Karate

Photograph of karate athletes.

Overview

  • This is a bujutsu or martial arts competition that originated in Okinawa.
  • There are two events consisting of Kata and Kumite.*

*Events held at the 24th Summer Deaflympics (2022, CAXIAS DO SUL)

kata
  • A performance is given of a series of movements comprised of a combination of offensive and defensive forms.
  • The performance is judged with importance placed on the athlete’s stance and the execution of their techniques in terms of speed, sharpness, and other factors as well as their posture.
Kumite
  • Two athletes compete against each other inside a ring.
  • They compete for points for the duration of the match by performing and receiving striking and kicking techniques.

Features as deaf sport

In Kumite, the referee stops the match by calling out “yame” (stop) when a technique is performed in the proper form, but deaf athletes will sometimes continue their attack because they are unable to hear the referee.
Thus, a light is used to provide a visual indication of the referee’s calls.

At the 24th Summer Deaflympics (2022, CAXIAS DO SUL)

Event

24th Summer Deaflympics (2022, CAXIAS DO SUL)

  • Kumite (Men): -60kg, -67kg, -75kg, -84kg, +84kg
  • Kumite (Women): -50kg, -55kg, -61kg, -68kg, +68kg
  • kumite team (Men, Women)
  • Kata (Men, Women)
  • kata team (Men, Women)

Venue

Deaf sport federation website

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