Koshiki Karatedo
古式空手道Competitive karate system with Super Safe protectors from the Kenkokan school. According to the WKKF, it was introduced in 1980 and allows strikes to the face and body.
Quick Facts
JapanCharacter & Origin
Training
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Koshiki Karatedo
About Koshiki Karatedo
Koshiki karatedo is a competitive karate system with Super Safe protective gear that emerged from the Shorinji-ryu Kenkokan school. According to the World Koshiki Karatedo Federation (WKKF), Masayuki Hisataka developed the Super Safe protector in 1978, and in 1980 the federation presented the competitive system and held the first world championship. The Kenkokan headquarters states that the system arose in 1979. The Kenkokan headquarters describes it as a competitive system open to all karate styles and to other striking systems such as jujutsu, taekwondo or MMA. The official WKKF rules have three competition categories, kumite, kata competition and bunkai kumite. In kumite, a Super Safe protector is worn on the face and body, and the koshiki rules name the accumulation of points as the key feature. The WKKF issues its own dan grades with titles and has been a nonprofit corporation since 2005, based in Urayasu in Chiba Prefecture. According to its own figures, it has 40 branches on five continents.
History
The WKKF states that the founder of Kenkokan opened a dojo in Kumamoto Prefecture in June 1947 and that the headquarters moved to the Waseda district of Tokyo in 1955. According to the federation, Masayuki Hisataka took part in a WUKO conference as a technical adviser in 1977. In 1980 the first international friendly koshiki karatedo championship was held at the National Yoyogi Second Gymnasium, and in 1981 the Japan Koshiki Karatedo Association was founded, later the All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation. The Kenkokan headquarters writes on one page that it officially introduced Super Safe in 1979, and on another that the federation first introduced scoring in 1978.
How it differs
The WKKF distinguishes three forms of karate competition, non-contact, light-contact and full-contact. According to the federation, non-contact competition weakens the real tension of traditional karate, whereas koshiki with a protector allows techniques that ordinary rules forbid. The Kenkokan headquarters states that the system is open to any style of karate and to other striking systems.
Technique
Under the WKKF rules, kumite is fought on an anzen tatami area, run by one referee, two corner judges and one arbiter. Ippon, a full point, wins the bout automatically, for example for a controlled technique after a sweep or throw, a knockdown or a sequence of three or more effective techniques. Weaker effective techniques receive wazaari, a punch 1 point and a kick 2 points. Sen no waza, tai no waza and go no waza are recognized, so simultaneous attacks, counterattacks and combinations also score. The WKKF states that bare hands and feet are used against the face and body, and the rules allow, among others, the edge of the hand, a back-of-hand strike, a hammer strike to the head, elbows, knees and low kicks.
Ranks and progression
Official WKKF grades carry titles: 1st dan Yushi, 2nd Gyoshi, 3rd Shushi, 4th Kenshi, 5th Kengo, 6th Renshi, 7th Kyoshi and 8th Hanshi. Grades have a waiting period, two years after 1st dan and each further one a year longer, up to eight years before 8th dan. Exams for 1st to 5th dan include a written paper and are held twice a year at the WKKF headquarters.
Competition
In a draw, according to the WKKF rules, one minute of extension, encho-sen, is fought, and then sai encho-sen in the sakidori form, where the first point decides. Kata is judged by four judges, each awarding up to 50 points from ten items worth 1 to 5 points. Bunkai kumite is performed by three people with the bo and bokken as an application of kata in the forms goho, juho and bukiho. The rules have weight and age classes, the youngest from age six. According to its own figures, the WKKF organized twenty world championships by 2015 and forty all-Japan championships by September 2020.
Today
Since 7 February 2005 the WKKF has been a Japanese nonprofit corporation based in Urayasu in Chiba Prefecture, and as of September 2020 its president was Masayuki Hisataka. According to its own figures, the federation has 40 branches on five continents and seeks UNESCO inscription as a world school education program. In 2022 the Ryukyu Shimpo wrote about a kumite demonstration that WKKF leadership gave to Mexican karateka at an international camp in Okinawa.
Did you know
The Kenkokan headquarters states that the school originally used kendo protectors in kumite training to prevent injuries. Kenkokan kata include, according to the headquarters website, Koshiki Bassai and Koshiki Naihanchin.
Frequently asked questions
Is koshiki karatedo a separate style of karate?
Kenkokan headquarters describes it as a competitive system open to all karate styles. The WKKF issues rules, grades and competitions.
What is Super Safe?
A face and body protector that, according to the WKKF, Masayuki Hisataka developed in 1978. The Kenkokan headquarters states its official introduction in 1979.
How is scoring done in koshiki karatedo?
According to the WKKF rules, ippon automatically wins the bout and weaker effective techniques receive wazaari, a punch 1 point and a kick 2 points. Points add up, also for counterattacks and combinations.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.