The GTF-Talk Archive.

From: "Mark Turner" <TAEKWONKID@classic.msn.com>

Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 22:57:07 -0000

Subject: RE: new subcriber

From owner-gtf-talk@more.net  Tue Oct 28 01:48:04 1997
Received: from vortex.more.net (vortex.more.net [198.209.253.70]) by iq.pvv.ntnu.no (8.8.4/8.7.3) with ESMTP id BAA12041 for ; Tue, 28 Oct 1997 01:48:03 +0100 (MET)
Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost)
	by vortex.more.net (8.8.7/8.8.7) with SMTP id SAA00493;
	Mon, 27 Oct 1997 18:47:35 -0600 (CST)
Received: by more.net (bulk_mailer v1.5); Mon, 27 Oct 1997 18:47:34 -0600
Received: (from majordomo@localhost)
	by vortex.more.net (8.8.7/8.8.7) id SAA00485
	for gtf-talk-outgoing; Mon, 27 Oct 1997 18:47:34 -0600 (CST)
X-Authentication-Warning: vortex.more.net: majordomo set sender to owner-gtf-talk@more.net using -f
Received: from post.mail.demon.net (post-20.mail.demon.net [194.217.242.27])
	by vortex.more.net (8.8.7/8.8.7) with SMTP id SAA00481
	for ; Mon, 27 Oct 1997 18:47:32 -0600 (CST)
Received: from mitchoomuk.demon.co.uk ([193.237.37.69]) by post.mail.demon.net
           id aa2022491; 27 Oct 97 22:55 GMT
From: jason harries 
To: gtf-talk@more.net
MMDF-Warning:  Parse error in original version of preceding line at post.mail.demon.net
Subject: Heavy contact
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 22:57:07 -0000
Message-ID: <01bce32b$a6670700$LocalHost@penpol>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3
Sender: owner-gtf-talk@more.net
Reply-To: gtf-talk@more.net


>>From: "Mark Turner" 
>>Message-Id: 
>>To: gtf-talk@more.net
>>Subject: RE: new subcriber
>>
>>With reference to Jason's experience in the tournament he entered.
>>Unfortunately this type of behaviour seems to be creeping more and more
into
>>the GTF.
>>
>>I too joined GTF as I was assured that the type of Taekwon-do practiced
was
>>"Light Contact".
>>
>>The first tournament I entered  (as a Yellow Belt) was quite a shock to
the
>>system.  My opponent was constantly using excessive contact and at the end
>of
>>the bout I could not see out of my left eye and my mouth was badly cut and
>>swollen.
>>The only warning my opponent got was for "Light Contact" when he punched
me
>>full in the face whilst he was outside the ring !!  This particular
>competitor
>>was from a club who had transferred to GTF from a rival organisation.
>>
>>The last tournament held here in Scotland was an Open tournament and a
>number
>>of ITF competitors entered.  Some of the sparring was disgraceful. Some
GTF
>>competitors were knocked unconscious by blatant full blooded punches.  The
>>concern now is that a lot of vendettas are being carried forward to the
next
>>"Open" tournament.
>>
>>It is disappointing that this kind of behaviour is creeping into a sport
>that
>>is widely supported by children and adults of all ages.  The majority of
>>competitors who go to the tournaments treat them as they are meant to be -
>fun
>>and enjoyment and a chance to show off your skills and to learn from the
>>knowledge of others.  Many children stay behind at the tournaments to
watch
>>the adults compete.  It is rather concerning that many of these children
>(and
>>their parents) are witnessing some of the behaviours being demonstrated by
>>competitors who will literally do anything to win. I have had parents make
>>comments to me such as "this is getting a bit rough isn't it?"  This is
>>worrying as who is to say that they won't stop their children from
>>participating.
>>
>>I firmly believe that the people who overstep the mark and use excessive
>force
>>should receive lengthy bans from all tournaments.  But for this to happen,
>the
>>referees must be stronger and must start disqualifying these people
>instead of
>>letting them get away with it.
>>
>>I would welcome anyone else's thoughts on this matter.
>>
>>Mark Turner
>>2nd Gup


I was watching the children spar at the tournament I attended on sunday and
overheard many
parents voicing concern over the level of contact between them..
Some of the children were in tears due to punches on the nose
 during the bouts and they had to stop..

The judges were trying to reassure them saying that they must realize that
this is a semicontact
sport.
It may be that some of the children are witnessing some of the more harder
bouts
between the adults and it is influencing them.

I only hope that this does not cause parents to stop their children joining
the
GTF, other afilliations or martial art clubs.

I do believe that anyone using excessive contact, punching outside of the
ring etc,
should be disqualified and possibly banned from the organisation.

In most amateur sports involving the use of contact, strict rules are
enforced and
people are punished in various ways..
It could be that TKD is not so much in the public eye as other sports and
concequently
there is not as much pressure to enforce these rules..

The doctors told me that if the punch that I received on sunday
 was another inch to the right I would have been dead due to bone fragments
piercing the soft parts of the brain.

I hope it will not take a death in this sport before anything is done to
calm things
down a bit...

Regards

Jason Harries...

[GTF-Talk Archive]