Chung Do Kwan Sparring

If you search Chung Do Kwan on the web you will find a wide variety of approaches. This is true in both forms and sparring. In regards to forms/hyungs/poomse some organisations practice WTF,ITF or even forms designed by the organizations head. Still other practice older forms/kata with Okinawan and Japanese origins. Some Chung Do Kwan schools practice a WTF style of sparring. Most use protective equipment as well. Some use a stop and start point method.

The posted video is from a recent tournament in Kansas City hosted by Master Thomas Duncan and Master Rudolf Muhammad. The video is a good example of competition sparring under the Yong Taek Chung lineage. There is contact but it is controlled. Safety equipment is optional. There is no contact allowed to the head. Incidental contact receives a warning and if continued constitutes grounds for disqualification.

All in all I believe it to be a balanced and valuable approach to competition sparring. It is hard enough to test technique, spirit and resolve. It is controlled enough to protect participants from serious injury (head trauma via knock out)and more often enough to prevent any injury at all.

How about your organization? Hardcore full contact? A pitty pat game of tag? Maybe it exists in that wide expanse between the two.