JUST FOR FUN

These divisions are meant primarily to allow the little kids to have fun (though some of the bigger ones tend to enjoy it too). The divisions also function as valuable teaching and training opportunities, both for the athletes and the officials.

SUMO

While it does indeed involve two people pushing each other, it's not really much like the real Sumo. No grabbing, lifting, hitting, kicking, or pulling. Only pushing with open hands. This way, competitors have to use their strength and balance and body awareness. Points are awarded if any part of the body other than the feet touches the ground, or exits the area provided for competition, and the winner is the one with the most points at the end of the round, or the first to 3 points.

SWORD COMBAT

This is conducted with padded headgear and foam-covered swords. Competitors learn a new way of looking at distance, blocking, and attacking. Both hands must be kept on the handle, and strikes can be anywhere between head and knees, with the exceptions of the face, neck, hands, and groin. Thrust and slices are both permitted. Scoring is similar to point sparring, with the possibility of scoring 1, 2, or 3 points for various techniques and/or combinations, and a similar system of penalties. Officials with less experience, or junior league officials (i.e. under 18 yrs) can also be trained here, under supervision of a more experienced official, before they officiate on the main rings.