top of page

Short Stick Sparring

Rules, Regulations, & Safety Precautions

​

Rules & Regulations:

  • Short sticks will be provided to competitors at the tournament.

  • Competitors are categorized by age, not weight class.

  • There is no age limit for Short Stick Sparring.

Mandatory Safety Equipment:

  1. Headgear with face protector

  2. Groin protector for men

  3. Chest protector for women

  4. Safety gloves

No Contact Areas:

  1. Back of the head

  2. Neck

  3. Spine

  4. Groin

Prohibited Techniques:

  1. Punching

  2. Kicking

  3. Takedowns

Competitor Criteria:

Competitors must demonstrate:

  1. Control

  2. Accuracy

  3. Speed

  4. Good defense

Referee’s Role:

  • The referee will stop and restart the match if one or both competitors fall or if the weapons fall to the ground.

  • Only strikes made with Short Sticks will score points.

Time of Rounds:

  • 1 round of 2 minutes.

Scoring Points:

  • 2 points for strikes to the head or body, provided the opponent cannot retaliate within a short time.

  • 1 point for strikes to the arm, hand, or leg, provided the opponent cannot retaliate within a short time.

  • No points are awarded if strikes are made simultaneously.

Ring Officials:

  • 1 Referee

  • 2 Judges

  • Timekeeper & Scorekeeper

Competition Levels:

  • Beginner: Contact is not continuous.

  • Intermediate: Contact is continuous.

  • Advanced & Black Belt: Contact is continuous.

  • Victory: Determined by the competitor’s effectiveness in executing both attacks and defenses.

Weapon Disarm (3-second rule):

A competitor can win by disarming the opponent (i.e., taking control of the opponent's stick) within 3 seconds.

Warnings:

  • Attacking with excessive force

  • Attacking any No Contact areas

  • Using Prohibited Techniques

  • Disrespecting the referee, judges, or opponent

  • Disregarding referee's instructions

Disqualification:

The referee may disqualify a competitor if they:

  • Receive 3 or more warnings

  • Engage in unsportsmanlike conduct

  • Injure the opponent using prohibited techniques

Match Stoppage:

The referee may stop the match if:

  • There is a mismatch in skill levels (7-point lead rule)

  • Competitor A is injured due to a legal technique, resulting in a victory for Competitor B.

Long Stick Sparring

Rules, Regulations, & Safety Precautions

Rules & Regulations:

  • Long sticks will be provided at the tournament.

  • Competitors are categorized by age, not weight class.

  • There is no age limit for Long Stick Sparring.

Mandatory Safety Equipment:

  1. Headgear with face protector

  2. Neck protector

  3. Groin protector for men

  4. Safety gloves

No Contact Areas:

  1. Back of the head

  2. Spine

  3. Groin

Prohibited Techniques:

  1. Punching

  2. Kicking

  3. Takedowns

Competitor Criteria:

Competitors must demonstrate:

  1. Control

  2. Accuracy

  3. Speed

  4. Good defense

Referee’s Role:

  • The referee will stop and restart the match if one or both competitors fall or if the weapons fall to the ground.

  • Only strikes made with Long Sticks will score points.

Time of Rounds:

  • 1 round of 2 minutes.

Scoring Points:

  • 2 points for strikes to the head or body, provided the opponent cannot retaliate within a short time.

  • 1 point for strikes to the arm, hand, or leg, provided the opponent cannot retaliate within a short time.

  • No points are awarded if strikes are made simultaneously.

Ring Officials:

  • 1 Referee

  • 2 Judges

  • Timekeeper & Scorekeeper

Competition Levels:

  • Beginner: Contact is not continuous.

  • Intermediate: Contact is not continuous.

  • Advanced & Black Belt: Contact is continuous.

  • Victory: Determined by the competitor’s effectiveness in executing both attacks and defenses.

