What is WTF Taekwondo?

The Games

WTF Taekwondo is the only Taekwondo body eligible for competition at the Olympic Games.  Its first appearance was at the Games held in Seoul, South Korea in 1988 as a demonstration sport and became an official medal sport at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, where Canada was on the podium!  Dominique Bosshart brought home Bronze in the Female Heavyweight division.

Since then, Canada’s athletes have been pushing forward on the international stage, improving year after year and now have London, England in their sights for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

But it’s not just the Olympic Games!  WTF Taekwondo is a part of the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games, The World Championships, and there are dozens of international Open Events in which Canadian athletes compete.

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Sport Taekwondo

WTF Sparring is full contact free-sparring.  We wear protective gear including mouth-guard, chest protector (hogu), helmet, groin guard, and shin and arm guards.

There is head-contact for Black Belts competing at or working toward National level competitions, but there is a minimum age of 13 and there is no punching to the head.  Adult Black Belts who are not looking for a place on the provincial or national teams also have the option, at most events, to participate in a “rec” or “no head contact” division.  And there is no head contact for colour belts of any age.

Matches consist of 3 three minute rounds.  Points are scored by way of legal techniques delivered to scoring areas of the body with enough force and accuracy.  A competitor can score a single point by kicking to the body of his/her opponent and they may receive an additional point for advanced technique if the point was awarded for a spinning kick.  A competitor in a head contact division can score three points for a kick to the head.

Full competition rules can be found on the WTF Canada website: www.wtfcanada.com

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Martial Arts Competition

The World Taekwondo Federation also holds competitions for Poomse (pattern) competitors.  The entire sport body has recently undergone a mass standardization of the precision forms learned throughout the sport, at every level.  This standardization has brought about a high demand for training in and competition of Taekwondo Poomse at Regional, National, and International levels.