Hello everyone! It is day 7 of online Taekwondo story 101. Today will be talking about Kyorugi “sparring.” Sparring is quite different from Poomsae “form” or Kyukpa “breaking” because you actually have a partner to exchange offense and defense techniques so it would provide experiences of practicality of closed to genuine fighting with same environment because of safety equipment and competition rules and regulations. Furthermore, Taekwondo Kyorugi was the main form of sport like competition. The Kyorugi competition started by school taekwondo when taekwondo became an amateur sport of Korean Sports Association in 1963 and many public schools started to have their own competition team and improve the competition rules and regulation by going through extensive improvement and renovations.

1. Why do we spar?
- Application of kicks and block techniques in real time
- Learn how to strategize and adapt to opponents
- Skill development: speed, stamina, strength, agility, creativity
- Learn how to maintain self-control and self-confidence

2. Basic sparring drills
- Footwork
- Open vs. closed stances
- Offense vs. defense
- Clinching
- Fundamental footwork & steps
- Forward, backward, one-step forward, one-step backward step
- Jump ropes, running drills,
- Pair drills
- Reaction drills as pair
- Hogu drills
- Group of three training
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3. Sparring gear
- Hogu: chest protector
- Shin guards
- Foot guards
- Arm guards
- Gloves
- Mouthpiece
- Head gear
- Groin guard

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