All Divisions: 2-Minute maximum time limit per form. Weapon use should constitute at least 80% of the form.

Competitors should finish near their starting position, unless judges are notified.

Bladed weapons should be dulled or wooden. Competitors are responsible for damage to gym. Proper attire is required (such as a uniform, vest, appropriate T-shirt), no street clothes or jewelry. Forms competitors may wear non-marking tennis or wrestling shoes, or bare feet.

PADDED WEAPON SPARRING

Single Stick: Competitors will each use a single 28” padded stick (provided).

Open Weapon: Competitors may choose from among these (provided) options:

1. 1. 1. Single 28” padded sticks.
      2. Double 28″ Padded Sticks

All Divisions: Each match will consist of a single round, of 2 minutes in duration, for all age groups.

Competitors are required to wear a padded helmet with face shield (provided), and gloves.

Engagement Rules: Each match is scored as a series of mini-fights or Engagements. Each Engagement is worth 1 point.

The Referee has discretion as to when an Engagement should be stopped for scoring.

A Judge may at any time signal the Referee that they believe an Engagement should be scored. Engagements may be allowed to continue (2-3 seconds) to allow the possibility of a counter attack. The greater the probable damage, the sooner the Engagement will end.

Disarms: A disarm is defined by a loss of a weapon due to its being taken by the opponent or it falling to the floor.

In the event of any disarm, accidental or intentional, a point will be awarded to the opponent of the competitor who is disarmed. Three disarms in any match will result in an immediate TKO and end of match. In the Open Weapons division, with the use of two weapons, if one weapon is disarmed, the competitor will continue for the duration of the match with a single weapon. If both weapons are disarmed, after scoring   the disarm, only one weapon shall be returned to the competitor, and the fight shall resume.

Scoring: At the time of scoring, each judge will score a point for the competitor who effected the most probable damage. The match will be decided by a majority of three judges, who each determine a winner based on their choice of who won the majority of engagements.

Stunning Damage: (Minimum Scoring Criteria) A strike or quick combination of strikes that would have caused enough damage

to at least temporarily stop their opponent from continuing.

Stopping Damage: A strike or quick combination of strikes that did or would have totally stopped the opponent. Stopping Damage will take precedence in scoring over Stunning Damage. If the referee or at least two judges believe the Engagement started with Stopping Damage, that Engagement will be stopped and scored immediately.

Damage Priority: 1. Head and thrusts to the groin.

1. Hands to the elbows and ankles to the knees.
2. Shoulders, ribs, thighs.
3. Trunk/hips.

LIVE STICK SPARRING

Required Equipment:    Forearm and Thigh Pads, non-marking Tennis or Wrestling Shoes.

Helmets, chest protectors, stickfighting gloves.  Sticks will be provided. Short sleeved or long sleeved T-shirts must be worn for sparring.

No sleeveless T-shirts under provided chest protectors.

Recommended: Mouthguard, Groin Protector, Elbow, Knee and Shin pads, headscarves or bandanas, extra sticks.

Towels to wipe off equipment (not to be worn under provided helmets).

Personal equipment may be used with prior approval, and must be comparable to provided equipment.

Match Duration: All matches will consist of three rounds with a set rest interval, the duration of each based on age group: Ages 13 & Under: 45-second                     round, with a 30-second rest interval

Ages 14 – 17: 60-second round, with a 30-second rest interval Adults: 60-second round, with a 30-second rest interval

Seniors: 60-second round, with a 45-second rest interval Competitors may only have one Coach and one assistant in their corner.

Legal Targets: Top, front & sides of helmet, front & sides of the thighs & body are legitimate targets.

Both arms & hands from the shoulders to the fingertips are all legitimate targets.

Back of Body and Helmet may be hit indirectly while face to face with opponent (Wittiks/Circular strikes) The Back of the body or helmet may not be struck if the opponent has turned more than 90 degrees away Strikes to the groin, the knees or below not legal, unless the opponent jumps into the line of a legal target

Stoppage: To signal surrender, equipment failure or injury, competitors will raise both hands over their head and

back away from the action. DO NOT TURN AWAY! DO NOT BEND OVER!

The Referee will pause Match time to quickly address the issue, replacing equipment if necessary

The Referee will also stop the match for any of the following reasons:

If any part of the body other than the soles of the feet touch the ground. If a competitor is leaving the competition area to avoid the fight.

