The 2nd European Games to be held in Minsk (Belarus) next June will represent a milestone for Karate: it will be the first time that the new Kata rules will be introduced in the Karate competition of a multi-sport event. After being unveiled at the beginning of 2019, the new Kata rules have produced a major shift in the category of choreographed movements.
Aiming to streamline the Kata competition, the WKF introduced a modernised judging system for the category. The traditional decision-taking protocol by flags was replaced by a point-allocation system. Additionally, a new distribution of the competition was implemented.
As a result of the new rules, a panel formed by seven judges now evaluates the performances, with scores being given according to the technical and athletic presentation of the Katas. Competitors are divided into pools, and the two karatekas with the highest scores in the final pool move to the final.
The new rules entered into force on January 1st. They have been applied in every major Karate event this year, including the Karate 1-Premier League tournaments celebrated thus far as well as the continental championships. Now, as Karate continues making its progress to its Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, the development of the sport will be once again showcased at the anticipated European Games.
Source: www.wkf.net
