Karate at the Summer Olympics

Bid for inclusion

In September 2015, karate was included in a shortlist with baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing to be considered for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics, and in June 2016, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they would support the proposal to include all of the shortlisted sports in the 2020 Games. Finally, on 3 August 2016, all five sports (counting baseball and softball together as one sport) were approved for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic program. Karate will not be included in the 2024 Olympic Games or the 2028 Games though.

Format and rules

The Olympic karate competition in 2021 put eight gold medals in dispute: six for the Kumite (fighting) competition, with three weight categories for each gender, and two for the Kata (forms) competition, one for each gender.

The main rules for Kumite and Kata competitions were as follows:

Kumite

The individual tournament for the Kumite competition at the World Karate Federation (WKF) Karate World Championships is held under a weight class system comprising five divisions each for both men and women. However, the Kumite competition at the Summer Olympics consisted of just three divisions each, thus:

• Weight classes for men: −67 kg, −75 kg, +75 kg
• Weight classes for women: −55 kg, −61 kg, +61 kg

Kumite rules

All Kumite bouts were semi-contact, meaning all strikes delivered must not use full force. Striking an opponent with full force could result in a warning or disqualification. In all categories, fights lasted for up to three timed minutes (i.e., the clock stops every time the referee says "yame"). During that time, a winner would be declared if a karateka scored eight points more than their adversary. If this did not happen, the person with more points at the end of the fight was the winner. If the fight ended up tied, a decision would be given through the senshu rule: the contestant that scored the first unopposed point wins.

Assignment of points

Points were earned as follows:

• Ippon (three points): for hitting the head or of the opponent with a kick, or when any technique is applied to a fallen adversary.
• Waza-ari (two points): for applying a kick to the belly, side, back or torso of the opponent.
• Yuko (one point): for delivering a punch with closed hand (tsuki) or strike (uchi) to the head, neck, belly, side, back or torso of the opponent.

Strikes below the belt were strictly forbidden and strength must always be controlled as the fighter would receive a warning if they hurt their opponent. Points could be lost or there could even be a disqualification if the resulting injury was severe. Knocking an opponent down to the floor without at least attempting to strike them was also liable to be punished.

Warning levels:

• Chukoku (first warning): for committing a minor infraction for the first time.
• Keikoku (second warning): for the same minor infraction, or for committing a medium infraction for the first time.
• Hansoku-chui (third warning): for committing the same minor infraction for the third time, the same medium infraction for a second time, or for committing a major infraction for the first time (usually excessive contact to vital parts or below the belt, really hurting the opponent).
• Hansoku (fourth and final warning): inflicting serious damage on the team score as a whole. The victory is given to the opponent.

Warnings and punishments were divided into two different categories, the first being for excessive and/or illegal contact and the other for technical violations, such as leaving the koto (fighting space) or faking an injury in order to make the referee give the opponent a warning.

Kata

Competitors were judged on the power and correctness of their techniques. Under conventional competition rules, one competitor was assigned a blue belt and the other a red belt, and each took a turn in demonstrating their kata. The outcome of the competition was determined under a flag system, where five judges who each held a blue flag and a red flag raised either one to signal which competitor they believed won: the one with more flags raised in their favour was declared the winner. However, discussions are still ongoing into the judging system, including whether to use a scoring system rather than the flag system.

Due to the large number of karate styles, each with its own katas, only katas from the list recognized by the WKF were allowed in the Olympics.

Medalists

Medal table

Sources:

* Host nation (Japan)

Men

Women