How do punches and kicks score in ju-jitsu fighting?
B · Beginner · Scoring · 3 of 6A strike scores if it touches with light contact, is pulled back at once and is thrown with good dynamics, balance and control. Meeting all three earns an ippon of two points, or three points for a kick to the head. A strike that is partly blocked, or meets two of the three, is a waza-ari of one point.
How it works
- Targets: the torso and the head. Straight strikes to the head are excluded.
- Criterion one: it touches the opponent, no harder than light contact.
- Criterion two: it is applied with hikite or hikiashi, the pulling back of the hand or foot.
- Criterion three: good dynamics, balance and control.
- Ippon, 3 points: a kick to the head that meets all three and is not blocked.
- Ippon, 2 points: any other strike that meets all three and is not blocked.
- Waza-ari, 1 point: a strike that meets all three but is partly blocked, or meets two of the three unblocked.
- A caught kick: has not been pulled back, so it can score a waza-ari at most.
- One score an engagement: in each exchange only one technique is scored, the first ippon, or failing that the first waza-ari.
- Both land together for the same score: no points, called a simultaneous action.
The glossary has the atemi, the strike scoring criteria, the engagement, the simultaneous action, the ippon and the waza-ari.
Tricky cases
A fighter lands a straight punch to the face. Is that an ippon?
No. Straight strikes to the head are excluded, and throwing one is a major foul even if it misses.
A kick is caught by the opponent's hand. What can it score?
A waza-ari at best. A caught kick has not been applied with hikiashi.
Both fighters land a clean body punch at the same moment. Who scores?
Neither. If both land together and would earn the same score, no points are given.
In one exchange a fighter lands a waza-ari and then the opponent lands an ippon. What is scored?
The ippon. The first ippon in an engagement takes priority over a waza-ari, even an earlier one.
Why the rule exists
Pulling the hand or foot back is the proof that the strike was a controlled technique and not a push or a swing. Scoring only one technique in each exchange rewards the first clean strike, which is what would matter in a real fight, and stops a flurry from being counted blow by blow.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kick to the head, all criteria met | Ippon, 3 points | JJIF Fighting 6.1.3 |
| Other strike, all criteria met | Ippon, 2 points | JJIF Fighting 6.1.3 |
| Partly blocked, or two criteria met | Waza-ari, 1 point | JJIF Fighting 6.1.3 |
| Under 16 and younger | Strikes to the head must not touch | JJIF Fighting 6.1.2 |
| Parts 2 and 3 | Strikes are a foul | JJIF Fighting 7.1.3 |
From the rule book
Ju-Jitsu International Federation, Ju-Jitsu Fighting Rulebook (version 4.0, approved October 2022), Section 6.1 and Section 7.2.3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Ju-Jitsu Fighting Rulebook.