Kumite (Sparring)

Five-Step and Three-Step Sparring

  • In five-step and three-step sparring, each person attacks five or three times to face and five or three times to stomach from one side only (usually starting from a left side forward front stance, right-hand punch) respectively. The attacking side alternates after each exchange (i.e., Person A attacks to face; Person B attacks to face; Person A attacks to stomach; Person B attacks to stomach).

One-Step Sparring

  • In one-step sparring involving only punching attacks (i.e., for 5th and 4th kyu), Person A attacks once to face from left-side forward (right-hand punch), then once to face from right-side forward (left-side punch). The same person then attacks once to stomach from both sides. Person B then performs the same attacks. Each person thus performs four attacks.
  • In one-step sparring involving kicks as well as punches (i.e., for 3rd kyu and above), Person A attacks once to face from either side, then to stomach from either side, then with a front kick from either side. Person B then attacks one time each (face, stomach, front kick) from either side. Each person thus performs three attacks.

Kiai on the last attack (when attacking) and on the counter-attack (when defending). Down block strongly when attacking; announce your target forcefully and decisively.

Kyu Kumite Japanese
8 5-step: face and stomach Gohon Kumite
(Jodan junzuki, Chudan junzuki) 
7 5-step: face and stomach Gohon Kumite
(Jodan junzuki, Chudan junzuki) 
6 1-step: face and stomach Kihon Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan)
5 1-step: face, stomach and front kick Kihon Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri)
4 1-step: face, stomach, front kick, side thrust kick Kihon Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri, Kekomi)
3 Semi-free: face, stomach, front kick Jiyuu Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri)
2 Semi-free: face, stomach, front kick, side thrust kick, roundhouse kick (say face or stomach)
Jiyuu Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri, Kekomi, Mawashigeri)
1 Semi-free: face, stomach, front kick, side thrust kick, roundhouse kick (say face or stomach) Jiyuu Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri, Kekomi, Mawashigeri)
Shodan Semi-free: face, stomach, front kick, side thrust kick, roundhouse kick (say face or stomach) [both sides] Jiyuu Ippon Kumite
(Jodan, Chudan, Maegeri, Kekomi, Mawashigeri)