Para taekwondo is a relatively new sport that was conceived in 2005 and has been growing ever since.

Kyorugi is a Paralympic taekwondo discipline for athletes with upper limb impairments, split into two sports classes. Athletes are divided into weight categories. Fights feature three two-minute rounds with one-minute rest intervals. Athletes wear protective equipment – including head protectors – and deliver kicks to their opponent’s torso.

An electronic scoring system – with sensors fitted on the trunk protector and foot guards – is used. In taekwondo, only kicks to the torso count as valid attacks – any kick to the head is considered a foul. There are several ways for a competitor to win a fight – by building a 20-point lead, being the first to score 40 points or having the most points at the end of the six minutes of regulation time. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, an overtime round is held. If there is still a tie at the end of the overtime round, the winner will be decided by the judges based on several criteria, including technical skill, the number of hits registered and fighting spirit.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION: EUROPEAN TAEKWONDO UNION
NATIONAL FEDERATION: TAEKWONDO BOND NEDERLAND