampton for more Masterclasses and a Black Belt grading. The successful new Black belt promotion was:

  • Nikki Olzard, 3rd Degree

new black belts rockhampton

The next round of Black Belt exams and Masterclasses with Master Muleta will be held in Canberra, ACT over the weekend on 8-10th, July 2022.

Those interested in attending can REGISTER HERE

 

To book your ITF Black Belt testing or ITF Masterclass with Master Michael Muleta for your school CONTACT US

Womens Self Defense – Why it is important

Womens Self Defense – Why it is important

Here’s 7 Simple Reasons for Women’s Self Defense

womens self defense 2

Violence against women is a serious and widespread issue in Australia, as well as throughout the world. And while the long term goal is education to stop violence against women, there are actionable strategies women can employ, right now. Here are 7 very simple reasons you should consider taking a women’s self defense class.

1 – Don’t Become a Statistic

womens self defense

Frankly, the statistics in Australia alone are frightening. At least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner. One in three women have experienced physical violence. 300,000 women a year experience physical or sexual violence from a stranger.

Violence against women contributes to more death, disability and illness to women between 15 and 44 than any other preventable risk factor. Learning self-defense gives you the power to avoid becoming one of these statistics, now.

2 – Prevention and Awareness

As teens and adults we become increasingly fixated on the front and our devices, often being unaware of what’s around us. You work with an experienced instructor to develop strategies that work best for you against a variety of opponents, attacks and situations. Above all, women’s self defense teaches us awareness and prevention.

3 – Take Control for Yourself and Other Women

Women’s self defense is about taking safety into our own hands. Taking a Selfwomens self defense 3 defense class is our chance to take action in our own lives, to take control of our own present and future. The fact is, crimes against women happen and will continue to happen.

Women’s self defense classes can help prevent us becoming  victims. Knowing how to defend ourselves gives us a better chance of stopping attacks and even lessening attacks against women in the future.

4 – Great Exercise!

Self defense classes, at the end of the day, can also be a great source of exercise, working a range of vital parts of your body. It not only exercises your body physically, it also exercises your mind, reactions and reflexes. It is also an incredible way of exercising your own power and confidence.

You do not have to be physically strong to be successful at self-defense. If you can learn to successfully escape or prevent a dangerous situation, then you are exercising good self-defense.

5 – Be Accountable

As women, we are constantly encouraged to be accountable for ourselves. We are told to be accountable for our finances. We are told to account for our stress and encouraged to be accountable for our health, weight and diet, along with our workouts and fitness.

It stands to reason that we should be accountable for our self defense. Is it really so hard to add a self defense class to our routine as we would add the latest yoga, pilates or work out fad? However, unlike a fad, this is something that will actually make a monumental, positive change to our lives.

6 – Be Feminine

There is a terrible misconception – unfortunately perpetuated by mass media – that self defense is unfeminine and unattractive. These dangerous articles claim that women who pursue self defense are masculine, “jacked up” and have a distasteful love for violence. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, many models, actresses and even pageant winners are devotees of women’s self defense. Women’s self defense is incredibly feminine because it is empowering. Encouraging women to take self defense is a beautiful, inspiring thing. So, ignore the dangerous misconceptions of mainstream media and enjoy learning self defense.

7 – Do Something Now

Of course we need better education to end violence against women and men. Violence of all kinds is unacceptable. Unfortunately, though, education is long term and may not be able to help you today, tomorrow or even next year. That is why women’s self defense education is important. This is something that can happen now. Women’s self defense provides functional strategies, techniques and training methods to stop an attacker intent on hurting you.

It gives you the security and confidence, right now, that you can protect yourself should the need arise. Unfortunately, no matter how well intended, ideologies can’t do that. So until education catches up with reality, keep yourselves safe. Invest in women’s self defense today.

Contact Us to find out more about our women’s self defense classes and courses. We can also provide personal training or group sessions / courses for you and and friends or work colleagues.

Written by Stephanie Schauer for ITFTaekwondo.com

self defense manual

Self Defense Manual  BUY NOW

 

ITF Sparring zoom

ITF Sparring Videos

ITF Sparring Videos

ITF Sparring Michael Muleta

We are pleased to feature a series of videos from our recent ITF Sparring Seminar on zoom, with Master Michael Muleta and Sabum Justin Chin.

