RIO DE JANEIRO -- Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that emphasizes kicking.Fully padded fighters compete to see who can land the most kicks. The head and body are legitimate targets and all kicks are scored electronically; fighters wear special sensor socks and kicks to their opponents body protector are recorded only if they are executed with sufficient force, which is calibrated differently for every weight division.For safety reasons, kicks to the head are scored whenever the fighters foot simply touches the opponents head guard or face -- no force is required. Punches to the body are allowed, but not to the head.A match consists of three two-minute rounds and will go into a golden point round if the score is tied at the end of three rounds. At that point, the first fighter to score -- with any technique -- wins. Heres a quick guide to taekwondo scoring.1. Body shots. Kicks to the body score one point. But if they incorporate a spinning technique, like a back kick, they can score three points. Punches to the body score one point.2. Head kicks. Kicks to the head score three points, unless they involve a spinning technique, in which case an extra point is awarded.3. Penalties. Fighters can be penalized if they withdraw from a fight, are inactive for 10 seconds or fall, even if thats the result of being kicked. Fighters cannot grab their opponents and no kicks below the belt are allowed. Referees have significant leeway, however, on handing out penalties and are encouraged to keep the fight active rather than constantly stopping and starting the action.4. The 12-point gap. Taekwondo fights are automatically suspended if one fighter gains a 12-point lead on the other. That gap is considered too big to claw back and fights will usually be stopped at the end of that round.5. Video replays. Coaches may request a video replay if they feel their fighters technique hasnt been scored or if they think their fighters opponent was improperly awarded points. The decision is made by a panel of taekwondo judges who watch an instantaneous video replay. If coaches lose the challenge, they must surrender their video replay card to the referee. Custom Heat Jerseys . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Authentic Custom Heat Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. http://www.customheatjersey.com/custom-chris-bosh-jersey-large-70y.html . 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He returned to the same tournament the next year and beat the kid who was too good to team with Shu.Shus been winning matches around the world for most of the last 15 years.The top-ranked American singles player has his biggest match yet when he opens play Friday in a sport known more as a lazy backyard summer game than a serious sport in the Summer Games.China won gold in all five badminton events in 2012, and many top Chinese will again be contenders when play opens Wednesday.Shu would love to leave with a medal to go with another passport stamp. Shus Instagram page looks like something straight out of Wheres Waldo. Theres Shu chilling in a pool after the Olympic trials in Tahiti. Or hes snapping a selfie from Table Mountain in South Africa.He even posted a short clip of the time he pulled on a wetsuit and went swimming with the sharks in Cape Town, South Africa after he won a major international tournament. Sometimes, hes just kicking up his Jordans and relaxing.Shus thirst for adventure and his world-class skills have made him the natural spokesman for an American team hopeful of bringing home the countrys first medal in the sport. Badminton is on the short list of sports the U.S. has failed to even medal in, joining handball, rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis and trampoline.The 25-year-old Shu, who graduated from UCLA, isnt a strong medal favorite. But he has the type of charisma that could help Americans take notice of badminton for at least a few days should he advance deep into the tournament.Badminton is stuck in thee same Rio de Janeiro complex as other minor sports that include weightlifting and table tennis.dddddddddddd At the Olympic level, badminton smashes reach over 200 mph and boast long rallies that could rival the most thrilling in tennis. The shuttle whizzes across the net like a darting mosquito and only the best make sure the shuttlecock -- made of 16 goose feathers stuck to a leather-covered round cork, that weighs only about 5 grams -- never hits the floor.Every player has a different style. When I go on the court, its really like art, Shu said.Shus parents are both from Taiwan and his father played badminton. Shu started playing at 8, running around like a little brat when he tagged along with his dad. Shu played soccer and baseball, even basketball, which forged what he called an addiction to sneakers.Yes, the Shu certainly fits when it comes to calling him a Jordan aficionado.The sneaker junkie has more than 100 pairs of sneaks and multiples of his favorites (one to rock, one to stock) with a fondness for the Air Jordan 11s.Hes put some serious miles on his size-10 soles. The 6-foot-1 Shu has dominated badminton around the world, especially last year when he hit 30 countries in 12 tournaments, including one six-week stretch where he played on six continents.And one serious plunge with great white sharks .I was on such a high from a winning a tournament, I just said, `Im doing it, he said.Back on dry land, Shu posed for a photo with Kevin Durant at the opening ceremony parade and later watched the U.S. squad romp over Venezuela with friends and family from home.Hes part of a seven-member delegation thats a longshot to medal -- but hopeful to open American eyes to an underappreciated sport.I just want to go out there and show people what the sport can be, Shu said.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org ' ' '