A. Uniform Requirements:

• Each competitor must timely present himself/herself to the center judge suitably attired and physically prepared to compete. He/she must wear a clean traditional or professional karate gi or Kung Fu uniform in good condition. An insignia of rank, belt, or sash must be worn by each competitor. T-shirts are permitted only if they are part of a school uniform and list the name of the school or style of the competitor. A current tournament T-shirt may also be worn. No sleeveless or cut-off uniforms are acceptable. Nothing obscene or distasteful may be displayed on the gi or T-shirt.

• In sparring competition, each competitor must also have all safety equipment required in the division. Jewelry or any ornamental object which the center judge feels might endanger either the competitor or his/her opponent may not be worn for the purpose of identification, the center judge may require a competitor to wear a red flag or pennant which shall be attached to the back of the ranking belt or sash.

B. Physical and Mental Condition:

• Each competitor must be in a physically and mentally stable condition for competition and must exhibit no indications of recent use of alcoholic beverages or drugs. Any competitor with an obvious physical problem (hand in cast, etc.) will not be allowed to compete in sparring competition. A doctor’s excuse is the only way this rule can be overwritten.

C. Age Division Rule: 

• Divisional competition for competitors seventeen years of age and younger shall be based upon age and rank division. In the Young Adult, Junior and all Children’s divisions, the actual age of the competitor on the date of the first A-rated MKA point-rated tournament of the year shall determine his/her eligibility to compete in that age division for the remainder of the tournament season. Each competitor shall compete only in the appropriate age and rank division in weapons, kata, and sparring, unless special verbal permission has been requested and approved by the sensei and a Board member at the beginning of the year. No competitor shall compete in a more advanced division with regard to age and rank nor shall any competitor be allowed to divide his/her competition in a tournament differing weapons, kata, and sparring divisions or between open or executive divisions. If a competitor is found to be competing out of his/her age or rank, any points received at that MKA tournament will be revoked.

D. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Divisions:

• A beginner is anyone with white, high white, yellow, low blue, orange, and low green belt in styles where a green belt is used in lieu of a blue belt. An intermediate is anyone who with green, high green, high blue, and purple belt. An advanced is anyone with red, brown, or black belt. When a MKA division is broken down into beginner and advanced divisions only, the advanced division will be green through black belt, and the beginner division will be all other ranks.

E. Rank Promotions During Tournament Year:

• If a competitor begins the tournament year in one kyu division, is promoted and completes the tournament year in a higher kyu division, then all points will be awarded in the division where the competitor has earned the most points for the tournament year. If a competitor has a tie in points between divisions, he/she will be transferred to the highest rank achieved at the end of the year. No points will be transferred from a kyu division to a black belt division.

A. Qualifications:

• All center judges shall be eighteen years of age or older and black belts of a recognized style and school of martial arts. Each must be dressed in a karate gi or club uniform while officiating. Sixteen and seventeen year old black belts may be allowed to assist as corner judges if they are black belts of a recognized school and style of the martial arts. All black belts who are 18 and older must make themselves available to help judge. If they do not, they will be ineligible to compete as grand champion at that tournament.

 B. Removal:

• No tournament judge can be removed after the division competition has started. A tournament judge can only be removed by the consent of both the rules arbitrator and the tournament promoter if the judge exhibits incompetence or gross negligence.

• A competitor may request, through the rules arbitrator or the tournament promoter, that a judge be removed. This request must be made prior to the start of the division competition. If the rules arbitrator or tournament promoter deems that the request is valid, then the judge will be removed. 

A. Floor Competition Ring:

• The size of the floor competition fighting ring shall be 20 x 20 feet or 19 x 21 feet. The borders of each ring shall be marked with white or brightly colored tape having a minimum width of 2 inches. Bow-in or starting lines shall be taped 8 feet apart, each 6 feet from the opposite border lines, in the center of each ring. Each ring shall also be clearly marked with a ring number visible to competitors, officials, and medical personnel from across the floor.

