1. No ring, watches, necklaces, etc.may be worn by competitors with the exeption of medic alert.
2. Wearing Kote (hand guards), athletic supports, and mouth guards are strongly advised.
3. No head contact is permitted. Light to medium contact is permitted to the body.
4. No kicks below the belt.
5. Foot sweeps must be controlled and executed properly.
6. No open hand strikes or offensive techniques.
7. No strikes to the back of the head, spine, neck or throat with any technique, Illegal or otherwise.
8. Objectionable behavior will result in ejection from the tournament.
9. A point is score when a contestant delivers a controlled, focused blow to any of the permissible target areas. A scoring technique must be delivered with good form, balance, proper distancing, explosive motion, retraction, controlled force and concentration.
10. A foul is committed when:
-a block that contacts the head, face, throat, groin or spine.
-a deliberate strike, kick or punch below the belt.
-objectionable behavior subject to the discretion of the center judge.
-uncontrolled technique, landed or otherwise.
-open hand or any illegal technique.
-deliberate running out of the ring.
Procedure
Competitors go to the on-deck area and sand in hachiji dachi.
When names are called, competitors walk along the sides of the ring to the center line and stand in hachiji dachi facing each other.
Assume musubi dachi, bow 15 degrees to each other and step into the ring with the left foot first. Walk to the floor marks and stand in hachiji dachi.
The centre judge will place a red ribbon through the back of the belt on the competitor to the right of the centre judge.
The centre judge will call tski. The competitors stand in musubi dachi, bow 15 degrees to each other (or sometimes the center judge will bow with the center judge then both competitors will bow to each other) and resume hachiji dachi. (In open tournaments mostly, a match will start from hachiji dachi. In SWKKF, a match will usually start with a fighting stance.)
The competitors listen to the centre judge's instructions and / or commands to begin.
When the match is over, the centre referee calls the competitors
In kumite competitions, here are the most commonly used Japanese terms:
Tski - Attention (assume musubi dachi)
Rei - Bow Yame - Stop Junbi - Get ready
Aka - Red Matte - Wait Shikkaku - Disqualification
Shiro - White Hantei - Decision Kachi / No catch - Winner
Hajime - Start or Begin Ippon - Point Tomoni - Together
Shugo - Judges called Yoi - Ready
And here are the less commonly used Japanese terms:
Aiuchi - Simultanious points by both oponents Ma-ai Ga toh - Inproper distancing
Attate Iru - Contact Nukete Iru - Out of target
Chui - Warning Taiming Go Osoi - Not proper timing
Fujubun - Not enough power Tome - Return to original position
Fukushin Shugo - Judges conference Toranai - No point
Hansoku - Foul, a penalty Ukete Iru - Blocked
Jikan - Time Waza-ari - Half point
Jogai - Out of bounds Yowai - Weak Focus
Mamae-te - assume stance