Gyeorugi
겨루기
Fighting and sparring in taekwondo. The Olympic bout is scored with electronic trunk and head protectors under WT rules.
Quick Facts
Term typeCompetition, rules and scoring
LanguageKorean
Formnoun
Pronunciation[kyuh-roo-gee]
Alternative Namesfighting, sparring
Readings and romanizations
Revised Romanizationgyeorugi
McCune–Reischauerkyŏrugi
Definition
Gyeorugi (겨루기) means a contest, a measuring of strength. In taekwondo it denotes both fighting and free sparring. It is trained from agreed exercises with attack and defence set in advance to free fighting. In WT taekwondo, fighters wear the trunk protector hogu, a helmet, and forearm and shin guards. At the Olympic Games since 2012, scoring uses electronic protectors that register kick hits. Referees judge punches. ITF fighters compete without a trunk protector, in gloves and foot protectors, with limited contact.