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Kumite

自由組手


The Purpose Of Gōjū-kai Jiyū-Kumite Competition

Image TitleIn Gōjū-kai Jiyū-Kumite - 剛柔会 自由組手 competition, the attacks are not intended to show superiority by causing injury. Nor is the outcome of a match determined by the accumulation of half-points (waza-ari - 技あり) and points (ippon - 一本) through no-contact (sun-dome - 寸止) competition.

 

Although physical strength and mental power are necessary to gain a victory, crude power and rude fighting, even though strong, is unskilled kumite. Nor does fighting of good appearance, but no substance, demonstrate a high level of skill.

 

Gōjū-ryū - 剛柔流 emphasizes defensive counterattacks that harmonize the elements of defense and attack within the same technique. These techniques take the form of combination techniques (renzoku-waza - 連続技) and close-range techniques (sekkin-waza - 接近技), using the unique traditional cat stance (nekoashi-dachi - 猫足立ち).

 

Since good kumite - 組手 comes from good character, the pursuit of skill and good attitude is of utmost importance. So, the purpose of Gōjū-kai Jiyū-Kumite - 剛柔会 自由組手 is more then winning. It is to face the contest with composure, respect, and good spirit, and thereby to develop our character.

 

Jiyū-Kumite Competition Rules

In general, the rules for Jiyū-Kumite - 自由組手 are similar to W.K.F. kumite rules, but with the following modifications.

 

A. Competition Area

 

  1. A circular court of 5.0-meter radius should be used. A warning line may marked 1 meter inside the court boundary. Lines for the competitors are 0.5 meter long, and are placed 1.5 meters from the court center at the left and right of the court.
  2. The referee's line is 0.5 meter long, and is placed 2.0 meters from the court center at the rear of the court facing the front.

Tatami

B. Official Dress

 

  1. Competitors must wear white fabric fist protectors, a groin guard, and a mouth guard. Eyeglasses are forbidden. Soft contact lenses may be worn.
  2. No chest protectors, shin pads or forearm pads are allowed.

 

C. Referee Panel

 

  1. The panel consists of 1 arbitrator (kansa - 監査), 1 referee (shushin - 主審), and 4 judges (fukushin - 副審), for a total of 6 persons.
  2. The positions of these officials are: Referee—inside court on centered line; Judges—at four “corners” on perimeter of court; Arbitrator—outside court, behind referee.

 

D. Duration of Match

 

  1. A standard match is 2 minutes long. An extension match (Enchō-sen - 延長戦) is 1 minute long. The match startwImage Titlehen the referee calls “Shōbu hajime! - 勝負始め!” The match stops when the referee calls “Yame! - 止め!” The timekeeper signals by bell when 30 seconds remain in the match (ato-shibaraku - 後暫く).
  2. The referee calls “Yame! - 止め!” under any of the following conditions: when excessive contact is made, when a competitor exits the court or when a competitor engages in self-endangerment (Mubōbi - 無防備), or if a dangerous situation is observed, when the time is over, or when other conditions require stopping the match. When a judge observes any of these conditions, the judge uses whistle and flag to signal to the referee.

 

E. Decision for Win/Loss

 

  1. Besides a loss due to a violation (hansoku - 反則), completing two-minute “Jiyū-Kumite - 自由組手”, win, loss, or draw (hikiwake - 引分) will be decided through an overall evaluation based on the criteria in Section F.
  2. If a match is declared a draw, an extension match (Enchō-sen - 延長戦) of 1 minute is called. Penalties are not carried forward, and at the end of the Enchō-sen - 延長戦, a decision for victory must be made.

 

F. Criteria for Decision

 

Judges use the following list to appraise the performance:

 

  • Technical proficiency
  • Spirit
  • Attitude demonstrated

 

G. Penalties

  1. Penalty categories are similar to W.K.F. rules.

    Category Warning Keikoku - 警告
    (minus ippon -
    一本)
    Chūi - 注意
    (Minus nihon- 二本
    )
    Hansoku - 反則
    (Loss)
    Contact, Others Chūkoku
    忠告
    Keikoku
    警告
    Hansoku Chūi
    反則 注意
    Hansoku
    反則
    Mubōbi
    無防備
    Mubōbi
    無防備
    Mubōbi Keikoku
    無防備 警告
    Mubōbi Chūi
    無防備 注意
    Mubōbi Hansoku
    無防備 反則
    Jōgai
    場外
    Jōgai
    場外
    Jōgai Keikoku
    場外 警告
    Jōgai Chūi
    場外 注意
    Jōgai Hansoku
    場外 反則


