NEW ZEALAND OPEN 2025 AND NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL SCHOOLS KARATE COMPETITIONS 2025

We are pleased to invite you to the 2025 New Zealand Open and the 2025 NZ National Schools Karate Competitions in Christchurch. 

This NZ Open event is open to New Zealand Karate-ka and competitors aged 5 years to veterans from other countries. Only athletes attending school or home-schooled in New Zealand can enter the National Schools' Karate competitions.

Dates:         Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June 2025

Venue:        To Be Confirmed, Christchurch 8024

We look forward to seeing you there!

PLEASE NOTE: There is no KNZ National Training Camp following these competitions.

TOURNAMENT PROGRAMME:

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

Weigh-In Times: TBC

Provisional Competition Times:

Saturday 28th June:        Starting 9:00 am

Sunday 29th June:           Starting 9:00 am

PAYMENT FOR ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING

Karate clubs or countries must seek entry permission for their competitors. Entry permission is required at the club or country level, not at the individual athlete level. A delegate from each club must complete all entries and payments. When paying entry fees by Internet banking, please note that the payment is for the NZ Open. 

Individual competitors do not permit payment; countries and clubs pay as a single combined payment. If required, refunds will be paid back to Countries or Clubs.

Clubs must register before Saturday, 7th June, to complete their entries.

TOURNAMENT FEES:

NZ Open - Individual Entry     (Fees for the first individual event as below; plus $10 per additional individual event):

Please note: If an athlete enters the NZ Open and also wishes to compete in a School event, the cost for the School event is significantly reduced. It will be calculated as an additional individual event at $10 per extra event. The same applies if an athlete enters a school event first and then registers for an NZ Open event. Sportdata will automatically calculate the total cost per athlete under a club's combined entry.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE ENTERED ONLINE IN SPORTDATA VIA YOUR COUNTRY OR 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 written in the disclaimer - this can be seen in the DISCLAIMER. Each club is responsible for making its athletes aware of the contents of the DISCLAIMER.

• All entries, players and coaches must be entered on Sportdata by 6:00 pm SATURDAY 7th JUNE 2025—NO LATE REGISTRATION OF CLUB ENTRY AFTER THIS DATE. LATE OR CHANGES TO ENTRIES DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED by the Tournament Organising Committee.  This will 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 must be paid as one club payment by 6:00 pm Monday, June 16th, 2025. PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING TO CWKA [Internet Banking Westpac Account: 03 1597 0049767 00]—add your country/ club name with 'NZOPEN-25' in the bank reference.

• International payment details... 
  Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation NZ
  SWIFT/BIC code: WPACNZ2W
  Branch: The Palms
  Account Holder Name: Canterbury/Westland Karate Assn Inc
  Account number: 03 1597 0049767 00
  Street address 1: 20-22 Marshland Road
  Street address 2: Shirley
  City: Christchurch
  Post Code: 8061
  Country: New Zealand

Please note:

• All teams and clubs must register in Sportdata to enter players, coaches, referees and officials.

• Athletes and spectators may be photographed or filmed for live web streaming and used on a highlights package (with international viewing options). So anyone attending the venue on Saturday and Sunday may be filmed. By attending, you give consent to potentially being filmed or interviewed.

• Kata and Kumite teams for U10, U14, cadets, juniors and seniors must be entered by their dojo/country.

• For the National School events, this is open only to students enrolled at New Zealand schools or home schooled. A form will be available in the downloads and must be filled out by each competitor and sent to kcrawford@karatenz.or.nz before Wednesday, June 18th. If the Form has not been handed in or completed correctly, that (those) athlete(s) will remain on the WAITING LIST, and entry may be declined. A sibling at the same school and attends the same club/dojo can share the same form. The entry stays on the waiting list if the form is not received in time. The form is the NZ National Schools' Karate Competitions Roster. The form must be filled out by the school where the student is enrolled and the Karate Club attended by that competitor. The age eligibility for the NZ National Schools events is based on the competitor's age as of January 1, 2025. 

• During the bow at the beginning of the tournament, all players must be in Gi or Country/ Club tracksuits and present themselves correctly. 

• Coaches must wear their country/ club tracksuits.

• Coaches will need current photo identification on Sportdata (similar to passport requirement) as photo ID will be on the above certification.

• No unauthorised persons will be allowed on the tatami at any time.

• Registered coaches should be able to practice First Aid and be aware of the signs of concussion  https://www.accsportsmart.co.nz/concussion/. All coaches must have successfully passed the 2024/2025 NZ Online Coaches Level 1 Examination. Link.

• 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; this includes Team Kata events.

• 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.

• WKF rules will apply to this Open Grade tournament; however, the Organising Committee may introduce modifications to align with a New Zealand perspective.

• All entries are final. Ensure all entries are completed correctly, as incorrect age or weight information may result in disqualification from the tournament.

• Coaches/Countries/Clubs, please update your player and coach information in the Sportdata system; athletes get older, heavier/lighter and change grades. (The Sportdata system will only adjust age – not weight or grade).