B. Elevated Ring:

• Any elevated ring shall be a properly padded, regulation karate ring not less than 20 feet square within the ropes.

A. Martial Arts Affiliation:

• All sport karate fighters must be members of a recognized style and school of martial arts and must compete at the highest rank in any style obtained. If a competitor obtained a brown belt in Shotokan, then changed to Tae Kwon Do with only obtaining a blue belt, that competitor must compete in brown belt division. Failure to comply will result in the competitor being disqualified and any MKA sparring points received will be revoked at that tournament.

B. Conduct Affecting Eligibility:

• Fighters who have exhibited unsportsmanlike conduct such as a complete lack of respect for judges, injury to opponents, repeated rules violations, loss of temper and use of profanity or rude and abusive language may be declared ineligible for competition. This rule also extends to others outside the ring who may create disturbances, harass the judges, spectators, scorekeepers, timekeepers, and the other competitors. These persons can cause their competitor to be ineligible to compete because of their actions.

C. Suspension:

• Any fighters suspended by the MKA Board of Directors shall not be permitted to participate in any amateur or professional sanctioned events for the duration of such suspension.

D. Pre-fight Regulations:

• The executive men’s black belt, senior men’s black belt and men’s under black belt divisions shall be comprised of the following weight divisions or classes:

  • Lightweight 179.9 pounds and under

  • Heavyweight 180.0 pounds and over

• The men’s black belt division shall be comprised of the following weight divisions or classes:

  • Lightweight 159.9 pounds and under

  • Middleweight 169.0 to 179.9 pounds

  • Heavyweight 180 pounds and over

• All fighters in these divisions must weigh-in at each tournament dressed in full karate gi or martial arts uniform and must compete in the appropriate division or class. Any tournament points acquired by a black belt fighting out of his predominant weight division, however, shall not be transferable to or combined with those acquired in such other weight division or class.

A. Required Equipment:

• Soft foam type hand and foot protectors are mandatory for competitors in all fighting divisions. Gloves must fully cover fingers, fingertips, and wrists when hand is in closed fist position. The striking surfaces of such hand and foot protectors must be free from any tape, tears or repairs which might cause injury.

• Groin protector cups must be worn by all male competitors.

• Mouthpieces and headgear are required in all sparring divisions.

• Soft shin and forearm guards are recommended in all fighting divisions.

• Breast protectors are highly recommended for all women competitors.

• Face shields are optional.

• All required safety equipment is subject to and must meet the approval of the center judges. 

A. Ringside Officials:

• Each sparring match shall be conducted by a center judge and at least two mobile corner judges. These shall be assisted by both a timekeeper and scorekeeper.

B. Referee/Judge Duties:

• The center judge is charged with the supervision of each match and is responsible for the management and entire function of the ring. He/she shall always promote and ensure fairness in the enforcement of these rules and the safety of the competitors. To this end, he/she shall ensure that all ringside officials know and properly perform their assigned duties, start and stop the fight, award points, make penalty and disqualification decisions, administer the voting of the corner judges, communicate clearly with the scorekeeper and timekeeper, and announce in a loud, clear voice all official decisions and shall indicate with voice and gesture the competitor affected by his/her decisions.

• Corner judges shall remain standing or mobile outside the ring throughout each match. Corner judges should avoid being on the same side of the ring as another at any time during a match.

C. Persons Permitted in the Ring:

• No persons other than the center judge and the two competitors shall be permitted in the ring during a match. The corner judges shall remain mobile outside the ring in all instances when available space for movement permits. The scorekeeper and timekeeper shall be situated together immediately outside the ring in such a manner as to least interfere with the movement of the corner judges.

• No corner judge, competitor’s instructor, teammate, or parent may enter the ring for purposes of discussing or protesting a call or ruling except at the express request or permission of the center judge. A violation of this rule may result in the penalizing or disqualification of the competitor.

D. The Bye System:

• The number of necessary byes shall be determined by utilization of the bye card. All byes must be awarded by random draw or deal of the numbered competition cards and must be taken in the first round of competition. In second round competition, whenever possible, byes should not be matched with byes but should be matched against winners of the first round.

