The Open World Tour: Mission, Rating Levels and How Sanctioning Works
The Open World Tour, the new circuit announced by World Tour Promoters after the September 25 verdict in the NASKA trademark case, has opened tournament sanctioning to promoters worldwide. Here is its mission statement in its own words, the four tournament rating levels it has announced, and how it says athletes, teams, coaches, officials and promoters can take part. Visit the tour at theopenworldtour.com.
The NASKA series
- The NASKA Trademark Case: What the Jury Decided and What Each Side Says
- From Karate Illustrated to NASKA: The History of American Sport Karate Tournaments
- The PKA and Joe Corley: How Full-Contact Karate Reached Television
- Who’s Who in NASKA and Sport Karate: The Key Players
- Stephen Oliver’s NASKA Decade: The Mile High Karate Classic, 1989–1999
- The Open World Tour: Mission, Rating Levels and How Sanctioning Works (you are here)
Disclosure
This journal’s publisher, Grand Master Stephen Oliver, served on NASKA’s Board of Directors and as its National Sanctioning Director from 1989 to 1999, and has known people on both sides of the current dispute for decades. Martial Arts Professional takes no position in the litigation. The mission statement and program description below are the Open World Tour’s own; NASKA Inc. has said its 2027 calendar will be published soon, and we will report it when it is.
What is the Open World Tour?
The Open World Tour, branded on its website as the Open World Tour Martial Arts Association, is a sport karate circuit launched by World Tour Promoters, the promoter group behind events including the U.S. Open, AmeriKick Internationals, the Battle of Atlanta, the Ocean State Grand Nationals and the Toronto Internationals. World Tour Promoters announced it in its statement following the September 25, 2026 jury verdict in NASKA Inc. v. World Tour Promoters, saying the tour “will promote and sanction tournaments around the globe.” Its website is theopenworldtour.com.
The tour has now published a sanctioning announcement and a mission statement. It describes itself as “a global sport karate league connecting athletes, teams, officials and promoters through high-quality competition, rankings and championship opportunities.”
The Open World Tour mission statement
Open World Tour Mission Statement
“The Open World Tour’s mission is to unite the international sport karate community through exceptional competition, fair and meaningful rankings, and opportunities for athletes, teams, coaches, officials, and promoters to grow together.
“Built on the legacy of some of the oldest and most prestigious sport karate tournaments and promoters in the world, the Open World Tour carries that tradition forward on a truly international stage. Our goal is to give competitors at every level a path from regional events to national and world rated tournaments, while recognizing the athletes and teams who earn their place among the best in the world.”
What are the Open World Tour’s tournament rating levels?
The tour has announced four tournament rating levels. It says each event’s rating determines the ranking points its results are worth.
| Rating level | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| Regional | Entry level; the tour says regional events create opportunities to compete closer to home |
| Super Regional | Between Regional and National; the tour has not yet published its details |
| National | Brings competitors together on a larger stage |
| World Rated | The highest rating; world rated results build toward Open World Tour world titles |
The tour describes itself as “open to all styles, associations, schools and teams,” with competitors earning ranking points at regional, national and world levels toward national and world titles. It has not yet published the point values for each level.
How does the Open World Tour work?
Open World Tour, “How the Tour Works”
“Athletes compete in their divisions at sanctioned tournaments and earn ranking points based on their results and each event’s rating. Regional events create opportunities to compete closer to home; national and world rated events bring competitors together on a larger stage. Those results build season rankings and provide a path to Open World Tour world titles. Teams can bring athletes together across events, build a competitive record, and pursue team recognition and titles.
“The Tour also welcomes the people who make great competition possible:
- Athletes can join the Tour, compete at sanctioned events, and follow their progress in the rankings.
- Coaches can support their athletes, connect with other schools, and participate in the Tour community.
- Teams and schools can bring competitors to Tour events and pursue team rankings and recognition.
- Officials can become involved in judging and help deliver consistent, high-quality competition.”
How do promoters get a tournament sanctioned?
The tour says sanctioning is open now, and that it invites “established events and new promoters around the world to apply to become part of the Open World Tour and help build its regional, national, and world rated calendar.” Applications are made through its website, theopenworldtour.com.
Its 2027 calendar, as listed on the site, already includes eight events: the Pan American Internationals, Compete Nationals, Ocean State Grand Nationals, Battle of Atlanta, U.S. Open, AmeriKick Internationals, Cowboy Up and Toronto Internationals. The dates and locations are in our report on the verdict.
To learn more, apply for sanctioning or get involved:
What should school owners and competition teams do?
With the Open World Tour and NASKA Inc. both planning 2027 seasons, the practical advice from our verdict coverage still applies: check each event’s sanction before you commit a team’s travel budget, keep your own record of your students’ results and points, and explain the split to parents plainly. If you promote a regional tournament, both circuits’ sanctioning terms, rating levels and point structures are worth comparing side by side once each has published them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Open World Tour?
A sport karate circuit launched in September 2026 by World Tour Promoters, the promoter group behind the U.S. Open, AmeriKick, the Battle of Atlanta, the Ocean State Grand Nationals and the Toronto Internationals. It describes itself as a global league connecting athletes, teams, officials and promoters through competition, rankings and championship opportunities.
What is the Open World Tour’s mission?
In its own words, “to unite the international sport karate community through exceptional competition, fair and meaningful rankings, and opportunities for athletes, teams, coaches, officials, and promoters to grow together.”
What are the Open World Tour rating levels?
Four: Regional, Super Regional, National and World Rated. Athletes earn ranking points based on their results and each event’s rating, building season rankings toward Open World Tour world titles.
Is Open World Tour sanctioning open to any tournament?
The tour says sanctioning is open now to established events and new promoters worldwide, and that it is open to all styles, associations, schools and teams. Promoters apply through theopenworldtour.com.
Is the Open World Tour the same as NASKA?
No. NASKA Inc., led by president Hunter Lyon and chairman Larry Carnahan, is the plaintiff in the federal trademark case over the NASKA name and says it will publish its own 2027 calendar. The Open World Tour is the separate circuit launched by the defendants, World Tour Promoters.
Sources
Open World Tour mission statement and “How the Tour Works” text, as issued by the tour; Open World Tour sanctioning announcement; theopenworldtour.com; World Tour Promoters’ post-verdict statement. Point values for each rating level, sanctioning fees and application terms had not been published at the time of writing.
