Ippon
Ippon [ ˈipːon ] ( Japanese一 本) is a Japanese expression for 'one'. It is a peculiarity of the Japanese language that numerals with a numerator suffix can be changed, which depends on the shape of the object being counted. Hon / Bon / Pon is a counter suffix for elongated items, for example bottles, fingers or pens. So 一 ( ichi ) and 本 ( hon ) are drawn together to 一 本 (Ippon). What exactly is meant by Ippon depends on the context.
Possible meanings
Budo
In the Budō martial arts and sports such as Jūdō , Kendō and Karate , Ippon means a point or hit in competition:
Jūdō
An ippon in judo always means immediate victory for the judoka and is therefore the highest possible rating. It is awarded for a technically clean throw or a continuous holding technique for 20 seconds (until 2013: 25 seconds) . A fighter also receives an ippon if the opponent gives up or is unable to fight after a leverage or strangulation attack. If a competitor is punished with "Hansoku-make", the other competitor is immediately declared the winner, which corresponds to an Ippon.
Kendo
In kendo , a competition is decided by Ippon. In the regular fight time, which varies depending on the type of competition, a kendoka must score two ippons to win the fight. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by a single Ippon in the unlimited extension (Ensho). To reach a point, a kendōka must meet various criteria (yūkō-datotsu / 有効 打 突). The attack possibilities are limited to four hit areas in Kendō ( Datotsu-bui ). The head ( Men ), the wrists ( Kote ), the belly ( Do ) and the larynx ( Tsuki ). The special armor ( bogu ) protects these places. A stab is made to the larynx, the other hit surfaces must be hit with a cut-like movement. You have to hit the right spot on the shinai that corresponds to the optimal cut surface of a sword. In addition, the correct use of the entire body is necessary in order to carry the blow with sufficient energy. A stamping step with the front foot ( Fumi-komi-ashi ) is part of this movement. Furthermore, a shout ( kiai ) has to be made, which also increases the energy of the attack and testifies to the intent of the attacker. Even after the hit, the fighter must still be attentive, maintain the correct posture and keep an eye on and under control of his opponent ( Zanshin ). A hit is only considered a valid attack and an ippon is awarded if all these aspects are present .
karate
If a technique hits its target in a competition, a distinction is made in karate between an ippon (a whole point) and a waza'ari (技 有 り) (half a point). Whether a technique is rated as Ippon or Waza'ari depends primarily on the punching power, the body part hit and the reaction of the opponent. The competition was founded in karate in the 1950s by Nakayama Masatoshi , a student of Funakoshi . The traditional competition is carried out in the philosophy of Shōbu-Ippon (勝負 一 本) and symbolizes "Ikken-hissatsu" (一拳 必殺). That means "killing the enemy with one blow". What is meant is that whoever “places” the first technique wins. The technology must be "locked", i.e. stopped, shortly before the hit surface. It doesn't just take a good eye. Until the 1980s, this was the most common form of free fighting. Today, in addition to the traditional Japanese Ippon, there are other forms of competition, such as the Sanbon system, in which three points are required for a victory. These no longer follow the Ikken Hissatsu and were introduced, among other things, as concessions to the audience and as an incentive for athletic and more demanding techniques.