We’ve released the first couple of videos here, and will be releasing more over the next couple of weeks.

If you want to get your first, directly to your inbox, please support by subscribing to our video channel, and leave us a like if you found the video useful.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR VIDEO CHANNEL

The seminar was aimed at those new to ITF Sparring, but also has many valuable tips and explanations for those who have been in the ring a few times.

Instructors may also find it helpful, with ideas of how to explain various concepts.

Videos include warm ups, rules, strategies and techniques.

To see the rest, subscribe to our video channel

 

To organize a seminar for your school or organization, either in person (when possible) or via zoom, be sure to contact us.

Seminar topics may range from:

  • Fundamentals and Technical Training
  • ITF Patterns
  • ITF Sparring
  • Self Defense
  • Philosophy, Ethics
  • Tips for running a school or organization
  • Public Speaking, topic of your choice
  • Health and Fitness related (training, nutrition, motivation etc)

Check out some of our other recent Zoom workshops

winners United ITF Online Nationals

ITF Online Nationals 2021

Online Nationals 2021

united itf online

 

With much of the country still in lockdown, and interstate borders closed, our executive committee have taken the decision to make our annual Australian Championships the 2021 ITF Online Nationals.

The event is open to all ITF practitioners, regardless off age, rank or affiliation.

We ask all instructors to do their best to support this event with as many enthusiastic students as possible.

As it is now an online nationals, and after the wonderful support of our previous online events, we also welcome international participants to take part.

Events will include:

  • Individual Patterns
  • Team Patterns (3 people – mixed gender is ok)
  • Self Defense (against 2 attackers, any age)
  • Multi Breaking

REGISTER HERE

Medals will be posted out to head instructors of all winners after the final results have been announced.

United ITF Online Nationals

Deadline:

All registrations must be made by Midnight Sunday 31st October, 2021

All videos must be submitted prior to midnight Saturday 6th November, 2021

Results will be announced November 14th

Be sure to read through the event rules

Check out all the action from our 2020 United ITF Online Nationals, with 14 countries taking part, it was an amazing success.

Event sponsored by – First Aid Oz

first Aid oz

general choi hong hi seminar

General Choi Death Anniversary

General Choi Death Anniversary

General Choi Death Anniversary

General Choi Hong Hi – Founder of Taekwon-DoToday marks another General Choi Death Anniversary marking a further year since the passing of the legendary Founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi.

Grandmasters, Masters and students around the globe will reflect on the General’s influence and continue to keep his legacy alive through the continued promotion and growth of ITF Taekwon-Do

In 2000, General Choi, the Founder of Taekwon-Do, was announced by Taekwon-Do Times magazine, as the most influential martial artist on the century.

General Choi ITF Taekwon-Do

General Choi Hong Hi

Purchase your copy here

General Choi is regarded as the Founder of Taekwon-do and served as President of the International Taekwon-do Federation (I.T.F.) for many years. He sadly passed away in June 2002, after a long battle with cancer.

The Taekwon-Do Founder, General Choi Hong Hi (dec) was born on November 9th, 1918 in the rugged and harsh area of Hwa Dae, Myong Chung District, in what is now D.P.R of Korea . A sickly but willful child, he was expelled from school at the age of 12 for leading a protest against the occupying Japanese.

Later, Choi Hong Hi travelled to Japan, where he studied English, mathematics, and karate. In Kyoto, he met a fellow Korean with the surname Kim, who was a karate instructor and taught Choi this martial art. Choi also learned Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi,  the founder of Shotokan karate-do, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a “father of modern karate”

Just before he had left Korea, Choi had a disagreement with a wrestler named Hu, and the possibility of a future confrontation inspired him to train. In his own words, he said “I would imagine that these were the techniques I would use to defend myself against the wrestler, Mr. Hu, if he did attempt to carry out his promise to tear me limb from limb when I eventually returned to Korea”.

With two years of concentrated training, Choi attained the rank of first degree black belt, and then 2nd Degree soon after. These techniques, together with Taek Kyon (foot techniques), were the forerunners of modern Taekwon-Do.

General Choi’s military career began in 1937, when he was forced, as were all Korean soldiers, to join the Japanese army as a student volunteer, during Japan’s occupancy of Korea.

