Taekwondo may be one of the younger disciplines in the field of international sports, but it still has its own, long and rich history. Many of us remember the beginning of our sport on the big stage. They appreciate how it has developed and the experience accumulated over the years. I myself, for example, have been lucky to attend every single World Championship beginning with the first one in Seoul 1973.

I have also been to every European Championship since 1976, and all three Olympic Games where Taekwondo was in the official program and not to forget, our first test event at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. Taekwondo has grown up over the years. Our clubs and schools have gotten bigger, and our World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has gained new member nations every year.

But one thing we are still missing is spectators. At the Olympic Games we had crowded venues, but that was an exception. Even our World Championships are sparsely attended by the public, not to mention smaller national or regional events. TV coverage is rare, and even our most successful players are not well known outside the Taekwondo community. The WTF has been trying to change this for years. Again and again they have changed our competition rules with three things in mind: each new set of rules should encourage fair play, increase the safety of our players, and be more attractive to the audience than its predecessor. At the moment, a new change of rules is pending. And again the attractiveness of our sport is the central idea. Interesting and complex techniques are awarded more points. The new ten-second-rule rewards active players. A smaller fighting area is supposed to ensure dynamic fights.

Not only have the rules changed over the years, but the scoring system has undergone changes as well. When I was a player, the referees used judge papers to give points. We did not have a score board then. Later, the electronic scoring system and different types of score boards were introduced. Now the electronic body protector is used at many championships to ensure fair judgment.

Our scoring system is a technical device. The better it works, and the more transparent and fair it makes judging, the better. For this reason the electronic body protector clearly is our best choice for players, coaches, and spectators alike. Our competition rules have a much higher impact. They determine the character of taekwondo and therefore we should work on them very carefully. Rules that for us, taekwondo insiders of long standing, seem perfectly comprehensible, may make little sense to spectators who happen to visit a taekwondo tournament together with friends or who just flip to some of our rare TV coverage. If taekwondo is to appeal to those people, we need rules that are easy to understand and, even better, self-explanatory. What we do not need are lengthy matches and difficult rules.

About 10 years ago, I developed the so called ,,five-minute fighting format´´. With this system a regular fight lasts for one round of five minutes. When one player reaches a point ceiling of seven points, he is the winner. When there is a gap of four points, the player who is in the lead is the winner. If a fight ends in a draw, the fighter who made the first point wins the match. I organized several tournaments where this format was applied, but it was never fully accepted by the taekwondo community, and so gradually it disappeared from the scene. Then I decided that the five-minute-fighting-format was too demanding. Now I wonder if it was not demanding enough. Why not introduce a ,,three-point system,,? When a point ceiling of three points or a gap of three points is reached, the fight is over. A fighter can get three points with one hit, so with a single, perfect hit, he can end a fight. But three points are not awarded for a complex technique but for an outstandingly strong hit. With the electronic protector system this is not a problem – the protector recognizes power but it does not recognize the beauty of a technique.

Taekwondo insiders may consider the ,,three-point rule,, to be too simple, but we should not develop rules that are appreciated by the taekwondo mania group. We should develop rules for all spectators, taekwondo fans, and first time spectators alike. The ,,three-point rule,, is easy to understand, and it prevents lengthy fights with tiring tactics. But is it perfect? Read more about the problems of the three-point-rule next month. Until then, I wish you the very best.