Competition rules · What is prohibited

Fouls

Shinkyokushin kumite is full contact, but a precise list of techniques and behaviours is prohibited. Here are the fouls (hansoku) as the rulebooks describe them.

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§Can you strike the face with the hands?

No. Attacks to the face with hand techniques — fist, knife hand (shuto), spear hand (nukite), elbow — and attacks to the neck are fouls. Even a light touch of the fingertips may be ruled a foul. Feinting towards the face remains allowed.

EKO 2019, cadets and juniorsFor cadets (15–17) and juniors (17–19), the EKO additionally prohibits uncontrolled or full-strength kicks to the head (helmet) or neck, as well as front, side, downward, rolling and knee kicks to the head or neck; only controlled contact without injury is allowed (art. 19.9, 20.9).

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, a) · EKO 2019 — art. 9.1, p. 9; art. 19.9, p. 21; art. 20.9, p. 24 · KDF 2026 — p. 2, a)

§Can you grab, hook or clinch?

No. Grabbing (tsukami) the opponent's dogi, hands or feet, hooking (kake) the hand on his shoulder, neck, head or body, and clinching (kakaekomi) are fouls. In a clinch, the one who clinches first commits the foul. When both grab or clinch at the same time, the referee separates them (“yame”) and restarts the bout (“zokko”); depending on the degree, he may give chui 1 to both.

EKO 2019Same list (art. 9.4, 9.5, 9.8): grappling the dogi is not allowed “for whatever reason”, nor is clinching hands with each other.

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, d), f), i); referee signals, e) · EKO 2019 — art. 9.4, 9.5, 9.8, pp. 9–10 · KDF 2026 — p. 2, d), f), i)

§Can you catch or hold the leg?

Holding the leg is a foul. When blocking a front kick or a roundhouse kick, holding the leg from the outside is a foul, even for an instant. Deflecting the kick from the inside is allowed, but holding the leg too long becomes a foul.

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, e) · KDF 2026 — p. 2, e)

§Is pushing or pressing the opponent allowed?

No. Pushing the opponent — with the palm heel, fist, head or body — is a foul, even with one hand. Pressing (osae) the opponent's arm with both arms is a foul; controlling his forearm with one hand, however, is allowed. Attacking with the head or body leaning against the opponent is also a foul.

EKO 2019Pushing with open hands, closed hands or the body is not allowed, even with one hand (art. 9.6); the EKO does not detail the one-hand forearm control.

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, g), h), j) · EKO 2019 — art. 9.6, 9.7, p. 10 · KDF 2026 — p. 2, g), h), j)

§What other techniques are prohibited?

The WKO 2026 rules also list: attacks to the groin (kinteki), head-butts, attacks from behind, attacks on a downed opponent, kakenige (pretending to attack in order to run away), kicks to the knee joint with the ball of the foot (chusoku) or the foot edge (sokuto), from the front or the side, throws, downward elbow strikes to the shoulder or collarbone, attacks after “yame”, and any act the referees deem a foul.

EKO 2019The EKO specifies: intentional attack to the spine from behind (art. 9.10), attacking a downed opponent except a non-contact tsuki to the body (art. 9.11), attacking from the floor after being downed (art. 9.12), making comments to the referee (art. 9.15).

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, b), c), k)–u) · EKO 2019 — art. 9.2, 9.3, 9.9–9.17, pp. 9–10 · KDF 2026 — pp. 2–3

§What happens if a competitor avoids fighting?

Avoiding engagement for ten seconds or more, then failing to engage promptly after “zokko”, is a foul (chui). Repeatedly escaping out of the area (jogai) is another. If both competitors remain facing each other for one minute or more without fighting, they are deemed to have no will to fight and both are disqualified.

EKO 2019Refusing to fight for more than thirty seconds may earn both a chui (art. 10.1); refusing to engage after three calls by the referee leads to disqualification (art. 11.2); facing each other for more than one minute: both disqualified (art. 11.4).

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Fouls”, p), q); section “Disqualification”, c) · EKO 2019 — art. 10.1, 11.2, 11.4, p. 10 · KDF 2026 — p. 3

§What is jogai?

Jogai is stepping out of the competition area: both feet of a competitor have completely crossed the boundary line. It takes effect on the main referee's “yame”; he brings the competitors back to the centre and restarts with “zokko”. Repeatedly running away by jogai is a foul.

Sources for this answer WKO 2026 — section “Jogai”; referee signals, f) · EKO 2019 — art. 8.15–8.16, p. 9; art. 9.14, p. 10 · KDF 2026 — pp. 2 and 4

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.

  • 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
  • EKO 2019 Regulation EKO — Kumite Competition Regulation and Rules (17 March 2019) Official document
  • 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.

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