Is it fair

[TKD USA]

Many of my friends went to the AAU tournament in fFlorida that just recently passed I think it was a national tournament. Well one of my friends just became a black belt like three weeks ago. He got a bronze in forms, but when he was in the sparring match (against a 2nd degree black blet FYI) for the gold medal something terrible happened. He was winnning 35 to 2. Sounds outrageous well it's true, I can't remember what match it was but some how my friend did this kick and the next thing you saw was blood pouring from his opponents nose. They had to call the paramedics and my friend got disqualified but still got silver while the boy with the hurt nose got gold. Is it fair that my friend got silver or is it fair that he didn't get disqualified. He is an extremely good sparrer and he is only 8.

 

[TigerWoman]

From what I understand, any foot technique to the head is legal. Its only hand techniques to the head that get warned, lose points or disqualified if intentional and warned before. My son accidentally get his hand to face once and got warned and points taken away. Unless the tournament officials had already announced that only light contact was allowed. But hey, it doesn't take much contact to a nose, I had a teenage girl give me one with a light brush crescent kick. That's why we wear cages now for headgear. Better for breathing too without having to wear a mouthgard. No I don't think it was fair. But I've seen alot of unfair calls. Judges are just human though, they make mistakes. Sigh! Its really not easy to judge. TW

 

[terryl965]

Well TKD shots to the face will get a competitor disqualified especially if it draws blood, If your friend is a great sparrer like you said and pass his blackbelt test then at the level he is suppose to be-able to follow the rules of the game. All Black belt at any age are suppose to control there kicks. I,ll be at the AAU junior Olympics with my competitors maybe we can meet.GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[TigerWoman]

Well TKD shots to the face will get a competitor disqualified especially if it draws blood, If your friend is a great sparrer like you said and pass his blackbelt test then at the level he is suppose to be-able to follow the rules of the game. All Black belt at any age are suppose to control there kicks. I,ll be at the AAU junior Olympics with my competitors maybe we can meet.GOD BLESS AMERICA

Thanks Terry, I didn't know that about the face. I guess I haven't seen anybody get disqualified in our local tournaments except for hand but you go to state, and nationals so you would know. TW

 

[terryl965]

YW tigerWoman anything to help. GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Rob Broad]

He is an extremely good sparrer and he is only 8.

Is 8 yrs old or was it supposed to be 18 yrs old? If the child is 8 yrs old the bigger problem is why is he wearing a black belt. But ther should never be any blood in spilled in childrens divisions.

 

[Faye]

I was gonna say the same thing. A black belt at 8???? I don't understand why they alllow children to do full contact tournaments to the point of blood coming out...

 

[TKD USA]

He's a poom a junior black belt

 

[Rob Broad]

Even if he is a junior Black Belt there is leagally to be no contact to the head, only to the helmet, and facial contact is against the rules. Children have to be encouraged to compete with safety at the forefront.

 

[Gizmo]

Score 35 to 2? :erg: I really like our rule in the Polish TKD Union that the match is stopped when there is 10 points difference... can't see a real reason of continuing a match then... but I also don't really understand a point of awarding a black belt, junior or otherwise, to kids aged 8. Just BTW.

Regards

Gizmo

 

[Gary Crawford]

That's a shame,the AAU has such a good reputation for being fair.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Tell the eight year old congrats on his black belt promotion. :cheers:
Sean

 

[TKD USA]

Thanks I will

 

[TX_BB]

I am sorry to say that if you are playing with WTF rules; if you are struck with a legal technique you have 60 seconds to get it together, as long as the Referee does not institute a 10 count. It can be streched if medical can say they can get it under control quickly. Under the rules there is no mercy rule, especially since you can still win by knocking out your opponent until the end. Referee's can stop the fight for a multitude of reasons but do you really want them to. This is a reason given for Jr. Safety rules.

 

[Langdow]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did the USTU and AAU just revise the rules about no head contact with Jr competitors? I heard rumblings of this, but since I'm not of the same Country I don't know for sure.

If this is the case though the rule is, if a competitor is hit with an illegal technique, in this case a kick to the head, and cannot continue the offending competitor will be disqualified. If the competitor can continue then the center official is to award a gamjeum penalty if it was intentional, or a kyongo penalty if it wasn't.

 

[Gary Crawford]

I don't know about the AAU,but the USTU had eliminated head kicks with 12 and younger two years ago,but recently recended back to light contact to the head.

 

[terryl965]

I don't know about the AAU,but the USTU had eliminated head kicks with 12 and younger two years ago,but recently recended back to light contact to the head.

AAU is full contact for now at all ages.... GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Rob Broad]

Children should not be fighting full contact.

 

[Martial Tucker]

Children should not be fighting full contact.

Maybe, but IMHO, at 8 years old, you don't have enough control to reliably determine whether a strike ends up being full contact, or not. That's why I think it's ludicrous to stick a black belt on a kid who's only been tying his own shoes for about 3 years. In addition, at that age, if you put a couple of kids on the mat and tell them basically "no strikes below the belt, and no punches to the head" and turn them loose, the more aggressive kid is almost always going to win, regardless of his belt color. That's how you get an 8 year old new BB "lighting up" a presumably similar-aged "2nd dan" 35-2, or whatever.

I have no problem with kids competing in a controlled situation. I just get
annoyed when I see how seriously some people seem to take the belt color/rank
of little children.

 

[Rob Broad]

I agree whole heartedly. 8 yrs old is way too young to be a black belt. If you go back into the archives of this site you will see many discussions on the topic.