Kata and Kumite

In Karate there are two main events. They are called Kata and Kumite (koo-me-te). There's also weapon events but we won't get into that. Kumite is probably what you think of first when Karate comes to mind its the fighting. 

Kumite is one on one, you can punch, kick, sweep, and do takedowns. The matches range from 1-3 minutes depending on your age and division. You receive points from the judges. There are 5 judges per ring, 4 sit around the corners and the fifth is the head judge who stands. The four judges that sit around the ring have a red and blue flag that match the red and blue belts of the competitors. The maximum amount of points you can score in a math is 8. Once you have 8 points the match is over. Aside from points in Kumite there are also penalties. Class 1 penalties are physical penalties (hitting too hard, faking an injury etc). A Class 2 penalty is everything else (running away, disrespecting the referees, stepping out of bounds). If you receive 3 of either type of penalty you are disqualified from the match and automatically lose. 

Kata is a little harder to explain, it is a series of movements to demonstrate techniques. So like a dance? No, rule number one Kata is not a dance. I like to think of Kata like ghost fighting, it uses the exact same skills as Kumite except that no one is there. When you compete in Kata you go against one person, you both walk out onto the mat and perform your Kata the judges then decide which was better based on your speed, technique, focus, and power. If you win the match you go on and compete with the other people in your division. 

I hope this was helpful to anyone confused about the events in Karate and the rules. 

This is what a karate mat looks like. Picture curtsy of http://www.kenzensportskarate.com/ap