Timing is important when attacking and especially counter-attacking. This can be learned by sparring or doing reaction paddle drills.

Concentrate on a few kicks. There are countless kicks and combinations in Taekwondo but you only need a few of them to be successful in tournaments. Some of the more important ones are 10-20 degree, roundhouse, hammer kick and back kick. If you can do these kicks with power and speed , you should be able to challange your most formidable opponet. Reason being these kicks are very effective and simple. They do not require too much power (or skill) but they are more effecient than the other more 'asthetic' kicks (e.g: 360 jumping spinning kick)

To gain more power when executing kicks twist your waist into your opponent and turn 10-20 degrees into a roundhouse kick just before your kick reaches your opponent.

Conserve Energy:

Try to conserve your energy for later rounds or matches. Most beginners are so tense and do so many 'air' kicks that after a round they find themselves out of steam. So if you are able to conserve energy, this is the time to use it. Endurance is important but managment of energy is more important.

Distance:

When sparring it is less painful and tiring if, instead of blocking your opponent's kicks, you simply move out of range. This serves two purposes:

1. You don't get bruises from blocking the kicks of somebody who is bigger than you.
2. You create frustration by keeping your opponent guessing as to what you are planning.

The flip-side of this is when you are the person doing the kicking: - a fair number of people at various levels have bad distance judgement, so bad that their opponent does not have to move in order not to get hit. This means you waste your energy, you recieve nothing in return and you set up your opponent for the counter.

To determine proper distance you must learn three things:

1. How to judge your distance from your opponent - are they within kicking range?
2. How to judge their distance from you - are you in their kicking range?
3. How to open and close distance when required - realise that your opponent will not voluntarily stand at the right distance for you to do your magical 5 hit combo.

You need to close or open the gap as needed - eg. after you slide away from their kick, close for just the right distance and score with a counter attack, after you attack, move out of their range.

Note: Out of range does not necessarily mean too far away. It means "at a distance where your opponent cannot kick you without having to adjust their distance from you in the same fashion"

You could be too close or too far from them.

Blocking:

If you cannot avoid the kick, block it. Seems obvious but there is more to it than just blocking.

Its usually more desirable to avoid the kick than to have to block it, since, if you have to block it you are definitely in your opponent's kicking range. If you block a kick make sure it stays blocked - no half-hearted attempts along the lines of "I'll just put an arm out and hope that's good enough".

Your opponent should feel that they have been blocked. This means you need to know which kick you are blocking and what block you are using. The key to this is partly experience and knowing what each block is designed for. Experienced practitioners can generally predict what kick their opponent will do as a follow through kick.

Blocking makes life very frustrating for your opponent - they have tried to kick you and have not scored a point. This makes your opponent perform stupidly which is about the stage where you can start cleaning up. Survival mode in the third round combined with tired feet and a rival with seemingly boundless energy makes blocking even more difficult, so make sure you are fit.

Follow Up:

The idea here is not to stop after you have scored a point. Most practitioners, after they have scored a point, step back and wait to see if their opponent will crumple to the ground. Fact of the matter is, it is not likely to happen. Consider now your opponent's reaction which is usually in the form of "Doh!!! he just hit me!" Put these two together and you have the fact that you should exploit their momentary confusion.

So what you need to remember is only kick when you see an opening. Never trade kicks during a tournament as this only leads to wasted energy and create vulnerability. Follow up your single kicks with 2-3 combination kicks. The first kick should always be light with emphasis on power placed on the second and third kick.

Never telegraph to your opponent that you are frustrated. If you do this, not only will your opponent gain confidence but most of the judges will give them the 'superiority' point.

Elements of a Successful Tournament:

1. A high level of physical fitness (physiological capacity).
2. Appropriate techniques for competition.
3. Highly developed psychological training.
4. A strong work ethic which includes proper attitude to training.

Tournamant Training Etiquette:

1. 100% commitment must be demonstrated in all areas of training namely streching, fitness, speed and mental attitude.
2. Support and encouragement toward others (110%).
3. Have a positive attitude and attempt to make only positive comments.
4. Obey all instructions immediately.
5. Minimise listening and seeing - Maximise doing and practicing!