  2. Gedan geri - 下段蹴り” and “Teisho ate - 低所当て", which are prohibited by the W.K.F., are allowed techniques. Gedan geri - 下段蹴りand ashi-barai - 足払い should not be used as single techniques, but should be followed by another technique. They must be controlled, and repetitive attacks to the same place are not permitted. Open-handed techniques (Teisho - 低所, Shutō - 手刀, Haitō - 背刀) are allowed. Finger techniques to the face are not permitted. Elbow, knee, and head techniques are allowed at close range, at the same time as a grab. Contact is not allowed, and repetitive attacks are not permitted. No direct contact to the groin is allowed. No penalty will be given to head and face attacks which make light contact (skin touch), but which show good control and cause no injury. Chūdan - 中段 attacks with good control and form are allowed. Techniques which have poor control and form, and which make hard contact, may be penalized. Over-excitement, loss of composure, or emotional outbursts are not permitted. Repetitive grabbing, pushing and throwing are not permitted.
  3. Attack and defense may continue following a throw, but joint locks, grabbing, grappling, choking, or other dangerous techniques are prohibited.

 

H. Self-Endangerment (Mubōbi)

 

  1. If a competitor makes a one-sided attack without maintaining a guard, that will constitute Mubōbi - 無防備.
  2. If a competitor turns away during an opponent’s attach, dropping the guard position, that will also constitute Mubōbi - 無防備.

 

I. Disqualification (Shikkaku)

 

  1. The penalty of Shikkaku - 失格 will be applied as in W.K.F. rules, J.K.F. Competition Rules and Rules of the Tournament.

 

J. Injury and Accident in Match

 

  1. If a competitor refuses to continue, or abandons the match, or if the referee panel directs the competitor to leave the court, the referee will signal “Kiken! - 棄権!" (forfeiture). If the two competitors injure each other or are suffering from the effects of earlier sustained injuries, and are declared unfit to continue by the tournament doctor, the decision is made by “Hantei!” If one of the competitors is declared unfit to continue by the tournament doctor due to injury, that competitor may not continue in that competition for any reason whatsoever.
    The referee panel will decide whether the call is “Kiken - 棄権” or “Hansoku - 反則”, based on whether the injury was caused by the opponent or not. A competitor who wins by injury Hansoku - 反則 must get permission from the tournament doctor to compete again. The competitor with such permission may win a second bout by injury Hansoku - 反則, but then the competitor may not continue in the same kumite - 組手 competition thereafter.
  2. A competitor who does not have the stamina to continue or who has incurred injury not caused by the opponent, and who forfeits or whose coach decides to forfeit, loses the match by “Kiken - 棄権”.

 

K. Decision

 

  1. When the referee signals by a two-tone blast of the whistle, each judge will indicate by flag a vote for red victory (aka no kachi - 赤の勝ち), white victory (shiro no kachi - 白の勝ち), or a draw (hikiwake - 引分 ). Each of the judges and the referee have one vote, and at least three votes must be in agreement for a victory (kachi - 勝ち). The decision must be verified by the arbitrator (kansa - 監査) before any announcement is made. In the case of an extension match (Enchō-sen - 延長戦), the judges must signal red or white only, and the referee must decide on a victory, i.e., no hikiwake - 引分 is permitted.
  2. The following diagrams illustrate how the referee determines the outcome of a match (hantei - 判定) based on the judges’ flags.

 

  • Case 1 Aka-Red Aka-Red Aka-Red Shiro - White Red wins
  • Case 2 Aka-Red Aka-Red Aka-Red Red wins
  • Case 3 Aka-Red Aka-Red Shiro - White Shiro - White Red wins, White wins, or Draw, based on referee’s vote
  • Case 4 Aka-Red Aka-Red Shiro - White Red wins or Draw, based on referee’s vote
  • Case 5 Aka-Red Aka-Red Red wins or Draw, based on referee’s vote
  • Case 6 Aka-Red Shiro - White Draw
  • Case 7 Shiro - White Draw

 

Note that if the flag colors in the illustration are reversed, “White” shall be substituted for “Red” and vice versa.




Options:


Color Key Code:

  • 入門-Nyūmon-0kyu - 入門 - Nyūmon (Kyu 0)
  • 初級-Shokyū-kyu10-8 - 初級 - Shokyū (Kyu 10-8)
  • 中級-Chūkyū-Kyu 7-4 - 中級 - Chūkyū (Kyu 7-4)
  • 上級-Jōkyū-Kyu 3-1 - 上級 - Jōkyū (Kyu 3-1)
  • 初伝 - Shoden (Dan 1,2) - 初伝 - Shoden (Dan 1 & 2)
  • 中伝 - Chuden (Dan 3,4) - 中伝 - Chūden (Dan 3 & 4)
  • 奥伝 - Okuden (Dan 5,6) - 奥伝 - Okuden (Dan 5 & 6)
  • 口伝 - Ku)den (Dan 7 - 口伝 - Kuden (Dan 7)




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