TECHNICAL DIVISION
YOKKAO Technical Sparring is professional, controlled sparring. Everyone who registers is matched and steps into the ring — but nobody is declared a winner. The purpose is to learn: correct pace, correct control, real ring experience, and honest feedback from officials who watched you work.
CONTROLLED SPARRING
Professional, controlled Muay Thai sparring focused on technique, timing, pace and control. There is no declared winner. The goal is to learn and gain real ring experience.
MATCHED PROPERLY
Athletes are matched based on age group, weight class, experience and Control Rank to create balanced and appropriate sparring sessions.
OPEN TO ALL ATHLETES
Open to individual athletes and athletes from every gym and affiliation. You simply need to be accompanied by your coach or a teammate.
OFFICIAL FEEDBACK
Every athlete receives a signed feedback card from the officials, with scores across six areas of performance to understand where they stand and what to improve.
All ages, all levels
Age category is set automatically from date of birth, so nobody is matched outside their group.
In the ring
Not allowed
- No teeps to the face
- No elbows of any kind
- No heavy knees — knees are placed, not driven
- No knock outs
Control Rank
Control Rank measures composure and control, not results. Athletes progress through five stages as officials see them handle pace and pressure.
How the Technical ranking works
- It is not based on winning. There are no winners in Technical Sparring.
- Athletes earn points for every completed session in the active season, so the ranking rewards showing up and doing the work.
- Leaderboards run per season and are shown globally, nationally, and by state in the US — filtered by age group, gender and weight class.
- Control Rank progresses separately, judged on control and composure rather than points.
FEEDBACK CARDS
Every Technical Sparring athlete leaves with a judge-signed feedback card. Six areas are scored from 1 to 5, with written notes from the official who watched the session. It is not a verdict — it is a training plan you can take back to the gym.
- Intent and pressure — do you lead the round or follow it?
- Technique and skill — shape, balance and execution under pace.
- Defence — guard, awareness and reaction to what comes back.
- Clinch control — position, posture and turning your partner.
- Ring craft and movement — use of space, angles and the ropes.
- Conditioning — how well you hold your standard into round three.
YOKKAO OPEN
AMATEUR DIVISION
The Amateur Division is full amateur Muay Thai competition. Bouts are officiated and scored, results go on your record, and your record drives your ranking. Athletes are grouped by experience so a first-time competitor is never matched against a seasoned one.
Experience classes
C Class · 0-3 bouts
Entry level. Shorter rounds, strict officiating, matched against athletes with the same limited experience.
B Class · 4-12 bouts
Developing competitors. Full amateur rule set with longer rounds as experience grows.
A Class · 13+ bouts
Experienced amateurs. Adult A Class bouts are 3 × 2 minutes and this is the level where titles are contested.
Age tiers
Juniors compete inside their own tier with junior rules and equipment. Adults compete in the open adult tier.
How the Amateur ranking works
- Results move your points: a win earns points, a loss costs them, and the quality of the opponent matters.
- You are ranked inside your own experience class and weight class, so a C Class athlete is never measured against A Class.
- A pound-for-pound ranking compares the best athletes across weight classes within the same experience class.
- As your bout count grows you are promoted to the next class, and your ranking scope moves with you.
- Rank movement — up, down or unchanged — is shown on the Rankings page after every event.
Belts and titles
The amateur path is a ladder, and the rankings decide who climbs it.
Compete in your experience class and weight class. Every result is recorded and ranked.
Top-ranked athletes in a region are matched for the YOKKAO OPEN Regional Title of their class and weight.
Regional champions and the highest-ranked contenders in the country contest the National Title.