Competition Rules for Kyokushin Karate Kumite

Kyokushin Style Kumite Competition Regulations

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These Regulations establish the standards for the administration, officiating, and participation of the Kyokushin Style Kumite Competition Regulations (hereinafter, the “Competition”). Hereinafter, the “Competition.”

Chapter 1 General Provisions (About Kyokushin Style)

Article 1 (Purpose and Philosophy)

1. The purpose of the Competition is to refine and integrate mind, skill, and body through the practice of the martial technique of striking.
2. The Competition shall foster the “spirit of rei (courtesy),” which protects the dignity of the opponent and elevates one’s own dignity; shall avoid the exchange of futile damage; and, through offense and defense by means of effective strikes, shall aim to make the techniques of both competitors work to better effect.
3. The Competition shall conform to the fundamental spirit of the Olympic Charter (established in 2011) and, through competition, shall aim at the realization of a peaceful society.

Article 2 (Name)

1. The name of the Competition shall be “Kyokushin Style.”
2. Class divisions shall be established with consideration to age, sex, weight, and the like (as provided in the Detailed Rules).

Article 3 (Principles for Competitor Participation)

1. Competitors shall observe the philosophy and provisions of these Regulations and must register as competitors with the Tournament Secretariat.
2. Persons whose “injury,” “long hair,” or “overgrown nails,” or other unclean and spectator-offending appearance would hinder the progress of competition shall not be permitted to participate.
3. Persons “suffering from acute inflammatory or infectious diseases,” “deemed unfit by the Doctor,” or persons who do not comply with recommendations shall not be permitted to participate.
4. Where a competitor fails to exert full effort in competition, commits an intentional foul, or engages in other malicious conduct, measures such as deletion of competitor registration may be taken after deliberation.
5. A competitor who is late for the assembly time or starting time of a match shall be disqualified.
6. The wearing of protective equipment to protect the instep, shin, knee, torso, head, fist, and the like is mandatory. The types and specifications of protective equipment shall be prescribed in the Detailed Rules.

Article 4 (Duration of Bout)

1. The main bout shall be two to three minutes (to be announced in advance in the tournament outline).
2. The winner shall be the competitor for whom the Referee (Chief Referee) and the Judges raise the greater number of flags.
3. If the number of “draw” flags exceeds the number for the winner, an extra round shall be held. The extra round shall be held with a rest interval of thirty seconds to one minute, and, as a general rule, the total number of extra rounds shall not exceed three.
4. In the final extra round, the Referee (Chief Referee) and the Judges shall render a decision without fail.
5. In tournaments for juniors, seniors, and the like, the time and other matters may be changed with the approval of IBMA.

Article 5 (Competition Area)

1. The main space shall be a square with each side measuring six to eight meters.
2. An out-of-bounds area of one meter or more shall be established outside the main space, and the boundary shall be clearly demarcated.
3. Mats shall have appropriate thickness and resilience with due regard to safety.
4. Scoreboards shall be installed at two or more locations within the venue so as to be visible to competitors and spectators.

Article 6 (Weigh-in)

1. Competitors in weight-class divisions must undergo weigh-in within the time designated by the Referees’ Committee and obtain approval.
2. Failure to complete weigh-in or exceeding the prescribed weight shall result in disqualification.
3. Prior to competition, competitors must undergo examination by the Doctor and provide proof that there is no problem with their health condition.

Article 7 (Attire and Protective Equipment)

1. Competition-approved protective equipment authorized by the Tournament Executive Committee (head, torso, shin and fist protectors, foul cup, etc.) shall be used. Details are provided in the Detailed Rules.
2. Persons with injuries or conditions that hinder competition, long hair, nails, or appearance and the like shall not be permitted to participate.
3. Persons deemed unfit by the Doctor, or persons who do not comply with recommendations, shall not be permitted to participate.
4. A competitor who is late for the starting time shall be disqualified.
5. If, after registration, there is unilateral withdrawal or other non-performance, participation in future tournaments may be denied.

Article 8 (Coach / Second)

1. The number of seconds shall be one or fewer, and the name shall be notified in advance to the Tournament Executive Committee.
2. Seconds shall not insult or behave discourteously toward the opposing competitor; they shall remain seated in the designated position and refrain from anything other than tactical instructions.
3. Except in emergencies, if a second enters the competition area during a bout, the corresponding competitor shall be disqualified.

