Full contact karate
Encyclopedia
Full contact karate is a wide term used to differentiate between competition formats of karate
where competitors spar
(also called Kumite
) full-contact and allow knockout
as winning criterion, and those competitions that use light contact/semi contact point sparring where a knockout is regarded as a foul.
The term is also by extension used to differentiate between schools/styles of karate dedicated to such full contact competitions, and schools/styles that are not.
at different times in different places. Some developed independently, others developed out of other full contact rule systems or from light contact rule systems.
As there are no major unifying organizations in any of the different formats, the rule details may change drastically between the many rival sport/style organizations and different promoters. Some organizations stick rigidly to one set of rules. Other use several rule formats harmoniously side by side. Some even have tournaments that switch rule formats between rounds of the same bout.
Sometimes the differences between the different rules are large, and sometimes the only significant differences between different sport rules are the organizational structures that use them.
, and the sport karate competitions using this format often blur the line between these two related arts.
, and adapting it. It is continuous fighting, where you do not break the bout for scoring, but sum up point scores at the end of the bout. Protective equipment used is boxing gloves and often foot-pads, shin pads, and amateur boxing helmets.
American full contact karate is closely related to American kickboxing
, and it is often difficult to separate the two sports. As a guideline, American full contact karate do not allow kicks below the waistline, or the use of knees or elbows.
. In fighting the competitors traditionally wear no gloves, padding or body protection other than groin guards (although local regulations sometimes enforce exceptions to this tradition), but it is bare knuckle fighting. Punches to the face and groin
and joint attacks are prohibited but all bare-knuckle and elbow strikes to the body and limbs (with the exception of joints), and kicks (including kicks with the knee) against legs, arms, body, head and face are permitted, as are sweeps. Grabbing and holding the opponent, including clinching, is not allowed under the basic knockdown karate rules as used in Kyokushin, but are occasionally allowed in some variations used in other styles.
A score is only made by knocking your opponent out, down to the floor, or otherwise visibly incapacitating them, or by sweep and controlled follow-up for half a point. Unless there is a knockdown or sweep, the bout is continuous, with stoppages only to break up locked clinches or if the fighters leave the fight area.
Unlike American full-contact karate, or point karate, clean hits are not counted in and by themselves, as the scoring depend entirely on the effect of the hits -not on the formal or stylistic appearance of the techniques. No matter the perfection in execution of a technique, it will not score unless it visibly affects the opponent. In the same manner, if a technique does show a visible effect, it does not matter if it is executed in a manner regarded as inferior.
Common minor variations to the basic knockdown rules include Shidōkan karate knockdown that allows clinch and throws (as well as very brief attempts to follow up a throw with a submission technique), and Ashihara Karate & Enshin Karate
knockdown rules that allows one handed grabbing in order to execute throws to score points.
Many other variations exist, some so extensive that they can no longer be classified as knockdown rules, and several other branches of full contact karate (typically included in the "gloved", "MMA inspired" and "others" groups) originate as such a variation of the Knockdown karate rules.
Although this sport format originated with the Kyokushinkai karate organization, it has spread until it today is used by many karate styles and organizations. Karate styles embracing these rules are often called knockdown karate styles, and these include both organizations that originated from Kyokushin, such as World Oyama Karate, World Kanreikai Karate, Ashihara Karate, Enshin Karate
, Shidōkan, godokai, Karatedo Shurenkan and Seidokaikan
(the style that originated the K-1
), as well as styles such as Kansuiryu Karate
, Byakuren karate and many others that originated independently from Kyokushin, drawing their lineage to other styles of karate, but that have adopted the knockdown competition format.
Though severely divided by rivaling styles and organizations (several of which use their own minor variations of the basic rules), and lacking a unifying sport organization, the sport of knockdown karate is today common all over the world.
Despite the lack of a unifying sport organization to hold unifying championships (and the friction between the different styles and organizations), there is a long tradition in most knockdown karate organizations to hold special open tournament knockdown karate events, where fighters from any knockdown karate (or any other) style and organization are welcome to participate.
This system originates in Japan where it has become a popular amateur sport for karate fighters wishing to enter professional kickboxing. Outside of Japan it has gained some momentum in Europe, but is as of yet very small compared to other forms of karate.
The rules are based on the knockdown karate rules explained above, but modified to use boxing gloves and allow punches to the face. Although it may be argued that it is unclear where this karate competition format ends and kickboxing
begins. This is especially true since many gloved karate fighters seamlessly go on from their amateur gloved karate career to professional kickboxing careers. Many Japanese gloved karate fighters has in recent years become well known as pro-kickboxers, and many of the most successful Japanese kickboxers in K-1
, such as Kozo Takeda
, Yoshihiro Sato
, Yasuhiro Kido
, Hinata
, Yuya Yamamoto
, originate from gloved karate.
with gloves to protect the knuckles from the helmets steel bars, although in modern days more specific padding has been developed. While allowing knockout as winning criterion, the protective equipment reduces the chances for it, and points are usually scored for clean techniques and techniques knocking the opponent off his feet.