On his return to Korea in 1942, he hid to avoid conscription into the Japanese Army, but was eventually caught, and in October 1943 began his basic training. He was soon arrested during an attempt to escape and join the underground Korean Liberation Army. Sent to Pyung Yang prison for treason, he was due to have been executed on August 18 1945, three days after Korea was liberated.

While in prison, to alleviate the boredom and keep physically fit, Choi began practicing this art in the solitude of his cell. In a short time, even his cellmate and jailer became students of his.

In 1945, Choi enrolled in the Koreans Military Academy, later to be commissioned to the rank of second lieutenant in 1946. By 1948, he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was a Taekyon instructor for the military troops of the R.O.K. and the American Military Police School based in Korea.

On the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Choi hurried back to Korea, where he was ordered to set up an officer training academy. In 1952 he was appointed chief of staff of the First Corps, and soon found himself briefing General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the United Nations troops, on the situation at the front line.

From 1946 to 1951, Choi received promotions to first lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and then brigadier general, becoming Chief of staff to the Korean Army.

The year 1953 was an eventful one for the General, in both his military career and in the progress of the new martial art. He became the author of the first authoritative book on military intelligence in Korea.
 
He organized and activated the crack 29th Infantry Division at Cheju Island, which eventually became the spearhead of Taekwon-Do in the military and established the Oh Do Kwan (Gym of My Way) where Korean soldiers were trained in General Choi’s new martial art to become the pioneer Taekwon-do instructors. It was also a opportunity to develop the Taekyon and Karate techniques into a modern system of Taekwon-Do.
 
He went on to command Chung Do Kwan (Gym of the Blue Wave), the largest civilian gym in Korea; 

In 1954 Choi was promoted to the rank of Major General.

During his military career, General Choi constantly researched various martial arts, mainly Taekyon, Kung Fu and Karate – drawing from each to create the original version of Taekwon-do.

In 1955 General Choi led the Korean Army’s Taekwon-do demonstration team on a tour of China and Vietnam to promote his form of unarmed combat. After breathtaking displays, both these countries adopted General Choi’s Taekwon-do as an integral part of their soldier’s military training.

In 1961, the Korean Taekwon-do Association was formed with General Choi as its President. During the next few years, he led Taekwon-do demonstration teams throughout the world. In 1965, the South Korean government gave approval to General Choi’s martial art and declared it as Korea’s National martial art.

On March 22nd, 1966, General Choi Hong Hi (dec) formed the International Taekwon-do Federation (I.T.F) in Seoul, Korea. At the time it had associations in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, America, Turkey, Italy, Egypt and Korea. Taekwon-Do was taken up by several foreign armies, and was taught at West Point in America. During the Vietnam War, the Taekwon-Do training of Korean and other foreign soldiers was said to have had a demoralizing effect on the Viet Cong.

In 1971, the South Korean president Park Chung Hee began to use Taekwon-Do as anti-communist political propaganda. Choi, fiercely against this, went into exile in Canada. He continued to teach Taekwon-Do throughout the world, including in North Korea, and in 1974 he organised the first Taekwon-Do world championship in Montreal.

All the while he had to endure death threats from Korean Central Intelligence, attempts to kidnap him and attempts on his life by armed assassins. On one occasion his son and daughter, who had stayed behind in South Korea, were kidnapped and their lives threatened if Choi did not return to Korea. His response was “I choose Taekwon-Do over my son”. They were freed.

General Choi died of cancer on 15 June 2002 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Choi is listed in the Taekwondo Hall of Fame with various titles: “Father of Taekwon-Do,” “Founder and First President of the International Taekwon-Do Federation,” and “Founder of Oh Do Kwan.” Choi is survived by his wife, Choi Joon Hee; his son, Choi Jung Hwa; two daughters, Sunny and Meeyun; and several grandchildren.

We ask that you take a moment on the occasion of General Choi Death Anniversary to reflect on how Taekwon-Do has impacted your own life.

– excerpts from ‘Taekwondo – The Korean Art of Self Defence’ – General Choi Hong Hi

General Choi ITF Coin
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Sydney, Australia 1993

 

Sunshine Coast, Australia 1995

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Umpiring Patterns

Umpiring Patterns

united itf umpiring

National Umpire Course Notes

Umpiring Patterns

These are some recommended guidelines for Umpiring Patterns competitions, for domestic and local events based on the ITF Tournament Rules.

