Tae Kwon Do: how to compete and win

     In the past three years I've competed in five Tae Kwon Do tournaments - and just today experienced my first as a Black belt. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, mostly because I didn't prepare as much as I should have. Now, at least, I have some goals to meet so I can place more highly in next year's big tournament.
    While I did train in TKD as a kid, I never went to tournaments, not even to watch. I was intimidated and I felt inadequate. I've since realized that those are terrible reasons to skip competition. The only way to get better is to make risks by trying something new. The only way to overcome your fear is to face it. So now, as an adult, I started competing at the very first tournament held at our gym. And it was a big confidence booster to defeat opponents who were complete strangers, perform well under pressure, and win big trophies.
    I compete in forms and sparring and have little interest in other categories (board breaking, weapons, self-defense, etc.). Mine are the most traditional - and the most competitive - categories.
     The tournaments I attend follow the rules of the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF - a great acronym, right?) with very few modifications - mostly to discourage inexperienced fighters from making too many head shots. Besides Judo (which is more like wrestling anyway), this is the only martial art that is recognized at the Olympic Games. In other words, Tae Kwon Do is a sport just as much as it is a discipline and an art form.There are standards and there are rules, and you can't just do it any way you like and expect to become successful.
     Identify your weakness and work on it every day you practice - not just when you're about to compete, but whenever you kick, imagine yourself sparring, imagine yourself doing your form, even if you're just kicking the air. Skills are mastered through intense, meaningful repetition.
     I don't pretend to be an expert, and I don't win every sparring match. But I do think about Tae Kwon Do a lot, I ask lots of questions to my senior instructors, I'm pretty observant, I'm deemed competent enough to be a corner judge or a center referee, and I've got six years' experience. So for what it's worth, here's my opinion on how to prepare yourself for a martial arts competition.

     Poomsae. To win a forms competition, your priorities are as follows, in descending order:
     1. Form. Maintain good posture. Correct stance, straight back, good angles, both feet flat on the ground, and so forth. Eyes toward your (imaginary) opponent. Take the time to develop good habits.
     2. Snap. Every movement (except for the less common slow movements) should cause your uniform to audibly sound, whether your sleeve (if you're attacking or blocking) or your pant leg (if you're kicking). This constitutes the tangible evidence that your moves have speed and power and are technically correct. The judges are listening.
     3. Understanding. Live and breathe the significance of your form. Each form has a philosophical and spiritual meaning, and each movement has practical application. Knowing the deeper concept behind the moves and focusing on it while you practice your form will result in a form that looks right.
     4. Timing. Don't be too fast or too slow. Each move should be held, frozen, for a full second, so your judges can see your posture. More than a second is unnecessary and may give the impression that you've forgotten the next move.

     Sparring. To win a sparring competition, however, your priorities are very different.
     1. Knowledge of the tournament rules. The deduction system, which is basically: no punches to the head, avoiding the match, leaving the ring, being unsafe or unsportsmanlike. The point system, which varies, but is approximately as follows: 1 for a regular attack, 2 for a head shot, +1 if you land a spinning kick, +1 if your attack knocks down your opponent. And the biggest thing is what counts as a point. Most 90-second rounds have dozens of kicks, but only a handful of points. Parents and competitors get really angry because they think the score should be three zillion to two zillion.
     2. Speed. Your kicks need to be like lightening. The fastest kick is the roundhouse so you should be doing some variation of that 90% of the time. And your blocks (for head or chest) need to be nearly as fast. You need to be able to move in and out of the "danger zone" (in kicking range) like lightening, too. Speed requires surprise. Learn not to telegraph your moves with tells, which warn your opponent as to your intentions.
     3. Endurance. Be in shape - enough for two intense back-back 90-second rounds (or two minutes for adult Black belts). Don't waste your energy by being overly aggressive. Relax. You don't want to tire first.
     4. Control. Don't get hurt by overextending or throwing a power kick into your opponent's elbow. Be smart. Leave emotion outside of the ring - don't get angry. Don't get scared. You've trained your body into a living weapon - to some degree or another - and you have to think of your body that way.
     5. Strategy. Look for an opening. Wait for your opponent to make a move, dodge or block it, and counter. Fake. Execute different kinds of attacks. Don't punch unless you can knock down your opponent. Don't do jumping or spinning kicks unless you're countering and capitalizing on an opponent's mistake. Don't even kick unless you expect to get a point. Any kick that is blocked or only hits air is a waste of your energy, and even worse, could set up your opponent to score a point, while you're off-balance or in a forward position.
     6. Power. If you can hurt your opponent, even if you don't score a point, you're more likely to score a point next time. If you can knock out your opponent, it doesn't matter how many points they have - you win. Note:for colored belts or young fighters, don't try to hurt your opponent if you're bigger or stronger than them - and full contact to the head is against WTF tournament rules.