AUCKLAND KARATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS – ROUND ONE

Participation in this event is open to all Karate New Zealand Clubs and Associations. Karate Auckland League competition is for Premier, Intermediate, and Development competitors aged 5 years and older for Kata, and 6 years and older for Kumite.
 

Please read this carefully as there are several changes to note.

1. Please Note: The Auckland Karate League events in 2025 will introduce preliminary Round-Robin qualifying rounds for all events with pools of up to 5 competitors. 
   • Pool winners will qualify for the quarter-finals or semifinals, which then proceed on an elimination basis to the medal rounds. 
   • This ensures that every competitor gets at least two matches. 
   • The round-robin preliminary rounds format means there will no longer be a need for repechage.
   • More details about how this new round-robin preliminary rounds format will operate is in the separate guidance sheet available in the downloads
2. All entries must be completed online in Sportdata via your club instructor/designated delegate.
3. Whoever registers the athletes for their club in Sportdata is responsible for informing players, coaches, instructors, parents, and supporters of the Terms and Conditions | Health and Safety | Code of Conduct  - see later in this bulletin.
4. All entries for players and coaches must be entered on Sportdata before 6:00 pm Sunday, 2 March 2025.
5. This is necessary to enable the tournament organisers to plan more effectively and publish the final timetable before the event.
6. If there are insufficient entries in a particular division, then divisions may be combined or not held.
7. All entry fees must be paid as one club payment by 6:00 pm Sunday, 2 March 2025. Until entries with the correct fee have been received, the entries will stay on the waiting list.
   • Payment of Entry Fees should be by Internet banking to Karate Auckland
   • Internet Banking Westpac Account:  03 0123 0328727 00Add your club’s name with 'AklMar25' in the bank reference.
8. No late entries or changes to entries will be accepted after 6:00 pm Sunday, 2 March 2025.
    

DIVISIONS EXPLAINED

Coaches are responsible for the registration of students in the correct division. Competitors cannot enter more than one of the specified Development or Intermediate or Premier categories at the same Championships. However, athletes can enter different experience categories across Kata or Kumite disciples. For example, an athlete can enter intermediate Kata and Premier Kumite. 

DEVELOPMENT EVENT

• The development level is intended for beginner-level students with no or limited experience in tournaments.
• As a rule of thumb development is aimed at providing competition opportunities for students who are 10-7th kyu.
• We suggest that where a student has previously won Gold twice in a development category event, they are ready to step up to Intermediate level events.

INTERMEDIATE EVENT

• The development level is intended for more experienced students who are not ready yet for premier-level competition.  
• As a rule of thumb development is aimed at providing competition opportunities for students who are 6th to 1st kyu or for Dan grade students who have not competed under WKF rules before or on only a few occasions.
• Once you participate as an Intermediate competitor you cannot move back down to Development when you change age groups. 
• Again, we suggest that where a student has previously won Gold twice in an intermediate category, they are ready to step up to the premier-level event

PREMIER EVENTS

• Premier Events are essentially open events
• They are suitable for students with “many years’ experience of competing in tournaments” under WKF rules of competition or those who want to test themselves at the highest level of competition available on the day. 
• Competing at the premier level is also a requirement for KNZ team selection.
• Once you have competed at Premier level you cannot move back down to Development or Intermediate when you change age groups.

AGES FOR CATEGORIES FOR THIS TOURNAMENT

Premier, Intermediate, and Development – age as of 9 March 2025.

CLUB PAYMENT FOR ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING

A delegate from each club must complete all entries and payments. When paying entry fees by Internet banking, please ensure that you note that the payment is for AKL Champs. Payment is not permitted by individual competitors; clubs pay as a single combined payment. Refunds, if required, will be paid back to Clubs.

TOURNAMENT FEES

Individual Entry - fees for the KATA & KUMITE

Kata - 16 Years Old and older
Kumite - 18 Years Old and older

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE ENTERED ONLINE IN SPORTDATA VIA YOUR CLUB INSTRUCTOR OR DESIGNATED PERSON. Whoever registers the athletes for their club in Sportdata is responsible for informing players, coaches, instructors, parents, and supporters of the Terms and Conditions | Health and Safety | Code of Conduct as set out in the KNZ guidelines for the competition. 

