Dojo Rules

Rules

The following rules are listed below for all Seido Karate Brisbane members to follow.

  • ❀ General
    The dojo tournament is focused on providing a safe environment to allow students to participate and experience professional tournament conditions. It provides students with an opportunity to participate as a competitor, develop their karate skills, and to perform in front of judges and spectators.

    ❀ Uniform
    Competitors will wear their full Gi to participate in a tournament. T-shirts are not allowed without express permission from the head instructors. The Gi should be in good condition, clean, and brandishing the Seido patches. The competitor is required to wear their normal karate obi (belt).

    Shoes are not permitted to be worn for sparing.

    Where there are two students competing against each other simultaneously, one will be given a red sash to wear, the other a white sash. A senior will tuck the sash into your belt at the back.

    ❀ Protective Equipment

    Protective equipment is only required for sparring.

    Gloves

    Gloves are to cover the knuckles with sufficient padding. Point sparring gloves are ideal for point sparring but are not suitable for full contact sparring. Full contact sparring gloves can be used for either and are required to fully cover the hand with the thumb webbed to the index finger.

    Shin Guards

    Padded Shin guards are required to be worn under the Gi pants.

    Foot Guards

    Foot Guards are required to be worn and must cover the toes and pad the heel.

    Mouth Guard

    Mouth guards are compulsory and are required to have a snug fit, and not hang loose in the mouth.

    Groin Guard

    Groin guards are compulsory for males.

    Chest Guard

    Chest guards are compulsory for females.

    ❀ Injuries and First Aid
    Where an injury has been sustained, the head judge will stop the activity to assess whether first aid is required. If first aid is required, the competitor will be withdrawn from the event and be looked after by a first aid officer.

    It is the competitor’s responsibility to bring with them anything they need for known conditions such as:

    • EpiPen

    • Asthma pump

    • Insulin

    • Medication

    ❀ Competition

    There will be an assigned area within the dojo for the competition to take place.

    Between the competition area and the shinzen there will be tables set up for the judges to watch the kata competition.

    For the point sparring competition there will be four corner judges standing on the outside of the competition area with one head judge standing on the inside of the area with the competitors.

    The head judge will provide direction to the competitors on what to do.

    The assigned competition area is to be treated like a mini dojo where the competitor will show full respect and follow good etiquette at all times.

    There will be an event coordinator who will let you know when you can enter the competition area.

    ❀ Technique Shiai Rules

    Techniques shiai is executed as an individual and you will be given 20 second to demonstrate your choice of karate techniques.

    Each competitor will be asked to enter the competition area and present themselves to the head judge stating their name and age. Upon a signal from the head judge the competitor will then walk backwards to their starting position ready to commence.

    The head judge will signal the competitor to start and will call yame if the time limit is exceeded.

    At the end of the performance the competitor will wait until the judges have scored and will only leave on the signal from the head judge.

    On leaving the competition area the competitor will walk up to the entrance area then turn and face the middle, bow, and then back out.

    Scoring

    It is expected that the competitor will be performing techniques commensurate to their grade.

    Scoring will be based on the competitor showing:

    • Good balance

    • Controlled techniques

    • Variety of techniques

    • Composed strength and spirit

    • The ability to tell a story through their performance.

    ❀ Kata competition

    Kata is executed as an individual. Competitors will be organised into competition categories as deemed by the head instructors.

    Each competitor will be asked to enter the competition area and present themselves to the head judge stating their name and the kata that they are doing. Upon a signal from the head judge the competitor will then walk backwards to their starting position ready to commence.

    The head judge will ask the student if they wish to have a count.

    At the end of the kata the competitor will wait until the judges have scored and will only leave on the signal from the head judge.

    On leaving the competition area the competitor will walk up to the entrance area turn and face the middle, bow, and then back out.

    Scoring

    It is expected that the competitor will be performing a kata commensurate to their grade.

    Should a competitor perform a lower grade kata, a full single mark will be deducted.

    Scoring will be based on the competitor showing:

    • Knowledge of the kata

    • Good balance

    • Controlled techniques

    • Composed strength and spirit

    • The ability to tell a story through their kata

    ❀ Point Sparring Rules

    General

    The assigned competition area is to be treated like a mini dojo where the competitor will show full respect and follow full etiquette.

    All techniques are required to be executed above the waist. This generally means above the belt. No techniques are allowed to the face, throat or the back. Knees and elbow techniques are not allowed.

    Warnings

    Warnings are given for the following reasons:

    • Too much contact.

    • Illegal techniques.

    • Purposefully leaving the assigned sparring area during the competition.

    • Grabbing or pushing.

    • Displaying poor behaviour.

    If a competitor receives two warnings, they are automatically disqualified.

    Hand Techniques

    Hand techniques are not allowed to be executed to the face. The following hand techniques are allowed.

    • Uraken strikes are allowed to the top of the head with either hand.

    • Haito strikes are allowed only with the reverse hand to the top or side of the head.

    • Seiken strikes are only allowed as a reverse strike to the body.

    No other hand techniques are allowed.

    Leg Techniques

    Leg techniques are not allowed to be executed to the face or the back. The following leg techniques are allowed.

    • Mai Geri is allowed to the front of the body only.

    • Yoko Geri is allowed to the front or side of the body.

    • Mawashi Geri is allowed to the front or side of the body, or to the side of the head.

    • Kaka Geri is allowed to the front or side of the body, or to the side or back of the head.

    • Ushiro Geri is allowed to the front of the body only.

    • Uchi Mawashi and Soto Mawashi Geri are allowed.

    No other leg techniques are allowed.

    Black Belts Only

    • Controlled take downs or sweeps are allowed if followed up with an immediate hand technique to a legal area.

    • After a competitor is taken down, they may score from the ground with a legal hand or foot technique before the opponent follows up with their technique.

    Scoring

    There will be a 2-minute round whereby at the end of the round the competitor with the greatest number of accumulated points wins.

    If a competitor extends a lead by 6 points, they will automatically be declared the winner.

    If at the end of 2-minutes, it is a draw, an extra 1-minute will be granted whereby at the end of the round the competitor with the greatest number of accumulated points wins.

    If at the end of the extended 1-minute it remains a draw, extra time will be granted whereby the very next point will win.