Note : The ‘Official’ ITF Rules are only applicable to ITF World Championships, and as such much of it is not relevant to in-house, local, state and national level competitions.

A National Organization, or any competition for that matter, should adopt rules that are specific to:

  • the event/s being conducted.
  • the ages of participants
  • the experience levels of participants
  • the objective of the competition
  • the facilities being used
  • the schedule / time available
  • the umpires/officials available

Purpose of the ITF Umpiring Rules

  • Clarify responsibilities of officials
  • Outline scoring criteria for each event
  • Determine eligibility of competitors
  • Outline operational procedures of all events
  • Assist competitors and coaches in event preparation
  • Ensure the safety of all competitors and officials

Characteristics of a good Umpire:

  • Be consistent and fair in all judgements
  • Base all decisions on the Rules of the competition
  • Be assertive and confident in all decisions
  • Display Punctuality and work ethic
  • Be professional in appearance and behaviour
  • Be willing to receive constructive feedback and advice from Tournament Directors
  • Have a thorough knowledge of the rules – updated regularly
  • Integrity, honesty and strength of character
  • Ability to follow instructions
  • To be flexible and adaptable in various official roles
  • Some appreciation and empathy of the competitor’s task
  • Ability to make logical, correct decisions quickly and under pressure
    • Do not engage spectators or competitors while judging.
    • have a basic knowledge of First Aid
    • You must be conversant with all patterns / techniques you are to judge

ITF Umpiring uniform consists of

  • a navy blue blazer jacket,
  • white, long sleeved shirt,
  • navy blue trousers or knee-high skirt
  • navy blue tie (with no other colours or decorations- I.T.F. logo permitted)
  • white socks
  • white gym/Taekwon-do shoes

Alternatively, polo tops may be used where a sponsorship arrangement is in place, or approved by the National Organization.

The Competition area –  Patterns

Patterns Ring size should be 9m by 9m square of competition space.

  • Patterns  judges are positioned across the front of the ring.
  • The official Jury table is positioned behind judges
  • There should be adequate distance between the competition area and spectators for safety and integrity of judging
  • Judges should be positioned a safe distance from competition area

BOUT PROCEDURE

The pyramid system of elimination is generally used for both team and individual at Black Belt Levels

Other formats are at the Tournament Organizers discretion, but must be made clear prior to event registration.

ITF patterns

Individual

  • Competitors will compete 1 to 1 and will perform simultaneously one (1) optional Pattern and one (1) designated Pattern (appropriate to their degree), selected at random by the Jury President.
  • The boxes containing the names of the optional patterns will be taken out of the basket by the Jury President before choosing the designated pattern. The winning competitor will progress to the next round.

Umpiring Patterns Team

Team

  • Designated pattern draw will take place whilst both teams are on the floor.
    From the second round of the draw a coin will be tossed to decide which team goes first. The winning coach of the toss decides which team performs as first.
  • The first team will perform 2 patterns and the second team will do likewise.
  • The winning team will progress to the next round.

Team Patterns additional Guidelines 

         The team may line up in any format they choose and team members may perform movements individually, or together, as they choose, but it must be seen to be teamwork.

For example: one team member may not perform moves of the Pattern on his own without the other team members following in unison

Scoring Method:

Patterns are Judged according to the following criteria:

Technical Content    (5 points)

Power                         (5 points)

Rhythm                      (5 points)

  • Team Patterns are also Judged on Teamwork (5 points)

TECHNICAL CONTENT (5 POINTS)

 Technical Content refers to:

  • Correct pattern diagram, all steps performed
  • Appropriate start and finish positions
  • Appropriate posture and facing
  • Techniques performed at correct height and direction of travel
  • Proper tool used for blocking, striking or kicking
  • Correct Stance dimensions and weight distributions
  • Correct use of sine wave
  • Correct stepping, pivoting and turning
  • Maintaining equilibrium whilst stepping, turning and pivoting
  • Remaining stable whilst kicking, including slow movements
  • Control of body weight and momentum
  • Kihaps performed in appropriate places
    • incorrect ready stance (-1)
    • break in pattern sequence but continue within 3 secs (-2)
    • (-1 for Technical Content and -1 for Rhythm(see below))
    • absence of Kihups in patterns (-1)
    • if a movement is performed incorrectly, either once or throughout pattern (-1)
    • incorrect Name of Pattern called at completion of pattern (-1)
    • 3 wrong movements performed in the pattern (0 points)
    • stop pattern completely without resuming within 3 secs (0)
    • wrong pattern performed (0)
    • missing technique in pattern (0) points

