KNS – Virtual Tournament

Karate Nova Scotia is proud to present the first KNS Virtual Kata Tournament, our first venture into the online Karate world.

The KNS Virtual Kata Tournament is only open to Karate Nova Scotia members and offers competitors the opportunity to safely and virtually reunite and compete, while in-person tournaments continue to be on hold.

Participants of this event will record and upload videos of themselves performing a Kata, which will be viewed and scored online by a panel of Karate NS certified judges. The results of the Virtual tournament will then be shared on the Karate Nova Scotia YouTube Page.

This event serves as a reminder that during these times when we are physically apart, we remain connected through our shared love and passion for the sport of Karate.

*** Please carefully read this information bulletin in its entirety before registering for the event.

Dates:

• Registration and Video Submission Period Opens: Tuesday, June 1, 2021
• Registration and Video Submission Deadline: Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
• Results Date: Saturday, July 9, 2021

Eligibility:

• Athlete Eligibility – This event is open to all competitors from Karate Nova Scotia. There are no qualification requirements for this event.
• Age Eligibility – The age eligibility of competitors will be calculated based on the date of the results, July 9, 2021. Competitors are only eligible to register in categories that correspond to the age that they will be on July 9, 2021

Contact: For questions regarding this event, please contact the Technical Director of Karate Nova Scotia by email: td@karatens.org

Event Categories:

Guidelines on Merging Categories:  In order to ensure a competitive tournament for all participants, categories may be merged, at the sole discretion of Karate Nova Scotia, if an insufficient number of competitors have registered for a category. These guidelines on merging Kata categories will be used wherever possible when merging categories.

1) Male categories and female categories may be merged only for the following age groups: 5-8 year old, and 9-11 year old.

2) Categories may only be merged with another category if that category is of the same age group as the first category, or is the age group immediately adjacent to it.

Example: A 12-14 year old category may be merged with another 12-14 year old category of a different skill level, a 9-11 year old category, or a 15-17 year old category.

3) Novice categories may only be merged with Intermediate categories.

4) Advanced categories may only be merged with Intermediate.

Splitting Categories:   Novice, Intermediate and Advanced categories with 12 or more competitors may be split into separate categories based on the age and/or skill level of the competitors, and at the sole discretion of Karate Nova Scotia. Each split category is considered a discrete category for the purposes of awards.

Registration Fees: This event will be free for all competitors.

Awards: For this first tournament, there will be no awards issues, just eternal glory on Karate Nova Scotia’s YouTube page!

Competition Format:  Rules of Competition – The 2020 World Karate Federation (WKF) Rules of Competition will be in effect for all Kata categories at this Virtual Tournament, with the following modifications:

All Novice, Intermediate and Advanced categories of this virtual tournament will use a single-elimination points system format, where competitors in each category will be ranked according to the number of points awarded for their Kata performance. Competitors who are ranked first, second, and third in their categories will be declared the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medallists, respectively. No further rounds will take place. Rules regarding point tabulation and tie-breaking procedures for this tournament will be as such:

1. 5 Judges per Division. 1 of the judges should be assigned the role of Head Judge.
2. The Judges rank the performances from 1^st to last.
3. A rank of 1^st equals a score of 1.  A rank of 2^nd equals a score of 2. And so on until the last competitor.
4. The competitor with the lowest score is declared to be the 1^st place winner.  The second lowest score is the 2^nd place winner and so on.
5. In the event of a tie the kata with the most high rankings wins:

1. It may be possible that a tie could still occur.  In that unlikely event the Head Judges ranking take precedent.

Video Submission Procedures: Competitors can submit their videos in 1 of 2 ways:

1. • Option 1 – Load your video to your personal Google Drive, and share with td@karatens.org
   • Option 2 – When you register, your registration email will contain details on how to get access to Karate Nova Scotia’s Google drive in which you can load your video.

The videos must be named in the following format: Name of competitor_Name of Kata category_Name of Kata (for example Joe Smith_Beginner 5 to 7_Heian Shodan).

Please note that competitors must register for the event and submit their video(s) by the deadline of June 27 2021 at 11:59 p.m.

Video Requirements

Competitors are reminded to select a safe location to record their video(s), and to comply with all COVID-19 related laws, orders, and restrictions that are applicable in their jurisdiction.

Video Identification – At the start of the video, before bowing to announce the kata, you must display the Video Identification Sheet with the following information:

1. Your Name
2. Category you are competing in (for example Male Novice 5 to 8)
3. Kata Name

Technical Specifications – In order to ensure consistency in the submitted videos, all competitors are required to adhere to the following technical specifications when recording and submitting their videos. Karate Nova Scotia will verify all submitted videos to ensure that they meet the specifications outlined below. Competitors whose video does not meet the specifications will receive a point deduction on their total score. Any video deemed unusable by Karate Nova Scotia will need to be re-submitted with corrections made:

1. The entire body of the competitor, from their head to toe, must be visible throughout the video.
2. Include 5 seconds to the video at the beginning and at the end of the Kata performance. The competitor should simply stand in the ready position before and after their performance.
3. The recording must take place in a location with adequate lighting that permits the competitor’s face to be visible when the competitor is facing the camera.
4. The camera should be placed directly in front of the competitor at the start of the Kata performance, with a maximum camera position angle of 45 degrees in each direction from the front of the competitor. The camera must not be positioned behind, or to the side of the competitor at the start of the Kata performance.
5. No edits of any kind are permitted to be made to the video. The shot of the entire Kata performance must be recorded using a single camera, and in a single, continuous take.
6. The video must be recorded in 1080p (full) high definition, with a resolution of 1920×1080. Most smartphones are capable of recording at this resolution.
7. Sound must be recorded in conjunction with the video. The recording must take place in a location with minimal ambient noise.
8. The video must be filmed in the horizontal/landscape format.

Re-use of the Videos

Competitors must submit videos of their Kata that were specifically recorded for the purposes of competing in the KNS Virtual Tournament. Competitors are not permitted to re-use videos that were recorded and/or submitted for the purposes of competing in any other competition in the past or in the future.

Officials Information

Karate Nova Scotia appreciates the support of officials from Nova scotia who possess a current Kata officiating license. Judging for the KNS Virtual Tournament will take place from  Sunday, June 28, 2021 to Sunday July 2, 2021.

Officials who wish to register for this event are requested to complete the judges registration form below.

For inquiries regarding officiating at this event, please email: td@karatens.org.