What do karate athletes wear in kumite, and how big is the mat?
Officials' detail · The bout · 1 of 1The mat is an 8-metre square with a border of another colour and a 2-metre safety area. Athletes wear a white karategi with a red or blue belt and matching mitts, shin pads and foot protectors. A gum shield and a body protector are compulsory. Athletes under 14 also wear a helmet.
How it works
- Competition area: a matted square with sides of 8 m, the outer metre in another colour.
- Safety area: 2 m all round.
- Starting marks: two mats turned to another colour, each 1 m from the centre.
- Karategi: white, with no piping or personal embroidery.
- Belt: red for aka or blue for ao. Belts of grade are not worn in a bout.
- Mitts, shin pads, foot protection: compulsory, in the athlete's colour.
- Also compulsory: a gum shield, a body protector, a chest protector for women and a groin guard for men.
- Under 14: a helmet and an external body protector as well.
- Not allowed: glasses, metal hair grips, headbands, jewellery or anything that could injure.
- Wrong kit: two minutes to correct it.
The glossary has the karategi, the belt, the aka and ao, the dojo, the bout and the referee.
Tricky cases
Does an athlete wear their own black belt in a bout?
No. Athletes wear the red or blue belt given by the draw, and belts of grade cannot be worn during the bout.
Can an athlete compete in glasses?
No. Glasses are forbidden. Soft contact lenses may be worn at the athlete's own risk.
An athlete says a groin guard is on, and it is not. What happens?
Shikkaku, disqualification from the tournament, if the athlete was asked before the bout and confirmed it. If the athlete was not asked, there are two minutes to put one on and an automatic warning for self-endangerment.
May an athlete wear a headscarf?
Yes. Religious headwear approved by the federation is allowed: a plain black fabric head scarf covering the hair but not the neck or throat.
Why the rule exists
Red and blue on the belt, hands and feet let judges at four corners tell in an instant whose technique landed. The padding protects the hitter's hands and the receiver's body without making hard contact acceptable. The coloured border warns an athlete that the edge is near.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seniors | Mitts, shin and foot protection, gum shield, body protector | WKF Kumite 2.2.7 |
| Under 14 | Helmet and external body protector added | WKF Kumite 2.2.7 |
| Women | Chest protector | WKF Kumite 2.2.7 |
| Kata | No protectors; one minute to correct the kit | WKF Kata 2.2.10 |
From the rule book
World Karate Federation, Kumite Competition Rules (version 2026.01, valid from 1 January 2026), Articles 1, 2 and 10.4.14. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Kumite Competition Rules.