Begin each match with a formal bow to your partner. Step back to a sparring ready stance and wait for the instructor's command to start.

Honor every point scored: pause, step back to your starting position, maintaining your guard, both partners bow to acknowledge the point, step back to ready stance and resume sparring.

Points to the body are scored by lightly striking a target area with a legal weapon. "Lightly striking" means touching but not penetrating.

Points to the neck and head are scored when a legal weapon is pulled within four inches of striking. At a tournament, even slightly touching the neck or head is grounds for disqualification.

Finish each match by bowing to your partner and thanking them.

Legal Hand Techniques:
Straight punch (to body only)
Knife hand (inward or outward)
Ridge hand
Hammer fist
Back fist

Legal Foot Techniques:
Front kick
Side kick
Roundhouse kick (ball of foot only)
Back kick
Crescent kicks (outward or inward)
Hook kick
Twisting kick
Ax kick
Note: Crescent & Hook kicks may score by being pulled in front of the face, assuming that they could have been extended far enough to actually strike the head. These kicks may also score by being stopped within 4 inches of striking the head and then chambered back. Crescent & Hook kicks to the body may not be pulled in front but must closely approach the target area and then be quickly chambered back.

Target Areas:
Front of the body from belt up.
Side of body from belt to armpit.
Back of body, a six-inch stripe up the center from belt to neck.
All of neck and head.

Illegal Techniques:
Striking opponent with elbows, knees, fingertips or palm heel
Straight punch the neck or head
Grabbing or grappling with opponent
Any attack directed at a target below the belt
Any attack directed at the arms or legs
Takedowns
Any blind techniques
Charging-in too aggressively without defense (participants must assume responsibility when they are defending against or delivering an attack)