Karate teaches self-defense, combat training and the power of coordinating body and mind. The popularity of the martial art has led to the creation of numerous regulatory foundations to provide guidance for competitors and judges. Foundations in the United States include the American Kenpo Foundation, the Victory Karate Foundation, the Ohtsuka Amateur Karate Foundation and the USA Karate Foundation.
Global Karate Federations
The World Karate Federation provides regulations for international competitions. The World Federation, an umbrella commission, includes continental organizations such as the African Karate Federation, the Asian Karate Federation, the European Karate Federation, the Oceanian Karate Federation and the Pan American Karate Federation. The Federation oversees the manner in which competitions are held, including specifics such as anti-doping rules, conflict-of-interest regulations, disciplinary regulations, medical rules and organization rules. The Federation also sets protocols and rules of conduct for referees.
Anti-Doping Rules
Anti-doping rules, designed to ensure fairness in competition, apply to all participating bodies. This policy forbids the presence of any prohibited substance or metabolites or markers in the athlete's system. Samples must be submitted upon request, and failure to comply with such requests also constitutes a violation. If an athlete has a sample that tests positive, a hearing will be held to give the accused a chance to defend himself. This includes a timely hearing with an impartial hearing body. (Ref 6)
Competition Procedures
Competition procedures and policies are also extremely elaborate. These pertain to areas like the competition area, official dress, referee panel, duration of a bout, scoring, prohibited behaviors, penalties, injuries and starting and suspending matches. Rules also cover the behavior of judges, referees, time keepers and score keepers. Detailed explanation attempt to provide guidance for all possible issues that could arise during competition. To avoid ambiguity, detailed descriptions of all the terms used in the competition rules can be found in the federation manual.
Sample Regulations
The competition area must be flat and free from potential hazards. The competition area must be a square of 8 m on each side with an additional 2 m per side for safety. Judges generally sit in the safety zone. Contestants and referees must wear official uniforms. Participants must wear protective gear, including shin pads, foot protection and -- for women -- chest protectors. Areas of attack are restricted to the face, neck, abdomen, chest, back and side area.
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