• Clarification: For the National Secondary School age-grade competition, Under 14 (U14), the competitors must be in Year 9 at least.

• To clarify, if competitors from the Cadet, Junior, U21, and Senior categories—Male and Female—enter the Kumite Open, they will initially compete within their respective weight divisions. Following this, the Male and Female entries will be placed into a separate combined Open event for the Cadet, Junior, and Senior categories, where all weight classes are combined. If a competitor wishes to opt out of this combined event, arrangements can be made closer to the NZ Open.

TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS:

KATA:

WKF Kata 2024 rules will apply with the following modifications:

Individual Kata:

• For Cadet age and older competitors, any approved WKF Kata is needed. 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.

• For 10 to 13-year-old competitors, any approved WKF Kata is required. ABAB - may repeat but not in consecutive rounds.

•  Electronically scored Kata events, as per the WKF rules and table below. Please see the 2024 WKF rules for more details.

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

NZ National Schools' Kata competitions - these are individual events:

• For Years 1 to 4, KNZ Development Kata. Minimum AAA - may repeat.

• For Years 5 to 8 categories, any approved WKF Kata. ABAB - may repeat but not in consecutive rounds.

• For U14 and U16 categories, any approved WKF Kata. ABAB - may repeat but not in consecutive rounds.

• For U18 categories, any approved WKF Kata. No Repeats.

• Competitors will compete two at a time, including the medal matches, on the tatami for all age categories, and flags will be used to judge.

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 after completing the Kata. The competitor will be disqualified for failing to do so.

Team Kata:

• 5 – 9 Years Old: WKF Kata can be repeated; no bunkai is required. Teams in this division can be mixed.

• 10 – 13 Years Old: WKF Kata can be repeated; no bunkai is required.

• 14 – 17 Years Old: (Junior and Cadet) WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively; Bunkai required for medal rounds; Ages: 14 - 17 Years Old, inclusive. NB: The age band differs from previous NZ tournaments.

• 16 Years of age and older: WKF Kata is in all rounds; no repetition is permitted. Bunkai is required for medal rounds; Ages 16 - 99 Years Old, inclusive.

• Must be completed within 5 minutes, including Bunkai.

• Age grades may be combined depending on the number of entries. The Organising Committee reserve the right to combine grades; this may also include male and female grades.

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 after completing the Kata. The competitor will be disqualified for failing to do so.

KUMITE:

• Depending on numbers in the NZ Open, all Kumite divisions could be split into weight categories, 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 the NZ National Schools competitions, all Kumite divisions from Years 1 to 8 could be split into weight categories, so please ensure your player's weight is correctly entered on Sportdata. For Years 9 to 13, the events will be open weights (one weight division per age category and gender (male and female) category.

• 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 for Male and Female:

• 6 – 9 years old - 1.5 minutes

• 10 – 17 years old - 2.0 minutes (as per WKF rules)

• 18 years and older (U’21 and Senior) - 3.0 minutes (as per WKF Rules)

• Veteran & Super Veteran divisions (35 YO and above) - 2.0 minutes

• For NZ National Schools events: Year 1 - Year 4 Running Stop Clock of 2 minutes; Year 5 - Year 8 Running Stop Clock of 2.5 minutes; Year 9 - Year 13 Running Stop Clock of 3 minutes.

Kumite Teams:

Clubs have the first call on their competitors; however, players within regions can form a regional team to maximise participation. Each team must be named in the entry and consist of two or three players. There is a limit of one team per club, region, or country for separate male and female divisions. The number of competitors in each team is specific to our KNZ competition and does not necessarily follow WKF standards.

• 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.

• 18 years and older: a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 players in each team.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

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

• As competitors, players must follow the WKF rules, i.e., wear a white karate gi without stripes, piping, or personal embroidery.

• ALL KUMITE COMPETITORS MUST WEAR Mouthguards, Body protectors (protection), Red and Blue belts, and Red and Blue hand mitts (matching their competing belts). Foot protectors must match the belt colour. 

• All equipment must be approved KNZ, Oceania, or WKF equipment and accepted by the NZ Referees.

• Kumite competitors must wear their own groin protectors (KNZ-approved or WKF type)


• Female Kumite 11-year-olds & above – advised to wear an approved chest protector (breast protector) underneath the body protector.

• Article 2 of the WKF Kumite Rules clearly states that for competitors under 14 years of age, using a WKF-approved Helmet and External Chest Protector is compulsory;.a WKF face mask or other KNZ padded protection is deemed acceptable by the Tournament Organising Committee.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: 

This is to remind the competitors, coaches, supporters, the public, and event workers that if you are unwell, DO NOT ATTEND.

As part of Health and Safety, we need to be sure that player weights for Kumite are correct. Therefore, check that player weights for Kumite are accurate on Club information in Sportdata.

Incorrect weight category entered could result in disqualification from that particular event - no refund!