Competition rules · Eligibility, dress, doctor, schedule

Entry and procedure

Before the first “hajime” come entry, the medical check, dress and placement. What the rulebooks say about them.

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§Who may compete (EKO 2019)?

Adults: at least 18 years old on the day of the competition; EKO members must hold at least 4th kyu and a valid EKO membership; competitors from other full-contact karate organisations prove at least two years of practice. The maximum age is left to the tournament doctors, who examine all competitors before the eliminations. Cadets (15 to 17): at least 7th kyu; juniors (17 to 19) and U21 (18 to 21): at least 6th kyu; under-18s need written parental permission; proof of age may be requested. U21 competitors must not have been prize winners at adult European or World Championships.

All Japan 2013Open to healthy men and women of senior-high-school age (turning 16 before the following 31 March) and over, who train karate; at most 128 men and 32 women; application with photo and medical certificate; 15,000 yen entry fee, not returned after the draw (entry instructions).

Sources for this answer EKO 2019 — art. 1.2–1.7, p. 4; art. 19.2–19.4, p. 20; art. 20.2–20.4, p. 23; art. 21.2–21.4, p. 26 · All Japan 2013 — p. 1

§What happens after a knockout to the head?

Under the EKO 2019 rules, a contestant knocked out to the head and declared unconscious by the tournament doctor has it recorded in his European passport and cannot compete again for at least three months, or as decided by the tournament doctor. Competitors are followed under the EKO Medical Tournament Rules.

All Japan 2013All participants may be subject to a doping test (p. 2).

Sources for this answer EKO 2019 — art. 1.5, p. 4; art. 12.1, p. 11 · All Japan 2013 — p. 2

§Where do the competitors stand at the start?

They enter the area from opposite sides and stand in fudo-dachi, facing the front, outside the red and white lines in the centre. Seen from the front (official seats), red (aka) is on the left — the competitor with the lower entry number — and white (shiro) on the right. The bout starts on the main referee's “hajime” and ends on his “yame”.

EKO 2019The “red” contestant wears his own belt plus an extra red belt or string; the other only his own belt (art. 2.1).

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — kumite rules, 4 and 5 · EKO 2019 — art. 2.1, 2.7–2.8, p. 4 · KDF 2026 — p. 2, items 4 and 5

§What dress in competition?

A clean, white, undamaged dogi; finger and toe nails cut short; long hair tied; no earrings or piercings; only a sport hijab without neck covering, black or white, is allowed; no glasses, contact lenses allowed; women may wear a white T-shirt under the dogi (EKO 2019). Under the dogi trousers, nothing other than the prescribed protectors and underwear (WKO 2026). At the Karate Dream Festival 2026, a phone, ring, necklace, metal object, cloth or paper brought onto the mat disqualifies.

Sources for this answer EKO 2019 — art. 2.1–2.5, p. 4 · WKO 2026 — appended table “Protectors”, notes · KDF 2026 — p. 3, J) and N)

§What is the tournament doctor's role?

When a competitor can no longer continue, the doctor may propose a stop (doctor stop) that the referees declare after deliberation: the author of a foul technique loses, and the competitor injured by an effective technique loses (WKO 2026). The doctor allows or refuses taping and bandages, and may stop a match from continuing on medical grounds.

EKO 2019At least one medical team (a doctor and an assistant) per fighting area, a chief doctor appointed by the medical committee, an emergency plan; the stop decision is made within five minutes; a seriously damaged contestant stopped by the doctor does not continue to the next bout (regulation art. 1.2; art. 5.5 to 5.7; art. 8.8).

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — judging criteria, item 5; “Protectors” table, note · EKO 2019 — regulation art. 1.2, p. 2; art. 5.5–5.7, p. 6; art. 8.8, p. 9

§Are the opening ceremony and the schedule binding?

The tournament schedule is followed as far as possible; in an unavoidable situation, the executive committee chairman and the chief referee confer, and the executive committee chairman may order a change (WKO 2026). At the EKO, fighters still competing must take part in the day's opening ceremony, on pain of disqualification without the referee committee's approval.

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — judging criteria, item 7 · EKO 2019 — regulation art. 1.1, p. 2; art. 2.11, p. 5 · KDF 2026 — p. 1, item 7

§What are the dimensions of the fighting area (EKO 2019)?

An 8-metre square, plus 1 metre of safety on each side; on a platform, at least 2 metres of safety and a recommended height of 60 cm, with a few steps. The area is covered with semi-hard mats approved by the EKO.

Sources for this answer EKO 2019 — art. 3.1–3.5, p. 5; Appendix 1, p. 28

The other topics

The twelve rules topics, in questions and answers.
Ippon and waza-ari Fouls (hansoku) Warnings and disqualification Refereeing and decision Time of bouts Protectors Weight and weigh-in Kata Entry and procedure Tameshiwari Permitted and prohibited techniques Competition glossary All the topics

Texts consulted

Every answer cites its text. The rulebooks belong to their organisations; when in doubt, the official document prevails.

  • EKO 2019 Regulation EKO — Kumite Competition Regulation and Rules (17 March 2019) Official document
  • WKO 2013 Tournament document 45th All Japan Open Karate Championship 2013 — Instruction for Entry (WKO) Official document
  • WKO 2026 Regulation WKO Competition Rules (全世界空手道連盟 試合規約), revised edition of 29 July 2026 — Japanese text, unofficial translation Official document Official page
  • WKO 2026 Tournament document Karate Dream Festival 2026 International Championship — Kumite Competition Rules (WKO) Official document

Unofficial translation from Japanese (Claude, for the dojo, October 2026); the original text prevails.

From the rulebook to the mat.

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