SPORT KARATE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Frequently Asked Questions


We would like to applaud you for your interest in becoming a part of the most comprehensive Sport Karate Ranking services in the world. With NBL and SKIL Rankings you have guaranteed yourself the sport karate recognition and prestige that you deserve as a player.
If you are a new follower to SKIL, either blackbelt (BB) or under blackbelt (UBB), we would like to explain a few things that will help you in your quest to become a legitimate Sport Karate Champion.

Please go through the following most asked questions listed below and click on any one to get the answer. If you don't find your question listed give us a call (716-763-1111) or email us ( info@nblskil.com )

1.

What's the difference between NBL and SKIL?
2. How do I become a member of SKIL?
3. How do I earn points in SKIL?
4. Who takes care of my SKIL point tabulation?
5. How can I verify the sanctioning for a tournament?
6. When does the season for SKIL start?
7. What's the difference between event and division?
8. What are the SKIL rated divisions?
9. How many tournament scores can I submit for the season?
10. Can I submit two similar divisions?
11. What happen if the tournament doesn't have a senior division?
12. What's the SKIL age rule?
13. What happen if I change rank?
14. How to compete for the SKIL Amateur Titles?

1. What's the difference between NBL and SKIL?
NBL - The National Blackbelt League (NBL) is the only international sport karate league based upon a series of open tournaments which rank and qualify blackbelt level players to become official sport karate world champions at the year-end championship “Super Grands World Games”. NBL rankings are free (no membership fee) to all players who attend and place in NBL divisions at NBL tournaments. NBL tournament attendees can earn points in forms, weapons, self-defense, breaking, point sparring, continuous sparring and team sparring divisions. NBL tournaments also have divisions to underbelts as every NBL tournament is also sanctioned “AAA” with Sport Karate International (SKIL) Rankings (which rank both blackbelts and under blackbelts), so all ranks following SKIL can get the most points by competing in NBL tournaments (see SKIL rankings in this website). The NBL has been designed over a period of many years to help develop and ensure the continuing professional and efficient direction of martial arts as a world-wide sport.
The NBL ensures true world championship status to players of the sport with a unique system of conference competition leading up to the Super Grands to crown each year’s world champions. The NBL competition season runs from February through early October. Each NBL Regional Conference consists of tournaments within short driving distances and may have up to one (1) tournament per month during this season for a maximum of six (6) tournaments per conference per season. There are also National Conferences that consist of up to six (6) of the Regional Conferences’ largest tournaments. These National Conferences are for individuals and teams that want a variety competition by traveling longer distances to different areas, instead of just one regional area, and for those who want to earn a higher seeded (preferred) position for the Super Grands World Games. The competition in each of the conferences is a points race within that conference that ranks competitors in this website by conference during the competition season. You can accumulate points in as many conferences as you wish. As a player, your participation in the NBL will provide the best recognition at an affordable cost to achieve true sport karate world championship status.

SKIL - Sport Karate International (SKIL) ranks both blackbelts and under blackbelts. SKIL rankings are free with the submission of a point chart and competitors can compete at and earn points at any karate tournament that is sanctioned (rated) by SKIL. A member who places in the top 3 places at a C sanctioned event or top 4 places at B, BB, or BBB sanctioned events or the top 8 places at A, AA or AAA sanctioned events receives points toward their ranking. A member can accumulate points in for events; sparring, forms, weapons, and self defense. We do not awards points or rank grand championships, breaking and team sparring competition. Players’ updated rankings are available at our website (www.nblskil.com - then click on SKIL) three (3) times a year, February 1st, June 1st and the final rankings in October.
When a player submits a point chart, he/she may back track to the beginning of the season (July 1) and credit him/herself for any points he/she has earned at any prior SKIL sanctioned tournaments. It is the responsibility of the member to tally his/her ranking points on an official SKIL / NBL point chart and submit it in accordance to the chart instructions and deadline dates.
A player can only earn points at tournaments that have officially been sanctioned with SKIL despite what may be printed on a tournament brochure or elsewhere. Official SKIL sanctioned tournaments are included in the tournament listings in our website (www.nblskil.com - then click Tournaments). Any tournament claiming to be sanctioned by SKIL but not listed in the website can only be verified by phoning SKIL executive offices.
The season begins July 1 of one year, and ends June 30 of the following year. A member can retain his/her eight (8) highest scores from the tournaments he/she has competed in for each division during the season. By using this system to obtain ranking points, a competitor is ranked more by his/her ability of performance than by the quantity of tournaments that he/she attends. This helps cut down on the “burn out” factor of tournament competition and allows for more competitive competition since the cost factor and expense is greatly reduced.

2. How do I become a member of SKIL?
There is no membership fee to be ranked by SKIL. Simply attend and compete at SKIL sanctioned tournaments and submit a point chart of your winnings.

3. How do I earn points in SKIL?
A competitor may compete and earn points at any karate tournament that is sanctioned by SPORT KARATE INTERNATIONAL RATINGS (SKIL). A competitor who places up to 3rd place at a C rated event, up to 4th place at any B, BB or BBB rated event or up to 8th place at any A, AA or AAA rated event have earned points toward their SKIL rankings.

