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International Office

OFFICIAL HANDBOOK

COMPETITION RULES

KOBUDO

IMAF-EUROPE IMAF-EUROPE

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Dates of Effect

Reviewed edition Date Place Country

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1. One copy of this document signed by all members of the Board of Directors present at the Congress,

shall remain in the archives of IMAF-Europe International Office. 2. First revision improved spelling.

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CONTENTS:

CHAPTER I – SPORT KENJUTSU 5

CHAPTER II – SPORT IAIJUTSU 11

CHAPTER III – WEAPON KATA 13

ADDENDUM 1 15

Examples of the different Kamae 17

Target zones 22

Movements and situations in IAIJUTSU mode 23

Forbidden target areas and techniques 26

Basic exercises – techniques 27

Basic exercises – partner drills – counter 29

Basic exercises – partner drills – change-over exercises 32

ADDENDUM 2: KATA LISTING – WEAPON KATA 35

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CHAPTER I: IMAF-EUROPE COMPETITION RULES SPORT KENJUTSU

IMAF-Europe prescribes to the anti-doping policies of the International Olympic Committee. ARTICLE 1: References

1. IMAF-Europe Official Handbook – Competition Rules: General ARTICLE 2: Introduction

Sport Kenjutsu/-Iaijutsu is a competition system, inspired by traditional from Kenjutsu to Kendo as well as Iaijutsu and Iaido.

It is suitable for participants of all age categories, both children and adults and doesn’t require a high level of experience in competitions, strength, or even the training of certain disciplines.

It does however teach the tactical combat behaviour, coordination, reaction, timing, speed, and eye-hand coordination. This makes it an excellent supplement to Martial Arts in general.

To guarantee a fair comparison, the participants are divided in categories per age, gender, length.

The matches are fought with a padded imitation sword, called the CHōKEN. Therefore, expensive

protective equipment, such as BOGU for KENDO, is not necessary.

The CHōKEN is also used to allow familiarisation with the rigours of weapon handling.

This padded simulation of the two-handed Japanese long sword also allows safe combative training at the intermediate level and up. It requires skill and finesse to be wielded properly, and is used for learning more advanced concepts of weapon combat.

Practitioners below the age of 14 should use a scaled-down (mini-Ken) due to their stature.

The effective fighting time for Sport Kenjutsu and -Iaijutsu matches is three minutes. Winner is the competitor who scores three points against the opponent.

Thus, these competition rules now are the underlying set of rules, explained more in detail, including some examples for techniques, exercises, combat postures and situations. ARTICLE 3: Equipment – Weapons

1. The competitor must bring his/her own weapon.

2. The weapon must be admitted and checked by the jury. Only officially recognized weapons are admitted. Attention should be paid to the correct certificate of approval for the CHOKEN in standard and the shorter KODACHI (for children), with associated scabbard.

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Example: the brand name (such as Danrho, Actionflex, Kwon, etc.) on the weapon of a recognized manufacturer may be criteria for admission.

3. The usage of weapons that are not allowed, and there is no substitute at hand, shall lead to disqualification of the competitor.

ARTICLE 4: Protective Equipment

Wearing protective equipment is not obligatory. Protectors and head guard and groin protector can be worn and are then communicated to the Chief Judge.

ARTICLE 5: Categories

Children M/F -12 yrs: Youth M/F -16 yrs: Seniors M/F 16+ :

-120 cm -150 cm -160 cm -130 cm -160 cm -170 cm -140 cm -170 cm -180 cm -150 cm +170 cm -190 cm +150 cm +190 cm

If a participant cannot be classified in the category for his/her age and length, the organizer can classify him/her in another (lower/higher) category. ARTICLE 6: Match Area and Organisation

1. Each Match Area should be square shaped of 8 x 8 m or 6 x 6 m and can be covered by mats or on plain ground.

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2. The Match Area must be flat, without any obstacles and non-slippery.

3. The organizer of the competition shall provide: stopwatches, competition belts (2 red and 2 white per Match Area), jury score tables, records, first aid kit, doctor, scoreboards (placement tables) and a place for the jury and the technical committee.

