Within the Shotokan Karate style there are a number of different types of kumite; they range from being fully pre-arranged to freestyle sparring.
The ultimate aim of the pre-arranged kumite is to enable the karateka to develop the necessary skills to be able to eventually progress to free-style kumite.
This does not mean, however, that once the student is able to do Jyu kumite that all other types of kumite are rendered useless. By practicing even the most basic kumite drill (such as Gohon kumite) a high graded black belt can be challenged and might often gain something from doing it – realizing that they might be telegraphing an attack slightly, for example.
The three things that basic kumite mostly develop are distance, timing and control.
Control is developed through the repeated practice of attacking or counter-attacking to a desired target.
When a beginner comes into a karate class you will often find that their attacks are a long way from their target (or in some cases a bit too close!). As they develop, so does an ability to find a target with accuracy. Bear in mind that when fighting a junior a technique should often be controlled to a “gi-deep” distance.
With adults you can often afford to be a little bit closer to your target so that your opponent can definitely feel what is behind the technique and whether it might work in a ‘real-life’ situation. Obviously attacks to the head should have that much more control due to the delicate nature of the eyes, nose and brain.
Distance is learnt by the karateka when he or she finds that they cannot reach their opponent in either attack or counter-attack. With more practise it becomes easier to judge how far away from a target you must be so that when you attack the technique will touch its target.
Timing for blocks is learnt in earlier forms of kumite, although it is the later forms such as Jyu ippon and Kaisho Ippon kumite that a more rounded appreciation of attacking distances is found; the distance in the former and latter kumite types involves moving in and out of distance rather than starting a technique at a regulation distance.
Both distance and timing can be pulled together under the Japanese term of ‘ma-ai‘. This is sometimes described just as ‘distance’ but is better described as ‘the control of space and time’.
Obviously ma-ai is different depending on the person you are fighting; just as if you are fighting someone with a weapon like a bo (remember, your body is used as a weapon in Karate) if your opponent has a long reach then you will need to move further out of range and then make more distance in to attack when sparring.
Types of Karate Shotokan Kumite
- Gohon Kumite or Sanbon Kumite
- Kihon Ippon Kumite
- Jyu Ippon Kumite
- Kaisho Ippon Kumite
- Jyu Kumite
Other types of kumite that are often practised as drills are “line kumite” and “circle kumite”.
This is the most basic form of preset kumite and is used to examine a beginner in their first ever Karate grading examination.
Gohon / Sanbon Kumite
Gohon Kumite, which can also be changed to Sanbon, teaches the practitioners the use of the blocks age uke, soto uke and the attack of oi zuki to both jodan and chudan. The drill is done, as the name of the kumite suggests, up and down the hall using either five or three steps, blocks and attacks.
The basic sequence is:
| Tori | Uke |
|---|---|
| Steps back gedan barai and announces “Jodan”. Punches five Jodan Oi Zuki attacks | Blocks the Oi Zuki attacks with Age uke. On the fifth attack Ukete counter-attacks with gyaku zuki |
| Attacker becomes defender and blocks age uke five times. On the fifth block, counter-attack with gyaku zuki | Defender becomes attacker and attacks the same as “Tori” originally. |
| Becomes attacker again. Announces “Chudan” and attacks oi zuki five times. | Blocks the five attacks with soto uke. On the fifth block, “Ukete” quickly counter-attacks with gyaku zuki |
| Attacker becomes defender and blocks soto uke five times. On the fifth block, counter attack with gyaku zuki | Defender becomes attacker and attacks the same as “Tori” in last sequence |
Kihon Ippon kumite is a form of sparring that allows the development of a quick counter-attack after any attack. An attack is given from a basic zenkutsu-dachi or gedan barai and is announced before it is performed. This should mean that it is virtually impossible for the attacker to land his technique appropriately, however, every effort should be made to make contact – an unrealistic form of relaxed attack is all too easy to fall into which then comes useless for the development of either the attacker or defender in kumite.
The regular attacks usually practised in this form of kumite are: Jodan oi-zuki, chudan oi-zuki, mae geri, yoko geri kekomi, mawashi geri and ushiro geri. For each attack the defender should perform a suitable block (usually a basic one) and counter-attack.
Although there are usually set combinations of how to attack and defend you shouldn’t always feel restrained to just these attacks. As an alternative to the normal drill, you can try a variety of differences. Below are some examples that you might try:
- Try mixing around the order of the attacks and starting with a different leg forward.
- When defending, try only counter-attacking straight punches (oi zuki, kizami zuki, gyaku zuki. Next try only using kicks. Finally you could try with strikes and unusual techniques only, for example tetsui uchi, uraken uchi, ura zuki and yama zuki.
- Try only counter-attacking with moves from a cetain kata.
- When defending, try not to step back. Only step to the side and using tae sabaki.
Jyu Ippon Kumite
Jyu Ippon Kumite is a big step towards Jyu Kumite from Kihon Ippon Kumite. The Fighting, as it’s name suggests, is semi-freestyle; This means that it is a compromised kumite between the two other aforementioned types.
All attacks in Jyu Ippon kumite are done from a free-style kamae and the attacker (or “semete”) is allowed to move around freely as if the fighting was unrestricted. Feints are also allowed to be used to put ukete off their defence and so that the attacker has a better chance of making contact with their kick or punch.
