Contact

Contact is the striking force applied to an opponent when sparring. Contact may be no-contact, light-contact, or full-contact, depending on the rules which control the type of sparring. Control of contact is usually over used and under enforced. Most students use too much control and thus too little force, and many instructors do not closely monitor the amount of control being used until it becomes excessive. For no-contact free-sparring or step-sparring, properly controlled attacks and counters should not touch or barely touch the target so as not to cause any pain, bruises, soreness, or red marks. No-contact does not coming a few inches short of the target; this is just as much poor control as is striking too hard.

Sparring consists of six main types

Step-Sparring. This is where two students work together to perform a set of prearranged techniques. Movements may be with one-step, two-step, three-step, etc. Often, students are encouraged to change timing during execution. While there is nothing wrong with this, "tricking" the opponent should not be the aim. Primary emphasis should be on proper form. Techniques practiced should include techniques found in the first few patterns.

Semi-Free Sparring (free one-step). This type is used at the Orange Belt level in Taekwondo America organization. It usually involves the same techniques as in step-sparring, but the attacker and defender are allowed to move around in free-sparring stances until the moment of attack/defense. The completion of the attack and the counter should still be in the full basic form.

Free-Sparring, two students fight each other using all permitted techniques in any combination they choose. In competition, a referee controls a free-sparring match, and the referee and corner judges award points and determine the winner. In training, many pairs of students may free-spar simultaneously under the supervision of the instructor and his or her assistants. In this type of free-sparring is a learning experience, so the sparring students judge themselves and must decide in their own minds if their opponent was the winner.

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