The sport of Karate will officially make its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Overview
Marking its first appearance at the Summer Olympics, the sport will feature two events Kumite and Kata.
Tsuneari Yahiro will make history as the first athlete to represent Australia in Karate. The Japanese-born Australian will compete in the men’s 75kg Kumite division, as Australia’s sole representative in the sport.
There will be sixty competitors competing in the Kumite, while twenty compete in the Kata. Both divisions have an even gender split, with 30 men/women competing in the Kumite and 10 men/women competing in the Kata.
Karate Team
Ones To Watch
With four Oceania championships to his name and going undefeated at the national titles since 2001, Tsuneari Yahiro will be one to watch as he makes his Olympic debut in Tokyo. The 33-year-old has also represented Australia at two World Championships in 2012 and 2014, where he placed 7th overall on both occasions.
The Format
Kumite
In a kumite match, two athletes will face each other armed with gloves and foot protection. Over three minutes, athletes will aim to score points using kicks, punches, strikes, throws and sweeps. Athletes are divided into weight classes, in both the men and women’s divisions.
Competitors send tsuki, or punches, and keri, or kicks, with explosive force at the prescribed regions of their opponent's body. Attacks with good form, power and control earn between one and three points.
A competitor wins by amassing eight points more than their opponent within the duration of the bout or by gaining more points than their opponent in the allotted time (three minutes). In the event of a tie, the competitor who scored the first point is the winner. In the case of a scoreless bout, the winner will be declared by the decision of the judges.
Kata
Kata serves as the solo representation of Karate’s self-defence strung together into a performance routine usually lasting two to three minutes. Competitors are judged on several technical and physical criteria including; speed, strength, breathing, balance and rhythm.
A point-based system was adopted in January 2019 whereby the scores awarded by three of the seven judges are added then applied to a separate calculation formula to determine the winner.
What's The Story?
Karate's quest to secure a place on the Olympic programme dates back to the 1970s. In 2015, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee proposed the inclusion of karate as one of five additional sports. The sport was included on the Olympic programme after the 129th session of the International Olympic Committee, held in Rio de Janeiro on August 3rd 2016.
Karate will make its Olympic debut at the Nippon Budokan, the spiritual home of Japanese martial arts and a legacy venue from the Tokyo 1964 Games.
The Facts
Competition Details
- The Karate competition will run from 6-7 August
- Venue: Nippon Budokan
Did You Know?
- In Kumite, a tsuki or keri never actually hits the opponent because competitors perform every tsuki and keri with absolute control, enabling them to stop the motion suddenly only millimetres before coming into contact with their opponent.
- A karate practitioner is called a karateka.
#HaveAGo at Karate
Karate
KARATE
IS FUN
IS FUN
Karate has a place for everyone, whether 5 or 91. Talk to your local club on how you can get involved!
KARATE TEACHES
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
Strength in a physical sense, in a holistic sense. Strength to be confident in your own skin.
KARATE TEACHES
RESPECT
RESPECT
Respect for your peers, respect for your opponents, and respect for your Family.