Originally just a training method and never scored, this has developed into a small but growing sport format used in several variations in different organization. At the moment the largest Bogu sport organization is the All Japan Koshiki Karate-Do Federation who calls their specific Bogu format Koshiki Karate.
Although compared to most other major full contact karate sports, Bogu and Koshiki is still very small.
inspired karate, where grappling
on the ground plays a big role, in addition to the stand-up fighting
which is more traditionally associated to karate. One example of a style engaged in this form of karate is the Japanese style organization ZenDoKai who calls their rules vale tudo
karate.
Even though many styles/style organizations like these have appeared during the last decade, there are no common set of rules or unifying sport organization, or even a common name/terminology for this type of karate competition rules.
One of the better known styles in this category of karate was Daido Juku
, although in 2001 they officially renamed their art and sport from karate to their own term Kudo. This name, however, is copyrighted and cannot be used by other organizations.
Examples of minor full contact rules system are the Shinken shobu rules of Kyokushin-kan, Irikumi Go as used by some Gōjū-ryū organizations (most notably the International Okinawan Gōjū-ryū Karate-dō Federation
and the Jundokan Goju-Ryu organization), and the rules of Mumonkai Karate.
Kyokushinkan shinken shobu use a variation of knockdown karate using thin gloves, and allows headpunches, clinching and throws. Irikumi Go is a traditional continuous fighting using full contact, gloves and facepunches, used in Gojuryu karate. Mumonkai use rules similar to knockdown karate, but modified to allow headpunches with protective headgear and thin gloves.
A example of full contact karate rules unique to a single promotion is the Chaos Madmax special event in Japan, arranged by the FSA Kenshinkan style organization -where fighters fight without gloves or protective equipment, and with headpunches allowed.
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
where competitors spar
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
(also called Kumite
Kumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
) full-contact and allow knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
as winning criterion, and those competitions that use light contact/semi contact point sparring where a knockout is regarded as a foul.
The term is also by extension used to differentiate between schools/styles of karate dedicated to such full contact competitions, and schools/styles that are not.
History
Full contact karate competition comes in several, and sometimes very different, formats. These different formats have different histories and were developed for the art of karateKarate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
at different times in different places. Some developed independently, others developed out of other full contact rule systems or from light contact rule systems.
As there are no major unifying organizations in any of the different formats, the rule details may change drastically between the many rival sport/style organizations and different promoters. Some organizations stick rigidly to one set of rules. Other use several rule formats harmoniously side by side. Some even have tournaments that switch rule formats between rounds of the same bout.
Sometimes the differences between the different rules are large, and sometimes the only significant differences between different sport rules are the organizational structures that use them.
Full contact point karate
One format of full contact karate competition is full contact point karate. It is similar to other competition karate, and the only difference from light contact and semi contact karate bouts is that if you knock your opponent out, you win instead of being disqualified for excessive contact. Points are scored for clean hits to the specified target zones, and unless there is an evident knockout or knockdown, the referee breaks the bout after each exchange to score the hits. The blows are delivered with full contact, although gloves, foot-pads, and in some cases body padding, is worn. This form of full contact karate competition is mainly found in North America where it originates, although it has some minor following in Europe. It is also similar to the competition format used in TaekwondoTaekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, and the sport karate competitions using this format often blur the line between these two related arts.
American
A second full contact karate competition format is American full contact karate which was developed in USA during the 60's to early 70's, by borrowing rules, settings and gloves from western boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and adapting it. It is continuous fighting, where you do not break the bout for scoring, but sum up point scores at the end of the bout. Protective equipment used is boxing gloves and often foot-pads, shin pads, and amateur boxing helmets.
American full contact karate is closely related to American kickboxing
American kickboxing
American Kickboxing, also known as Full-Contact Kickboxing or American Full Contact Karate, is a combat sport and a style of kickboxing in which two opponents of similar weight fight each other using full contact strikes with their fists and feet to attack the opponent, while keeping similar rules...
, and it is often difficult to separate the two sports. As a guideline, American full contact karate do not allow kicks below the waistline, or the use of knees or elbows.
