Taekwondo words · Beginner
The words you will hear in your first match, grouped the way you meet them.
B · Beginner · 24 words · Step 1 of 2General terms
Dojang
The training hall where taekwondo is practised. Dojang is the Korean word.
Also called: dojo
See also: Taekwondo
Belt
A coloured belt showing grade, from white for beginners up to black. Taekwondo has a poom or dan (black belt) grade, and competitors in poomsae need a poom or dan certificate from the WT or Kukkiwon.
Kyeong-rye
The standing bow made on the referee's command of Cha-ryeot (attention) and Kyeong-rye (bow), at the start and end of a contest. The waist bends more than 30 degrees and the head inclines more than 45 degrees.
Contest
A single sparring match, normally three rounds of two minutes with one minute of rest between them. A tie goes to a one-minute golden round.
Also called: match
See also: Kyorugi, Golden round
Weight class
The bodyweight division. The Olympic classes are men -58, -68, -80 and +80 kg, and women -49, -57, -67 and +67 kg. World Taekwondo events use eight or six classes of their own.
See also: Taekwondo
Taekwondo terms
Taekwondo
A Korean martial art known for fast kicks, governed worldwide by World Taekwondo. Competition has two forms: kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (forms).
Kyorugi
Sparring. Two athletes in electronic protectors score points with permitted fist and foot techniques to the trunk and head, and the contest has three two-minute rounds.
Also called: sparring
See also: Contest
Poomsae
Forms: a set pattern of attack and defence movements performed alone, or in pairs or teams, and scored by judges. Competition has recognised poomsae, which are fixed, and freestyle poomsae, which the athletes create.
Also called: forms, patterns
See also: Recognised poomsae, Freestyle poomsae, Corner judges
Protector and scoring system
The trunk protector, head protector and sensing socks that register impact. The system decides whether a kick to the trunk or head is valid and strong enough. The impact setting differs by weight, gender and age group.
Also called: PSS, electronic hogu, electronic body protector
See also: Sensing socks
Round kick
A kick in which the leg swings round in an arc to strike with the foot. It is the most common scoring kick. Without a spin of the body it is not a turning kick, so it scores 2 to the trunk and 3 to the head.
Also called: spin kick
See also: Turning kick
Round
A timed part of a contest. A contest has three rounds of two minutes, with a one-minute rest between rounds. In the best-of-three system the winner is the athlete who wins two rounds.
See also: Contest
Golden round
A fourth round of one minute after a tied contest. Scores from the first three rounds are void. The first athlete to score two points, or whose opponent gets two gam-jeom, wins. If no one has scored two points, superiority decides.
Also called: golden point
See also: Contest, Gam-jeom, Superiority, Penalty
Kyorugi scoring and penalties
Valid points
A valid punch to the trunk protector scores 1 point, a valid kick to the trunk 2, and a valid kick to the head 3. A turning kick doubles its value, to 4 to the trunk and 6 to the head. Punches to the head are not allowed.
See also: Turning kick
The ruleHow many points is a kick worth in taekwondo?Turning kick
A kick delivered with a rotation of the body, such as a back kick, which needs the head and shoulders to turn. It doubles the points of a valid kick, and judges score the extra points once the protector system registers the kick.
See also: Corner judges
Permitted techniques and areas
Fist techniques use the knuckles of a tightly clenched fist, and foot techniques any part of the foot below the ankle bone. The trunk may be attacked with both, but never on the spine. The head, which is the area above the collar bone, may only be kicked.
Contest procedure
Chung and hong
Blue (chung) and red (hong), the two sides of a contest. The referee calls them to start and to finish, and the trunk protectors are blue and red.
Referee's commands
Cha-ryeot (attention), Kyeong-rye (bow), Joon-bi (ready), Shi-jak (start), Keu-man (stop), Kal-yeo (break) and Kye-sok (continue). Attacking after Kal-yeo is a prohibited act.
See also: Kyeong-rye
Poomsae
Recognised poomsae
The fixed forms of World Taekwondo: Taegeuk 1 to 8 Jang, then Koryo, Keumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Shipjin, Jitae, Chonkwon and Hansu. Each division is assigned the forms it performs, from the lower Taegeuk to the higher forms.
The ruleWhat is poomsae in taekwondo competition?Freestyle poomsae
A performance of taekwondo techniques put together by the athletes with music and choreography. It is scored out of 10: technical skills (6.0), including the difficulty of kicks, and presentation (4.0). It lasts 90 to 100 seconds.
See also: Taekwondo
The ruleWhat is freestyle poomsae?Officiating
Referee
The official who runs the contest in the contest area, giving the commands, declaring penalties and the winner. Corner judges assist and may be asked to decide superiority.
See also: Contest, Superiority, Corner judges
Corner judges
Officials at the corners who score. When the protector system is used they add the extra points for turning kicks and confirm punches. With three corner judges, two must agree for a point to stand. In poomsae, seven judges score.
Also called: judges
See also: Poomsae
Penalty
In kyorugi the penalty is gam-jeom. A coach or athlete who misbehaves can also get a yellow card, which asks the Competition Supervisory Board to decide on a sanction.
Also called: gam-jeom, shikkaku
See also: Kyorugi, Gam-jeom
Disqualification
Removal from a contest or event. The decisions that apply are win by disqualification (DSQ, for example failing the weigh-in or the third call), by referee's punitive declaration (PUN, ten gam-jeom) and for unsportsmanlike behaviour (DQB).