E. Refereeing or Judging One’s Student:

• No center ring official who is a “head instructor” shall participate in refereeing or judging, as a center judge, any kumite match in which one of the competitors is his/her student. If this is the case, the head instructor should move to a side judge position or step out of the ring and be replaced by another judge.   

F. Correction of Error or Discrepancy:

• If any error, mistake, or rules discrepancy is discovered after a division or match has begun, the same shall be immediately corrected, but all previous competition shall not be affected by such action.

A. Bowing In and Out:

• Competitors are required to bow to their opponents at both the beginning and end of each match. At the beginning of the match, each competitor will come to the appropriate starting line of the ring and, on command of the center judge, will bow to the other. From this position, each will assume a fighting stance and the center judge will signal the commencement of the match. Any competitor who, upon completion of a match, refuses to bow out to his/her opponent shall be disqualified regardless of the outcome of the match.

• If for any reason upon reaching quarter finals there is someone in a competitor’s division that he/she does not want to fight, he/she shall be required to inform the center judge in order that the appropriate pairings may be made. Such competitors shall not thereafter be permitted to fight for more than third (3rd) place.

B. Length of Matches:

• A tournament match shall last a total of two minutes continuous time or a total of two minutes minus any time which may elapse during an official time out. The competitor awarded the most points during this time period shall be declared the winner of each match. Any five-point spread, however, shall determine the winner regardless of whether total time has elapsed in the match. If the score is tied at the end of the regulation time, the match shall continue in sudden death overtime. The first competitor to score a verified point in sudden death shall be declared the winner.

C. Official Time Out:

• Only the center judge may call a time out. He/she may do so for any the following reasons: (1) to allow equipment adjustments; (2) to attend an injured competitor; (3) to administer the voting of officials; (4) to award points, assess penalties, administer warnings; (5) to return competitors to the beginning position of the ring; (6) to hear a rules protest. Corner judges and competitors must request the center judge to call any desired time out. The timekeeper, however, shall automatically stop time if action in the match is not resumed within five seconds due to any injury, delay in verification of a point or call, or any other reason. 

D. Face Contact:

• Face contact shall be permitted only in adult brown belt men and all adult black belt divisions. No face contact whatsoever shall be allowed in any other divisions. When wearing the headgear, contact to the padded area will not be considered face contact. Contact to bare skin will be considered face contact. However, if a competitor hits the opponent hard enough to rock his/her head, excessive contact will be called. One penalty point will be awarded to the competitor that receives the face or excessive contact. The award of a second point whether for face contact or any other foul shall require the immediate disqualification of the offending competitor.

E. Out of Bounds:

• When any part of a competitor’s body touches or crosses the ring boundary line, for any reason other than the result of a successful scoring technique executed either by or upon him/her, the same shall constitute being out of bounds. A competitor may be called for boundary violation twice without penalty, but the third and each successive instance thereafter shall result in his/her opponent being awarded one point. No competitor may score or be scored upon while out of bounds.

F. Injury Stopping the Match:

• In the event of any injury, the center judge may stop the match and allow the injured fighter a reasonable time to recover (not to exceed five minutes). If, in the opinion of the center judge or medical personnel, the fighter is unable to continue as the result of any injury caused by his/her opponent, the offending competitor shall be automatically disqualified. Byes, if the same now become necessary, shall be awarded immediately following the disqualification. If the injured fighter declares himself/herself unable to continue without the approval of the center judge or medical personnel or does so with such approval as the result of a non-foul, non-foul injury, his/her opponent shall be determined the winner of the match.

A. Definition of a Proper Point:

• A point is a legal, legitimate, and controlled martial arts technique scored by a competitor in bounds that strikes an opponent with light force to a legal area. A point is legitimate if, as a martial arts technique, it holds in reserve the capacity to physically injure or momentarily stun an opponent. A point is controlled if it appears to strike an opponent with a great deal less than its potential force, and if it was executed by a competitor who was not falling or attempting to escape at the time, and who did not fall because of any improper or unbalanced execution of the technique after it struck the opponent.