4. The Control Table shall be composed of a minimum of 2 people (Timekeeper and Scorekeeper). ARTICLE 7: Dress Code for the Competition

1. The competitors shall wear a good quality white GI (Budō-Gi and Obi) which must be clean and in good order. The GI shall not exaggeratedly be covered with badges and other brands. The competitors shall wear AKA and SHIRO OBI to prevent emotional advantages

2. The GI shall be as follows:

a. The jacket shall be long enough to cover the hips and be tied around the waist by the belt. b. The sleeves shall be loose enough to grip and long enough to cover half of the forearm but not

the wrist. c. The trousers shall be loose and long enough to cover half of the shin-bone. d. The belt shall be tied with a square knot, tight enough to prevent the jacket from being too loose

and long enough to go twice around the body and leave about 15 cm of the belt on each side of the knot.

3. Female competitors are required to wear a white T-shirt under their GI. Men are not allowed to wear a T-shirt under their GI.

4. The wearing of the traditional black HAKAMA is allowed, but not obligatory. However, for Referees and Coaches the HAKAMA is obligatory.

5. Coaches should also wear a white Obi with in black embroidery “Coach”.

6. Yudansha of a discipline must have their Dan and embroidery of their style on the left side, and the girdle knot over the HAKAMA.

ARTICLE 8: Personal Requirements

1. The competitors must have short finger- and toenails and are not allowed to wear anything that may injure or endanger the partner.

2. A competitor who needs to wear glasses may only wear contact lenses at own personal risk.

3. Long hair must be tied up with soft hair-band. ARTICLE 9: Officials

1. For each match the Referee and a minimum of two officials behind the Control Table are required.

2. At the duration of the match only the Referee shall be on the Match Area.

3. The first aid time shall be near of the Match Area.

ARTICLE 10: Referees

1. The Referee system is KIKAN, with the Head Referee and the mirror judge. 2. The HR is leading the match, gives all the necessary commands and points. The mirror judge is

complementary to the HR.

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ARTICLE 11: Duties and Responsibilities of the Referee

1. The duties and responsibilities of the Referee are described in the reference mentioned in Article 1.

2. In addition:

a. Prior to the start of the event, the Referee shall ascertain that all necessary measures were made regarding the rules and the safety.

b. The Referee shall move over the surface of the Match Area so that it does not affect the fight. ARTICLE 12: Control Table

1. The duties and responsibilities of the officials behind the Control Table are described in the reference mentioned in Article 1.

2. The Control Table is placed opposite the position of the Referee at the beginning of the match.

3. The Control Table shall be composed of at least one scorekeepers and one timekeeper.

4. It is preferable to have a third person whose duty shall be the announcement of the pairs to compete, and to assist the Scorekeeper as a double checker for points/ results.

5. The Scorekeeper keeps a record of the competition on paper; he/she shall write down the result, as mentioned by the Referee, on the Score list of the actual category and writes the winner on the list for the next round.

6. The Scorekeeper shall display all points of the Referee, including the points scored, warnings and minus points for the respective competitor with the aid of a Visual Score board to the Referee, the competitors and the audience.

ARTICLE 13: Outcome of the Match, Points

1. Winner is the competitor who gains 3 Ippon Sanbon.

2. Fighting time is 3 minutes.

3. Target area is the complete body.

4. Hits must be made two-handed.

5. Win can also be after disqualification or withdrawal of the opponent.

6. Points can only be awarded after a correctly executed technique.

7. AI-UCHI: no points. ARTICLE 14: Forbidden Acts

1. Punches (pushing action) to the head.

2. Attacks with the handle of the weapon.

3. Attacks with body parts (hands, feet, head, knees, etc.).

4. Actions after the call YAME by the Referee.

5. Talking on the Match Area.

6. Improper behaviour.

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ARTICLE 15: Penalties

Offenses against the competition rules are all actions and acts as describes in the Articles above. In case of an offense the following order shall be complied:

• Warning without a penalty.

• Warning with a penalty.

• Minus point.

