NATIONAL BLACKBELT 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 of NBL, either blackbelt (BB) or underbelt (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 NBL?
3. How do I earn points in NBL?
4. Who takes care of my NBL point tabulation?
5. How can I verify the sanctioning of a tournament?
6. When does the NBL season start?
7. What's the difference between and event and a division?
8. What are the NBL divisions that are ranked?
9. What’s the NBL age rule?
10. How do I compete for the NBL World 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 NBL?
NBL rankings are free (no membership fee) to all players who attend and place at NBL tournaments. NBL tournaments have divisions for all ranks.

3. How do I earn points in NBL?
You must compete in at least one conference tournament and will receive points for any NBL divisional win up to 8hth place (4th place in NBL 10 point sanctioned tournaments). This will earn you points toward one of the 120 divisions that the NBL ranks for blackbelt level competition. Competitors within the top five (5) positions in the NBL rankings in any of the NBL ranked divisions at the end of the conference season are seeded (given a preferred placement) according to their placement at the Super Grands World Games. The rankings are updated on a regular basis in this website and the final standings will be available in early November each year.

4. Who takes care of my NBL point tabulation?
NBL - The NBL Exective Office tabulates NBL players points. Corrections can be made by players that submit a SKIL/NBL Point Chart. All point chart corrections or verifications must be postmarked by September 30 each year (or within one week after any NBL October tournament) or the player will be subject to a fee to have their rankings corrected to use for a seeding for the Super Grands.

5. How can I verify the 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, but found out that it was not. 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 NBL Tournament Schedule in this website or give us a quick call. Always keep a brochure of the tournament 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 sanctioned.

6. When does the season for NBL start?
The NBL tournament season to earn rating points and qualify for world title competition runs from February (occasionally late January) through early October. The NBL Super Grands World Games (The final championship to ascertain the year’s Sport Karate World Titles) takes place in November, December or January of each year.

7. What's the difference between and event and a division?
Event - An event is an overall category including but not limited to forms, weapons, self-defense, breaking, point sparring, continuous sparring and team sparring.
Division - A division is a breakdown 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 NBL ranked divisions?
Presently the NBL ranks 120 standard divisions for juniors, adults and seniors, as listed in this website. The Super Grands has the same 120 divisions to determine the yearly World Champions. All NBL Regional Conference tournaments have a minimum standard 65 NBL divisions which closely resemble the expanded 120 divisions. All of the NBL National Conference tournaments must run all 120 divisions. Players may compete in as many different divisions at a tournament as they qualify for and wish to enter.

9. What’s the NBL age rule?
The NBL season starts on January 1 and ends December 31 of every year and includes the season's year-end competition at the Super Grands even if they are after December 31.
All players must compete at the age they were on January 1 at 12 am from January 1 to December 31 in NBL divisions at all NBL tournaments and at the Super Grands for that season even if the Grands are held after December 31.
The exception to this rule are those players who will be turning 18 during the NBL circuit season (January 1 to December 31). They are allowed to compete either 17- or 18+ at each NBL tournament during that entire NBL 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 turing 35 or 45 during the circuit season except they can compete in both age divisions at the same tournament and retain points in both.

10. How do I compete for the NBL World Titles?
The Super Grands is a six (6) day championship held in November, December or January in a different world class location each year. It is held simultaneously with the Sport Karate Amateur Internationals, which is the final championship for the Sport Karate International (SKIL) ranked players for both blackbelts and under blackbelts. The Super Grands is a closed competition that is only open to seeded players, or those players winning a wild card position at the tournament. NBL Championship awards in each division include the NBL World Championship Blackbelt and coveted specially-struck World Champion Ring. Over-sized plaque certificates are awarded for the Sport Karate Amateur Internationals champions. The Super Grands World Games/Sport Karate Amateur Internationals finalizes with the NBL and Sport Karate International Awards Banquet.