WT v USAT v AAU...

World Taekwondo just made a height/weight change for the Cadets that is a really great change. It's safer and healthy for our kids. USA Taekwondo is adhering to it and AAU is NOT!

AAU Taekwondo shared a statement today. I've underlined a line in their statement for you all below but it states, "This rule makes no sense in the natural development of children." This is the statement that I vehemently disagree with and here's why...

In 2021 a week prior to the National events for both AAU and USAT my son was cutting to be in a weight division with kids more his height because fighters a foot taller than him were cutting to the weight division that he should fall into "NATURALLY". He ended up in the hospital trying to adhere to the old weight division rules and it almost cost him his life because he lost all the salt in his body and ended up in ICU. He was trying to make a ridiculous weight bracket just so he could fight kids more his size. So tell me, AAU Taekwondo, how the old weight rules make more sense and are best for these kids? I'll wait!!!

He was a second year Cadet at the time.

In my opinion, World Taekwondo needs to do this for the Junior fighters as well to give the Cadets a place to go when they age up. When fighters reach Senior level they can chose whether they wanna dangerously cut or not because at that point they are adults and can make their own decisions for their life. #usataekwondo #aautaekwondo #worldtaekwondo #worldtaekwondofederation

Here's a video link that gives explanation as to why the height/weight change has happened:  https://youtu.be/vtaAnvts3Xc. Watch it because it will blow your mind.

The change WT is making wasn't a decision that was done on a whim. It has been the better part of four years in the making. Parents/Coaches alike need to use the health calculators available online and put your kids heights and weights into them and see where their BMI falls. I dare say many of you will get quite an education on how unhealthy your kids really are. I wish this rule was already present when my son was a cadet because then he'd never had been in the hospital in the first place from working out so hard that he lost all the salt in his body. People need to wake up and think of their kids health first. I can tell you with certainty that we are. No competition is worth my sons health and I'll never put him or let him put himself at risk ever again!!! At the end of the day it's just not worth it!!!