• Disqualification. ARTICLE 16 Protest decisions

The procedure for official protests is described in the reference mentioned in Article 1.

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CHAPTER II : IMAF-EUROPE COMPETITION RULES SPORT IAIJUTSU

ARTICLE 1 : IAI-JUTSU

There are certain differences when the category Sport Iai-Jutsu is compared with Sport Kenjutsu:

1. In IAI-JUTSU the match doesn’t start with open KAMAE, but the weapon is kept in the SAYA. This counts for the start as well as for the re-start of the match.

2. A first score can be made directly after and by pulling the weapon out of the SAYA (with one hand is explicitly permitted). If there is no score hereafter, the match shall continue from free KAMAE. However, from this point on the match continues while the swords are wielded two-handed.

3. Scoring follows the same rules as Sport Kenjutsu, until a score occurs.

4. All other rules and regulations of Sport Kenjutsu are also valid.

5. Prior to the competition, the settlement of the competition shall be predestined, by either IPPON or SANBON.

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CHAPTER III: WEAPONS KATA

Article 1: Competition Area

1. The competition area must be flat and devoid of hazard.

2. It must be of suitable size to allow the KATA to be performed without restriction.

3. Normal KUMITE TATAMI flooring is allowed but sprung wooden flooring is preferred. Article 2: Judging

1. The panel of Referee and Judges will be appointed by the Referee Committee.

2. Competitors will demonstrate Kata from one of the recognised IMAF-Europe styles.

3. The Panel will consist of specific style qualified officials in the first instance.

4. A KATA contest will be judged by a Panel of: One Referee and either four or six corner Judges (depending on numbers available).

5. The KATA contest will be run under the instruction of the Referee.

6. Scorekeepers and announcers will be appointed. Article 3: Organisation of Competition

(No compulsory KATA shall be required for KOBUDO competition.)

1. Individual:

a. Individual KOBUDO competitors shall compete in the age and skill divisions as prescribed. b. The individual KOBUDO match consists of individual performance in separate male and female

divisions. c. KOBUDO competition shall be based on the same experience level as the KATA or Kumite

divisions (advanced divisions only). d. Individual KOBUDO competition shall also be subdivided into short and long weapons.

2. Team:

Team KOBUDO competition shall be conducted in the same manner as in team KATA. Article 4: Criteria for Decision

In principle, KOBUDO KATA shall be judged using the same criteria as KATA, with the additional criteria that the KOBUDO KATA demonstrates the individual and unique characteristics of the weapon being utilized.

In addition to the criteria of empty hand KATA the loss of control of a weapon (dropping) in competition will be grounds for disqualification. The panel of judges will conclude that the athlete is disqualified and the referee will dismiss the contestant/team with no score given. (Recorders shall mark a zero for that contestant.)

Any weapon or form used may not be such that it can endanger or damage any person or property (i.e., denting or marring of floors, loose handles, etc.)

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In KOBUDO, it is acceptable for a contestant to demonstrate dynamic movement rather than a stopped, “weighted down” stance between each movement.

Any manipulation or handling of the weapon that may be construed as dangerous in regards to the safety of all concerned shall not be permitted.

Article 5: Scoring

In principle, KOBUDO KATA shall be scored using the same range and procedure as KARATE KATA with the inclusion of the following:

1. Loss of control of the weapon:

a. If the contestant momentarily loses a grip of the weapon, 0,1 – 0,3 points should be deducted. b. If the weapon touches the floor at any time during the performance, 0,1 – 0,3 points should be

deducted. c. If the contestant uses a dangerous technique that jeopardizes the safety of the judges or other

competitors, disqualification will result. Article 6: General Information

Only KOBUDO weapons that are authorized and deemed as acceptable by the IMAF-Europe Competition Committee and authentic weapons recognised by the IMAF-Europe Technical Advice Committee may be used during competition.

