Various new rules have been rumoured for years, and now the final list is out. Some of these rules have already been tested at the Beijing Olympics, while others will take more time to roll out. The following are rule changes that will be in effect for the Senior National Championships this May in Vancouver.

What are you doing this weekend? The forecast is ideal for traveling to Laval, where spectators can watch Canada’s top Taekwondo athletes compete for a spot on the Canadian World Cup Team. The World Cup Championships will run June 10^th to 14^th in Baku, Azerbaijan, at which time the 1^st Para-Taekwondo Championships will also be held. According to the WTF Secretary General, “The [Para-Taekwondo] championships are our initiative to organize sport-for-all events for taekwondo athletes with a disability. We hope that, in the long run, the sport of taekwondo could someday be included in programme of the Paralympic Games.”

» Event information (pdf)

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For martial art enthusiasts going to Las Vegas to watch 4 days of Taekwondo from some of the world’s best fighters it’s a dream come true, and it definitely was not disappointing.

Students who are thinking of getting involved in tournaments and who are already doing the local events, but want to move or get involved in a higher level should think of attending the US Open. From the colour belts to the black belt juniors to seniors this event had fighters from 60 countries and they were top fighters. Also it was a great venue to test out the new…

Just as Taekwondo guides students on the path of self-improvement, Taekwondo itself embraces the concept of continuous improvement by re-examining issues of safety, techniques, rules, and performance. Taekwondo’s evolution in recent decades is what earned it the status of Olympic Sport, and its continued evolution will secure that coveted title beyond the 2012 games.

Amendments to Competition Rules were discussed at a large WTF technical meeting in late 2008. WTF President Chungwon Choue summarized the meeting’s purpose:

“…we need the overall amendment of the Competition Rules for more fun, transparent and fair games…. We have now commenced a process of revising…

Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson, left, Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, centre, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros, right, are seen in this image released by the Department of National Defence.

The remains of three more Canadian soldiers have returned from Afghanistan today, marking the 100^th Canadian troop fatality in the conflict. Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros 1st Battalion were all members of the Royal Canadian Regiment based out of Petawawa, Ontario.

Their service will be remembered along with all fallen Allied soldiers, including 557 U.S. and 300 British deaths. The Afghani civilian death toll exceeds 50,000.

» Article: CBC.ca

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Many of Canada’s top Taekwondo athletes are preparing for a battle on home soil. The 2008 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships (CTC) will be the first international tournament to be held in Canada since the World Championships in 1999.

In 2006 Canadian players made the long trip to Australia for the last CTC. This time, it will be the Australians, the English, the Jamaicans, and players from nearly 20 other Commonwealth Nations who will be making the trip to Winnipeg. The event is being organized by members of various Taekwondo schools in Manitoba, and is sanctioned by Taekwondo Canada and the Commonwealth Taekwondo…

Canada dominated at the 2008 Pan American Taekwondo Championships held in Caguas Puerto Rico in early October. The Female Team ranked first (as they did at the last Championships), and the Men’s Team placed third. As a whole, the Team ranked first overall.

Canadian Pan Am Championships Team

The most notable performance was provided by Ontario’s Melissa Pagnotta, who not only won gold in her…