WKF rules quoted here are the 2026 versions. They change often, so for anything that matters, check the current rulebook on the WKF documents page rather than this summary. 53
Two disciplines
- Kata: a solo (or team) performance of a form, judged by a panel. 16,50
- Kumite: sparring between two competitors, controlled by a referee and judges. 16,51
Both are held as individual and team events, split by age, sex, and for kumite by weight. 31,50,51 Tournaments can be "closed" (one style or organisation only) or "open" to any style within the rules. 1 Different organisations use very different rule sets: light or semi contact points rules (WKF and others), knockdown full contact rules (Kyokushin and related groups), armour based contact rules (bogu kumite), and others. 1
WKF kumite (sport karate, the Olympic format), 2026 rules
The bout. An 8 m square mat with a 2 m safety area round it. Three minutes for seniors and under 21s, 2 minutes for cadets and juniors, 1.5 minutes for under 14s. One referee () and four judges (), with a match supervisor (); some events use video review. 51
Scoring. 51
| Score | Points | For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A punch or strike to the head or body | |
| 2 | A kick to the body | |
| 3 | A kick to the head, or any legal technique on an opponent who is down |
A technique only scores if it shows good form, sporting attitude, vigorous application, awareness (), good timing and correct distance. 51 Scoring areas are the head, face and neck () and the chest, stomach, back and sides (); the throat may not be touched at all. 31,51 Control: for adults, head kicks must stop within 5 cm and hand techniques within 2 cm, with at most a light "skin touch"; for cadets and under 14s the limits are 10 cm and 5 cm. Body techniques may make controlled contact. 51
How a bout is won. An eight point lead ends the bout; otherwise the higher score at time up wins; in a tie, the first unopposed score () decides; failing that, the judges vote (). 51
Not allowed includes excessive contact, attacks to the arms, legs, groin, joints or instep, open hand attacks to the face, dangerous throws, faking injury, leaving the area () and avoiding combat. Penalties rise from warnings () to hansoku chui, (losing the bout) and (removal from the tournament). 31,51
Kit. WKF approved red or blue mitts, gum shield, body protector (chest and body protector for females), shin pads and foot protectors, groin guard for males. Under 14s must also wear a helmet and external body protector. Glasses are not allowed. 51 The two competitors are (red) and (blue). 50,51
Senior weight classes. Men under 60, 67, 75 and 84 kg, and over 84 kg; women under 50, 55, 61 and 68 kg, and over 68 kg. Junior, cadet and under 14 classes are lighter. 51
WKF kata, 2026 rules
Only kata on the WKF official list may be performed: 102 kata from Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu and Okinawan lineages, reported by number as well as name. Slight variation as taught in the competitor's style is allowed. 50
Choosing kata: a different kata for each round, up to five, before the medal matches; no kata twice in a row, and none more than twice in a competition; for under 14s, no more than four different kata are required. 50
Judging: each judge scores both performers from 5.0 to 10.0 and votes for the better one; the result is decided by a majority of judges' votes. The criteria are stances, techniques, transitional movements, timing and synchronisation, correct breathing, focus (), consistency with basics, strength, speed and balance. In team medal matches the team performs the kata and then a demonstration of its meaning (), within five minutes in total, judged as equally important. 50
This has changed over time. At Tokyo 2020, seven judges scored each performance, the two highest and two lowest marks were dropped, and the total was weighted 70% technical and 30% athletic. 15 The 2026 rules decide each match by majority vote instead. 50
Age categories for WKF kata: under 14 (12 to 13), cadet (14 to 15), junior (16 to 17), under 21 (18 to 20) and senior (16 and over). 50
The Olympic story
Efforts to bring karate into the Olympics began in the 1970s; it missed out in a 2009 vote and was not taken forward for 2020 in 2013. 15 In 2015 karate was shortlisted with baseball and softball, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing, and on 3 August 2016 the IOC approved all five for Tokyo 2020 as additional sports for those Games only. 1,15 Karate had already appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. 1
The Games, held in 2021, had eight karate events and 80 athletes. Kumite had three weight classes for each sex: men -67, -75, +75 kg; women -55, -61, +61 kg. Kata had one event for each sex. 15 The kata champions were Sandra Sánchez (Spain) and Ryo Kiyuna (Japan), at the Nippon Budokan. 58
Paris 2024 did not include karate. 1,15 For Los Angeles 2028 it was shortlisted in 2022 but not selected; in October 2023 the IOC approved baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. 15,57 For Brisbane 2032 the WKF is working towards inclusion; karate is not yet on the programme. 55 Karate is on the programme of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026. 56
Other WKF events
World Championships every two years; women first competed in 1980. 31 Para karate: a demonstration in 2012, then official Para Karate World Championships from 2014, with events for athletes with visual impairments, intellectual impairments and wheelchair users. 16,31 Karate also features in the World Games, for which the WKF is the recognised governing body, and in continental multi sport games. 15,16
Knockdown (full contact) rules, Kyokushin example
These are the IFK rules used by British Karate Kyokushinkai. 76
- Ippon (full point): a legal technique that knocks the opponent down for 5 seconds or more (seniors), or stops them for 3 seconds or more (cadets, veterans and juniors), or takes away their will to fight.
- Waza-ari (half point): a shorter knockdown; two waza-ari in one round win the bout.
- Not allowed: punches or elbows to the face, head or neck; groin strikes; head butts; hitting a fallen opponent; grabbing or pushing; kicking the knee joint when the foot is on the floor. Juniors have extra limits on head kicks.
- Bouts: 2 minutes for seniors in elimination rounds (some events use 3), down to 1 minute for the youngest juniors, with extensions if tied. For senior men, board breaking (tameshiwari) can be used to separate a tie.
How competition is organised in the UK
- Olympic and WKF route. The British Karate Federation (BKF) is the UK member of the WKF. Its four home nation members, the English Karate National Governing Body, Karate Scotland, Karate Wales and the Northern Ireland Karate Board, are the bodies authorised to represent their nations, and England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland compete as separate federations at European and world level. 19,60 The BKF runs international opens, for example the BKF International Open on 29 and 30 August 2026 at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. 60
- Many other circuits. Because the WKF allows only one federation per country, other world bodies exist for associations that want to compete outside it, notably the WUKF, which accepts more than one federation per country. 1,95
- Style association championships. For example, the KUGB runs regional championships in each of its regions plus national events, and sends squads to the European and World Shotokan Karate-do Associations' championships. 18
- Kyokushin: the BKK runs knockdown, semi contact and kata events under IFK rules. 74,75,76
- Not every club competes. Karate-do Shotokai does not take part in sport competition, and British Wadokai keeps away from sport and all styles bodies. 67,82
British results worth knowing
In 1975 Great Britain won the men's team world title, beating Japan in the final. 1,98 Four WKF senior world champions this century: Leon Walters, Rory Daniels, Paul Newby and Jordan Thomas. 19