What is the difference between ATA and WTF taekwondo?
Anaïs Valentin
2025-06-27 04:37:01
Nombre de réponses: 7
The main differences will be the vast disparity in the standards and quality of instruction, skill-level of our instructors and students, and the immersion in Korean Taekwondo culture.
We’re often asked, “What’s the difference between Taekwondo and ATA?”
The chart below highlights some most important differences.
Adélaïde Colin
2025-06-27 01:54:24
Nombre de réponses: 7
The American Taekwondo Association style of taekwondo is one of the most popular styles in the United States.
It is considered easier than both ITF and WTF, mainly due to the fact that it only takes up to two years to gain a black belt in ATA, while it takes around four and seven years for the other two respectively.
One main difference that ATA has compared to the other two forms is that it teaches students how to use weapons, along with taekwondo techniques such as kicks and blows.
ATA requires participants to wear a head guard, mouth guard, groin guard, foot gear, hand gear, as well as a face mask during competitions, unlike the previous two styles.
This is due to the fact that ATA is less strict in terms of regulation, and hence participants need to be properly protected.
Nevertheless, participants are not allowed to strike at their opponent’s back or below the belt, and hand blows to the head are also forbidden.
The World Taekwondo Federation style is the most common style of taekwondo, used in most sporting events such as the Olympics.
Padding in WTF taekwondo is also thicker, as it is a full-contact sport, while ATA has restrictions such as disallowed elbow strikes and hand blows to the head.
Hence, WTF favours kicks whereas ATA encourages participants to hone both their kicks and hand strikes, but with restrictions.
Rémy Marechal
2025-06-27 00:03:52
Nombre de réponses: 6
wtf is probably the most practiced style of tkd.
ata and itf are more all-a-round based.
the sparring is very different thus the tournament rules are different.
i have found that these types of tournaments are harder to find.
wtf is for you if you dream of olympic glory.