British Taekwondo launched an exciting BodyShot pilot competition on Sunday, with 36 competitors taking to the mats at Barnsley Metrodome.
The inaugural event was aimed at improving athlete safety in our sport, particularly in relation to head injuries and concussions in Kyorugi, especially for younger and novice athletes.
By removing head contact entirely, this new approach creates a controlled environment where athletes can focus on developing technical precision, timing, and ring craft without the risk of concussive impact.
It also provides a valuable stepping stone for those transitioning from club-level sparring to full-contact competition, giving participants confidence and experience before taking on higher-risk formats.
The format aligns with British Taekwondo’s wider strategy to modernise pathways and make the sport more accessible to everyone; regardless of age, experience, or ability, with feedback on the day proving the trial event to be a huge success.
Bouts were contested according to World Taekwondo Para rules, as participants embraced the new ruleset with enthusiasm: fast-paced exchanges, strategic movement and focused technique filled the mats as athletes got their first experience of a competition format designed to challenge and protect those fighting.
Across the day, the mats at the Barnsley Metrodome were alive with energy and enthusiasm. While the absence of headshots on Court 1 marked a clear difference from traditional Kyorugi, the athletes showed that intensity and strategy were still at the heart of every match.
Caroline Platt, co-founder of Stockport-based Keumgang Family Martial Arts, was pleased with what she saw on the mats during Sunday’s action, as two of her novice players competed in the event.
She said: “We’ve had two students do it today, and we’re really proud of them. They weren’t necessarily confident enough to go for the headshots, so for them, this has been a great opener.
“I think it’s important for the parents as well because they don’t want their children to get kicked in their head. So sometimes it might not even be the child, it might be the parent that needs that reassurance that their child’s going to be safe.
“Personally, I would hope [there are more BodyShot events] because I think to step on that mat, it’s a big thing psychologically. So I think to offer that element will help more people give it a try.”
The pilot also allowed British Taekwondo to gather vital feedback on how the format works in a real-world setting, with a review process set to adjudicate how the format performed in terms of safety, athlete experience, officiating and competition delivery.
Rachel was a parent of one of the competitors on the day, George, who has only recently started competing in the sport: “He’s only recently started competing in Taekwondo and practising, he’s only young and little so he struggles with the head kicks and he wouldn’t be able to do it,” she said.
“It wouldn’t be safe for him to be in a fight with somebody who had the ability to do a head kick. So it’s perfect because it opens the competition up to younger kids for them to get a great feel for the sport.
“You want your child to be safe in any sport that they do, there’s always that risk with any sport. But this now makes me feel a lot more comfortable as his mum that he’s not going in and taking head shots when he’s not really at the age to be able to know what he’s doing, or to be able to and handle it.”
Looking ahead, the insights gathered from this pilot will be used to refine the BodyShot competition model and inform how the format could be used more widely alongside the current Kyorugi calendar, before it is made available to event hosts, clubs and coaches in 2026.
We’d like to say a massive thank you to Scorpion Taekwondo for agreeing to host the event at their 1-2-1 competition at Barnsley Metrodome, the support of the team in the build-up to the event and on the day was incredible!
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