AUCKLAND CLASSIC TOURNAMENT 2022

We have the honour of inviting you to the Auckland Classic for 2022. This competition is Karate Auckland's first Regional Karate event for 2022. Participation in this event is open to the  Karate New Zealand Registered Karate Clubs.

The competition is for Premier, Intermediate and Development competitors aged five years and older for Kata and six years and older for Kumite.

Date:    Sunday 15th May 2022   

Venue:  Pulman Arena - 90 Walters Road, Takanini, Auckland 2112      

This event will only go ahead if New Zealand is at a safe Covid-19 Alert Level - we await further information from SportNZ around guidelines for hosting a sports event.  This is a non-medal tournament - no medals will be presented for top three placings.

We look forward to seeing you there!

NB: Since these competitions are voluntary programs, if the same group of people volunteer each time, it will not increase our motivation. Therefore, we need to be supported by the affiliated clubs in Auckland according to the number of entries.

When entering data on the sports data system, Clubs need to enter the details of one official (Referee, Marshall or Table Staff ) for every ten students. 

DIVISIONS EXPLAINED 

Coaches are responsible for the registration of students in the correct division. You cannot cross-participate the students between the divisions. ( Development in intermediate or premier) 

Each club can only present TWO teams (exclusive MALE & FEMALE - except for U10 Team Kata which can be MIXED) in one category. Weight categories will vary depending on the number of applications.

DEVELOPMENT  EVENTS:

• Suitable for 10th Kyu to 7th Kyu -
• Beginner level "No experience in tournaments" 
• We suggest that once they win Gold twice in a category, they have to move up to the Intermediate division.

INTERMEDIATE EVENTS:

• Suitable for 6th Kyu to 4th Kyu
• Suitable for "More experienced in tournaments but not at the premiere level yet" 
• Once you become an Intermediate competitor, you can not move back down to Development when you change age groups.
• We suggest that they have to move up the Premier division once they win Gold twice in a category.

PREMIER EVENTS:

• Open event
• Suitable for those with "many years of experience of competing in tournaments"
• Available for NZ team selection
• Once you become a Premier competitor, you can not move back down to Development or Intermediate when you change age groups.

AGES FOR CATEGORIES FOR THIS TOURNAMENT: 

Premier, Intermediate and Development – age on 15th May 2022.

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 note that the payment is for AKL CLASSIC. 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 first individual event as below; plus $5 per additional individual event)

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 written in the disclaimer - seen later in this bulletin.

• All entries, players and coaches, must be entered on Sportdata by 6:00 pm MONDAY 25th APRIL 2022. NO LATE ENTRIES OR CHANGES TO ENTRIES WILL 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 are paid as one club payment by 6:00 pm WEDNESDAY 11th MAY 2022 – 4 days before the competition. PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING TO KARATE AUCKLAND [Internet Banking Westpac Account:  03 0123 0328727 00 - add your club name with 'AKL CLS-22' in the bank reference.

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.  The programme is subject to change as the programme will be based on entries.

Sunday 15th May: (Provisional) 

Beginning at 8:00 am – Premier & Intermediate Grades  ( KATA, KUMITE, TEAM )                     

Beginning at 12:00 pm – Development Grades ( KATA, KUMITE, TEAM )

TOURNAMENT RULES:  

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

• Coaches must wear their club tracksuits.

• A maximum of six coaches can be registered per club. WKF Rules will be applied for Premier Grades in this Tournament.

• All entries 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 practice 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 2020 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 2020 WKF rules for more detail.

• Intermediate competitors – any Kata from the Intermediate and Development KNZ 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 Development KNZ list. Competitors can repeat consecutively, i.e. A,A,A ...  The WKF flag system will be used.

Link to Kata Lists: https://ucarecdn.com/8000ce38-7119-4f4d-a2c2-f2f301f750dd/

Team Kata:

• 5 – 9 Years Old: WKF and the KNZ Kata can be repeated; Bunkai not required for medal rounds; Ages: 5 - 9 Years Old, inclusive. Teams can be mixed (Male / Female).

• 10 – 13 Years Old: WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively; Bunkai required for medal rounds; Ages: 10 - 13 Years Old, inclusive. NB: age band differs from previous NZ tournaments.

• 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: age band differs from previous NZ tournaments.

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

• Must be completed within 5 minutes, including Bunkai.

• There will be a limit of TWO teams per club 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, 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

Running clock for Round robin unless stopped for an injury.

• 6 – 13 years old - 2.0 minutes

• 14 – 17 years old - 2.0 minutes

• 18 years and older (U'21 and Senior) - 3.0 minutes

• Veteran (35 years and older) - 2.5 minutes

NB: According to the event numbers, the Organising Committee can decide the 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 number of competitors in each team is for our KNZ competition (not necessarily WKF numbers). Age is on Sunday 15th May.

• 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 Kumite teams are to be confirmed by name, in writing, before 8:00 am  Sunday 15th May and given to the Tournament Organising Committee - a form will be made available on the 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.

• 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 may not match the belt colour.

• All Equipment should be KNZ, Oceania, or WKF approved. The referees will give final approval.

• Kumite competitors may wear their groin protectors (WKF type)

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

• Head protection is strongly suggested (not compulsory); a WKF face mask or other padded protection is 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 number competing is confirmed. The Auckland Classic is a round-robin tournament to give more mat time for players, each division will be split into multiple pools - pool sizes subject to change based on entrees. The pools are round-robin matches.  

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Please ensure to sign in using the Covid Tracer App when arriving at the venue. If you cannot use this app, please sign in with the hard copy paper forms provided inside the foyer at the venue.

Absolutely no eating of food inside the gymnasium by players or spectators.

A reminder to the players, coaches, supporters, the public, and event workers, if you are unwell, DO NOT ATTEND.

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 - no refund!

REFUND POLICY:

A full refund of the Entry Fee can only be made if a competitor withdraws before Monday 9th May 2022, as the draws will be finalised the next day. Refunds after this date will only be provided if a Medical Certificate is sent to the Organising Committee. If your event has been cancelled due to a lack of numbers and you are not reallocated to another event, you will then be entitled to a refund for that portion of your entry fee.

PLEASE NOTE: The player's responsibility is to listen for events being called and report to the Mat Marshall on time. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. 

TOURNAMENT ORGANISING COMMITTEE:

Information may be updated in preparation. However, this document will be dated to show current information. Any queries, don't hesitate to contact the secretary Karate Auckland.

DISPUTES:

A Tournament Disputes sub-committee will be organised to cater for any disputes during and after the tournament,  Any dispute after the event must submit the dispute/ concern in an email to KARATENZ.AUCKLAND@GMAIL.COM and this will be dealt with in a timely manner.