Para taekwondo words · Beginner

Taekwondo adapted for athletes with an impairment. The rules cover kyorugi (sparring) and apply to Sport Classes K41 and K44. All techniques to the head are prohibited, to keep the athletes safe.

A contest area inside a safety area, on a WT-recognised elastic non-slippery mat. The square contest area is 8 m by 8 m including a 60 cm boundary line, inside a safety area no smaller than 10 m by 10 m and no larger than 12 m by 12 m. The octagonal alternative is about 8 m across with sides of about 3.3 m and a 60 cm alert line. The contest area may be on a platform 60 to 100 cm high.

The outer line of the contest area (the outer line of the competition area is called the outer line). Crossing it with one foot is a prohibited act, with no gam-jeom if the contestant was pushed over by the opponent's prohibited act. The contestants start at two opposing points 1 m from the centre point and the referee stands 1.5 m from the centre toward outer line 3.

Before entering the field of play a contestant wears an approved dobok or competition uniform, a trunk PSS, a head protector with face guard, groin guard, forearm guards, shin guards, a hand protector if applicable, sensing socks if PSS is used, and a mouth guard. Para athletes may use additional personalised protective equipment with WT's prior approval, and an amputee may cover the end of a residual limb with equipment no thicker than 2 cm. The head protector is blue or red.

Men: not exceeding 58 kg, 63 kg, 70 kg, 80 kg, and over 80 kg. Women: not exceeding 47 kg, 52 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg, and over 65 kg. The limit is read to one decimal place, so 58.0 kg is within the limit and 58.1 kg is over. No contestant may take part in more than one weight category in the same tournament.

Three rounds of two minutes with one minute's rest between rounds. If the score is tied after the third round, a one-minute golden round is held after a one-minute rest. The Technical Delegate may change the format to three rounds of one minute, three rounds of 1 minute 30 seconds, two rounds of two minutes, or one round of five minutes.

Chung, hong calls the contestants (blue and red) to the contest. Charyeot and kyeong-rye are the standing bow, bending the waist more than 30 degrees. Joon-bi is ready and shi-jak is start. Keu-man ends a round. Kal-yeo pauses the contest and the recorder stops the clock, and kye-sok resumes it. Kye-shi suspends the contest for injury, and shi-gan is time called for a non-injury reason. A gam-jeom may still be given and recorded after the clock expires.

A straight punch with the knuckles of a tightly clenched fist, and foot techniques using any part of the foot below the ankle bone. They may be made on the trunk where the trunk protector covers it, but not on the spine. The head, the area above the collar bone, is a prohibited area. Fist techniques are permitted but do not score.

Two points for a valid foot technique to the trunk protector, four points for a valid turning or spinning technique to the trunk protector, and one point for each gam-jeom given to the opponent. The match score is the sum of the three rounds. The PSS decides validity; the extra points for a turning kick are scored by judges on manual devices and are void if the PSS did not register the kick. Points scored after a prohibited act are invalidated.

The penalty counted as one extra point for the opponent. It is declared for prohibited acts. A contestant who receives ten gam-jeom loses by the referee's punitive declaration (PUN). In the best of three system, five gam-jeom in a round give the opponent that round.