NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

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NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS’ KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

We have the honour of inviting you to the NZ National Karate Championships for 2023. This event for this year takes on a slightly different format. We will run Open events in each division, allowing development and intermediate players to compete against premier players. The New Zealand Nationals is the pinnacle event for New Zealand Karate practitioners to test their skills against the best in New Zealand. We look forward to seeing you there!

The 2023 New Zealand National Championships is for ten-year-olds and older competitors. The divisions are based on the age of the competitor on 16th September. All entries for athletes must be by their club official.

The 2023 New Zealand National Secondary Schools’ Karate Championships is for competitors who attend a composite, secondary or area school in New Zealand and are in Year 9 or higher. The divisions are U14, U16 and U19, based on their age on 1st January 2023.  All entries for athletes must be by their club official. Please note in the categories the U19 grade is labelled as a Championship event while the U14 and U16 are labelled as Cup categories. These are done to fit the School Sport NZ criteria for Secondary School competitions.

Please Note: These two events will only go ahead if New Zealand if we have sufficient entries.

TOURNAMENT FEES: (one individual event plus $10 for each additional individual event)

ATHLETE AND TEAM ENTRIES INCLUDING PAYMENT OF ENTRIES:

A delegate from each club must complete all entries and payments under the club name. When paying entry fees by Internet banking, please note that the payment for both these competitions is one club payment.

• All entries should be received by 6:00 pm SATURDAY 26th AUGUST 2023 – three weeks before the competitions to allow for the generation of the draws.

• A late fee will be applied if entries are received after the above date.

• All entry fees must be received by 6:00 pm FRIDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2023 – eight days before the competitions. Players will remain on the waiting list until club payments are made.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BE COMPLETED ONLINE THROUGH SPORTDATA. SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE FACILITATED BY YOUR CLUB INSTRUCTOR OR THE ASSIGNED INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTING YOUR CLUB. THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT EXCLUSIVELY UNDER THE CLUB'S DESIGNATED NAME. Whoever registers the club/ association for these events 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.

All entries, players and coaches, must be entered on Sportdata - two weeks before the competitions. Photos (passport-like, with the photo of the face/ head, not the body nor a logo) of the players, coaches, and referees are required in Sportdata for entry. Photos must easily identify those entered, which may mean updating if outdated.

• All players’ weights must be entered correctly on Sportdata. If a player is incorrectly weight recorded on Sportdata, the worst-case scenario is that the player is ejected from the tournament with no refund. 

• All entry fees must be paid as one club/ association payment by 6:00 pm FRIDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2023 – 8 days before the competition. PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEES BY INTERNET BANKING TO KARATE NEW ZEALAND [Internet Banking Westpac Account:  03 0180 0177734 00] - add your club/ association name with 'NATS-23' in the bank reference.

• NO LATE ENTRIES OR CHANGES TO ENTRIES SHOULD BE ACCEPTED by the Organising Committee. If the Organising Committee was to open Sportdata for any reason, then a club koha would be expected.  This early entry deadline 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.

Please Note:

• No individual player can enter themself. This allows for players from the same club, when possible, to be separated in the draws.

• Competitors can only compete for their club as a financial member or for its region.

• Seedings in the draws for this tournament will be based on last year’s 2022 NZ National Championships.

PLEASE NOTE:  Athletes and spectators may be photographed and filmed for SKY TV live and/or web streaming and may be used on a highlights package (with options for international viewing). So anyone attending the venue on Saturday and Sunday may be photographed or filmed. By attending, you consent to be filmed, photographed or interviewed.

TENTATIVE TOURNAMENT PROGRAMME:

Saturday 16th September - NZ National Karate Championships - Begins at 10:30 am.

Sunday 17th September - NZ National Secondary Schools’ Karate Championships - Begins at 8:30 am. Events scheduled for the previous day may have to be run on Sunday due to the number of entries.

Registration at 9:30 am and 12:30 pm on Saturday; (to be confirmed once draws are completed).

COMPETITION RULES: 

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

• Coaches wear their club tracksuits. A maximum of five coaches can be registered per club (and per region). Unregistered coaches may be ejected from the coaching chairs.

• WKF Rules will be applied in the 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 update your player information in the Sportdata system; athletes get older, heavier/lighter and change grades. (The Sportdata system will only adjust age – not weight or grade).

• All Coaches MUST be registered on Sportdata; a maximum of five coaches per club can be registered. No unauthorised persons will be allowed on the tatami at any time. The coach's photo must be of the shoulders and above, without hoodies covering their head.

• All Referees MUST be registered on Sportdata. The referee's photo must be of the shoulders and above.

• 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 competition (Kumite players will be weighed) - Registration times will be posted once the timetable is finalised. For this competition, an ATHLETE REGISTRATION FORM (found in the downloads) must be downloaded by each participant, filled in and signed off. Athletes under 16 must have their registration form signed by their parent/ caregiver. No form, no competition.

REQUIREMENTS:

KATA: WKF 2023 rules will apply with the following modifications: 

INDIVIDUAL KATA:

• 2023 National Karate Championships (14 Years and older) - any approved WKF Kata. No Repeats as per WKF rules.

• 2023 National Karate Championships (Under 14 Years) - any approved WKF Kata. As an Open event, competitors can not repeat consecutively; therefore can be A,B,A,B, … including for the medal round.

