Taekwondo Union agrees to change rule

DENVER -- Heeding the advice of three lawmakers, the U.S. Taekwondo Union has reversed a rule that allowed young black belts to disable opponents with blows to the head.

Reps. Henry Waxman and Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sen. James Jeffords sent letters to the U.S. Olympic Committee last month asking it to review a 2002 rule that allowed 12- and 13-year-old black belts to use full head contact. The lawmakers asked for the rule to be changed because younger taekwondo athletes are more susceptible to head trauma.

After reviewing injury data and consulting with medical and taekwondo experts, USTU has decided to prohibit competitors under 14 from making any kind of head contact. USTU chief executive Bob Gambardella informed the lawmakers of the change in a letter sent Wednesday.

"Based on what we've been able to read, what we've been able to see we just felt that at this point we needed to put a prohibition to head kicks for young kids," Gambardella said Thursday.

In its letter, the USTU said it is looking into ways to track injuries better and standardize medical care. Creating a minimum safety standard for taekwondo equipment was another priority.

USTU also said it has started using new software that tracks points earned with contact to various parts of the body. At the Junior World Championships last month in Colorado Springs, results from the program showed nine percent of the blows in 54 matches were to the head.

Gambardella said he thought the USTU also could implement a "passport" system in which athletes must sit out at least 30 days if they are knocked out or sustain a head injury that is not cleared by a ringside doctor. USA Boxing uses a similar system.

"I look forward to hearing more from the United States Taekwondo Union about additional safety measures discussed in the letter, including standards for protective equipment and a 'passport system' of injury monitoring," Waxman said in a statement Thursday. "Protecting young athletes from serious injury must remain a high priority for all competitive sports."

The difficult part will be creating a competitive environment for athletes who want to move up to the elite level.

Before the age limit was dropped in 2002, junior rules allowed 12 and 13-year-old competitors to use light head contact to score points. Since the new rule bans any kind of head contact for all competitors under 14, USTU will have to develop a transitional program to keep its athletes from being at a disadvantage once they reach the international level.

Gambardella said he hopes to create a task force in the fall to look at the issue.

"We felt that we wanted to put a prohibition on this age group so we can get some time to actually figure it out," Gambardella said. "It's a tough situation. If you keep the rule in effect, then kids might get hurt. If it doesn't we've got to somehow develop a transitional-type program to help us train kids to get to that next level."