The main restraint of Jyu Ippon Kumite is that the attacker must usually announce what attack is about to be performed, thus making it easier for the defender to block and counter-attack. The use of announcement, though, doesn’t have to be used and, if both the attacker and defender agree, a much harder form of semi-freestyle sparring can be created where by the defender knows they must block but doesn’t know what the attack will be.
As with Kihon Ippon kumite the regular attacks practised in this form of kumite are: Jodan oi-zuki, chudan oi-zuki, mae geri, yoko geri kekomi, mawashi geri and ushiro geri. For each attack the defender should perform a suitable block (usually a basic one) and counter-attack. This block and counter is chosen by the defender depending on the distance that they are from their opponent – it would be useless, for example, if someone was to counter with a gyaku zuki when only a mawashi geri might reach.
Some things to try and remember when you are doing jyu ippon kumite are:
- Make sure that you counter-attack straight after you block.
- Make sure that you don’t make to punch distance when you’re blocking; you will have problems when you have to counter-attack.
- When you are blocking, make sure that you don’t give away what direction you are going to move in order to block. If you do then try going the other way when you actually have to perform the block.
- When you’re attacking, don’t make a feint just for the hell of it; Make sure you learn how your opponent might move.
- When you’re attacking, if you put your opponent off guard or off balance then make sure you take full advantage of it – attack them straight away!
Kaisho Ippon Kumite
Kaisho Ippon Kumite is probably one of the hardest types of kumite you will practise but if you begin to get to grips with it then it can be very rewarding.
Kaisho Ippon Kumite works on the reactions of the practitioners as it is necessary to be fully alert even you have counter-attacked for the first time.
The basics of Kaisho Ippon kumite are quite confusing if you’ve never done it before but when you get more practise it almost becomes second nature (as it should if you want it to assist you in jyu kumite). The table below shows how a single set in Kaisho Ippon kumite is performed:
| Semeti/Tori | Ukete/Uke |
|---|---|
| Performs first technique (usually announced) | Blocks first attack and counter-attacks with a move of their own choice |
| Blocks the counter-attack and counter-attacks this with a move of their own choice |
For the first attack of each set of moves in Kaisho Ippon Kumite the basic attacks are used (Jodan oi-zuki, chudan oi-zuki, mae geri, yoko geri kekomi, mawashi geri and ushiro geri). The defender has a choice of how to block and counter-attack this technique and, in turn, the original attacker may choose how to block this counter and finish off the combination.
This type of kumite is usually done with attacks that are announced but it is also possible to leave out any announcement and use a random first attack. It is also usually used as a semi-freestyle type of sparring but likewise it is also possible to change it to Kihon Kaisho Ippon kumite by starting from a set zenkutsu dachi.
Some things to try when you are doing kaisho ippon kumite are:
- Try starting with doing all the moves in slow motion – it is easier to learn like this and there is no reason why you can’t seed up from there when you become more confident.
- Commit yourself to all attacks but make sure you don’t do this to a degree where you are off balance. Remember, you must be in a position to block and counter-attack straight away
- If you are unsure of what counter-attack your opponent may come at you with then try using a block that is useful for more than one technique. Alternatively you can use tae sabaki to move to the sides or shin tai (similar to tae sabaki) to move either forward or away from an attack.
- When you are blocking and if you have the opportunity try and get behind an opponent. If you can do this then you will have a clean target of the entire back and it is harder for your opponent to hit you!
Jyu Kumite
Jyu kumite is the type of kumite that a lot of karateka look forward to participating in as this is the first time a karateka is free from the restraints of basic kumite drills.
A jyu kumite fighter will often develop there own style of fighting if they get time to regularly practise, both developing a personal freestyle kamae which they are comfortable with and able to fight from and also their own combinations.
Most karateka fight from a stance that is loosely based on the freestyle kamae used in basics, that is a zenkutsu dachi with both hand out in front. This is usually then changed depending on a persons own body, for example, if their reactions aren’t quite as fast as people that they spar against they might hold their hands out further from their body so as to give them more time to react. Whatever someone’s body type they are almost certainly going to fight from a stance that is much higher than the stance used in basics.
A successful jyu kumite competitor will usually have their own favourite combinations that they have worked on personally. To have practised some combinations is invaluable as when you are in a kumite match then you have to rely a lot on your reactions. If you have some combinations prepared then they will almost be second nature to reel off when you see an opening.
The most popular techniques used in competition at the moment are probably mawashi geri and gyaku zuki. It is seeming more an more rare these days to see people perform a variety of kicks these days because of the fact that a punch is much faster so it is seen as more risky in a competition contest that someone could win with just one well timed punch. It is important to consider, however, that even though a kick might be a bit slower it can often make that extra bit of distance that a punch can’t. A well timed ushiro geri, for example, can be both unexpected and, because it thrusts forwards so much, can often be difficult to avoid or block.
It is often a good idea to practise jyu kumite at a reduced speed just to get used to the free nature of the kumite and to practise some combinations.
Probably the most important thing to remember when you are practicing Jyu kumite is that you should try and fight in your own way and not get pressured into fighting in a style that you aren’t comfortable with by your opponent. It’s easier said than done though, I know!