2026 National Kata Championships – British Kata Continues to Thrive
September 14, 2026
British Judo’s Kata programme continues to thrive, with the Kata Commission hosting the National Kata Championships at the Welsh Institute of Sport, in Cardiff, on 6 September 2026.
A minute’s applause was held before the Championships commenced in tribute to Michael (Mick) Leigh, 9th Dan, who was instrumental in establishing Kata competitions as a concept.
There were 40 entries from across the Association on the day and in line with the approach adopted by the EJU and IJF, competing pairs of judoka were permitted to enter a maximum of two kata categories. Kata performance levels continued to rise, and this was fully reflected in the increasingly close medalling scores and the positive remarks from the judges.
The Welsh Judo Association assumed responsibility for organising the competition, and the GB Kata community once again demonstrated its commitment by coming together to produce an outstanding event. As Head Judge, Duncan Kinnear ran a flawlessly efficient competition, well supported by a team of established National Kata Judges, two trainee judges and competition administration volunteers.
Notable performances on the day included:
- Tori and Lisa Cleevely winning the Ju-no-kata title for the nineth consecutive year
- Ricky Cleevely and Richard Bannister taking the Kodokan Goshin-jutsu title for the sixth consecutive year
- Olympian Karen Roberts-Castle and her kata partner Fiona Chan taking gold in Itsutsu-no-kata.
Comments by Dr. Llyr Jones BJA Kata Chair: “Kata competitions are now an established part of the judo calendar in the UK and beyond. The technical excellence demonstrated across today’s performances was outstanding, and all participating judoka are to be congratulated on their dedication and performance.”
Comments by Dave Horton-Jones – British Judo Kata Lead: “This was another fantastic National Kata Championships, and the WJA and Cardiff can be incredibly proud of the role they played in making the event such a success – they truly did the BJA proud.
View this post on Instagram
The two-mat area at Wales’ National Dojo created an excellent competition environment and allowed the event to run smoothly, providing a high-quality experience for competitors, judges and spectators alike.”
The standard of competition was impressive, and the atmosphere throughout was a real credit to everyone who contributed. A great event, expertly hosted, and another positive showcase for kata in Wales and across the BJA.”
Also at the event, the kata pairing of Ev Cadby and Kai Morgan Kelly were presented with the 2026 BJA Kata Award, in recognition of a series of exceptional performances on the international stage. Highlights of their recent achievements include becoming Great Britain’s first EJU Kata Series medallists, alongside winning multiple medals at the French Open Kata Championships.
Click here to download the full results from the day
2026 National Kata Course
The National Kata Course is being held in Croydon on 21-22 November 2026, hosted by the Southern Area and led by official Kodokan Instructor Yoshihiko Iura (Kodokan 8th Dan).
This course is always well attended so if you are interested in kata at any level, or require kata certification for further promotion, please book your place now. This year the course will cover Ju-no-kata on the Saturday and Kime-no-kata on the Sunday.