1. Only the following weapons will be allowed in KOBUDO competition:

LONG WEAPONS: a. BO:

1) Shall be made of hardwood, without tapered ends. 2) Length shall be within one fist of the top of the competitor’s head, or fall under one of the

standard sizes of 78 inches (1,98 m), 72 inches (1,83 m), 66 inches (1,68 m) and 60 inches (1,52 m). In addition, it may not be less than ¾” (2 cm) diameter for competitors 18 years and younger and not less than 1” (2,5 cm) diameter for ages over 18 years.

3) The weight for adult male competitors shall be no less than 900g. The weight for female adult competitors shall be no less than 850 g.

b. EKU (Kai-Bo): 1) EKU must be made of hardwood and have a length that shall be within one fist of the top of

the competitor’s head when measured from the floor. 2) In addition, EKU blade shall have a flat side and a rounded or bevelled side, and the blade tip

may not have a sharp point. 3) For adult male competitors, the weight of the EKU shall be no less than 1200g. 4) For adult female competitors, the weight of the EKU shall be no less than 1100g.

SHORT WEAPONS: c. TONFA (pair):

1) TONFA must be entirely made of hardwood with a minimum length, when grasped by the handle, to reach the end of the competitor's elbow.

2) Two TONFA are used in IMAF-Europe sanctioned KOBUDO competition.

d. SAI (pair): 1) Two SAI must be used for competitions (SAI KATA that use one SAI or three SAI are not

allowed). 2) Must be made of steel

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3) The tip shall in principle extend past the competitor’s elbow. 4) Each SAI shall weigh no less than 360g. 5) Competitors may roll up their sleeves for SAI KATA.

e. KAMA: 1) ….

2. All weapons shall be examined by an official prior to competition to ensure that they are of authentic design, construction, and materials. Any weapon that, in the examiner’s opinion, gives an unfair advantage may not be used. Grounds for rejecting a weapon include but are not limited to exceptionally lightweight, coating to improve grip, markings (including different colour tones of wood), and non-standard construction.

3. All wood on weapons must be hardwood (oak, teak, mahogany; no rattan).

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ADDENDUM 1:

Examples of different guards - applications SEIGAN-NO-GAMAE: A balanced fighting guard. In this position, both fighters can have the same control and overview over the fight. From this position, it is possible to rapidly change to all other KAMAE.

JODAN-NO-GAMAE: A guard aiming on long attacks from above, while moving forward or backward. The advantage of this KAMAE is that the downwards movement can be executed more quickly, than a horizontal movement or likewise. Because the sword already is at the raised position, further initial moves can be left out. The apparent lack of coverage can be used as bait for the opponent.

IN-NO-GAMAE/ HASSO-GAMAE: A lurking, waiting fighting stance. In this position, you can wait calmly for the next attack, whereupon you can quickly counter, preferably against the hands and forearms.

HIDARI GEDAN-NO-GAMAE: A fighting posture that makes it possible to force and control the movement of the opponent. Because the sword is pointing on his/her legs the opponent feels the need to make steps to the left or the right to achieve a free attacking range.

MIGI GEDAN-NO-GAMAE: A fighting posture that makes it possible to force and control the movement of the opponent. The same as HIDARI GEDAN-NO-GAMAE, but a little looser, because of the more relaxed position of the hands, and slightly remote from the hips.

SHAN-NO-GAMAE: A hidden fighting posture with wide reach. In this position the opponent cannot see the angle of the sword. Furthermore, strikes with a very long reach are possible, while the exposed left shoulder can serve as a lure.

WAKI-TORI: A fighting posture “showing too much” to the opponent, what could make him feel uncertain. Because of the angle of the weapon and the position of the hands the opponent is forced to overlook the complete weapon and hands of his adversary. From this position, many smooth blocks with counter are possible, with the left hand, while blocking, supports the blade. It makes it also possible to make fast surprise trusts by advancing the right hand and then gripping the handle with the left hand. This KAMAE requires a good hand coordination.

TACHI-NO-TORI: A fighting posture also “showing too much” to the opponent, what could make him feel uncertain and on top of that a good protection against attacks to the head. The same as with WAKI-TORI it makes many supported flowing blocks possible, only faster, because the sword is already in the raised position. In addition, by accelerating the weapon with the left hand and subsequent gripping the handle, fast strikes are possible. This also requires a good hand coordination.