Chapter 2 Competition Officials

Article 9 (Composition)

1. The officiating structure of the Competition shall consist of one Referee (Chief Referee), two or more Judges, two or more Deliberation Referees, a Timekeeper, a Recorder (Scoreboard Operator), and the Tournament Doctor. “Referee (Chief Referee),” “Judges,” and “Deliberation Referees” shall be determined by the Tournament Executive Committee.
2. The Deliberation Referees shall resolve issues that arise—such as when the “Referee” or “Judges” require the necessity of video review for a decision. In such case, the final decision shall be made by unanimous agreement of the Deliberation Committee members.

Article 10 (Referee (Chief Referee) and Judges)

1. The Referee (Chief Referee) shall render and declare decisions of fouls, waza-ari, and ippon; and shall declare start, suspension, resumption, and implementation of extra rounds.
2. When danger is recognized, the Referee (Chief Referee) shall immediately declare “yame,” suspend the bout, and seek the opinions of the Doctor and the Judges.
3. The Referee (Chief Referee)’s declarations shall be limited to eight types: “begin,” “continue,” “stop,” “not recognized,” “verbal caution,” “yellow card,” “red card,” and “win.”
4. The declaration of waza-ari shall always be made after “yame,” and only after returning the competitors to their starting positions; if damage is suspected, the Referee shall seek the Doctor’s instructions on the spot.
5. The Judges shall assist the Referee (Chief Referee) and shall render flag decisions for fouls, waza-ari, and ippon. The Judges shall endeavor not to overlook techniques or fouls and, when deemed necessary during the match, may make recommendations to the Referee (Chief Referee).

Article 11 (Judges)

1. The Judges shall determine “waza-ari” and “ippon,” and shall also score the match as a whole.
2. If there is doubt regarding the Referee (Chief Referee)’s waza-ari decision, an objection may be raised immediately thereafter; following consultation, a decision shall be made by majority vote.

Article 12 (Timekeeping and Recording)

1. The Timekeeper shall start the clock at “begin” and stop it at “stop,” and shall strictly manage the match time.
2. The Recorder shall reflect waza-ari, cards, and the like on the scoreboard based on the Referee (Chief Referee)’s declarations and the Judges’ flags.

Article 13 (Tournament Doctor)

1. The Doctor shall conduct health management, regular and ad hoc examinations, and first aid in emergencies for competitors.
2. When deemed necessary, the Doctor may recommend to the Referee (Chief Referee) or the Tournament Executive Committee that a match be stopped.

Chapter 3 Decision Method

Article 14 (Determination of Win and Loss)

1. The determination of win and loss shall be made upon the Referee (Chief Referee)’s call of “decision,” with the Referee (Chief Referee) and the Judges simultaneously raising flags.
2. The method of decision shall be that, in accordance with the judgment criteria of Article 15, the “Referee (Chief Referee)” and the “Judges” raise the flag for the competitor they judge to be superior.
3. Win and loss shall be determined by the number of flags raised.
4. When the Referee (Chief Referee) and the Judges judge both competitors to be a “draw,” they shall not raise a flag but shall indicate so by crossing the arms in front of the body.
5. If the number of flags is equal, or if “draw” judgments exceed a majority, an extra round shall be held.
6. If a competitor becomes unable to continue due to an attack other than a foul, it shall be ippon, and the match shall end.
7. Two declarations of waza-ari shall constitute ippon.

Article 15 (Method of Judgment)

The order of priority for the winner’s judgment criteria shall be as follows. As with the “Scoring-Method Decision (Kyokushi Universal Stayle),” one shall imagine a basic 10–10 and, from there, judge the superior competitor based on the priorities and items below.

1. Number of effective strikes.
2. Positive attacking posture.
3. Defensive (guarding) skill.
4. Number of fouls (excluding verbal cautions).
5. Control of initiative (dominance of the bout).
6. Competitive attitude (see: BudoManShip).

Article 16 (Extra Rounds)

1. An extra round shall be two minutes. In the event of a tie, a further extra round shall be held. As a general rule, extra rounds shall not exceed three.
2. In the final extra round, taking the match as a whole and, in principle, applying the judgment criteria of Article 15, a flag shall be raised for the competitor deemed superior without fail.
3. A rest interval of thirty seconds to one minute shall be given before an extra round; competitors shall, following the Referee (Chief Referee)’s instructions, stand by in the designated positions.

Article 17 (Out of Bounds / Falls)

1. When one foot completely steps outside the boundary line, a yellow card shall be declared against the competitor and it shall be “out of bounds.” If any part of the sole remains on the line, or if the line is crossed in the air, it shall not be out of bounds.
2. Failure of a striking technique that entails a fall, such as a spinning body roundhouse kick, shall be permitted once; from the second time onward, it shall be subject to foul (yellow card).

