Chudolinski, Artur, Turgeon, Matt, Aaron, Simon, Ho, Eric, &
Coombe, Lianne (2009) collected information from injury
reports that were filed and treated by the medical staff at the
competition (Kazemi et al. p. 1). Out of all the injuries that
were reported throughout the study, the most common area for
injuries to be sustained was the head, with an injury rate of
19% (Kazemi et al. 2009. Table 2). The period of study from
2000-2009 took into account the rule changes for head contact
in 2003, and Kazemi et al. (2009) explain that this, “adds
incentive to score more points vie head strikes and thereby
increases the risk of head injury.” (Kazemi et al. p. 3) The
study involved 664 competitors total, and had the second
highest injury rate reported in the head and neck, with 208
injuries for a rate of 23.3% (Kazemi et al. 2009. Table 3). All of
these reports exemplify the high rate of head injury in
Taekwondo sparring and how easy it is for the repeated head
trauma to cause severe damage to the athletes.
While all of the injuries discussed above prove the danger of
Taekwondo sparring, they do not show how part of the cause
for the danger came with the 2003 rule changes that increase
incentive to kick to the head. This can be shown by comparing
the nine year study of Taekwondo injuries, which included a