4. Who takes care of my SKIL point tabulation?
It is the responsibility of the competitor to tally his/her ranking points on an official SKIL/NBL Point Chart and submit it according to the chart instructions and deadline dates. Points are then verified by the SKIL Rankings department.

5. How can I verify the SKIL sanctioning of a tournament?
A frequent complaint we receive from competitors and parents is that they went to a tournament which they thought was sanctioned and used it on their point chart only to have the chart returned because the tournament wasn’t sanctioned. If the tournament brochure advertises being sanctioned by us, then most of the time it is. However, the only way to be certain is to check the Tournament Listings in this website or give us a quick call. Always keep a brochure of the tournaments that you compete in and the place you took for reference if there are any problems. We cannot honor points from non-sanctioned tournaments that have falsely advertised that they were rated. We do honor whatever SKIL sanctions we have in our tournament listings in this website

6. When does the season for SKIL start?
The SKIL season begins July 1 of one year, and ends June 30 of the following year.

7. What's the difference between an event and a division?
Event - An event is an overall category including but not limited to forms, weapons, self-defense, breaking, point sparring, team sparring and continuous sparring.
Division - A division is a break down of an event. For example divisions of Forms could include Japanese forms, musical forms or creative forms. Divisions may break down into rank, age, and sex.

8. What are the SKIL ranked events?
SKIL tournaments can have whatever BB & UBB divisions they decide upon. However, SKIL will rank Blackbelt & Underbelt, Junior & Adults in Forms, Weapons, Self-Defense and Point Sparring based upon the winnings in any tournaments' divisions you attended during the season.

9. How many tournament scores can I submit for the season?
You can fill your top eight (or the most you have up to eight) highest placement scores in each box ( each event) each time you submit a SKIL/NBL Point Chart. In each of the events (Forms, Weapons and Self Defense and Sparring), a player can retain only his/her eight (8) highest scores from eight (8) different tournaments each season (July 1 to June 30), regardless of how many tournaments he/she attends.

10. Can I submit winnings for two divisions of the same event from the same tournament on any point chart?
A player can only use points from one division for an event from the same tournament on their point chart. For example, if you compete in two (2) divisions at the same tournament (for instance: open and Korean style forms), you can only use one of the two onto your point chart for forms. (The other one cannot be used as one of your eight (8) tournament scores). For each event (forms, weapons, SD, and sparring) the top eight (8) scores must all be from different tournaments

11. What happens if the tournament doesn't have senior divisions?
If a tournament does not have a senior division (35 years and over), the points obtained by a senior SKIL member competing in a regular adult division can always be transferred into the senior division rankings by simply listing it as such on your point chart. A senior may elect however, to have their points accumulate in regular adult (18+) rankings, but they cannot transfer points that they win in senior divisions over to regular adult (18+) divisions.

12. What’s the SKIL age rule?
The SKIL competition season starts on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year and includes the Amateur Internationals held after June 30 near the end of the calendar year (the new SKIL season will have already started) that is during the same time as the Super Grands World Games.
All players must compete at the age they were on January 1 at 12:00 am from January 1 to December 31 at all NBL tournaments and all tournaments using SKITA rules during that period and at the Amateur Internationals for that season even if it is held after December 31.
The exception to this rule are those players who will be turning 18 during the SKIL circuit season (SKIL season July 1 to June 30), are allowed to compete in either 17- or 18+ at each NBL tournament during that entire SKIL circuit season – even before they turn 18. They cannot compete in both 17- and 18+ at the same tournament however, and points will stay in the age group the player competes in at each tournament. The same applies for those that will be turning 35 or 45 during the circuit season except they can compete in both age divisions at the same tournament and retain points in both. Points earned can only be used and submitted on SKIL/NBL Point Charts for the age group that the points were earned in. A 17 or 18 year old can only submit point charts for one age group or the other (17- or 18+) per each yearly SKIL circuit season. If point charts are submitted for both 17- and 18+ then the chart with the most amount of points will be the only chart used for their rankings.

13. What happens if I change rank?
If you change rank (except going to blackbelt) during the SKIL season (July 1st to June 30th), it will not effect your rankings as all belt ranks in SKIL are ranked into one category either forms, weapons, self defense & sparring. But if you become a blackbelt and compete as such, then the points you earn as a blackbelt must be tabulated on separate point charts allowing you the possibility of being ranked as both a blackbelt and under blackbelt. Points are not transferable between BB & UBB

14. How to compete for the SKIL Amateur Titles?
If you want to be content with just being ranked by points, that’s ok; but if you want the opportunity to become a legitimate international champion and compete in head-to-head competition for the International Amateur Titles, then you need to start planning to attend the SKIL Amateur Internationals which are held in November, December or January of each year after the final rankings are completed. As a ranked, SKIL pre-registered contestant, you will be seeded (placed into a preferred position) in your division(s) at the Amateur Internationals.