World TKD Federation following FIE's example? ... sorta......

[Mauler]

Whoa! I just found out that World Tae Kwon Do Federation has been accelerating a development and adaptation of an electronic scoring system designed to indicate the validity of martial arts techniques?!?!

That's right! If you land a solid kick to your opponent's gut, a buzzer goes off, and your score goes up on the main display!

Apparently this is in response to the IOC's guidelines/demands for standardized judging/refereeing in all sports in the Olympics. Such a system would aid in objectifying the judgements as well as reducing the number of judges (and their cost).

WTF has been "quite adamant" in ensuring that fully functional electronic scoring system will be in force by 2007 World TKD Championships as well as 2008 Olympics, both in Beijing, China.

Other points of reform per IOC guidelines include revised competition format, refereeing, marketing, finance, development, and organizational structure. In order to generate more action packed games, a shorter duration, a smaller competition floor will be considered as well as awarding points for punches, and awarding extra points for performing difficult moves.

WTF Holds Electronic Portector Demonstration

WTF Posts Electronic Protector Test Result

IOC President Jacques Rogge Visits WTF H.Q.



Ah.... Memories of good old days when the judges would refuse to validate my touches because I hadn't landed my Sabre cuts with the leading edge. "Flats" didn't count, you know... Come 20 yrs from now, there will be a whole generation of TKD "athletes" who would laugh at stories of good old days when judges would refuse to acknowledge solid hits due to "unclear technique."

BTW, WTF granted an honorary 10th degree Black Belt to the President of IOC for visiting Korea. Maybe Roche can grant an honorary title of Maitre d'Armes to the IOC President next time he visits a fencing event?

[Mr Epee]

WTF, Mate.

[MikeHarm]

Should we call it Tae Kwan Epee or will they have right of way rules?
Also.. it sounds like something that would work for wireless foil if modified a little.

[Black Jeebus]

...I remember when I was competing in TKD. The events took forever to get through cause there's like 30000 divisions. If this gets implemented on down to the local level- oh man there's gonna be a lot of angry taekwondo parents. And there's no rule against athletes fighting in the same event over two different days, so you often get people (and at events like JOs, it's kids...) fighting from like 10 am to ~1 am-ish, without something to go wrong. The only plus is that they can free up judges to open more rings.