Weapon Disarm (3-second rule):

A competitor can win by disarming the opponent (i.e., taking control of the opponent's stick) within 3 seconds.

Warnings:

  • Attacking with excessive force

  • Attacking any No Contact areas

  • Using Prohibited Techniques

  • Disrespecting the referee, judges, or opponent

  • Disregarding referee's instructions

Disqualification:

The referee may disqualify a competitor if they:

  • Receive 3 or more warnings

  • Engage in unsportsmanlike conduct

  • Injure the opponent using prohibited techniques

Match Stoppage:

The referee may stop the match if:

  • There is a mismatch in skill levels (7-point lead rule)

  • Competitor A is injured due to a legal technique, resulting in a victory for Competitor B.

Shuriken Throwing (Throwing Stars)

Rules, Regulations, & Safety Precautions

Safety Precautions:

  • Strict penalties for horseplay (e.g., unauthorized throwing, unsafe actions).

  • Competitors must control their weapons at all times.

  • No jewelry or any items that may endanger others.

  • Competitors must be 14 years or older and free of physical disabilities that would impede their throwing.

Competitor Responsibilities:

  1. Ensure safety for everyone present.

  2. Control the weapon at all times, including before and after throws.

  3. Obey judges' commands.

  4. Must be wearing a T-shirt (long sleeves can be dangerous).

  5. No foul language or unsportsmanlike conduct.

Shuriken Specifications:

  1. Size: 3½ to 5½ inches

  2. Material: Solid metal or stainless steel

  3. Points: 3 to 10 points

  4. No retractable or removable parts.

Scoring:

  • Bullseye: 10 points

  • Points decrease as the shuriken moves away from the bullseye.

  • No points if the shuriken misses the target.

  • Boundary line contact results in a lower score.

  • If a shuriken hits another or falls out during subsequent throws, the score remains valid.

Throwing Lane Lengths:

  • Preliminary rounds: 12 feet

  • Championship rounds: 15 feet

  • Tiebreaker: 14 feet (preliminary) or 16 feet (championship)

Throwing Techniques:

  • Throwing must be done horizontally or vertically, standing straight forward.

  • The thrower cannot spin their body or arm from behind.

  • Dropping the shuriken once results in a 1-point penalty; twice results in disqualification.

Competition Structure:

  • 6 throws, 2 rounds, with the best score from each round being recorded.

  • 3-5 throwers compete at once.

Nunchuck Sparring

Rules, Regulations, & Safety Precautions

Rules & Regulations:

  • Nunchucks will be provided at the tournament.

  • Competitors are categorized by age, not weight class.

  • There is no age limit for Nunchuck Sparring.

Mandatory Safety Equipment:

  1. Headgear with face protector

  2. Neck protector

  3. Groin protector for men

  4. Safety gloves

No Contact Areas:

  1. Back of the head

  2. Spine

  3. Groin

Prohibited Techniques:

  1. Punching

  2. Kicking

  3. Takedowns

Scoring Points:

  • 2 points for strikes to the head or body

  • 1 point for strikes to the arm, hand, or leg

Time of Rounds:

  • 1 round of 2 minutes.

Warnings:

  • Attacking with excessive force

  • Attacking any No Contact areas

  • Using Prohibited Techniques

  • Disrespecting the referee, judges, or opponent

  • Disregarding referee's instructions

Disqualification:

The referee may disqualify a competitor for:

  • Receiving 3 or more warnings

  • Unsportsmanlike conduct

  • Injuring the opponent using prohibited techniques

Match Stoppage:

The referee may stop the match if:

  • There is a mismatch in skill levels (7-point lead rule)

  • Competitor A is injured due to a legal technique, resulting in a victory for Competitor B.

General Tournament Rules:

  • All events are governed by the rules above.

  • Any violation of the tournament guidelines may result in immediate expulsion and forfeiture of awards.

This format helps ensure clarity, consistency, and ease of reference for competitors, officials, and spectators. 

bottom of page