The class must exercise pre-programmed forms of Kumite in order to tests the efficassity of the techniques and counter attacks. In it most simple form this consists of taking 3 steps, each step is accompanied with an attack. The defender ‘ll pass on the first 2 attacks but with the 3rd one he’ll take a counter attack. In modern dojo’s (exercise room) the last form’ll be exercised in free style. This means that the attack ‘ll be hard and that attacker won’t wait for the moment that the defender knows what he has to do. Some schools carries on with developing of new series of attacks in free style. A kick will be followed by a counter thrust, what’ll be followed by another kick. The answer from the defender to each attack is fixed and requires a great amount of experience. The highest form of a pre-programmed Kumite is called "Jiyu Kumite". This is about the same as Kumite , except that the attacker and the fixed attack are known in advance.
In some clubs, the students aren’t allowed to do any kumite before they can manage the basic techniques.

Most injuries are caused during free fights , especially when a higher class fights a lower class. Because the increasing number of new karateka participants, higher graded teachers comes along but don’t have the right mentality. In a fight with the lower class, the higher class doesn’t even encourage the mentality of the lower class by giving them opportunities or to use the techniques more slowly.

Instead of that, they try to show the poor lower class every possible side of the court (dojo’s) as if they have to try to strengthen their poor little weak egos. It is advised to stay well away from those sorts of clubs!!!

Some clubs allow during free fight the use of fists and instep protections. These are thin layers of flexible foam, which are folded over bones to keep the effect of the impact as small as possible. Too much protection is bad and encourages the attacker to attack even harder, even when he knows it can’t be done.

A head injury doesn’t especially occur in karate but in all fight sports . in the arts of boxing, an injury is caused by a kick, pushes the head backwards, even if it’s done softly. In such a case, the brains collide against the front of the scull and can result in brain damage. This shows in a form of headache and not being able to concentrate anymore. When a student gets a kick on his head during training, he must immediately stop and ask permission to leave the room. If there aren’t serious symptoms like fainting or seeing double then he shall have a speedy recovery.

Semi-contact Karate. (practised in V.V.A. – Euro Budo by Ludo Bellemans)

During karate practise the accent lies on Kihon, Kata and Kumite. These 3 divisions can be exercised during competitions. During these competitions you can put you knowledge to the test. Rules were made to make the difference between right and wrong. The referees make sure that the rules are applied correctly and give scores. The winner is the one with the highest score. Many different rules exist just as they are many different federations.

The kumite in Karate is practised in many competition forms, going from non-contact to Semi-contact to Full Contact. The names are quite misleading. In theory the non-contact karate should be the safest form of competition in Karate, because just like it says there is no contact with your opponent, but the practise shows the complete opposite. The protection of the body consists of hand protection, a crouch protection and a mouth protector. Other protections like shins protectors , head protection and breast protection aren’t even allowed!!! Hard contacts belong to the reality and these leads frequently to injuries like broken noses, tooth injuries and other trauma’s.

Semi-contact is the free competition form of the modern karate with light contact as realistic basis and with all existing fighting techniques of hands and feet.
It’s a competition that requires high reaction and combination ability of body and mind. The physical movements are highly developed. Explosive, controlled techniques are used, in technical as well as in logical and harmonically combinations.

V.V.A.-Euro Budo organises on frequent basis , Semi-contact Karate competitions but also opens Semi-contact tournaments, which is unique. In a Semi- contact tournament, different disciplines and styles are allowed: Taekwondo, Karate, Kickboxing, Wushu, Pencak Silat, ... The participants only need to keep themselves to the same rules. Styles and disciplines will be compared and’ll be judged following strict criteria’s.
Thanks to the full body protection, new techniques can be demonstrated with a minimal risk for injuries. The quite opposite of the non-contact karate where only 2 techniques are displayed (complicated and difficult techniques won’t be seen here because of the high risk for injuries).

Special care goes to the security of the contestants during Semi-contact Karate and Semi-contact tournaments, there’s also a great amount of attention that goes to the prevention of injuries. The protection of the body primes. Thanks to the maximum protection, combinations and techniques can be exercised without any risk for injuries for the opponent or partner.

In the Semi-contact Karate, there are good controlled techniques that can be explosive and powerful. This form of sport is developed from the traditional fight methods and is much safer than the old ones. The goal is to realise a free and competitive world of sport for each discipline or style.

Many top athletes competed at Semi-contact world tournaments and even won the world little. Also a permanent circle of referees was trained to take to take the charge during top tournaments.

The fact that many athletes take part in tournaments, given by J.K.A (Japanese Karate Association) shows that the practisants of the Semi-contact Karate have a good basis and a complete training. In 1998 the practisers of the semi-contact karate in the junior category won a bronze medal at the J.K.A.- World Championship in Bern. Also a referee of the Semi-contact Karate got the honour to he the head referee during finals of that same tournament. These facts are showing that the semi-contact karate can handle business on a mature and responsible way.

Similarities between non-contact and semi-contact karate:
  • The techniques and kata’s are the same: a Shotokan Karateka of the V.K.F gives the same kick or thrust as a Karateka from the V.V.A-Euro Budo.
  • A Semi-contact Karateka is perfectly trained to take part in non-contact competitions because the techniques, kata’s are the same.

What are the differences between Semi-contact Karate and the traditional (non) contact Karate?
  • The approach of the trainings varies with the ones of the traditional karate: things like flexibility, movement, and combinations are more trained.
  • The competition reglements varies from each other.
  • The protection of a kumite-practicer is far more expanded in the semi-contact.
  • A lot more techniques can be exercised in the semi-contact karate with no fear for injuries.
  • A semi-contact practicer is perfectly trained to take part in other semi-contact competitions in other disciplines like Taekwondo, Wushu,…
  • Next to the semi-contact kumite there’s also the semi-contact karate where a great amount of attention goes to the application of the traditional karate techniques, which leads to real self-defence. The semi-contact karate is very dynamic.
  • Different disciplines and styles are allowed in an open semi-contact tournament. The judgement of kata and kihon was made possible by using uniform criteria’s.
We can conclude that someone who practises semi-contact receives a versatile and a differential training. A practiser of semi-contact karate can take part in competitions of non-contact karate too, because he’s quasi on the same level. But this is made impossible by the regulations of the non-contact federations.

The semi-contact karate in Belgium can be exercised in the school of Euro Budo.