What do the referee's calls mean in karate?
I · Intermediate · The bout · 2 of 10The referee starts a bout with "Shobu hajime" and stops it with "Yame". After a score the referee names the athlete, the target and the technique, awards the points and restarts with "Tsuzukete hajime". "Wakarete" breaks a clinch without stopping the clock. Fifteen seconds from the end, the referee calls "Ato shibaraku".
How it works
- The bows: to the front and then to each other before the bout, and in the reverse order after it.
- Shobu hajime: start the bout.
- Yame: stop. The clock stops.
- Moto no ichi: back to the starting positions.
- Announcing a score: aka or ao, then jodan or chudan, then the technique, then yuko, waza-ari or ippon.
- Tsuzukete hajime: resume.
- Wakarete: separate from a clinch. The clock keeps running, and the athletes wait for "Tsuzukete".
- Tsuzukete, alone: an informal order to get on with fighting.
- Ato shibaraku: a little time left, called at 15 seconds.
- Aka (or ao) no kachi: red, or blue, wins.
- A proper bow: required. The rule book calls a quick nod discourteous and insufficient.
The glossary has the referee's calls, the rei, the aka and ao, the jodan and chudan, the ato shibaraku and the referee.
Tricky cases
The referee calls "Wakarete" and an athlete lands a clean punch at the same moment. Does it score?
No. A technique executed as "Wakarete" is called is not scored. It is not penalised either, unless it was uncontrolled.
Does the clock stop for "Wakarete"?
No. It is a temporary halt to the action without stopping the clock. The clock stops for "Yame".
When does the referee have to call "Yame"?
Among other times: when two or more judges signal a score for the same athlete, when an athlete leaves the area, when a foul is seen, when an athlete seizes the opponent without an immediate technique, and when a coach asks for a video review.
An athlete gives a quick nod at the start. Is that enough?
No. Athletes must bow properly at the start and the end of the bout.
Why the rule exists
The calls are Japanese everywhere, so a bout runs the same way whatever languages the athletes and officials speak. Naming the athlete, the target and the technique tells both corners and the table exactly what was scored. "Wakarete" exists so that a clinch can be broken without the cost of a full stop.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Yame | Full stop; clock stopped | WKF Kumite 5.3; 7.5 |
| Wakarete | Separate; clock running | WKF Kumite 10.1.2 |
| Tsuzukete | Informal order to fight | WKF Kumite 10.1.2 |
| Last 15 seconds | "Ato shibaraku"; no "Tsuzukete" unless after "Wakarete" | WKF Kumite 10.1.4; Appendix 1 |
From the rule book
World Karate Federation, Kumite Competition Rules (version 2026.01, valid from 1 January 2026), Articles 7 and 10.1 and Appendix 1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Kumite Competition Rules.