Skip to content
1410 S Meridian, Puyallup, WAMonday to Thursday: 6 to 10 p.m.(253) 555-0105
Kumite Karate Club
Try a class
Try a class
CallTry a class

The sparring ladder

How sparring works, step by step

Nobody spars at full speed on day one. Each step has its own class and its own rules, and you stay at a step until you and your coach agree it is time.

  1. 01
    Step 1

    Step 1: Pads and gear

    You learn to wear gloves, shin guards and a mouthguard, and to strike pads and shields held by a partner. Nobody strikes you at this step. Most students stay here for a while, and that is how it should be.

    • Gear fitted before your first round

    • Strikes on pads and shields only

    • Footwork and distance drills

    • Open to every belt

  2. 02
    Step 2

    Step 2: Light contact

    Two partners trade controlled techniques at a slow pace while a coach calls the round. The pace is set by the partner who is newer to the step, and teens never take a strike to the head.

    • Slow, timed rounds with one partner

    • A coach calls and stops every round

    • A tap or the word stop ends a round at once

    • Orange belt and up; teens included

  3. 03
    Step 3

    Step 3: Continuous sparring

    Rounds run without a pause, with a partner at your level and a coach on the mat. Adults move up to this step when the coaches agree they are ready, and a round can still be stopped at any time.

    • Adults at green belt and up

    • Partners matched by level

    • Gear checked before every round

    • Open sparring on Saturday

Gear

The gear list

A coach checks gear before every sparring round. We lend gloves and shin guards for your first classes, and the front desk can tell you what to look for before you buy your own.

What a round needs

  • Sparring gloves

  • Shin guards

  • A mouthguard

  • Hand wraps

  • Headgear, for continuous rounds

Hand wraps being wound around a hand, close view of wrapped knuckles

Rules of a round

What every round has in common

  • A coach on the mat

    A coach calls every round and can stop it for any reason.

  • Stop means stop

    A tap or the word stop ends a round at once, at every step.

  • Partners at your level

    Pairs are matched by step and experience, not by who asks.

  • Gear checked first

    Gloves, shin guards and mouthguard are checked before the first round of the night.

Ready to start at step 1?

Pads and gear is open to every belt, and a first class takes you through it.

Try a classSee the schedule