KUDO

Kūdō (空道, Kūdō) is a Japanese mixed martial art that is part of the budō (武道). This discipline was founded by Azuma Takashi in 1981 within the school called "Daido juku" (大道塾) with the aim of allowing a practice that is both less traumatic and close to a real confrontation. The practice is done in dōgi, equipped with a bubble helmet and cotton mittens. All standing strikes (punches, kicks, elbows, knees, head) are allowed as well as grabbing, throwing and ground combat with chokes and joint keys. Kūdō is practiced in more than 50 countries with a presence mainly in Japan and Russia.

Kūdō in competition

International competitions are held in the format of a knockout championship. The fights take place on a resumption of a maximum duration of 3 minutes with a resumption of extension of 3 minutes in case of a tie. The combat surface is a square of 13 x 13 meters covered with judo-type tatami with a delimited internal combat surface of 9 x 9 meters. Each match is refereed by a central referee who directs the confrontation and 4 corner referees who contribute to the allocation of points and the reporting of any fouls.

On a restart, two passages in ground combat of 30 seconds maximum are allowed and the phases of standing seizures are limited to 10 seconds. The allocation of points is done according to the perceived effectiveness of the technique, percussion or sequence. For example, a sharp projection followed by a simulation of strikes to the opponent's unprotected face will mark a "Koka". Points in Kūdō follow a similar categorization to Judo: "Koka" - 1 point, "Yuko" - 2 points, "Waza ari" - 4 points, "Ippon" - 8 points. A submission by joint key or strangulation, or a knockout is worth "Ippon". The award of an "Ippon" is worth immediate victory of the fighter. In the event of a tie at the end of the first replay, the central referee seeks the opinion of the corner referees for decision. In the event of a tie, the fight goes to overtime.

Equipment

Kūdō or Kudoka competitors wear a belt corresponding to their rank, a blue or white dōgi (also called "kudogi") similar to Kyokushinkai Karate dōgi but reinforced to withstand seizures and projections. In addition to the usual protections in all combat sports (tooth protectors, shells ...) is added a plexiglass bubble helmet, approved by the K.I.F. and typical marker of the discipline, which protects against cuts and trauma to the face. The helmet should also reduce the risk of concussions and knockouts. The hands are covered with short strips and thin cotton mittens. Junior competitors will also wear, depending on their age category, shin guards, forearm guards and breastplate..