Two Fights Showcase Kyokushin-Kan New Tournament Rules at 4th Open Weight Tournament

BoardHitBack · May 14, 2006, 4:15pm

In the 4th Open Weight Tournament held by Kyokushin-kan two fights showcased the proposed re-introduction of punches aimed for the face.

The proposed new ruleset for kyokushin-kan’s tournaments seem a little unclear right now- I’m guessing it’s still in the process of being developed. Face punching and judo with light gloves and helmets, minus the face guards found in daido juku, are included in these fights. Here’s the skinny form kyokushin-kan.org-

www.kyokushinkan.org:

There’s lots of exciting material below including scenes from the fighting with photographs of the winners and international participants. Be sure also to see below photographs shown on this web site for the first time of Kyokushin-kan’s All-Japan Junior Tournament held the day after the Adult Weight Category Tournament. Most importantly though be sure to see photographs and explanation of two exhibition fights that took place at the close of the tournament showcasing a new proposed set of Kyokushin tournament rules created by Kancho Royama and Vice-Kancho Hiroshige which include head punches and limited protective gear. See photo below:

The gloves worn here are actually quite thin and, unlike boxing gloves, there is no foam core so the fighters are able to completely close their fists while punching. The protective head gear covers the vulnerable surfaces of the skull but have no face or jaw protection. These fights where extremely quick and exciting and the fighters risked suffering real damage. The scoring system used, however, is the same Kyokushin ippon-wazari scoring system which protects the fighters from suffering the repeated blows to the head of boxing. There is no ten-count like boxing, for example, there are still only 3 rounds unlike boxing’s 10, and there are no ropes which means that fighting is stopped if the fighters go out of bounds. This fight above was an extremely rare for Kyokushin’s existing rules 3- wazari fight. This means that the losing fighter knocked down his opponent with a jodan mawashi geri to receive wazari and his opponent got back up to knock him down with a punch for wazari and then a second punch some moments later for a second wazari or ippon.

Expect to hear lots more about this proposed rule change in the future (and see more photos below). For the time being, however, it’s important to note that according to Kancho Royama and Vice-Kancho Hiroshige, these are the original kumite rules of Mas Oyama’s Oyama Dojo. It was only the mass popularization of Kyokushin that Mas Oyama pursued through existing Kyokushin rules for which the dojo kumite rules were abridged in order to render tournament competition safer. As stated on earlier web pages, however, the result of this mass popularization was that Kyokushin fighters stopped practicing head strikes with the fists and the fighters failed to develop the same head-defensive reflexes that Oyama Dojo students had.

This is thus a move to return to the real Kyokushin, the original Kyokushin of Mas Oyama in which he stressed that fighters must train for real life and limb threatening kumite. This is a change therefore that will be considered radical only by the younger generation who grew up in the era of the new rules, one that will be welcomed by the older students of Kyokushin who remember how they were taught by Mas Oyama before it all got so huge.

An announcement was made at this year’s tournament that this new set of rules including head punching will be used at next year’s All Japan Weight Category Tournament (perhaps beginning after the 2nd or 3rd round), whereas the All-Japan Open will remain, for the time being, to utilize existing Kyokushin rules without head punches.

You’ll notice Judo-style throws and that the fighters grab each other much more than when constrained by the set of Kyokushin tournament rules used until now. This author is not qualified at this point to give a complete explanation of rules, but it is clear that whereas wazari or ippon can be achieved by a successful throw, all floor fighting is prohibited. As soon as these fights went to the mat (and sometimes the fighters went to the mat fairly hard) the fight was stopped and the fighters were returned to face off in a neutral standing position.

Some pictures-

It-is-fake · May 14, 2006, 4:21pm

Damn nice knee to the face.

CanucKyokushin · May 15, 2006, 11:52pm

I already stated here, and I don’t mind repeating ,that it would be good to add 2 divisions at KK tournaments.One full-contact and the other that allows face-punching.That way it satisfies everyone in the end.

I’m glad that Kancho Royama scanned my comments that I posted and from what he read he decided to make the change to his tournament.LOL!

I admit to liking more the former since it usually encourages more exciting moves that ordinarily you would not find at other types of tournaments.Such as a fighter being knockdown from an uppercut or from a fancy kick.

-One thing i would like to know is how fast were these fights at the last tournament?Did they go quick or last the 3 rounds that is mentioned in the article?

Hannibal · May 16, 2006, 12:32am

If they allow thorws and takedowns then I’m over the moon.

I think this is a positive change for kyokushin. It’s gonna open alot of peoples eyes about how grappling is too important to ignore.

BoardHitBack · May 16, 2006, 12:54am

Apparently they were finished extremely quick. I think the plan is switch over completely to full-contact w/face punches. I’m wondering if they will change the format of the 100 man right now. Don’t have any evidence to say they will, but its something to think about.

Honestly I’d like Open Weight with the new rules run parallel with a bare-knuckle no face punches but with throws. Competing in both in one day would awesome.

They are in, and I’m stoked too. It’s as close to the old school we can get without losing all our teeth.

All I have to do now is learn what a face punch is…

Hannibal · May 16, 2006, 4:53am

Every fuckin time someone mentions face punching in a Kyokushin thread, the same thing happens.

Every fuckin time !!!

johnnycache · May 16, 2006, 5:16am

well then I guess you better enter some tournaments, pwn with face shots, and post vids of it…

Also, if you guys want to really lay people down in these start drilling your uppercuts now! People
adapted to current KK rules tend to lean over …

ojgsxr6 · May 16, 2006, 5:25am

See this is where Enshin is superior, we have head punching in our kata.

johnnycache · May 16, 2006, 5:35am

Seriously. Work dragging the neck down with the lapel as if entering a clinch, then uppercutting.

CanucKyokushin · May 16, 2006, 5:44am

You mean grabbing the GI?Not allowed in most tournaments?Sorry!But you can still play along.

johnnycache · May 16, 2006, 6:40am

The new rules allow “judo style throwing” and “more grabbing then …under [current] rules…”

I sort of assumed that meant you would be allowed to grab the gi under them…

Hannibal · May 16, 2006, 6:53am

We don’t need to.

If someone leans over, knee to the head. A guarenteed knockout shot.

johnnycache · May 16, 2006, 7:03am

throws and takedowns are going to be legal too, dude.

alex · May 16, 2006, 8:00am

oh of course hannibal thats why people never throw uppercuts in kickboxing when you can just knee

fucktard

Hannibal · May 16, 2006, 11:24pm

Of coarse Ikken, this is why you must take your cock out of the local sheep’s arse and go train in some martial arts.

BackFistMonkey · May 16, 2006, 11:35pm

???

*edit *

Just wanted to get that out of the way now back on topic .

ummm where can I sign up ?

BoardHitBack · May 17, 2006, 12:04am

Sign up here.

alex · May 17, 2006, 12:05am

awesome retort, sheep fucking thats a new one. going to refute that you said something stupid or just insult me? although its not like you would need to worry about saying something stupid when you have that flashing banner under your name.

Hannibal · May 17, 2006, 12:18am

Your on here too !

Amazing. Lisen. I never said uppercuts do not work. My point was when someone weaves or leanes over, they leave themselves exposed for a knee strike.

alex · May 17, 2006, 4:19am

no, what you said was you dont need to drill uppercuts because if someone leans over you can knee them. which is kind of confusing coming from someone who has boxing in their bio- i would assume you know the various reasons why a knee would not be a good substitute for an uppercut in many situations (like, someone who is taller than you). thats like saying you don’t need to drill hooks because a roundhouse can do the same job. just because an attack uses a similar trajectory doesn’t mean a damn thing.