In the event that a stick is broken, there is a disarm, rule violation, or a safety concern.

Rules Violations: The first rule violation will receive a warning.

The next rule violation will receive a penalty point deduction.

Continuing rules violations or extreme cases may result in a disqualification

Prohibited Actions: Two-handed strikes, thrusting, striking with the butt end of the stick, or strikes with any part of the body.

Strikes to an unprotected head, neck or hand, or hitting while holding the opponent’s stick.

Grappling, wrestling, foot sweeps, takedowns or throws, spinning or dropping to prone or kneeling position

Pushing is not allowed. A fighter MAY push themselves to arms length from their opponent.

Running out of the ring to avoid the action of the fight, or simply evading the action with no offense. A fighter MAY use the ring to control the action, but MAY NOT use the ring to avoid the action.

Competitors may not check the helmet or face mask of the opponent.

Competitors may not hook or hold the opponent’s weapon or body, except for an immediate disarm attempt

2-Strike Rule: Competitors MAY NOT strike more than twice in quick succession, the same target with the same type of strike. Repetitive striking in such a manner will not be scored by the judges.

Three or more strikes in quick succession to different targets is allowed. Multiple strikes to the same target that are delivered differently are allowed.

4-Second Rule: Competitors MAY NOT exhibit a total lack of defense. If a fighter fails to attempt to evade or block or otherwise minimize the effect of strikes for more than four seconds continuously, they will be warned, and any attacks made during that period will be ignored by judges.

LIVE STICK SPARRING – CONTINUED

Disarms: A Disarm is defined by a loss of control of a weapon, whether intentional or accidental, as demonstrated by

the opponent’s complete control over it, or the weapon hitting the floor.

Holding the opponent’s stick is only allowed to attempt an immediate disarm.

Joints MAY NOT be locked or twisted for a disarm, failed disarms must be released immediately.

1-2 disarms shall be scored as part of the match, as a 1 point penalty for the disarmed fighter for that round. In ALL SPARRING DIVISIONS (Live Stick and Padded Stick) 3 disarms in a match will result in a TKO.

In Double Stick Sparring Divisions, Disarms will be scored the same, however the loss of one stick will not necessarily stop the action. Referees will remove the stick from the competition area for safety as the action continues. ONLY after there has been a break in action will the referee note the disarm to the judges, return the stick to the competitor and resume action. The loss of both sticks will result in an immediate TKO.

Scoring Criteria: Scoring in all live stick sparring divisions is based on a 10-point must system, prior to penalties or disarms.

Each Judge will award 10 points to the better fighter, and 9 points or less to the other fighter. (Less than 9 points would indicate a severe mismatch of demonstrated skill.)

Penalties for rule violations or disarms will then be deducted from that score.

To score at the end of each Round, Judges will consider the following criteria, in this order:

1. 4-Second Rule. Strikes made violating this rule will not be considered for scoring.

1. Greatest Number of Effective Hits. Greatest Number of Effective Hits are determined based on

demonstrated power and accuracy. Effectively: which fighter did the most damage.

1. 2-Strike Rule. Striking that violates this rule will not be considered in scoring

1. Other Considerations. If the Greatest Number of Effective Hits does not provide a clear winner, and no outstanding penalties sway the decision, the decision will only then be based on the following considerations:

Ring Generalship Variety of Target Areas

Variety of Tactics or Technique Defense

1. Sudden Death. If at the end of 3 rounds, the Judges have still scored a Draw, a fourth round will be fought and the winner declared by a show of hands by the Judges.

– Soft, foam type headgear with full face protection is mandatory. They will be available at the tournament.

– Neck protection is mandatory: Soft, hockey type protectors will be available at the tournament.

– Mouth guards are mandatory.

– Groin Protection is mandatory for males, (hard shell cups) and recommended for females (padded type).

– Hand protection is highly recommended, at least MMA style gloves. Full finger-style as Street Hockey or Squash type. No hard shell padding.

– Elbow/forearm and knee/shin protection of a soft-type is recommended. No hard shell padding.

– No “over padding” is allowed. The purpose of the protective equipment in this type of competition is to provide for safety, not to eliminate all pain.

– Thinly padded chest protection MAY be provided at the tournament for females.