Karate World Championships

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Karate World Championships
Competition details
DisciplineKarate
TypeKumite and Kata, biennial
OrganiserWorld Karate Federation (WKF)
Divisions
Current weight divisionsMale -60Kg,-67Kg, -75Kg, -84Kg and +84Kg. Female -50Kg, -55Kg, -61Kg, -68Kg and +68Kg.
History
First edition1970 in Tokyo, Japan
Editions25 (2021)
Final edition2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Most wins Japan (188 medals)

The Karate World Championships, also known as the World Karate Championships, are the highest level of competition for karate organized by the World Karate Federation (WKF).[1][2][3][4][5] The competition is held in a different city every two years.[6] Championships in the 2000s included Madrid in 2002, Monterrey in 2004, Tampere in 2006, Tokyo in 2008, and Belgrade in 2010.[7][8] The competition was initially riddled with controversy regarding karate styles and the ruleset.[2][9][10][11][12]

In 1980, women were first allowed to compete in the championships.[9]

Competition and events[edit]

Kumite[edit]

  • Individual kumite – men and women
  • Team kumite – men and women

Kumite Rules[edit]

The result of a bout is determined by a contestant obtaining a clear lead of eight points, having the highest number of points at time-up, obtaining a decision (hantei ), or by an accumulation of prohibited behaviors imposed against a contestant.

Scoring & Penalties[edit]

  • Ippon (three points)
    • Jodan (head, face, neck) kicks
    • Any scoring technique delivered on a thrown or fallen opponent
  • Waza-ari (two points)
    • Chudan (abdomen, chest, back, side) kicks
  • Yuko (one point)
    • Tsuki (punch)
    • Uchi (strike)
  • Prohibited behavior
    • Category 1
      • Techniques which make excessive contact, in regards to the scoring area attacked, or make contact with the throat
      • Attacks to the arms or legs, groin, joints, or instep
      • Attacks to the face with open hand techniques
      • Dangerous or forbidden throwing techniques
    • Category 2
      • Feigning or exaggerating injury
      • Exit from the competition area (jogai ) not caused by the opponent
      • Self-endangerment by indulging in behavior which exposes the contestant to injury by the opponent, or failing to take adequate measures for self-protection (mubobi )
      • Avoiding combat as a means of preventing the opponent having the opportunity to score
      • Passivity – not attempting to engage in combat (cannot be given after less than the last 10 seconds of the match)
      • Clinching, wrestling, pushing, or standing chest-to-chest without attempting a scoring technique or takedown
      • Grabbing the opponent with both hands for any other reason than executing a takedown upon catching the opponent's kicking leg
      • Grabbing the opponent's arm or karategi (uniform) with one hand without immediately attempting a scoring technique or takedown
      • Techniques which, by their nature, cannot be controlled for the safety of the opponent, and other dangerous and uncontrolled attacks
      • Simulated attacks with the head, knees, or elbows
      • Talking to or goading the opponent
      • Failing to obey the orders of the referee
  • Warnings and penalties
    • Chukoku is imposed for the first instance of a minor infraction in the applicable category.
    • Keikoku is imposed for the second instance of a minor infraction in that category, or for infractions not serious enough to merit hansoku-chui.
    • Hansoku-chui is a warning of disqualification usually imposed for infractions for which a keikoku has previously been given in that bout; it may be imposed directly for serious infringements which do not merit hansoku.
    • Hansoku is the penalty of disqualification following a very serious infraction or when a hansoku-chui has already been given. In team matches, the offender's score will be zeroed and the opponent's score will be set at eight points.
    • Shikkaku is a penalty of disqualification in which the offender is expelled from the entire tournament. Generally, it is given for particularly severe infringements, beyond that which would normally result in hansoku being given. In a team match, the offender’s score is set to zero, and the non-offender’s score is set to eight points, as with a normal hansoku.

Kata[edit]

  • Individual kata – men and women
  • Team kata (synchronized) – men and women
  • Team kata with bunkai

Rules[edit]

[13]

1. Conformity - with standards in form and style (Ryu-ha)

2. Technical performance:

  • Techniques
  • Stances
  • Transitional movements
  • Timing/Synchronisation
  • Correct breathing
  • Focus (Kime)
  • Technical difficulty

3. Athletic performance:

  • Strength
  • Speed
  • Balance
  • Rhythm

4. Fouls:

  • Minor loss of balance
  • Performing a movement in an incorrect or incomplete manner
  • Asynchronous movement
  • Use of audible cues
  • Belt coming loose
  • Time wasting
  • Cause injury in the execution of Bunkai

List of Karate World Championships[edit]

