This is the fifteenth edition of the event, for which the draw took place today at the Rio Hotel Conference Center in the presence of Jean-Luc Rougé, IJF Development and Promotion Director, 10th Dan, Franco Capelletti, Chair of the IJF Kata Commission and 10th dan, and Daniel De Angelis, director of the commission.
The five specialties that will be presented are nage-no-kata, katame-no-kata, ju-no-kata, kime-no-kata and Kodokan goshin jutsu. 100 senior judoka and 31 juniors from 30 countries will participate in the competition that begins on 9th November at 9am.
During the draw, Jean-Luc Rougé welcomed all participants, "On behalf of our President, Mr Marius Vizer, I'd like to welcome you all to Las Vegas for the 2024 edition of the kata world championships. I wish you all the best of luck."
Just before the draw, which determined the order of the pairs, the judges' seminar took place, which for the first time was held in judogi on the tatami. All the judges were present and were able to review the judging criteria, in the presence of a new generation of examiners, recently promoted, who will be present in Las Vegas as observers.
For two days, we will witness a great show, the fundamental forms of judo being presented by the best kata experts in the world. It is important to specify that kata is not only intended to be demonstrated, but that it is an exercise meant to help with the learning of judo and its philosophy.
Every year, the kata world championships attract more and more fans, lovers of the beauty of the gesture and its meaning. You can follow the entire competition on JudoTV