Competitive Kata

The IJF Kata World Championships is the most prestigious judo kata event in the world. This increasingly popular event is attended by judo competitors from many nations across all the continents. Selection for the Judo Canada World Kata Team is competitive and based on ranking and performance.

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Calendar of Events

Judo Canada has established a centralized events calendar to expand awareness of national and international events as well as increase competitiveness among the Canadian delegation. This also serves to highlight development opportunities and certify national and international kata judges.

Kata Events Calendar Coming Soon

Kids and Youth Kata

Kata is one of the fastest growing competitive aspects of judo all over the world. It is recognized by the IJF and they have plans to grow world level competitions alongside shiai. Nationally there are categories for U14, U16, and U23. Internationally there are categories for U23.

Kata for kids and youth provide an opportunity for judoka to practice, learn, and demonstrate fundamental judo movements (kuzushi, tsukuri, and kake) for an audience with feedback.

By learning kata and participating in kata competitions we are expanding the competition community. Competitors and instructors are already at tournaments, why not compete in kata as well? Kata improves shiai and shiai improves kata – they are mutually beneficial.

Canadian athletes Zoé Asselin and Lauriève Laframboise demonstrating the Ju-no-Kata, which earned them the gold medal.

Kata for kids and youth is also a way to include those who choose not to, or are unable to, compete in shiai judo. By encouraging young people, teens, and especially young women to compete in kata, they can stay involved in the judo community in a low impact, low stress way. Too many young people stop doing judo when they decide shiai isn’t for them. Competitive kata is a way to keep them in judo, active, and involved!

Teaching young people judo kata could be investing in future World Champions!

In addition to the traditional Kodokan kata, there is now a new form developed by the Kodokan and IJF that specifically focuses on teaching kids kata/judo. It is called Kodomo no kata. More information about this kata can be found here:

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