For everybody's TKD enjoyment!!!

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A taekwondo competitor from the Central African Republic was hospitalized for precautionary tests Friday after being knocked out during a preliminary bout.

Bertrand Gbongou Liango was kicked in the left side of the head by Tuncay Caliskan of Austria during their 150-pound (68 kg) bout. His head snapped back and he then fell face-down to the mat. He lay motionless while being counted out and was carried off on a stretcher.

Liango, 22, was unconscious but breathing as he was carried off, a venue manager said.

After a couple minutes he started moving his hands, breathing easily and regained consciousness, a doctor at the site said in a statement. Liango was undergoing tests at Tzanio Hospital and will remain there for at least 24 hours.

``Thank god Bertrand is OK,'' said Liango's coach, Zacques Dominik. ``We saw him moving his hands and breathing. Everything is going well.''

Liango was leading 4-1 in the third and final round of his bout when a roundhouse kick from Caliskan knocked him unconscious.

``It is the nature of our sport,'' Caliskan said. ``I tried to win the match, which was the same thing that my opponent did. I send him my best wishes.''

Caliskan's kick was legal. In taekwondo, competitors score points by kicking or punching their opponents. They are allowed to punch only the body, but can kick the their opponent's head.

Blows to the head count for two points, and a blow to the body is worth one point. Competitors wear padded headgear and chest and abdomen protectors.

``It is an ordinary technique,'' Austria coach Mustafa Atalar said. ``My athlete tried to win the match and not to harm his opponent. He executed the kick but the other athlete didn't take the right defensive position. This was the first time that I saw this kick cause such damage.''

Soon we'll see head kicking banned.

(hope the guy recovers fully).

I wonder if the kick scored?

Originally posted by tkdan28
I wonder if the kick scored?

Amazingly not, but in any case is a KO, so Tuncay Caliskan won.

http://www.athens2004.com/en/TaekwondoMen/results?rsc=TKM068403&frag=TKM068403_C73

I'm not surprised... I imagine they disallowed it for "excessive contact".

Revising ruleset: If the opponent is KO, there's no scoring, is KO. End of match. Would have scored if the opponent gets up before the count ends and is able to continue.

OLYMPIC TKD TICKS ME OFF THE IDIOT SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS HANDS UP. i was watching these guys and i am ticked for every TKD practicioner who doesent train that way. I WILL NVER EVER EVEN ON MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY EVER FIGHT LIKE THAT. the retard seserved to get knocked out. i have never seen olympic TKD before and am ashamed that the MA that i work so hard to be a practicioner of is made to look so STUPID AND IDIOTIC THAT EVEN A FIVE YEAR OLD CAN TELL IT WILL NEVER EVER WORK. on another note i am not coaching my students for the olympics though i am training them to DEFEND THEMSELVES. if this is what is known around the world as TKD then i am no longer a practicioner of TKD i am a practicioner of building students mentally and physically so they can protect their families and theirselves. in fact i propose that Songahm TKD change its name to just songahm.

Olympic TKD, almost as pussified as Olympic Boxing.

bring back the greek boxing, fights not over till your opponent is knocked out or dead, and all you get is a leather thong to wrap your hands with and a half inch peice of brass to put over your knuckles.

I DONT CLAIM TO SPEAK FOR THE ATA I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND WHAT I DO. the way I train. I AM ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAY I TEACH> I CANNOT SPEAK FOR OTHER ATA INSTRUCTORS.

Does the all powerful ATA practice full contact sparring kicks to the noggin without the benefit of headgear?