Control Ring

Control the Ring

• Know where the referee and judges are standing. Since two of them must see a technique to score it, move around to keep at least two of them on your good side.
• Cutoff your opponent. Cutoff your opponent to prevent him or her from moving into an advantageous position.
• Keep centered. Occupying the center of the ring is most advantageous.
• Show Taekwondo spirit. Attack with a vengeance, but with control and respect for the opponent. You are out to win, but not win at all costs. You must win, and lose, with dignity and humility. 
• Keep moving. It is harder to hit a moving target than a stationary one. Dance back and forth, side to side, or circle, or side-step but do not stand still and do not back up. Keep moving and keep opponent off balance.
• Move to sides or in circles. Backing up will put you outside the ring, may draw a penalty for going out of bounds, and it demonstrates "weakness" to your opponent. Instead of backing up, side step and counter.
• Do not stop. Attack quickly, aggressively, and persistently! Single techniques are easily "read" by your opponent. Therefore, use feints and sweeps and then attack without pause until the referee stops you. If your competitor is backing up, do not stop attacking. A common error of inexperienced fighters is neglecting to follow up an attack. Once a fighter is backing up, to change to an attack, one must stop, and then move forward. This is difficult to do when you are constantly under attack.
• Intimidate. Intimidate your opponent with speed, skill, and spirit, using an aggressive attack to weaken his or her guard so you may attack from within.
• Keep a killer instinct. This does not mean you are out to cheat or harm the opponent, it just means you are out to win. Do not be affected by the status of the opponent (smaller, weaker, injury, or disability). They chose to face you, and they will lose. Do not let an opportunity slip by because of sympathy. If the opponent drops his or her guard or shows fatigue, take advantage. Do nothing illegal, but finish off the opponent. It is the referee job to stop the action if he or she thinks it is necessary, it is your job to win. Do not be arrogant or cocky, such as raising hand in victory or dancing around and showing off when ahead. Be warrior! Get in, get the job done, and get out, with finesse and dignity.