 

RHYTHM (5 POINTS)     

Rhythm refers to:

  • Timing of the pattern movements in accordance with encyclopaedia recommendations
  • Absence of delayed pauses, or irregular sequences
  • Pattern completed from start to finish in one continuous sequence
    • Performing the pattern too fast (-1)
    • Irregular sequences or pauses (-1)
    • break in pattern sequence but continue within 3 secs (-2) (-1 for Rhythm and -1 for Technical Content(see above)

POWER (5 POINTS)

Power refers to:

  • Correct application of sine wave
  • Use of reaction arm
  • Appropriate utilization of larger muscle groups, and transfer of body weight
  • Acceleration of movements
  • The appropriate use of breath for each movement
  • Correct strength and timing of breath
    • lack of power (-1)
    • lack of reaction force (-1)
    • no acceleration of movement (-1)
    • uncontrolled stop power (-1)

All patterns are judged according to the recommendations of the Founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi, along with updates made by the International Taekwondo Federation.

Central Umpire (Patterns)

Responsibilities

  •            Control the procedure of the bout
  •             Ensure competitors abide by the competition rules
  •             Allocated penalties where appropriate
  •             Communicate with Jury President
  •             Clearly signal all decisions to judges.

Patterns – Umpire Terminology

CHARYOT – ATTENTION

KYONG YE – BOW

JUNBI – READY

SIJAK – BEGIN

BARO – RETURN

JU UI – WARNING

HONG – RED

CHONG – BLUE

DONG CHON – TIE

SUNG – WINNER

PATTERNS JUDGES

Responsibilities:

  • To score the bout according to official scoring criteria
  • To have a thorough knowledge of technique / patterns
  • To record and tally scores precisely
  • To be consistent and non-biased in scoring

During the bout:

  • the Corner Referee must be up to date with all the I.T.F. Tournament Rules
  • sit properly and must observe with attention the competitors’ actions 

Jury President

 Responsibilities

Oversee the procedure of the bout

  •  Ensure competitors abide by the competition rules
  •  Communicate with Tournament Organizing Committee
  •  Monitor performance of judges and referees – provide feedback 
  • Scrutinize score sheets and then announce results to Centre Umpire
  • Consult with the Tournament director in regards any appeals

DISQUALIFICATION

  •  misconduct against officials or ignoring instructions
  • any behaviour deemed to be unsporting, offensive, or not in the spirit of fair competition
  • any competitor suspected of being under influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs

Active Participants in this course will be issued a C-Class ITF Umpire Certificate.

This level is issued by the National Organization.

Importantly, regardless of your certified level, you must possess the skills and confidence to effectively control and officiate ITF competitive matches in all events

 

ITF Umpiring Michael Muleta

written by Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree

ITF Umpire Committee Member 2002-2014

Awarded ‘Outstanding Umpire, 2007 ITF World Championships

President & Technical Director, United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia

tournaments

ITF Umpiring Roles Sparring

ITF Umpiring Roles and Responsibilities

united itf umpiring

National Umpire Course Notes

SPARRING

These are some recommended ITF Umpiring guidelines used in planning and holding domestic competitions, based on the ITF Tournament Rules.

Note : The ‘Official’ ITF Rules are only applicable to ITF World Championships, and as such much of it is not relevant to in-house, local, state and national level competitions.

A National Organization, or any competition for that matter, should adopt rules that are specific to:

  • the event/s being conducted.
  • the ages of participants
  • the experience levels of participants
  • the objective of the competition
  • the facilities being used
  • the schedule / time available
  • the umpires/officials available

Purpose of the ITF Umpiring Rules

  • Clarify responsibilities of officials
  • Outline scoring criteria for each event
  • Determine eligibility of competitors
  • Outline operational procedures of all events
  • Assist competitors and coaches in event preparation
  • Ensure the safety of all competitors and officials

Characteristics of a good Umpire:

