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DAGEKI WORLD KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2024

RULES – KATA

Saturday – May 18, 2024

  • The Kata competition is open to participants aged 4 years old and up and ranked from 10th Kyu to Black Belt.
  • A competitor cannot be enrolled in both Kata and Elite Kata.
  • A judging team consists of 3 to 5 judges, including the head judge who takes charge of the competition at the court.
  • Each participant introduces himself to the judges and announces the kata he will perform. It is not required to identify the selected kata before that moment.
  • All participants must perform a traditional kata. A traditional kata is a sequence of traditional karate techniques that is learned and performed by all members of an organization; it is a required element at belt promotion tests and not a “custom made” kata for one or few members of the organization.
  • Each participant is given a mark – between 5.0 and 10.0 – by each judge; the total of the allocated marks is used to rank the participant within the division.
  • Should a participant choose to perform a “nontraditional” kata (weapon kata), he would be penalized – each judge giving him the minimal mark of 5 over 10 to point it out.
  • Since traditional kata forms vary from one karate style to another, each participant is judged according to the following criteria:
    • Flagrant mistakes, loss of balance, hesitation
    • Basic stances
    • Kicking techniques
    • Punching, blocking, shuto techniques
    • Consistency in the execution of techniques
    • Balance and fluidity
    • Spirit and intensity
    • Speed and control
  • The performance of each participant is evaluated with respect to that of the others within the division.
  • In the event of a tie for the 1st, 2nd or 3rd place within a division, the head judge asks the tied competitors to perform a kata again to establish the winner for the position.
  • Participants ranked 4th Kyu to Black Belt must prepare to perform two distinct traditional kata: a first participation kata and a second one in case of a tie for one of the 3 first places. If a participant chooses to perform the same kata twice, he will be given a ½ point penalty by each judge.
  • In the event of a second tie, the highest score and the lowest score are removed to determine the winner.