Article 18 (Definition of Effective Strike)

1. A determination of an effective strike shall require that a striking technique to the designated “hit points” satisfy the five elements of (1) accuracy, (2) speed, (3) impact, (4) timing (opportunity), and (5) kiai (will). However, in competition, if “accuracy” is satisfied and at least two of the other elements are also satisfied, the strike may be recognized as an “effective strike.”
2. Physical damage is included in the determination of an “effective strike,” but if waza-ari is not recognized, it shall be deemed no more than that.
3. The types of effective strikes shall be jōdan-geri (kicking techniques to the jaw/temple area), chūdan-geri(kicking techniques to the solar plexus and right/left flank areas), chūdan-tsuki (punching techniques to the solar plexus and right/left flank areas), and gedan-mawashi (kicking techniques to the inside and outside of the thigh).
4. “Effective strikes” exclude “kuzushi-waza” (off-balancing), “decoy techniques,” and “other techniques” among the connecting techniques used to produce a finishing technique (effective strike) that does not satisfy the five elements of Paragraph 1 of this Article 18.

Article 19 (Waza-ari and Ippon Declarations)

1. When it is determined that an attack not constituting a foul has caused temporary inability to counterattack or loss of will to fight, the Referee (Chief Referee) shall first declare “yame,” while paying attention to the competitor’s condition, and shall temporarily suspend the match.
2. After declaring “yame,” if loss of will to fight of less than five seconds is observed upon assessing the competitor’s condition, the Referee shall declare “waza-ari.”
3. After declaring “yame,” if loss of will to fight of five seconds or more is observed upon assessing the competitor’s condition, the Referee shall declare “ippon.”
4. Two declarations of “waza-ari” shall constitute “ippon,” and the match shall end.
5. With respect to the Referee (Chief Referee)’s decisions of waza-ari or ippon, Judges may, only immediately thereafter, lodge an objection; the “Referee (Chief Referee),” “Judges,” and “Deliberation Referees” shall confer, and a final decision shall be made by majority vote.
6. With respect to judgments of waza-ari and ippon, the content may be modified according to the “target age” and “class.”

Chapter 4 Fouls

Article 20 (Declarations and Sanctions for Fouls)

1. Declarations for fouls shall be “verbal caution,” “yellow card,” and “red card (disqualification),” and “verbal caution” shall be limited to up to two times for the same type of foul.
2. The Referee (Chief Referee) shall notify by flag color (color of the offending side) and, as necessary, declare by displaying a card.
3. Under the scoring method, a yellow card is a one-point deduction; even when making a flag decision, the “Referee” and the “Judges” shall treat the yellow card with the same awareness as under the scoring method.
4. Intentional fouls or fouls causing significant damage shall be met with an immediate “red card,” or a declaration of “disqualification” by the prescribed procedure.
5. Declarations of yellow card shall be up to the second time; any foul from the third time onward shall be disqualification (red card).
6. Any attack after the Referee (Chief Referee)’s “yame” shall uniformly constitute a foul.

Article 21 (Dangerous Acts)

The following acts, which carry a high risk of serious damage, shall, in principle, be met with a yellow card (or immediately a red card depending on circumstances):
• Punches or elbow strikes to the head.
• Strikes to the throat, neck, or clavicle.
• Attacks to the groin or eyes; head-butting; biting; scratching.
• Striking the head while holding the opponent’s leg.
• Striking from behind; strikes to the back.
• Attacks to the knee joint; strikes within ten centimeters above, below, left, and right from the center of the kneecap.
• Grabbing or holding the head or neck with the hands; striking the head while holding the neck (chūdan is allowed).
• “Scissors” (kani-basami) to the legs.
• Striking by exploiting the grabbing of the karate uniform; hooking or pressing the neck.
• Persistent attacks to the area around the mammary glands or the clavicle (except where contact occurs incidentally in the flow).
• Attacks after the Referee (Chief Referee)’s “yame.”

Article 22 (Other Fouls)

The following acts shall, depending on circumstances, merit verbal caution or yellow card:
• Emitting shrill cries.
• Disobeying the Referee (Chief Referee)’s instructions (including attacks after “yame”).
• Out of bounds (when one foot completely goes outside the boundary line).
• Exaggerated appeals disproportionate to the triviality of a foul.
• “Body-checking,” “palm-heel pushing,” or “pressing the chest against the opponent’s body” within one meter of the boundary line.
• A passive attitude in which willingness to attack is not recognized for five to ten seconds or more.
• Dangerous tactics such as closing distance while keeping the head lowered (verbal caution or yellow card depending on the situation).
• Failure to perform the prescribed etiquette (match etiquette) before or after a match (first offense: verbal caution; second and subsequent offenses: yellow card).
• Acts of “pressing one’s body against the opponent” or “pushing the opponent with the body.”
• “Escaping to the out-of-bounds area” or “stepping out of bounds.”