  • Be consistent and fair in all judgements
  • Base all decisions on the Rules of the competition
  • Be assertive and confident in all decisions
  • Display Punctuality and work ethic
  • Be professional in appearance and behaviour
  • Be willing to receive constructive feedback and advice from Tournament Directors
  • Have a thorough knowledge of the rules – updated regularly
  • Integrity, honesty and strength of character
  • Ability to follow instructions
  • To be flexible and adaptable in various official roles
  • Some appreciation and empathy of the competitor’s task
  • Ability to make logical, correct decisions quickly and under pressure
    • Do not engage spectators or competitors while judging.
    • have a basic knowledge of First Aid
    • You must be conversant with all patterns / techniques you are to judge

ITF Umpiring uniform consists of

  • a navy blue blazer jacket,
  • white, long sleeved shirt,
  • navy blue trousers or knee-high skirt
  • navy blue tie (with no other colours or decorations- I.T.F. logo permitted)
  • white socks
  • white gym/Taekwon-do shoes

Alternatively, polo tops may be used where a sponsorship arrangement is in place, or approved by the National Organization.

The Competition area –  Sparring

Ring size should be 7m by 7m square of competition space.

  • There should be at least a 1m safety perimeter (total matted area min. 9x9m).
  • Sparring judges are positioned at each corner.
  • The official Jury table is positioned at the front of the ring
  • There should be adequate distance between the competition area and spectators for safety and integrity of judging
  • Judges should be positioned a safe distance from competition area

Bout Duration

Adults

  • Individual elimination and final bouts will be two (2) rounds of two (2) minutes duration with a one (1) minute break between rounds.
  • In the event of a draw, an additional round of one (1) minute will be contested.
  • In the event of another draw, a ‘first point wins’ scenario will occur, which has no time limit.
  • Each team bout will be one (1) round of two (2) minutes.

Bout lengths for younger / older categories are at the discretion of the Tournament Organizers.

Bout Procedure

 INDIVIDUAL SPARRING

  •  Competitors will commence the bout on the start positions
  • At the command of the Centre Referee the competitors bow in turn to the Jury table, and then
  • to each other.
  • The Centre Referee will then start the Sparring with the command “SHI-JAK” and the competitors
  • continue to spar until the Referee issues the command “HAECHYO”.
  • At this point the competitors cease to spar and remain where they are until restarted.

Central Umpire (Sparring)

ITF Umpiring Michael Muleta

Responsibilities

  •            Control the procedure of the bout
  •             Ensure competitors abide by the competition rules
  •             Allocated penalties where appropriate
  •             Communicate with Jury President
  •             Clearly signal all decisions to judges.

Sparring – Referee Terminology

CHARYOT – ATTENTION

KYONG YE – BOW

JUNBI – READY

SIJAK – BEGIN

HAECHYO – SEPARATE

GAESOK – CONTINUE

GOMAN – END

JU UI – WARNING

GAM JUM – DEDUCTING PO1NTS

SIL KYUK – DISQUALIFICATION

HONG – RED

CHONG – BLUE

DONG CHON – TIE

IL BUNYON – FIRST ROUND

YI BUNYON – SECOND ROUND

JUNG JI – TIME STOPPED

SUNG – WINNER

WARNINGS

Warnings will be assigned for the following offences

  • attack to an illegal target
  • stepping completely out of the ring (both feet)
  • falling down, whether intentional or not (this means any part of the body, other than the feet, touching the ground)
  • holding/grabbing/pushing
  • sweeping
  • faking a blow, pretending to be injured to gain an advantage
  • intentionally avoiding sparring
  • pretending to have scored a point by raising the arm

NB If an athlete is pushed out of the ring with intent (without undergoing a technique) then he will not receive a warning

Note: Any 3 cumulative warnings results in a deduction of 1 point (NOT a foul)

FOULS

A Foul results in 1 Minus point, and will be awarded for

  • excessive contact
  • loss of temper
  • insulting an opponent in any way
  • biting/scratching
  • attacking with knee/elbow/forehead
  • attacking a fallen opponent
  • attacking to an illegal target with contact
  • excessive or uncontrolled attack
  • continuing to attack after Umpire’s command of Haechyo

Corner Judging

 

Responsibilities:

  • To score the bout according to official scoring criteria
  • To have a thorough knowledge of technique 
  • To record and tally scores precisely
  • To be consistent and non-biased in scoring

During the bout:

  • the Corner Referee must be up to date with all the I.T.F. Tournament Rules
  • sit properly and must observe with attention the competitors’ actions record point(s), foul(s) and warning(s)

 At the end of the match:

  • the Corner Referee must deduct one (1) point from the total score for every three (3) warnings
  • deduct one (1) point for each Foul

 TARGET AREAS

  • Head and neck area at the front and sides but not at the back
  • Trunk of the body from neck to navel vertically and from a line drawn from the armpit vertically down to the waist on each side (that is frontal area only excluding the back).

