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Rules and Time Limits
Experience Levels
Only the New England Championships are divided by experience levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The Tai Chi Cup and Wushu Kungfu Cup are advanced-level competition only.
Please read these descriptions carefully!
We no longer divide experience levels strictly by years of practice. Someone who trains many times per week will progress much faster than someone who only takes one class a week, so years of practice is not a reliable measure of skill. We hope that this will lead to more equitable competition for all participants.
Beginners…
- … have been training for a short period of time, or they do not train more than once or twice a week. (A dedicated practitioner might no longer be a beginner after about 2 years; people who practice less often might be a beginner even after 3 or 4 years.)
- … sometimes make mistakes with basic movements.
- … occasionally lose their balance or have unstable stances.
- … lack the required power, speed, coordination, and control in most movements.
Intermediate competitors…
- … have been training hard for a few years, or less often for a longer period of time. (A dedicated practitioner is likely intermediate level after 2 years; people who practice less often may not reach intermediate level until up to 4 years of training.)
- … will rarely if ever make mistakes with basic movements.
- … have stable stances, but might lose their balance occasionally.
- … have clear power, speed, coordination, and control, but have not completely mastered these aspects of their art.
Advanced competitors…
- … have been training for several years, and continue to practice several times per week. (It is hard to reach this level without years of dedicated practice; some people are advanced after 4 years, but generally it may take 8 or more years of practice.)
- … will never make mistakes with basic movements.
- … will rarely lose their balance, except possibly with very difficult movements.
- … have mastered the requisites of their art, be it Shaolin, tai chi, etc. At this level, what separates first place from second are better execution of difficult movements or sequences, or very minor errors.
Individual Events
Contemporary Wushu (barehand and weapons)
Beginning-Intermediate: minimum 45 seconds, maximum 2 minutes
Advanced: minimum 1 minute, 20 seconds
Traditional Kung Fu (barehand and weapons)
All levels: minimum 30 seconds, maximum 2 minutes
Taijiquan
24 Form
All levels: minimum 4 minutes, maximum 5 minutes (30 second warning before time limit is reached)
42 Form Taijiquan
All levels: minimum 5 minutes, maximum 6 minutes (30 second warning before time limit is reached)
Other Taijiquan
All levels: minimum 3 minutes, maximum 5 minutes (30 second warning before time limit is reached)
Other Internal Barehand
All levels: minimum 1 minute, maximum 2.5 minutes (30 second warning before time limit is reached)
Internal Weapons
Taiji Sword: minimum 2 minutes, maximum 4 minutes (30 second warning before time limit is reached)
All other: minimum 1 minute, maximum 2.5 minutes (30 second warning before time limit reached)
Group Events:
Choreographed Fighting – External
All levels: minimum 30 seconds, maximum 2 minutes
Choreographed Fighting – Internal
All levels: minimum 1 minute, maximum 4 minutes
Group External
All levels: minimum 30 seconds, maximum 2 minutes
Group Internal
All levels: minimum 3 minutes, maximum 7 minutes
Sparring:
(Continuous Light Contact)
Age groups: 11 & under, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-39, 40+
- Adults (18+): 1 minute of continuous fighting, 30 seconds rest
- Children (< 18): 30 seconds of continuous fighting, 30 seconds rest
- Best two out of three rounds decided by 3 judges.
- If there is a draw at the end of the match, the winner will be determined by the athlete with the lighter weight at the weigh-in.
- Mandatory protective gear: Head protector, foam gloves with no exposed fingers, mouth guard, groin cup (for males), foot protection.
- Legal contact areas: Front and sides of torso, upper thigh, side of head gear
- Prohibited areas: Groin, throat, face, back (including back of head)
- Legal techniques: Kicks and punches, sweeping front leg
- Illegal techniques: Knee strikes, elbow strikes, all takedowns, joint locks, spinning backfist, sweeping back leg
- Warnings will be given for: intentionally leaving ring, illegal techniques, striking illegal target, not following referee’s directions
- Two warnings in one round results in immediate loss of round. Three warnings in one bout results in immediate forfeit of bout.
- Immediate disqualification results from: Excessive use of force, causing bleeding from an illegal strike, 3 warnings in a bout, unsportsmanlike conduct by athlete, coach, or parent
Sanda/Sanshou
(Full Contact Sparring with Throws)
Adult sanda rules:
- Best two out of three rounds decided by 3 judges.
- Each round will be 2 minutes long, with 1 minute rest between rounds
- If there is a draw at the end of the match, the winner will be determined by the athlete with the lighter weight at the weigh-in.
- Mandatory protective gear: Mouth guard, groin guard, head gear, chest guard, gloves
- Optional protective gear: Shin pads
- Scoring areas: Leg above the knee, torso, head
- Prohibited areas: Groin, throat, back of head
- Prohibited techniques: Knee strikes, elbow strikes, intentionally injuring opponent in a takedown
- 1 point: Punch to permitted area, kick to leg above the knee and below torso, opponent falls first
- 2 points: Kick to torso, opponent falls while athlete remains standing, opponent falls off platform
- Admonitions, warnings, and other regulations will follow current IWUF rules. See www.iwuf.org
Please note: The junior sanda rules are not clearly stated on the IWUF website. The differences between adult and junior rules are as follows:
Competitors aged 12 and under:
- 1 minute rounds with no time stoppage, 1 minute rest between rounds.
- Additional prohibited areas: Head
- Additional prohibited techniques: Kicks or punches to the head
Competitors aged 13-17:
- Additional prohibited areas: None
- Additional prohibited techniques: Kicks to the head, continuous (2+) punches to the head
USA Tai Chi Cup
This is a Grand Champion competition for taijiquan competitors. The competition is divided into 4 age groups, with first, second, and third place trophies for each age group, male and female. Champions will be selected based on their combined highest barehand score and highest weapon score.
U.S. Traditional Wushu Team Trials Selection
This optional event, part of the 9th New England International Chinese Martial Arts Championships, will award a spot on the 2021 U.S. Kungfu Team that will go on to compete at the 9th World Kungfu (formerly Traditional Wushu) Championships in 2021. Athletes with at least one third-place finish will qualify for the team.
比賽項目的規程和時限
美國新英格蘭武術錦標賽
美國太極冠軍杯
新英格蘭武術功夫冠軍杯
個人項目
競技武術（拳術和器械）
初級和中級：最少45秒，最多2分鐘
高級：最少1分20秒鐘
傳統功夫（拳術和器械）
所有級別：最少45秒，最多2分鐘
太極拳
24式太極拳
所有級別：最少4分鐘，最多5分鐘
42式競賽太極拳
所有級別：最少5分鐘，最多6分鐘
其他太極拳種
所有級別：最少3分鐘，最多5分鐘
其他內家拳種
所有級別：最少1分鐘，最多2分半鐘
內家器械
太極劍：最少2分鐘，最多4分鐘
所有其他器械：最少1分鐘，最多2分半鐘
集體項目
外家對練
所有級別：最少30秒，最多2分鐘
內家對練
所有級別：最少30秒，最多4分鐘
外家集體項目
所有級別：最少30秒，最多2分鐘
內家集體項目
所有級別：最少3分鐘，最多7分鐘
散打：
（輕量級散打）
成年人（18歲以上）：每局1分鐘不斷打，30秒休息
青少年（18歲以下）：每局30秒不斷打，30秒休息
三局兩勝，由三位裁判每局的判斷