Karate tournament rules?

Question

how come some karate tournaments allow groin contact and others do not any groin contact?

Answer 1

In general you're not allowed groin contact because it hurts and it's unfair and unsportsmanlike and etc. I don't think any tournaments would allow groin contact on purpose... they may allow it accidentally if they feel that the competitors are not very experienced. In a high level tournament it should not be allowed as the competitors are expected to have much higher control over their movements.

Answer 2

As I read the answers here I'm amazed that no one even mentioned one critical issue. Insurance companies don't like groin kicks, or much anything else that may cause injury.  Having run a few tournaments in the 80's. I know that no building owner in their right mind will allow a karate tournament unless you have insurance covering the event.

Answer 3

i've been in a tournament where they allow accidental shots to areas. If its intentional then they may pull points of een disqualify. I made the mistake by not wearing a cup for one of my fights and with my luck i got a beautiful heel to the nads. So if they do allow it, wear a cup please.

Answer 4

This is actually a very good question. Back when I started even though I never had any interest in competing many in my school did, so I got to watch, the groin being a legal target was the norm.

Things changed over the years, and one of the main reasons is that they wanted to make the tournements more exciting to spectators, so they moved to kicks to the head counting as two points instead of one. Kicks to the head open up the groin, so to counter this they made them illegal in many tournements.

Our school still trains with the groin as a legitimate target area, both in sparring and self defense. It's part of the watering down of many martial arts in this country.

Answer 5

because the groin is debatable as either a self-defense target or a karate target.

when we teach the classes, we teach it as a self-defense target, because it's not such an ideal target to aim to, contrary to what everyone says ("go for the groin").

you know you love me. xoxo, gossip girl ;)

Answer 6

Hi.

There are several possible reasons.  

Some might think that kicking to the groin is fighting dirty and therefore prohibit it.  Perhaps they don't want to have to require anyone to wear a cup.  Or even if they do, they don't want someone getting kicked in the groin incase they forgot their cup or ignored the rules.

Generally though, most tournaments will only prohibit the under belt divisions from striking to the groin where as the black belt divisions can.  This is because of control, even while wearing a cup if someone kicks you in the groin as hard as they can it will still hurt a lot as that entire area is sensitive.  Black belts are more likely to have the control they need to hit the groin with light contact even if they are striking everywhere else with full power.  For comparison, some twelve year old yellow belt might not be able to pull it off without hurting their opponent.

The same goes for face contact in many tournaments, in under belt divisions face contact is a penalty but at black belt it's a point as long as you don't cause any damage.

The tournaments just want to make sure no one gets hurt is all.

I hope that answers your question :)