Knockdown
Another major format of full-contact sport karate is known as knockdown karate or sometimes Japanese full contact karate. This style of sport fighting was developed and pioneered in the late 1960s by the Kyokushinkai karate organization in Japan, founded by Masutatsu OyamaMasutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
. In fighting the competitors traditionally wear no gloves, padding or body protection other than groin guards (although local regulations sometimes enforce exceptions to this tradition), but it is bare knuckle fighting. Punches to the face and groin
Groin attack
A groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
and joint attacks are prohibited but all bare-knuckle and elbow strikes to the body and limbs (with the exception of joints), and kicks (including kicks with the knee) against legs, arms, body, head and face are permitted, as are sweeps. Grabbing and holding the opponent, including clinching, is not allowed under the basic knockdown karate rules as used in Kyokushin, but are occasionally allowed in some variations used in other styles.
A score is only made by knocking your opponent out, down to the floor, or otherwise visibly incapacitating them, or by sweep and controlled follow-up for half a point. Unless there is a knockdown or sweep, the bout is continuous, with stoppages only to break up locked clinches or if the fighters leave the fight area.
Unlike American full-contact karate, or point karate, clean hits are not counted in and by themselves, as the scoring depend entirely on the effect of the hits -not on the formal or stylistic appearance of the techniques. No matter the perfection in execution of a technique, it will not score unless it visibly affects the opponent. In the same manner, if a technique does show a visible effect, it does not matter if it is executed in a manner regarded as inferior.
Common minor variations to the basic knockdown rules include Shidōkan karate knockdown that allows clinch and throws (as well as very brief attempts to follow up a throw with a submission technique), and Ashihara Karate & Enshin Karate
Enshin Karate
is a style of "full contact karate", or Knockdown karate, founded in 1988 with dojo and students in various countries around the world. The core emphasis in Enshin is use of the Sabaki Method, a system of techniques employed with the goal of turning an opponent's power and momentum against him or...
knockdown rules that allows one handed grabbing in order to execute throws to score points.
Many other variations exist, some so extensive that they can no longer be classified as knockdown rules, and several other branches of full contact karate (typically included in the "gloved", "MMA inspired" and "others" groups) originate as such a variation of the Knockdown karate rules.
Although this sport format originated with the Kyokushinkai karate organization, it has spread until it today is used by many karate styles and organizations. Karate styles embracing these rules are often called knockdown karate styles, and these include both organizations that originated from Kyokushin, such as World Oyama Karate, World Kanreikai Karate, Ashihara Karate, Enshin Karate
Enshin Karate
is a style of "full contact karate", or Knockdown karate, founded in 1988 with dojo and students in various countries around the world. The core emphasis in Enshin is use of the Sabaki Method, a system of techniques employed with the goal of turning an opponent's power and momentum against him or...
, Shidōkan, godokai, Karatedo Shurenkan and Seidokaikan
Seidokaikan
is a style of full contact karate, or Knockdown karate, founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii in 1980.-History:First formed in 1980 by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a former Kyokushin Karate practitioner who began his training under Hideyuki Ashihara in 1969...
(the style that originated the K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
), as well as styles such as Kansuiryu Karate
Kansuiryu Karate
is a style of Japanese karate founded by Yukio Mizutani and Kanji Inoki in 1979. It is known for its full contact training.-History:Two men, and , founded Kansuiryu Karate in the Mie prefecture of southern Japan....
, Byakuren karate and many others that originated independently from Kyokushin, drawing their lineage to other styles of karate, but that have adopted the knockdown competition format.
Though severely divided by rivaling styles and organizations (several of which use their own minor variations of the basic rules), and lacking a unifying sport organization, the sport of knockdown karate is today common all over the world.
Despite the lack of a unifying sport organization to hold unifying championships (and the friction between the different styles and organizations), there is a long tradition in most knockdown karate organizations to hold special open tournament knockdown karate events, where fighters from any knockdown karate (or any other) style and organization are welcome to participate.
Gloved
One more recent system of full contact karate that has gained in popularity is Gloved karate or Glove karate. Sometimes called Shin-karate/Shinkarate (or "new" karate, in a partial translation) depending on sport organization and promoter -with the largest sport organizations being Shinkaratedo renmei and All Japan Glove Karate FederationThis system originates in Japan where it has become a popular amateur sport for karate fighters wishing to enter professional kickboxing. Outside of Japan it has gained some momentum in Europe, but is as of yet very small compared to other forms of karate.
The rules are based on the knockdown karate rules explained above, but modified to use boxing gloves and allow punches to the face. Although it may be argued that it is unclear where this karate competition format ends and kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
begins. This is especially true since many gloved karate fighters seamlessly go on from their amateur gloved karate career to professional kickboxing careers. Many Japanese gloved karate fighters has in recent years become well known as pro-kickboxers, and many of the most successful Japanese kickboxers in K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
, such as Kozo Takeda
Kozo Takeda
Kozo Takeda is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer who was competing in K-1 MAX. He won Rajadamnern Stadium champion at welterweight in Muay Thai on January 21, 2001. He has made both the Welterweight and Super Welterweight Rajadamnern Stadium rankings...