• All entries, players, and coaches must be entered on Sportdata by 6:00 pm Sunday, 2 March 2025.  No late entries or changes to entries will be accepted by the Tournament Organising Committee. This is necessary to enable the tournament organisers to plan more effectively and publish the final timetable earlier. If there are insufficient entries in a particular division, then divisions may be combined or not held. 
• All entry fees are paid as one club payment by 6:00 pm Sunday, 2 March 2025. 
• PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING TO KARATE AUCKLAND
  • Internet Banking Westpac Account: 03 0123 0328727 00
  • Payment reference: Please add your club’s name with ‘AklMar25'

TOURNAMENT PROGRAMME

Please consult the draw and timetable on the Sportdata website for final times closer to the tournament time when competitor numbers are confirmed

Provisional:

Sunday 9 March 2025: Subject to change based on entries.
Beginning at 8:00 a.m. – Premier & Intermediate Grades (KATA, KUMITE, TEAM) 
Beginning at 12:00 p.m. – Development Grades (KATA, KUMITE, TEAM)

TOURNAMENT RULES

• During the bow in at the beginning of the tournament, all players must be in Gi or Club tracksuits and should present themselves correctly.
• Coaches must wear their club tracksuits.
• Coaches must be registered per club. WKF Rules will be applied for Premier Grades in this Tournament.
• All entries submitted and accepted are final. Ensure all entries are completed correctly as incorrect age or weight information may result in disqualification from the tournament.
• Coaches/Clubs, please ensure your player information is up to date in the Sportdata system; athletes get older and heavier/lighter and change grades. (The Sportdata system will only adjust age – not weight or grade).
• Only registered coaches will be allowed on the tatami at any time.
• Registered coaches should be able to administer First Aid and be aware of the signs of concussion https://www.accsportsmart.co.nz/concussion/.
• The Organising Committee reserves the right to withdraw, combine or change Event Categories if and when required up to 48 hours before the Competition Opening.
• All players must present themselves to the Registration Table and register before their competitions. (Kumite players will be weighed) - Registration times will be posted once the timetable is finalised.

TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS

KATA

• WKF 2024 rules will apply with the following modifications:

Individual Kata

• Premier competitors -
  • Any approved WKF Kata.
  • No Repeats as per WKF rules.
  • Electronically scored Kata events, as per the WKF rules and table below.
  • Please see the 2024 WKF rules for more details.
• Intermediate competitors –
  • Any Kata from the KNZ Intermediate and Development list.
  • Competitors can not repeat consecutively, i.e. A,B,A,B, ...
  • The WKF flag system will be used.
• Development competitors –
  • Any Kata from the KNZ Development list.
  • Competitors can repeat consecutively, i.e. A,A,A ...  
  • The WKF flag system will be used.

Team Kata

• Under 10 Years old:
  • WKF and the KNZ Kata can be repeated.
  • Bunkai is not required for medal rounds.
  • Ages: 5 - 9 Years Old, inclusive.
  • Can be mixed (Male/Female).
• Under 14 Years Old:
  • WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively
  • Bunkai is required for medal rounds.
  • Ages: 10 - 13 Years Old, inclusive
• Under 18 Years Old: (Junior and Cadet)
  • WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively.
  • Bunkai is required for medal rounds.
  • Ages: 14 - 17 Years Old, inclusive
• 16 Years plus:
  • WKF Kata in all rounds.
  • No repetition is permitted.
  • Bunkai is required for medal rounds.
  • Must be completed within 5 minutes, including Bunkai.
• There will be a limit of TWO teams per club/association that can be entered in each male and female category - players entered in the team/s must be registered and financial members of the club entering.

NB: Competitors must announce the name of the Kata they will be performing before they start performing the Kata. They must also bow inside the competition area before starting and bow after completing the Kata. The competitor will be disqualified for failing to do so.