B. Awarding a Point:

• Points are awarded by a majority vote of all ring judges. If the center judge sees a point scored, he will immediately call, “Break”, bring the competitors to the starting lines, direct “Call”, award the point if verified or announce no verification of point and continue the match. If a corner judge sees a point scored, he will immediately call, “Point”. The center judge will then break the competitors, bring them to the starting lines, and direct “Call”. No judge shall give any advance suggestion of the nature of his/her intended call, but upon command all shall then indicate both voice and gesture the competitor and the technique called. Hand techniques shall be awarded one point; kicking techniques shall be awarded two points. If a majority of the judges verify a point but do not agree on the technique scored, the competitor will be awarded only one point.

A. Target Areas:

• Legal target areas for techniques are the front and side of the headgear, the solar plexus, chest, ribs, stomach, and abdomen. Groin techniques are not allowed. The face shall be a legal target only in divisions as specified in Section 8 D. Face Contact.

B. Legal Techniques:

• All controlled offensive martial arts punching, striking, and kicking techniques delivered to legal target areas with authorized surfaces, except those herein specified as fouls, are legal sport karate techniques.

C. Fouls:

• Fouls may be classified, at the discretion of the center judge, into two categories: one penalty point or disqualification foul. A center judge must have confirmation before he/she can call a foul. In a ring with four or five judges, there must be at least confirmation from two other judges. In a ring where there are three judges, there must be confirmation from one other judge. The center judge will base his/her decision as to the severity of the foul on the apparent intent of the competitor committing the foul and the result of the foul.

• Fouls include the following:

  • Head-butting

  • Ripping and gouging techniques

  • Throws

  • Blind attacking techniques

  • Striking with the elbow

  • Knee attacks

  • Contact or techniques to the spine, joints, eyes, throat, or Adam’s apple

  • Excessive force or uncontrolled contact

  • Contact causing readily apparent or visible injury to an opponent

  • Kicking to the legs (except as part of a sweep and grab)

  • Illegal sweeping or grabbing

  • Striking or kicking an opponent when down and out of control

  • Hitting or flicking with an open glove

  • Refusing to break or attacking on the break

  • Deliberately escaping without sparring

  • Unsportsmanlike conduct, a loss of temper or use of abusive language by a competitor or anyone acting in his/her behalf

  • Coaching from the sidelines (whether verbal or hand signals) by an instructor, teammate, parent, or spectator

  • Attempts by black belts to influence or intimidate ring officials by verbally suggesting a proposed call from the sidelines

D. Contact Causing Bleeding:

• Any blow or contact causing bleeding, whether immediate or delayed, shall require the disqualification of the offending competitor. Whenever the distinct possibility exists, however, that such contact merely reopened a cut or laceration sustained in a previous match, the center judge shall examine the extent and condition of the injury and must consider the severity of the blow prior to the bleeding in arriving at his/her decision.

E. Blind Fouls:

• If any injury occurs as the result of contact or a technique which the center judge was unable to see (a blind foul), he/she may, at his/her sole discretion, confer with any or all the corner judges to determine where the foul lies and may consider, any, all, or none of such input in making his/her determination.

F. Sweeps and Grabs:

• All sweeps must be executed solely to the back of the calf or foot of the opponent’s front or forward leg. The sweeping technique must be an obvious attempt to unbalance and not injure the opponent’s leg. The opponent must fall naturally as though he/she has slipped or progress to the floor must be controlled by the sweeping competitor, who must not fall during the execution of the technique. A controlled follow-up technique must strike the downed opponent within two seconds to score. If the sweep is recklessly executed, the follow-up delivered after the time allowed or no move is made to score on the fallen opponent, the technique will be illegal and the offending competitor either warned or penalized depending upon the seriousness of the offense.

