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The first Karate championships took place in Tokyo, Japan, in 1970. Competitions have continued to grow since that date, gaining the art immense popularity as a sport. Opponents are judged on their ability to select target areas, move towards them, and attack with speed, energy, and control. Mainly, the purpose is to encourage and give students the opportunity to practice their skills.
Competition is held in many different categories. Typically, in Japan, contestants compete in individual and team (two people) forms (kata), sparring (kumite), and team fighting (five people); in Okinawa, contestants compete in kata, sparring, and weapons divisions; in North America, contestants compete in traditional or open forms, weapons, sparring or board-breaking.
In kata, competitors are judged on the difficulty and execution of their routine. The performance length does not affect the score; some can be as short as one-minute. Emphasis is placed mainly on the movements themselves.
Kumite, or sparring matches, occur between two opponents, in an eight-square-meter court, and last two to three minutes with the possibility of extra time. In light-contact sparring, opponents score by completing attacks without actually letting them land on the opponent; points are deducted if strikes are too hard. Four judges and a referee are present during the competition; the referee awards/deducts points and calls fouls, while the judges contribute to the overall evaluation. In full-contact sparring, opponents score by landing blows on their opponent. However, the strikes should disable an attacker instead of seriously hurting him.
Weapons and breaking categories are similarly judged: students are scored on their performance, whether using a weapon or breaking objects like bricks or boards, and the highest score wins.
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