• 2023 National Secondary Schools' Karate Championships - any approved WKF Kata. As an Open event, competitors can not repeat consecutively; therefore can be A,B,A,B, … including for the medal round.

• For Electronically scored Kata events at the National Championships, there will be elimination rounds where only the top two, four, or eight competitors (depending on the competitor numbers) go into the next round. This is until the final round, where the top 3 from the previous two groups go into the final to give one first, one second, and 2-third places. Please see the 2023 WKF rules for more detail.

• The judging of the Kata competition in the National Championship for competitors 13 years and under may follow the old WKF flag system. The electronic WKF Kata judging system will be used in the National Championships competition for cadet age and older.

• We may use a flag system if an issue arises with the Kata scoring technology.

• For the NZ National Secondary Schools' Championships, in the Kata event, flags will be used. Competitors will compete two at a time, except for the final when competitors go one at a time.

WKF Kata System (as of 1.1.2023) - the Number of Groups Kata Required

TEAM KATA:

Teams for Kata must either be all-male or all-female; no mixed teams are allowed.. We want to promote Team Kata as another avenue to represent NZ. Kata teams entered must be able to perform bunkai. We reserve the right to run Team Kata where each team perform the Kata as a single round with all teams performing bunkai to determine medal places.

For 10 to 13-year-olds, we will also have a mixed division for all male and female teams in these age groups with a maximum of two teams per club. WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively; Bunkai required for medal rounds; Ages: 10 - 13 Years Old, inclusive. 

For 14 year and older teams, we will run a mixed grade for all male and female teams in these age groups, with a maximum of two teams per club.

• 14 - 17 years WKF Kata can be repeated, but not consecutively; Bunkai required for medal rounds; Ages: 14 - 17 Years Old, inclusive.

• 16 years + 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

• A maximum of two teams per club 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 head can score, but NO contact to the head will be allowed. Any contact (unless by self-endangerment—Mubobi), including skin touch, will be penalised (i.e. Head, Face, Neck - Jodan area). 

• 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 - NZ National Karate Championships for Males and Females:

• 10 – 13 years old - 1.5 minutes

• 14 – 17 years old - 2.0 minutes (as per WKF rules)

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

• Veteran (35 years and older) divisions - 2.0 minutes

KUMITE BOUT DURATION - NZ National Secondary Schools’ Karate Championships for Male and Female:

• For all grades, it will be a running stop clock for 180 seconds (3 minutes) for each bout; unless stopped by the referee for an injury.

TEAMS FOR KUMITE:

• These teams may be either club based or regionally selected, i.e. Auckland Northland, Central North Island, Lower North Island, Canterbury Westland, and Otago Southland. Clubs have the first call on players. Players can not be selected for clubs and regions (it must be one or the other).

• Senior Teams: (18 years and older) - 1 male team & 1 female team per club or region.

• Cadet/ Junior Teams: (1 x 14-15 years old, 1 x 15-16 years old and 1 x 16-17 years old) - 2 male teams & 2 female teams per club or region.

• 10-13 Teams: (1 x 10-11 years old, 1 x 11-12 years old and 1 x 12-13 years old) - 2 male teams & 2 female teams per club or region.

• The region, not a club, must enter Regional Kumite teams. Registered and financial members of a club in a region can participate in that regional team.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

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

• As competitors, players must follow the WKF rules, i.e. 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 KNZ, Oceania, or WKF approved.

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


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

• Head protection is suggested (not compulsory for 2023); a WKF face mask or other padded protection is deemed acceptable by the Tournament Organising Committee.

EVENT MANAGEMENT:

Kumite events: 

• With categories with only 3 competitors, a ROUND ROBIN DRAW will be made if time allows.

• With categories with 4-8 competitors, there will be a repechage for a single third place.

• With categories with 9 or more competitors, there will be a repechage for two third-places.

PROTESTS/ APPEALS:

To uphold the integrity of the decision-making process for an appeal, it is mandated that club protests must exclusively be presented by the club's senior coach, who is duly listed in Sportdata for the specific event in question. This authoritative requirement ensures a standardised approach and reinforces the credibility of the protest procedure.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Please be aware we must follow the guidelines that SPORT NEW ZEALAND sets. 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 be sure that player weights for Kumite are correct. Therefore, check that player weights for Kumite are accurate on Club/ Association information in Sportdata. If an athlete is entered in an incorrect weight category, this could result in disqualification from that particular event - no refund!

REFUND POLICY:

A full refund of the Entry Fee can only be given if a competitor withdraws before 5:00 pm Monday 11th September 2023. Refunds after this date will only be provided if a Medical Certificate is sent to the Organising Committee before Saturday 16th September. If your event has been cancelled due to a lack of numbers and you have yet to be reallocated to another event, you will be entitled to a refund for that portion of your entry fee.

PLEASE NOTE: The player’s responsible for listening to the events being called and reporting to the Marshall on time. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. 

DISPUTES:

A Tournament Disputes sub-committee will be organised to cater for any disputes during and after the tournament, This sub-committee will consist of one member from each of the Referee and Coaching Councils and the Executive Board. Any dispute or concern after the event must submit the dispute/ concern in an email to admin@karatenz.org.nz, and this will be dealt with in a timely manner.

TOURNAMENT ORGANISING COMMITTEE:

For general inquiries, please email kcrawford@karatenz.org.nz

Otherwise email C/- secretary.coachingcouncil@karatenz.org.nz