O-GASUMI: A fighting posture, which guarantees the longest possible distance to the opponent. By fast turning of the hands from this tensed position fast strikes are possible while striking out as little as possible.

KO-GASUMI: A fighting posture like O-GASUMI, which however exchanges the longer distances with better possibilities to block and reduced target areas by turning away the right shoulder. From this position strikes, can be executed by a fast pushing of the arms and turning of the hands.

TE-URA-GASUMI: A fighting posture like KO-GASUMI, but on the other side of the body. Because of the different positions of the hands the possible cuts and their angle vary from the ones from KO-GASUMI. Also, the centre of the guard is on the other side of the body.

SHIN-NO-GAMAE: A fighting posture to reduce the target areas and at the same time to hide the weapon. Because the weapon is pulled the back, the opponent dares to come closer. Due to the built-up tension of the muscles the weapon can be launched fast, while fast strikes and cuts can be executed. SUWARI-NO-TORI: The kneeling version of TACHI-NO-TORI. It also makes many supported flowing blocks possible/necessary. Requirement is the ability to get quickly on your feet from the kneeling position and at the same time evade to the side to a standing position, from which the strikes are executed following the same principal as TACHI-NO-TORI.

SUWARI-MIGI-GEDAN-NO-GAMAE: The kneeling version of MIGI GEDAN-NO-GAMAE. Also, here the opponent is

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forced to move to the side in order the achieve his free attacking range. Blocks are possible by fast raising of the weapon. Also, here is the requirement to rise fast from a kneeling to a standing position.

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ADDENDUM 2: KATA LISTING – WEAPON KATA

The following listing gives an insight in the enormous variety of weapon Kata. It is merely impossible to list all existing weapon Kata. If their lineage is clear all weapon Kata are allowed (Ryu Kyu Kobujutsu, Nihon Kobudo, etc.).

BO KATA:

1. TOKUMINE NO KUN 2. SAKUGAWA NO KUN 3. SHUSHI NO KUN 4. SHOSHI NO KUN 5. URASHI NO KUN 6. CHIKIN BO 7. YONEGAWA NO KUN 8. CHATANYARA NO KUN 9. CHINEN SHIKYANAKA NO KUN 10. SESOKO NO KUN 11. SHISHI NO KUN 12. SHIROTARU NO KUN 13. SHUKUMINE NO KUN 14. CHIKIN SUNAKA NO KUN

15. UFUGUSHIKU NO KUN 16. CHIKIN NO KUN 17. CHIKIN DAI KUN 18. RUFA NO KUN 19. SHIROMATSU NO KUN 20. SHIROTAROU NO KUN 21. KOBO NO KUN 22. KATIN NO KUN 23. CHOUN NO KUN 24. HASSO NO KUN 25. UFUTUN BO 26. SUEYOSHI NO KON 27. SHINAKAKE NO KON 28. ROHAI NO KON

TONFU KATA:

1. YARAGUA NO TONFA 2. MATAYOSHI NO TONFA 3. HAMAHIGA NO TONFA

EKU KATA: 1. TEN NO KATA 2. CHI NO KATA

3. SUNAKAKE NO EKU-BO 4. FURYU NO EKU-BO

SAI KATA: 1. CHATAN YARA NO SAI 2. HANAGIGA NO SAI 3. CHIKIN SHITAHAKU NO SAI 4. HANTAGAWA KURAGUWA NO SAI 5. TAWATA NO SAI 6. KUGUSOKU NO SAI 7. YAKA NO SAI 8. SAI ICHI NODAN 9. SAI NI NODAN 10. SAI

11. UFUCHIKU NO SAI 12. TOKUYAMA NO SAI 13. ISHIKAWAGUWA NO SAI 14. SHIBARU NO SAI 15. NICHO SAI 16. SANCHO SAI 17. TSUKENSHITAHAKU NO SAI 18. KISHABA NO SAI 19. ARAKAKI NO SAI

IAI-DO KATA:

All classical/ traditional KATA