Para

CHAMPIONS IN MOTION
YOUR JOURNEY, YOUR FIGHT – FIND YOUR PLACE IN PARA TAEKWONDO

Taekwondo Canada is working to establish a formal Para Taekwondo Kyorugi program with the aim being to qualify athletes for future World Para Taekwondo Championships and Paralympic Games and are looking for impairment eligible individual that are currently members in a taekwondo club or are interested in joining one. 

want to join canada’s para taekwondo kyorugi program?

Taekwondo Canada is looking for individuals that meet the following minimum impairment criteria: 

Share your interest by completing Taekwondo Canada’s Para Taekwondo: Expression of Interest Form
Taekwondo Canada will use the information collected in the Expression of Interest Form to connect individuals with Taekwondo Canada’s Para Program Lead.

About para Taekwondo

Like Taekwondo, Para Taekwondo has two disciplines: Poomsae and Kyorugi. Depending the athlete’s type of impairment, athletes may be able to compete in one or both disciplines. Classes competing in Kyorugi will have the “K” prefix. Classes competing in Poomsae will have the “P” prefix. 

KYORUGI – PARALYMPIC TAEKWONDO

The following sport classes are used for Para Taekwondo – Kyorugi:

• • Limb(s) Deficiency or Impaired Passive Range of Movement – K40
  • Deaf – K60

Para taekwondo is a relatively new sport that was conceived in 2005 and has been growing ever since. The first world championships were held in 2009, and the sport was later added to the Paralympic programme in 2017. Para taekwondo made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021, becoming the second contact sport on the Paralympic programme 33 years after judo was added. Kyorugi is a Paralympic taekwondo discipline for athletes with upper limb impairments where athletes are divided into weight categories.

In Para taekwondo, matches are held in a one round contest, lasting up to five minutes. Athletes wear protective equipment and ‘sensor socks’, which determines if a point is scored when hitting their opponent’s torso as all scoring is based on kicks to the trunk. Athletes get two points for a regular kick, three points for a turning kick and four points for a spinning kick. Head kicks are not allowed and result in a gam-jeom, a penalty that gives a point for the opponent. At Paris 2024, Para taekwondo featured the K44 sport class, with athletes with impairments in either one or both upper limbs. Athletes competed against other fighters in the same sport class and weight category.

Physical impairment characteristics from the Paris 2024 Paralympic cycle: 

• • Unilateral or bilateral upper limb amputee, below the elbow (congenital or acquired)
  • Unilateral or bilateral upper limb impairment (congenital or acquired) muscle function / stiffness, bony fusion of upper limb joints (should and/or elbow)

POOMSAE

The following sport classes are used for Para Taekwondo – Poomsae:

• • Visual Impairment – P10
  • Intellectual Disability – P20
  • Neurological Impairments – P30
  • Limb(s) Deficiency or Impaired Passive Range of Movement – P40
  • Wheelchair – P50
  • Deaf – P60
  • Short Stature – P70

CLASSIFICATION & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• • World Taekwondo Para Taekwondo Classification Guide
  • Individuals need to be classified before participating in World Taekwondo (WT) sanctioned International Para tournaments
  • Individuals that would like to be classified, please send an email to awrigley@taekwondo-canada.com. Once an email has been received, we will send out a classification screening form to be completed by the interested applicant, along with further instructions. Once the form is completed with the required information, we will send your application to an International Classifier.
  • World Taekwondo Medical Diagnostic Forms (MDF Forms)

Notable Canadian Para Taekwondo Athletes:

• • Anthony Cappello
    • Silver – 2019 World Championships K43 M-61kg
    • Bronze – 2017 World Championships K43 M-61kg