Article 23 (Red Card / Disqualification)

The following cases shall result in disqualification by red card:
• Abusive language toward officials or the opposing competitor; ungentlemanly conduct.
• When, despite the Referee (Chief Referee)’s instructions, conduct is deemed dangerous or malicious.
• Striking an opponent whose both hands or both knees are touching the floor (except for a finishing thrust).
• Repetition of fouls, or where conduct is deemed malicious.
• Further fouls after two yellow cards (or cautions).
• When, due to a serious failure of etiquette, the Referee (Chief Referee) deems disqualification appropriate.
• When disqualification is declared, the match shall end immediately and the opponent shall be the winner.
• A disqualified competitor must leave in accordance with the prescribed exit etiquette.
• Final disposition concerning disqualification shall be decided by the Deliberation Referees.

Chapter 5 Etiquette of Competitors and Officials

Article 24 (Competitors’ Etiquette)

1. Entrance: Competitors shall enter with a standing bow (the etiquette method shall be as predetermined by the Tournament Executive Committee) from the designated corners (from the front: red = left, blue = right), proceed through the out-of-bounds area, perform a standing bow at the center of each side, and then enter the main space.
2. Start: Standing upright at a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters at the center, competitors shall, at the “bow to each other” of the “Referee (Chief Referee),” perform a standing bow, then proceed to “ready,” and start at “begin.”
3. End: After the end, competitors shall face each other at the starting position in fudō-dachi (immovable stance) and receive the announcement of the result. Competitors shall bow at the center of each side and exit from the corner. When leaving the competition area, competitors shall also perform a standing bow (the etiquette method shall be as predetermined by the Tournament Executive Committee).

Article 25 (Officials’ Etiquette)

1. Entrance: Led by the Referee (Chief Referee), officials shall enter from the red side; the Referee (Chief Referee) shall be in the center, with “Judges” lined up to the left and right, and at the command of the “Referee (Chief Referee)” they shall perform a standing bow to the front and take their designated positions.
2. Exit: After lining up and performing a standing bow, officials shall, led by the Referee (Chief Referee), exit from the red side. Details are as separately provided.

Article 26 (Announcement Motions of the Referee (Chief Referee))

1. The Referee (Chief Referee) shall stand upright at the designated position and accurately position the competitors.
2. Announcements such as waza-ari and fouls shall be made only after interruption by “yame”; competitors shall be returned to their starting positions, and the match shall be resumed by “continue.”
3. Determination of ippon shall be made with the highest priority on confirming competitors’ safety; in cases of stalemate, the Referee shall declare “yame,” return competitors to the starting lines, and resume with “continue.”

Article 27 (Announcement of Result)

1. After the end buzzer, the Referee (Chief Referee) shall declare “yame” and face the competitors toward each other at the starting positions.
2. The Referee (Chief Referee) shall raise the flag of the winner’s color to ninety degrees upward and clearly declare “Red (or Blue) wins.” Details of the motion are as separately provided.

Chapter 6 Other Special Matters

Article 28 (Prohibition of Protests)

“Competitors,” “affiliated organizations,” and related persons shall comply with these Regulations and pledge not to lodge protests against the Competition.

Article 29 (Revisions)

These Regulations may be revised when deemed necessary for the realization of the “philosophy” and “purpose.” When Detailed Rules are established, they shall be set forth in a separate document.

Notes

Effective Date / Revision History: Established September 7, 2025.
Author: IBMA Kyokushin Kaikan / Akira Masuda.
Detailed Rules / Appendices.
Fundamental Spirit of Olympism → “Olympism (the Olympic spirit) is to contribute, through sport, to the building of a peaceful and better world by improving mind and body, overcoming various differences such as culture and nationality, and embracing friendship, solidarity, and the spirit of fair play.”

Addendum

Difference in Effect Between Waza-ari and Yellow Card
• Two yellow cards → equivalent to one waza-ari (corresponds to a two-point deduction under the conventional judgment method).
• One yellow card → corresponds to a one-point deduction for the offending competitor.
• One waza-ari → equivalent to two yellow cards (a two-point deduction under the conventional rules).

Yellow and red card images

The images below are for soccer; karate cards may vary slightly in size and color.