Kyokushin Karate American Kyokushin Karate Organization

Rules and Requirements for Referees and Judges

American Kyokushin Karate Organization Rules and Requirements Part 1 - Uniform/Dress

Referees/Judges

Referees and judges must wear the official uniform designated by the referees' council. This uniform must be worn at all tournaments.

  1. The official uniform will be as follows:

Black Collar polo shirt. Plain Black trousers Un-patterned dark blue or black socks and black shoes. On the mat the shoes may be removed. The commencement of the opening ceremonies. All officials shall bring a whistle attached to a cord.

Competitors

Contestants must wear a white Karate Gi without.

The Karate Gi jacket, when tightened around the waist with the belt, must be of minimum length that covers the hips, but no longer than mid thigh. In the case of women, a plain white T-shirt or white sports bra may be worn beneath the Karate Gi jacket. Soft padded Breast protector are allowed.

Gi sleeves may not be rolled. The sleeves of the Gi jacket must come, in principle, at least halfway down the forearm. The exception to this rule is in KOBUDO competition where the sleeves of the Gi jacket may be modified to facilitate safe progression of the performance.

The Gi trousers must be long enough to cover at least two thirds of the shin - and may not be rolled up.

The belts must hang free on each side of the knot ends after it has been properly tied around the waist, but not to hang lower than the knee.

Part 2 Safety Equipment & Precautions

Safety Equipment

General Explanation - Only American Kyokushin Karate Organization Karate approved equipment shall be allowed. The use of bandages or braces because of injury must be approved by the Referees' Council, on the advice of the official doctor.

The referee in charge of a ring is responsible for inspecting all safety equipment and ensuring that it is in compliance with requirements, poses no threat of injury to either competitors, and offers no significant competitive advantage to the wearer.

Part 3 Mandatory Semi-contact Divisions Kumite Equipment: Ages 5 - 17 must have American Kyokushin Karate Organization approved white gear with plastic face shield). Approved white Naugahyde mitts. Gum-shields mouth Piece. Groin Cups worn under the Gi trousers. White cloth soft shin & foot pads (for adults and youths) White cloth shin/instep protectors in junior divisions only. Chest protector in juniors Semi-contact Divisions only Women may wear the authorized additional Soft padded breast protective equipment Approved by the American Kyokushin Karate Organization with approval of the Council of Referees. Head gear with face shield for adults Semi-Contact. The wearing of unauthorized clothing or equipment is forbidden. Standard glasses are forbidden in Kumite divisions. Only plastic safety glasses manufactured Specifically for sport use are allowed for all athletes. Soft contact lenses may be worn at the contestant's own responsibility.

Part 4 - Safety Precautions

Medical Staff: A doctor or certified medical person must be present at all American Kyokushin Karate Organization sanctioned tournaments.

Medical Equipment: Medical equipment must be available at all American Kyokushin Karate Organization sanctioned tournaments, as recommended by the Medical Advisory Committee.

Only a doctor or certified medical person shall be permitted to check or treat an injured athlete, except to remove a mouth guard. The doctor or certified medical person shall decide if the athlete will be allowed to continue the match.

It is recommended that there will be a follow-up examination the same day on the following injuries: Head blows with the following symptoms: Amnesia, changes in vision, fainting, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in hearing, or ringing ears. Non-responsiveness or unconsciousness.

Part 5 - Safety Precautions (continued) If a competitor has been knocked out, he/she shall not be allowed to engage in Competition for a period of at least four weeks. It is strongly recommended by the Karate Sports Medicine Committee that the individual adjust his practice in the dojo to exclude any Sparring, which incorporates the head as a target.

Joint injuries with the following symptoms: Deformity, inability to walk, excessive swelling. Painful or stiff neck or back. Large bruises. Numbness or weakness.

Emergency Transportation - It is mandatory that each tournament promoter make provision for emergency transportation.

HIV Precautions As a precautionary measure, first aid kits equipped with disposable plastic or latex gloves will be Required at all American Kyokushin Karate Organization sanctioned events. A disinfectant solution such as bleach shall be available along with clean-up rags and plastic bags.

In order to prevent possible contagion in the event of a bleeding accident or injury at an American Kyokushin Karate Organization event, officials will: Put on disposable plastic or latex gloves from the first aid kit before rendering assistance. Clean up any blood spills with soap and water and use a disinfectant such as bleach afterwards. Put any blood-soaked items that need to be laundered or thrown away in a plastic bag or disposable container. Competitors whose Gi or hand guards are tainted with blood, shall change his/her Gi and/or hand guards before continuing with the match.

Full Contact fighters Safety Precautions:

It is mandatory that each competitor in the bare knuckle division must take a physical and Blood test from their doctor saying they are healthy and are able to compete. Gum-shields mouth Piece. Groin Cups worn under the Gi trousers.

American Kyokushin Karate Organization Physical Examination for Full Contact Competitors

To be answered by Competitor

  1. Legal Name _____________________________________
  2. Have you had any serious bone or joint injuries? YES_____ NO_____
  3. Have you had a concussion or head injury? YES_____ NO_____
  4. Have you ever passed out during exercise? YES_____ NO____
  5. Are you currently being treated for any serious illness? YES_____ NO____
  6. Are you currently taking any medications on a regular basis? YES_____ NO____
  7. Have you ever been treated for any serious Illness or surgery? YES_____ NO____

Signature of Applicant __________________________________________________ I hereby certify the above statements are true.