KUMITE

• All Kumite divisions, depending on numbers, could be split into weight divisions, so please ensure your player's weight is correctly entered on Sportdata; otherwise, you may be disqualified from competing (non-WKF weight grades may differentiate weight grades).
• For ages 13 and under, techniques toward the JODAN area (Head, Face, Neck) can score, but NO contact is permitted. Any contact (unless by self-endangerment - Mubobi), including skin touch, will be penalised.
• WKF points, warning, and penalty systems will be used for all Kumite Events.
• For ages 14 and over, the WKF rules will apply

Kumite Bout Duration (all events - Stop Clock)

• 06 – 09 years old
  • Development/Intermediate - 1 minute 30 seconds
  • Premier - 2:0 minutes
• 10 – 13 years old
  • Development/Intermediate - 1 minute 30 seconds
  • Premier - 2:0 minutes
• 14 – 17 years old
  • Development/Intermediate - 1 minute 30 seconds
  • Premier - 2:0 minutes
• 18 years and older (U’21 and Senior)
  • Development/Intermediate - 1 minute 30 seconds
  • Premier - 3:0 minutes
• Veteran (35 years and older)
  • Development/Intermediate - 1 minute 30 seconds
  • Premier - 2:0 minutes

NB: Depending on the event numbers, the organising committee may vary the match duration.

Kumite Teams

Clubs have first call on competitors however to maximise participation, All teams are to be named in the entry with two or three players. There is a limit of TWO  teams per club. The age is as of Sunday 03 March 2024.

• 6-9 Years: One player aged 6-7, another aged 7-8 years, and another 8-9 years; a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.
• 10-13 Years: One player aged 10-11, another aged 11-12 years, and another 12-13 years; a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.
• 14-17 Years: One player aged 14-15, another aged 15-16 years, and another 16-17 years]; a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.
• Female 18 years and older: A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.
• Male 18 years and older: A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.
• All teams must complete the "Kumite Teams form" (attached under the downloads section) and hand over the duly completed forms to tournament officials on or before 09:00 a.m. on the tournament day.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

All competitors (Kumite and Kata) must wear a clean white Gi in good condition. 

• Competitors who are Premier competitors must follow the WKF rules, i.e. white karate gi without stripes, piping, or personal embroidery. 
• ALL PREMIER KUMITE COMPETITORS MUST WEAR Mouthguards, Body protectors (protection), Red and Blue belts, and Red and Blue hand mitts (matching the belt they are competing in). Foot protectors must match the belt colour. 
• Equipment should be KNZ, Oceania, or WKF approved. The referees will confirm final approval.
• Kumite competitors may wear their own groin protectors (WKF type) 
• Female Kumite 11-year-olds & above – recommended to wear approved chest protectors (breast protector) underneath the body protector. 
• Head protectors are compulsory for children under 13 yrs – this can be a WKF face mask or other padded protection as deemed acceptable by the tournament organising committee.

KATA & KUMITE EVENT MANAGEMENT

• Kumite and Flagged Kata events:
  • The final decision for events will be made after the numbers competing are confirmed.

Coaches

As per WKF rules, Coaches must follow the code of behaviour and the dress code, namely club or national tracksuit. Only one coach can be on the mat at a time, only official coaches on the mat and in the warm-up area. 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• As part of Health and Safety, we need to ensure that player weights for Kumite are correct, to avoid injuries. Therefore, check that player weights for Kumite are accurate on Club information in Sportdata. An incorrect weight category entered could result in disqualification from that event.
  In the event of an emergency, we will follow the lead from the event centre staff who will confirm the venue’s procedures for these situations Stay calm and listen to the microphone announcements.

REFUND POLICY

Please Note: It is the player’s responsibility to listen for events being called and to report to the Mat Marshall on time. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

TOURNAMENT ORGANISING COMMITTEE

If any information in this bulletin is updated before the event, clubs will be advised by email and via the Karate Auckland FaceBook page. If you have any queries. Please feel free to contact Karate Auckland via admin@karateauckland.org.nz 

DISPUTES

A Tournament Disputes sub-committee will be established to consider and resolve any disputes during and after the tournament.