• As part of an obvious attempt to score with a single controlled technique a competitor may grab and grip the gi or arm of his/her opponent for two seconds, after which time if no point has been scored such grip must be immediately released. Within the same limitations, a kick may be trapped or grabbed but only for the purpose of executing a single technique in counterattack to an upright opponent.

G. Disqualification:

• A second foul shall automatically require disqualification of the offending competitor.  If that occurs in the final four competitors, he/she will not lose MKA points, but will not be able to compete in any further matches in that tournament event.  However, if it is determined by the judges and rules arbitrator that the competitor was acting in an un-sportsmanlike manner, the points will be revoked. The competitor must be made aware of this before he/she leaves the ring.

A. Time of Protest:

• All protests regarding a rules infraction or interruption must be registered with the center judge immediately upon announcement of the disputed call and not after the match has been resumed or completed. If the person protesting the call does so in a belligerent or abusive manner, the center judge may refuse to hear the protest and disqualify the competitor.

B. Rules Arbitrators:

• Each sanctioned tournament or event shall have two designated rules arbitrators having full authority regarding the interpretation of all MKA rules and regulations. Any decision by one or both shall be final.

C. Change of Decision:

• A decision rendered at the termination of a match is final and cannot be changed unless the rules arbitrator determines that either of the following occurred:

  • There was collusion affecting the result of the match.

  • There was a clear violation of any MKA rule or regulation which affected the result of the match.

A. Martial Arts Affiliation:

• See Section 5 A. Martial Arts Affiliation

B. Uniform Requirements:

• Each competitor must timely present himself/herself to the center judge suitably attired, as described in Section 2 A. Uniform Requirements, and ready to compete.

C. Kata:

• Kata is any empty hand competition. No props and/or additional persons will be allowed except creative/synchronized kata divisions or weapons in grand champion competition

[SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT FOUR]

• In all black belt and weapons form competition, there shall be five judges. In all other or kyu divisions, there shall be four judges.

• The center judge is charged with the supervision of the competition and is responsible for the management and entire function of the ring. He/she shall conduct the determination of the order of competition, oversee the recording of all scores, scan the scorekeeper’s calculations for correctness, and announce each official decision in a loud, clear voice and declare the first, second, third and fourth place winners in reverse order.

• The order of performance of all forms competitors shall be determined by random draw or deal the numbered competition cards. No other method of determining the order of performance is acceptable.

• The first three competitors shall perform before any scores are given. After the third competitor has finished his/her kata, all three competitors shall be brought to the center of the ring one at a time in order of performance and shall then be scored by the judges. Thereafter, each subsequent competitor shall be scored upon the completion of his/her kata.

• All judges shall watch each competitor perform his/her kata and award scores using the decimal interval system based on 10.0 for a perfect kata. All scores must be kept confidential from the other judges until the center judge calls for judges to reveal scores.

• Scoring for forms divisions will range from 8.0 to 10.0. The center judge may drop the range to 7.0 to 10.0 if there are 12 or more competitors in a division.

• The scorekeeper shall carefully record each score. Immediately thereafter he/she shall eliminate by diagonal mark the appropriate score or scores to be deleted in that division and calculate the sum of those remaining as the total score for the performance. In all black belt divisions both the highest and lowest scores awarded each competitor will be deleted. In all other divisions, only the highest score will be deleted. In the event there are two or more identical high scores, only one of these will be deleted. In the event of three judges, all three scores will be calculated. The same applies to the deletion of low scores.

[SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT FOUR]

• Only white belt competitors may be allowed a second chance to perform their katas but the same shall require that each judge deduct one full point in awarding any subsequent score. A competitor who forgets or fails to perform his/her kata after having been allowed a second opportunity shall not receive any score.

• In the event of a tie in black belt kata or weapons, the competitors that tied will be asked to perform the same or different kata in reverse order from which they originally competed. If these competitors tie again, a show of hands will be used to determine the winner. In the event of a tie in an under black belt division where there are only four judges, a fifth judge will be asked to step in and judge. The competitors will be asked to perform the same or different kata, in reverse order in which they originally competed. If these competitors tie again a show of hands will determine the winner. At no time during a tiebreaker will any judge be made aware of previous scores used.