, Yoshihiro Sato
Yoshihiro Sato
is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight . He is the former world champion of Muay Thai in WKA and WPKC, and he won the Japanese national tournament of K-1 twice in 2006 and 2007. His official nickname is "Mugen Sniper" which means Infinite Sniper.- Amateur era :He was born in...
, Yasuhiro Kido
Yasuhiro Kido
Yasuhiro Kido is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer competing in K-1 MAX. He is 2008 K-1 World MAX Japan tournament champion.-Early years:Yasuhiro Kido was born in Kanagawa, Japan on December 25, 1982. When he was a junior high school student, he belonged to a track and field athletics team, and...
, Hinata
Hinata
-Fictional characters:*Hinata Hyuga, a supporting character from the manga and anime series Naruto.*Hinata-sō "Hinata House", a fictional all-girls' dormitory in the Kanagawa Prefecture from the anime and manga Love Hina....
, Yuya Yamamoto
Yuya Yamamoto
Yuya Yamamoto is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight . He is the former Japanese national champion of kickboxing sanctioned by All Japan Kickboxing Federation at welterweight.-Amateur era:...
, originate from gloved karate.
Bogu Kumite
Still another form of full contact karate is Bogu kumite, which is most often associated with a few traditional Okinawan styles of karate. This format of continuous competition use heavy protective padding to avoid injuries. In the beginning, this protective padding was based on the helmet and armor of Japanese kendoKendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
with gloves to protect the knuckles from the helmets steel bars, although in modern days more specific padding has been developed. While allowing knockout as winning criterion, the protective equipment reduces the chances for it, and points are usually scored for clean techniques and techniques knocking the opponent off his feet.
Originally just a training method and never scored, this has developed into a small but growing sport format used in several variations in different organization. At the moment the largest Bogu sport organization is the All Japan Koshiki Karate-Do Federation who calls their specific Bogu format Koshiki Karate.
Although compared to most other major full contact karate sports, Bogu and Koshiki is still very small.
MMA inspired
One growing trend is MMAMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
inspired karate, where grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
on the ground plays a big role, in addition to the stand-up fighting
Stand-up fighting
Stand-up fighting is hand-to-hand combat that takes place while the combatants are in a standing position. The term is commonly used in martial arts and combat sports to designate the set of techniques employed from a standing position, as opposed to techniques employed in ground fighting...
which is more traditionally associated to karate. One example of a style engaged in this form of karate is the Japanese style organization ZenDoKai who calls their rules vale tudo
Vale tudo
Vale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers...
karate.
Even though many styles/style organizations like these have appeared during the last decade, there are no common set of rules or unifying sport organization, or even a common name/terminology for this type of karate competition rules.
One of the better known styles in this category of karate was Daido Juku
Daido Juku
is the organization for the martial art , founded in 1981 by Takashi Azuma. Azuma, originally a Kyokushin karate 1977 full contact karate champion, resigned from the Kyokushin organization to form Daido Juku in Sendai city, located in northern Honshū, Japan....
, although in 2001 they officially renamed their art and sport from karate to their own term Kudo. This name, however, is copyrighted and cannot be used by other organizations.
Others
Other sport rules, including versions allowing full contact bare knuckle strikes to the unprotected head, exists, but tend to be small and obscure compared to the above listed major formats. These rules tend to be restricted to a single small style organization or even individual sport event promotions.Examples of minor full contact rules system are the Shinken shobu rules of Kyokushin-kan, Irikumi Go as used by some Gōjū-ryū organizations (most notably the International Okinawan Gōjū-ryū Karate-dō Federation
International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation
International Okinawan Gōjū-ryū Karate-dō Federation , also known as the International Federation of Karate-do Goju-ryu Okinawa, is an international martial art organization covering Gōjū-ryū karate. It was founded by Morio Higaonna in July 1979. Higaonna is the current Chief Instructor and...
and the Jundokan Goju-Ryu organization), and the rules of Mumonkai Karate.
Kyokushinkan shinken shobu use a variation of knockdown karate using thin gloves, and allows headpunches, clinching and throws. Irikumi Go is a traditional continuous fighting using full contact, gloves and facepunches, used in Gojuryu karate. Mumonkai use rules similar to knockdown karate, but modified to allow headpunches with protective headgear and thin gloves.
A example of full contact karate rules unique to a single promotion is the Chaos Madmax special event in Japan, arranged by the FSA Kenshinkan style organization -where fighters fight without gloves or protective equipment, and with headpunches allowed.