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Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors Sparring (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion.
There are no major unifying organizations in any of the different formats, and the rule details may change drastically between the many rival sport/style organizations and different promoters. Some organizations stick rigidly to one set of rules. Other use several rule formats harmoniously side by side. Some even have tournaments that switch rule formats between rounds of the same bout. Sometimes the differences between the different rules are large, and sometimes the only significant differences between different sport rules are the organizational structures that use them.
Points are scored by knocking the opponent out, down to the floor, by sweep and controlled follow up for half a point, or by otherwise visibly incapacitating them. Unless there is a knockdown or sweep, the bout is continuous, with stoppages only to break up locked clinches or if the fighters leave the fight area. Unlike American full-contact karate, or point karate, clean hits are not counted in and by themselves, as the scoring depends entirely on the effect of the hits, not on the formal or stylistic appearance of the techniques. No matter the perfection in execution of a technique, it will not score unless it visibly affects the opponent. In the same manner, if a technique does show a visible effect, it does not matter if it is executed in a manner regarded as inferior.
Common, minor variations to the basic-knockdown rules include Ashihara kaikan and Enshin Karate knockdown rules that allow one-handed grabbing in order to execute throws to score points. Many other variations exist, some so extensive that they can no longer be classified as knockdown rules, and several other branches of full-contact karate (typically included in the "gloved", "MMA inspired" and "others" groups) originate as such a variation of the Knockdown karate rules.
Although this sport format originated with the Kyokushin karate organization, it has spread until now and it's used by many karate styles and organizations. Karate styles embracing these rules are often called knockdown karate styles, and these include both organizations that originated from Kyokushin, such as Shidōkan Karate, Ashihara kaikan, Enshin Karate, Shindenkai and Seidokaikan (the style that originated the K-1), as well as styles that originated independently from Kyokushin such as Ryukyukan from Okinawa Island and Muso-Kai karate. (Muso-Kai started with Shorin Ryu, Knockdown styles were a huge influence later)
Though severely divided by rivaling styles and organizations (several of which use their own minor variations of the basic rules), and lacking a unifying sport organization, the sport of knockdown karate today is common all over the world. Despite the lack of a unifying sport organization to hold unifying championships (and the friction between the different styles and organizations), there is a long tradition in most knockdown karate organizations to hold special open-tournament knockdown karate events, where fighters from any knockdown karate (or any other) style and organization are welcome to participate.
It had its origin when Joe Lewis, a traditional Shorin Ryu black belt, was disappointed with scoring in point karate and wanted to prove martial artists could fight to a knockout. For his role in promoting and organizing the first full contact bout, Joe Lewis is considered the father of American full contact karate and full contact kickboxing, both important predecessor to modern-day mixed martial arts fighting.
American full contact karate is closely related to American kickboxing, and it is often difficult to separate the two sports. As a guideline, both do not allow kicks below the waistline, or the use of knees or elbows.
The rules are based on the knockdown karate rules explained above, but modified to use boxing gloves and allow punches to the face, although it may be argued that it is unclear where this karate competition format ends and kickboxing begins. This is especially true since many gloved karate fighters seamlessly go on from their amateur gloved karate career to professional kickboxing careers. Many Japanese gloved karate fighters have in recent years become well known as pro-kickboxers, and many of the most successful Japanese kickboxers in K-1, such as Kozo Takeda, Yoshihiro Sato, Yasuhiro Kido, Hinata, Yuya Yamamoto, originated in gloved karate.
Nevertheless, compared to most other major full contact karate sports, Bogu Kumite is still very small.
The rules of this contest is punches, kicks to the calf (not thigh) and to the head and body, as well as knee strikes. If a fighter gets knocked down the opponent can punch them on the ground for 5 seconds before the referee stops the fight or stand them back up.
In December 2019, the league announced an extended schedule of fight events for the year around the world with an event in Kyoto, Japan, planned for the Spring. Yahoo Sports Yahoo Sports, Rory Carroll, December 21, 2018. The Kyoto fight was cancelled and the promotion held two events that year, one in Orlando, Florida and one in Hollywood with guest announcer Danny Trejo.[6] Deadline Hollywood, Patrick Hipes, January 10, 2019. In April 2020, the league announced a new plan that would hold all of a season's fights in one location and use CGI to add the exotic atmosphere; the plan was partially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Reuters, Rory Carroll, April 22, 2020.
In 1981, Grandmaster Takashi Azuma created "Karatedo Daido Juku" in Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture. Daido Juku introduced "Kakuto Karate (Combat Karate)" a safe, practical and popular form of tournament karate using the face protector and allowing attacks to the head level attack, throws and grabs. Since then joint locks and chokes were included. Ever since, Daido Juku became a leading organization in the mixed martial arts boom in Japan. Daido Juku competition format, Kudo, allows any strike (including headbutts and groin kicks), throws and limited time grappling on the ground.
Other groups combining traditional karate striking with grappling are Nihon zendokai with their "Vale Tudo Karate" and Kyokushin Budokai with their "allround fighting" rules, as well as a multitude of lesser known minor rule systems. Another hybrid karate style is Seireikai Karate, founded by a Kyokushin and Oyama Karate practitioner. The style is primarily Kyokushin and Oyama Karate striking techniques, combined with the throws and grappling of Judo. The characteristics of this modified kyokushin fighting style relies on punch counters, multi-range kicking, throws and take-downs, and joint locks. Another hybrid Full Contact Karate form is Ashigaru Ryu founded by Sensei Bob Peppels in the Netherlands.
Another type of Karate Hybrid fighting style is karate Zendokai. This type of karate is based on striking and grappling techniques.
Examples of minor full contact rules system are the Irikumi Go as used by some Gōjū-ryū organizations (most notably the International Okinawan Gōjū-ryū Karate-dō Federation and the Jundokan Goju-Ryu organization), and the rules of Mumonkai Karate. Kyokushinkan shinken shobu uses a variation of knockdown karate using thin gloves, and allows headpunches, clinching and throws. Irikumi Go is a traditional continuous fighting using full contact, gloves and face-punches, used in Gojuryu karate. Mumonkai use rules similar to knockdown karate, but modified to allow head-punches with protective headgear and thin gloves.
In France, a full contact karate promotion called pro fight karate, has been formed for professional karate with MMA style gloves, clinching and limited grappling.
An example of full contact karate rules unique to a single promotion is the now defunct Chaos Madmax special event in Japan, arranged by the FSA Kenshinkan style organization. Here fighters fight without gloves or protective equipment, and head-punches allowed. Chaos Madmax has been replaced by Pro KarateDo, an organization using similar bareknuckle rules.
The Shotokan Karate-Do International Association (SKDIA) run events called FullContact Shotokan. The competitors wear protective equipment and fight under the full contact ruleset. Punches, kicks, knees, throws and sweeps are all allowed, with a 5 second rule for attacks on a grounded opponent. Rumours say these rules influenced the idea of the first Karate Combat ruleset.
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