To be completed by an Examining Physician Exam must be completed by a M.D. or D.O. United States, Indicate normal findings by a check

  1. Blood Pressure: Systolic______________ Diastolic_______________

  2. Lungs, Chest, Heart:

  3. Head, Eyes, Nose, Throat:

  4. Abdomen:

  5. Orthopedic:

I hereby certify that on the basis of the above participant and Physician findings, that in my opinion that this participant is in good physical condition and able to engage in full contact karate tournament.

Printed Name of Physician:______________________ License No:_________

Physician Signature: ___________________________ M. D. or D.O. Date _______ Tournament Director may use Medical Form approved by The American Kyokushin Karate Organization Tournament Committee.

Kumite Judging

Match Area Arbitrator 1.The Match Area Controllers powers and duties shall be as follows: 2.To delegate, appoint, and supervise the Referees and Judges, for all matches in areas under their control. 3.To oversee the performance of the Referees and Judges in their areas, and to ensure that the Officials appointed are capable of the tasks allotted them. 4.To order the Referee to halt the match when the Arbitrator signals a contravention of the Rules of Competition.

REFEREES The Referee's powers shall be as follows: 1.The Referee shall have the power to conduct matches including announcing the start, the suspension, and the end of the match. 2.To award points. 3.To explain to the Match Arbitrator the basis for giving a judgement. 4.To impose penalties and to issue warnings, before, during, or after a bout. 5.To obtain and act upon the opinion(s) of the Judges. 6.To announce extensions. 7.To conduct voting of the Referee Panel (HANTEI) and announce the result. 8.To resolve ties 9.To announce the winner. 10.The authority of the Referee is not confined solely to the competition area but also to all of its immediate perimeter. 11.The Referee shall give all commands and make all announcements.

JUDGES The Judges powers shall be as follows: 1.To assist the Referee by flag signals. 2.To exercise a right to vote on a decision to be taken.

The Judges shall carefully observe the actions of the contestants and signal to the Referee an opinion in the following cases: a)When a score is observed. b)When a contestant has committed a prohibited act and/or techniques. c)When an injury or illness of a contestant is noticed. d)When both or either of the contestants have moved out of the competition area. e)In other cases when it is deemed necessary to call the attention of the Referee.

ARBITRATORS Arbitrator will oversee the match or bout in progress. Should decisions of the Referee and/or Judges, not be in accordance with the Rules of Competition, the Arbitrator will immediately stop the match. The Arbitrator will instruct the Referee to halt the match or bout and correct the irregularity. Records kept of the match shall become official records subject to the approval of the Arbitrator. Before the start of each match or bout the Arbitrator will ensure that the contestants’ are wearing approved equipment.

SCORE SUPERVISORS The Score Supervisor will keep a separate record of the scores awarded by the Referee and at the same time oversee the actions of the appointed timekeepers and scorekeepers.

EXPLANATION:

When three judges give the same signal, or indicate a score for the same competitor, the referee will stop the bout and render the majority decision. Should the referee fail to stop the bout the arbitrator will stop the match and notify the Referee that there were at least 3 corner judges calling point or penalty. The referee can Not over ride 3 corner Judges or call a hantei until referees calls for judges opinion.

II.When two judges give the same signal, or indicate a score for the same competitor, the referee will consider their opinions but may decline to stop the bout if he believes them to be mistaken.

III.However, when the bout is halted, the majority decision will prevail. The referee may ask the judges to re-consider, but may not give a decision against three judges. All points and penalties must be confirmed by at least 3 judges and or the referee.

IV.When the Referee sees a score he will call “YAME” and halt the bout using the prescribed signal. He will then indicate his preference by holding his bent arm palm upwards on the side of the scoring contestant.

V.In the event of a two/two decision the Referee will indicate with the appropriate signal why the other contestant’s score is not considered to be valid and then award the score to the opponent.

VI.The referee may ask the judges to re-consider when he believes them mistaken, or when implementation would be a violation of the rules.

VII.When three judges each have different opinions, the referee may give a decision, which is supported by one of the judges.

VIII.At HANTEI the referee and judges each have one vote. In the event of a tied the Referee will have a casting vote.

IX.The Judges must only score what they actually see. If they are not sure that a technique actually reached a scoring area, they should signal that they did not see.

X.The role of the Arbitrator is to ensure that the match or bout is conducted in accordance with the Rules of Competition. He is not there as an additional Judge. He has no vote, nor has he any authority in matters of judgment, such as whether a score was valid or if penalty occurred. His sole responsibility is in matters of procedure.

XI.In the event that the Referee does not hear the time-up bell, the Score-Supervisor will throw in stop bag.

XII.When explaining the basis for a judgment after the match, the Referee Panel may speak to the Arbitrator. They will explain to no one else.

Corner Referee Flag Meanings White flag or red flag meaning which competitor Ippon Full Point if white flag or red flag Waza-ari ½ point Mienai, Did not see any call Jogai, Out of ring Hansoku, Warning Referee will ask with hand signals to which degree

From warning to disqualification Hikiwake, Draw Torimasen, Saw what you are calling but don’t agree Referee Signals Referees: Yame Stop

Tsuzukete Hajime Begin

Hantei Meeting of Judges

Ippon Full Point

Aka (shiro) No Kachi Winner

Hansoku Chui ½ point Warning

Chui Full point warning

Mubobi Non Contact warning

Shikaku Disqualification

Waza-ari ½ point

Hikiwake Draw

Atenai Verbal warning

Jogai out of ring