🏛️Official — Karate Combat
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Combat Sports
1–2 players
indoor
glove, mouthguard, groin protector
10 essential rules
Karate Combat is a US-based professional stand-up karate promotion founded in 2018. Unlike Olympic-style WKF Karate (which uses point-stop scoring with light contact), Karate Combat is full-contact, continuous-action — closer in pacing to MMA/kickboxing — but restricted to stand-up striking only ...
Standing 10-count rule; Three-knockdown rule per round = TKO; KO = total victory; TKO via referee/doctor stoppage
Per the Rules and Regulations, each non-title Karate Combat contest is 3 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a 1-minute rest period between rounds.; Title/Championship bouts are 5 rounds of 3 minutes each — two additional 3-minute rounds beyond the standard non-title format.; If the judges' scorecards...
Punches (closed fist, gloved); Kicks (legs, body, head); Knee strikes (body + head, including jumping knees)
No elbows (since the early seasons; subject to change by edition); No takedowns (any attempt = referee reset); No ground fighting (if both fall, immediate stand-up)
Karate Combat mitts: per the Rules and Regulations, contestants shall wear Karate Combat mitts with a net weight of four ounces — open-palm, fingerless design for grip-and-clinch defense.; Mouthguard: mandatory.; Groin protector: mandatory (men); chest protector required for women.
"The Pit": Karate Combat's proprietary sunken-floor arena (~25 ft diameter circular floor, slanted walls).; No cage, no ropes — sloped walls keep action centered and prevent fighters from resting on a cage or ropes.; Padded floor and walls; lighting and camera positions are configured for live br...
Two competitors per match.; Per the Rules and Regulations' weight-class provisions, events feature single-match contests between well-matched, skilled karate fighters in the same weight division. Men's divisions: Strawweight, Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Midd...
Per the Rules and Regulations, each non-title Karate Combat contest is 3 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a 1-minute rest period between rounds.; Title/Championship bouts are 5 rounds of 3 minutes each — two additional 3-minute rounds beyond the standard non-title format.; If the judges' scorecards...
10-Point Must scoring (boxing-style), based on effective fighting.; Judges weight clean technical strikes (kicks heavier than punches by tradition), aggression, ring/Pit generalship, and defensive technique.; Title fights produce championship rankings (Karate Combat World Title per weight class).
Illegal techniques (elbows, takedowns, eye-poke, throat strikes, back-of-head, spine): warning → point deduction → DQ.; Excessive clinching: warning + referee reset.; Hitting after the bell: point deduction.
Bow (rei) before and after every bout
Competitors bow to each other and to officials at the start and conclusion of every match. Omitting or rushing the rei is a serious breach of karate's foundational etiquette, viewed as a sign of disrespect for the opponent and the art itself. This carries directly from dojo culture into Karate Combat's professional arena.
The bow signals readiness to engage and, after the fight, acknowledgment of shared effort regardless of outcome.
Never taunt or stand over a knocked-down opponent
After scoring a knockdown or KO, fighters are expected to step back immediately and allow the referee to intervene. Hovering over, pointing at, or taunting a downed opponent is considered a fundamental violation of the martial arts code of conduct and draws strong condemnation from peers and fans.
Show genuine mutual respect in post-fight ritual
Win or lose, fighters are expected to acknowledge each other respectfully after the final horn — bowing, brief physical acknowledgment, or both. Storming off without completing the post-fight ritual is viewed as a serious affront, even when the fight was contentious.
Karate Combat has explicitly built its brand identity around this samurai-influenced code of respect.
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Respect the referee's stop — don't land extra shots after halt
Continuing to strike after the referee calls stop — whether after a knockdown, out-of-bounds situation, or end of round — is considered a serious breach. Even a single extra strike after a clear halt is remembered negatively by the community and peers.