KANSUIRYU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

First held in 1990, the inaugural Kansuiryu World Championships has grown to become one of the largest karate tournaments in Japan. The competition is open to all styles and attracts competitors from Japan, Australia, Brazil and Korea. In 2006 around eight hundred and fifty competitors from around sixty clubs were involved. Request more information...Click Here

Broadly speaking, karate tournaments can be divided between those that require punches and kicks to be ‘pulled’, relying on a panel of judges to discern which blows score, and those allowing ‘full contact’ with bouts also decided by knockout. The World Kansuiryu Championships belong to the latter category. Kansuiryu rules allow punches to be delivered with full power above the waist, excluding the head, and allow full power kicks to the thighs, body and head (no knees to the head). Children wear head guards and in Junior bouts kicks are not allowed to the head. Competitors can wear optional groin protectors and shin pads. No body padding is allowed. Briefly, the bouts are decided as follows:

A contestant wins if he/she:

1)Knocks out the opponent.
2)Scores a margin of two telling kicks to the head or body (generally, if an opponent staggers the kick will score).

A contestant loses if he/she:

1)Is unable to continue.
2)Commits multiple fouls.
3)Concedes a margin of two forceful kicks to an opponent.

Bouts are separated into two to three rounds of two to three minutes duration according to the class. In the event of a tie demerits from fouls are taken into account. If this does not decide the outcome, a sudden death overtime is fought with the first opponent to score declared the winner. As a final option the win goes to the lighter competitor.

Fighting at the Kansuiryu Championships is fast and furious, with spectacular knockouts and exhilarating displays of athleticism and sportsmanship. Many local dignitaries and celebrities appear at the event. Australian competitors have a proud record at the competition with numerous top-ten finishes and wins in the coloured belt light-weight and heavyweight, and black belt heavyweight divisions. Wins have been in both Men and Women’s competitions.

Under the scholarship scheme each year many sponsored places are made available to Australian students to visit Japan and compete at the Kansuiryu Championships.