A. Weapons Allowed:

• Only authentic martial arts weapons which are kept under the constant control of the competitor’s limbs are suitable for competition. Throwing stars, darts, arrows, and flying projectiles of any kind may not be used. The rope dart, securely attached to a rope is an exception.  Rubber nunchaku, plastic swords and other training weapons are not allowed. The center judge shall inspect all weapons prior to competition. Any weapon which he/she feels might endanger the audience or the competitor, due to worn parts or poor construction, may not be used.

B. Application of Other Rules:

• All other rules of forms competition shall apply to weapons competition.

• The final decision rendered at the termination of any division kata competition cannot be changed unless the rules arbitrator determines that either of the following occurred:

  • There was collusion affecting the result of the competition. 

  • The tabulations of the scorecard show an error which would indicate that one or more of the places had been awarded to the wrong competitor.

• There will be six A-rated tournaments each year. The tournament points awarded each place are as follows:

  • 1st Place                      6 points

  •   2nd Place                     5 points

  • 3rd Place                      4 points

  •   4th Place                      3 points

• The point counts for B-rated tournaments will be as follows:

  • 1st Place                      4 points

  • 2nd Place                     3 points

  • 3rd Place                      2 points

  • 4th Place                      1 point

• If MKA points are accumulated between rank divisions (ex: 10 points beginner and 15 points intermediate) the points at the end of the year will be transferred to the division where you have the majority. If you have a tie in points, they will be transferred to the highest rank achieved at the end of the year. No competitor may compete in more than one rank division in a single tournament.  No points will be transferred from a kyu division to a black belt division.

• Any competitor who competes in a division at the last tournament of the season will receive a two point attendance bonus in the division that he/she competed in at the end of the year. Example: A competitor competed in the kata and kumite division at the last tournament but did not compete in the weapons division. That competitor will receive a two point attendance bonus at the end of the year in the kata division and the kumite division but will not receive a bonus in the weapons division.  [SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT SIX]

• MKA points cannot be transferred between age divisions.

• B-Rated tournaments sanctioned by the MKA must use MKA rules and divisions. These tournaments will be announced on the MKA website and subject to approval by the Board of Directors of the MKA.

• MKA membership dues are $35.00 per year and subject to change. Upon joining the MKA, each member will receive a MKA membership card and an MKA patch. MKA members will also receive a $5.00 discount at each MKA tournament in which they compete. To receive this discount, a competitor MUST present their MKA membership card to the registration desk for verification. Failure to present your MKA membership card will forfeit your $5.00 discount. INSTRUCTORS OR MKA SECRETARY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VERIFY STUDENTS’ MKA MEMBERSHIP. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE PERMITTED. All MKA members are responsible for being fully aware of the expiration year shown on their membership card. All parents are responsible for being aware of the expiration year of their children’s memberships. All competitors wishing to join the MKA must do so at the time of tournament registration for any points awarded at that tournament to count towards state championship title competition.  The MKA secretary must be notified when there is a change of any contact information

• Replacement MKA membership cards and patches may be purchased through the MKA secretary for $5.00 for cards and $10.00 for patches.

• There will be at least one General Membership Meeting each year for the purpose of election of Board Members.Item description

• At the conclusion of the tournament year, all points will be tabulated and the competitor accumulating the highest number of points will be the state champion for his/her division. These winners will be announced on the MKA website, with a 15-day protest period. All protests must be made in writing. A banquet honoring the winners and presenting the MKA state championship awards is usually held in January or February.

• All active MKA members in good standing, regardless of their state of residency, shall be eligible to compete for the MKA state championship titles awarded at the end of each tournament year.

• Promoters will supply adequate supplies of pens and paper for all events and will be responsible for the training of the scorekeepers and timekeepers. The tournament promoter is responsible for all MKA supplies, stopwatches, packets and all MKA records. If lost, the tournament promoter must replace them at the present day value.