SCORING PROCEDURE

In competition a technique is valid when:

  • it is executed correctly
  • it is dynamic, that is to say it is delivered with strength, purpose, rapidity and precision
  • it is controlled on the target
  • contact is made with a legal attacking tool
  • contact is made to a legal target area

POINTS AWARDED

One (1) point will be awarded for:

  • Hand attack directed to mid or high section.
  • Foot attack directed to the mid section

Two (2) points will be awarded for:

  • hand attack while in air (both feet must be off the ground) directed to high section,
  • jumping or flying kick directed to mid section
  • Foot attack directed to high section,

Three (3) points will be awarded for:

  • jumping or flying kick directed to high section

What to score:              

  • A single precise blow to an open target.
  • Score only what you see, not what you think you see or hear
  • Do not be influenced by crowd or competitor’s reactions or suggestions

Jury President

 Responsibilities

Oversee the procedure of the bout

  •  Ensure competitors abide by the competition rules
  •  Communicate with Tournament Organizing Committee
  •  Monitor performance of judges and referees – provide feedback 
  • Scrutinize score sheets and then announce results to Centre Umpire
  • Consult with the Tournament director in regards any appeals

DISQUALIFICATION

  •  misconduct against officials or ignoring instructions
  • any behaviour deemed to be unsporting, offensive, or not in the spirit of fair competition
  • heavy contact
  • committing any 3 fouls 
  • any competitor suspected of being under influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs

INJURY

  • all competitions MUST have a designated and qualified First Aid officer
  • when a competitor is injured, the Centre Referee must stop the match and call for First Aid. (The injury to be diagnosed, treated and the Medic to decide about the match continuation)
  • when a competitor cannot fight on because of the Medic’s decision:
    • he/she is the winner if his opponent is responsible
    • he/she is the loser if his opponent is not responsible
  • an injured competitor that is unfit to fight, according to the Medic’s decision, cannot fight again during the event
  • a competitor that refuses to accept the Medic’s decision will be disqualified
  • if two competitors injure themselves at the same time and both are unfit to fight, according to the Medic’s decision, the winner is the contender that has more scored points at that moment. If the competitors are even the Jury President will decide about the bout

 

Active Participants in this course will be issued a C-Class ITF Umpire Certificate.

This level is issued by the National Organization.

Importantly, regardless of your certified level, you must possess the skills and confidence to effectively control and officiate ITF competitive matches in all events

 

written by Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree

ITF Umpire Committee Member 2002-2014

Awarded ‘Outstanding Umpire, 2007 ITF World Championships

President & Technical Director, United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia

ITF events tournaments

National Umpire Course Online

National Umpire Course Online

National Umpire Course

As a result of Melbourne’s extended COVID 19 lockdowns and restrictions, we will be conducting this weekend’s National Umpire Course online, via the Zoom platform. (note: zoom is free, but you must sign up for an account)

Sunday 13th June, 2021 from 10.00am

Streamed Live on ZOOM

Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree Technical Director for United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia will be conducting a United ITF sanctioned National ITF Umpiring course on Sunday 13th June, 2021.

Students of all ages and ranks are welcome to take part in the session and will be issued C-class National Umpire certification.

Students will learn the Umpire rules and application of rules as they pertain to domestic United ITF state and national championships.

Participants will be able to assist in officiating upcoming 2021 United ITF Taekwon-Do events including Queensland Championships (August), ACT Championships (July) and Australian Championships (October).

The session will cover all ITF events – Sparring, Patterns, Special Techniques, Power, both team and individual.

We ask that participants familiarize themselves with ITF Umpire Rules prior to the session so as we can move through the session in a time effective manner.

It is a useful session not only for officials, but also for competitors and coaches.

As it is a participation based seminar, spectators and filming is not permitted.

REGISTER HERE

 

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