1) From a strategic standpoint, it is easier to just use your legs if you are that good of a kicker. I can keep a distance with my long legs and prevent you from scoring if you are not good at closing the gap, or just not as good as I am at keeping my distance. Keep in mind that we are talking about a contest. Real fights don't last long enough for you to think like that. If they do, you have made a huge mistake.
2) You expend a lot of energy when you keep your guard up. If you can fight with your arms down, you actually save energy. Even though I don't teach that or practice it regularly, I have switched to it at times in order to let people think I won't punch, or to save energy, then launch a backfist. It's not a new tactic either. I got smacked that way plenty of times by people who appeared to be standing still, then the next thing you know, I feel my head moving backwards, all because I had to blink.
3) One person told me he sparred a WTF TKD player who was on the Olympic level at an open tournament. I have never sparred an TKD player who was at the Olympic level. This person told me that he tried blocking one of the Olympian's kicks with the middle forearm block. The kick severely injured his arm. While he won the match on points, he ended up having to get screws put in his forearm in order to hold it together. He said he still has the screws in the arm. Those kicks delivered by people fighting at that level are not worth sacrificing your arm in the name of a CONTEST. In fact, I was told as a teenager that if I ever did get to that level "don't block those kicks. They're too powerful. Just move."
Yes, they will score.
http://www.worldtaekwondofederation.net/...
But you identified several misconceptions about WTF fighting.
First off, "valid hits" need to be explained. You can use any part of the foot below the ankle, and you can use only the foreknucles of a clenched fist. The valid target areas are any part of the chest or head protector, not the spine, and includes the face. No punches to the head. The points you get depend on the technique you use:
punches are 1 point, kicks right off the bat are 2 points. If the kick was turning or jumping, it's 3 points, and head kicks are 4 points. Clearly, kicks are favored, lending the misconception that punches are not allowed.
You need to understand that punches are valid, but, judges are VERY subjective, and even though chest protectors may record them, they are not always official, since judges can subtract the point if it's deemed "not strong enough". You generally have to throw a reverse punch, so, no hooks, crosses, or jabs: only straight reverse punches. And the punch must knock the opponent off-balance.
Your next misconception is about the placement of hands. Taekwondo-in fight with their feet, given the point weightings favoring kicks. So, the keep their distance. When they are up close, you can bet your butt they keep their hands up. There is no point in keeping hands up when you are completely out of range. Also, throwing the hands up is a way to thrust momentum forward, allowing to close distance faster. Yes, it is a tel. But it is a calculated risk. The hands down do NOT signal an intention not to punch. The distance is a signal that they can't throw a punch.
I train in WTF Taekwondo. We've been taught that any valid hit that makes contact to the body, whether it be punch or kick, will yield 1 point. However, I have yet to see anyone score with a punch in my experience. You would think with the rules given, the fighting style would be somewhat similar to kickboxing without punches to the head or hits below the belt. But it's not.
Olympic Taekwondo fighters spar with their hands to their sides which reveals their intention not to punch (and I haven't seen anyone block yet for that matter).
I'm very confused. Are punches scored in WTF Taekwondo? Surely it can't be that hard to score a point with a hard punch. At least one person should've scored a point with a punch by now in the Olympics but I don't think anyone has.
So the question once again: Even though Punches aren't "banned," are they still scored?
