Electronic Protector Officially Recognized
By WTF
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The long awaited electronic body protector is here! One new piece of equipment that could revolutionize the way of Taekwondo competition and most of all, the way of judging, has been recognized by WTF at last. On September 11th the World Taekwondo Federation signed a recognition contract with LaJUST on electronic protectors at the headquarters of the WTF in Seoul.
Three other companies have failed so far to live up to the standards of WTF and KISS, the Korea Institute of Sports and Science, that has set up and checked all technical specifications of the electronic body protector.
The product of LaJUST was the only one that passed the “acceptable” level of the basic technical requirements in four categories to be applied to taekwondo competition. The four categories are accuracy of the sense-impact level, differentiation of valid impact and invalid impact, consecutive impacts and calibration. According to the KISS report to the WTF in June this year, LaJUST also passed the laboratory tests, which involved transmission systems, safety on electricity and electronics, and endurance of materials.
LaJUST has started developing electronic protector systems in 1982 and has since conducted electronic-protector demonstrations at about 130 official and unofficial taekwondo competitions. As recently as in October 2003, LaJUST electronic protectors were used at the 24th Yonsei University President’s Flag Taekwondo Championships in Seoul. On July 29, 2006, there was a JaJUST demonstration of electronic protectors during the 6th WTF World Junior Taekwondo Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, drawing a positive response from spectators.
The contract period is five years. With the signing, the WTF is able to use the electronic protectors in the taekwondo competition of the 18th World Taekowndo Championships scheduled for in May 2007 in Beijing, China, at the earliest. The introduction of electronic protectors is expected to greatly enhance the image of taekwondo and the WTF, as they could reduce possible controversies arising from judgment and refereeing at taekwondo competitions.
The adoption of electronic judgement of Taekwondo competition means a milestone in the development of Taekwond as an international sport. Competition Rules will undergo another big change and it has to be seen how this will affect the referees and judges, competitors and coaches. The Taekwondo world is looking forward to the next Taekwondo World Championships 2007 in Beijing!