Edition Year Host City Country Events
1 1970 Tokyo  Japan 2
2 1972 Paris  France 2
3 1975 Long Beach  United States 2
4 1977 Tokyo  Japan 2
5 1980 Madrid  Spain 10
6 1982 Taipei  Taiwan 13
7 1984 Maastricht  Netherlands 13
8 1986 Sydney  Australia 15
9 1988 Cairo  Egypt 16
10 1990 Mexico City  Mexico 16
11 1992 Granada  Spain 16
12 1994 Kota Kinabalu  Malaysia 16
13 1996 Sun City  South Africa 17
14 1998 Rio de Janeiro  Brazil 17
15 2000 Munich  Germany 17
16 2002 Madrid  Spain 17
17 2004 Monterrey  Mexico 17
18 2006 Tampere  Finland 17
19 2008 Tokyo  Japan 17
20 2010 Belgrade  Serbia 16
21 2012 Paris  France 16
22 2014 Bremen  Germany 16
23 2016 Linz  Austria 16
24 2018 Madrid  Spain 16
25 2021 Dubai  United Arab Emirates 16
26 2023 Budapest  Hungary 16
27 2025 Cairo  Egypt 16

All-time medal table[edit]

The following reflects the all-time medal counts as of the 2021 World Karate Championships:

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Japan985460212
2 France574771175
3 Great Britain29222576
4 Spain253369127
5 Italy213966126
6 Turkey12103658
7 Egypt10122951
8 Netherlands10112041
9 Iran1092443
10 Azerbaijan105823
11 Germany8143254
12 United States6132039
13 Brazil65718
14 Serbia63615
15 Venezuela431017
16 Finland43815
17 Croatia341320
18 Russia34916
19 Sweden34613
20 Greece34310
21 Australia331016
22 Georgia3014
23 Mexico2349
24 Austria22711
25 Serbia and Montenegro2068
26 Norway15410
27 Chinese Taipei13711
28 Vietnam1304
29 Chile1214
 China1214
31 Slovakia11810
32 Switzerland1168
33 Netherlands Antilles1135
34 Senegal1102
35 Benin1012
36 Estonia1001
 Poland1001
 South Africa1001
 Uzbekistan1001
40 Hungary0437
41 Ukraine03710
42 Canada0358
43 Bosnia and Herzegovina0347
44 Yugoslavia0224
45 North Macedonia0213
 Tunisia0213
47 Kazakhstan011011
48 Peru01910
49 Belgium0145
 Denmark0145
 Morocco0145
52 Malaysia0123
53 Czech Republic0112
 Guatemala0112
 Luxembourg0112
56 Czechoslovakia0101
 Paraguay0101
58 Bulgaria0033
 Hong Kong0033
60 Algeria0022
 Colombia0022
RKF0022
 Romania0022
64 Argentina0011
 Dominican Republic0011
IOA0011
 Indonesia0011
 Kosovo0011
 Latvia0011
 Montenegro0011
 Philippines0011
 Singapore0011
 Slovenia0011
Totals (73 entries)3543566641374

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Coleman, Jim (September 1992). "Questions and Answers with Wuko's Head Man". Black Belt Magazine. 30 (9). Active Interest Media: 30–33. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Black Belt". Active Interest Media. February 1974. p. 34. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via Internet Archive. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  3. ^ Malaysia welcome extra category. Thestar.com.my (2008-11-19). Retrieved on 2011-05-14, Archived from the original on October 18, 2012 on the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Sports: Three fighters, one heart. Mike Camunas, March 7, 2008, Sptimes.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-14, Archived from the original on March 4, 2016 on the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Mmegi Online :: Karate team leaves for WFK Championships. Mmegi.bw (2010-10-22). Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
  6. ^ Olympic Bid Sports Capsules – Olympics – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2009-06-14). Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
  7. ^ Vacoe, Fred (November 8, 2008). "World Karate Championships returning to Japan". Japan Today. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  8. ^ "Karate World Championship to be Held in Belgrade Next Year". Ministry of Sport. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
  9. ^ a b "World Wide Tourneys". Black Belt Magazine. Active Interest Media. February 1974. p. 56. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Young, Jim (February 1974). "Contact Karate Tournaments, Will they separate the fighters from the actors?". Black Belt Magazine. Active Interest Media. p. 15. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "Poland holds first national karate meeting". Black Belt Magazine. Active Interest Media. February 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ "Black Belt - Internet Archive". Internet Archive. February 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 2015-09-27. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. ^ "Kata Rules. World Karate Federation". YouTube. 2016-04-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-05-24.

External links[edit]