Pittsburgh Power Karate Tournament
May 16-17th at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222).
Who Can Compete
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All ages — from young children to adults
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All skill levels — beginners to advanced black belts
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All styles — karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, tang soo do, wushu, etc.
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Offers divisions in traditional karate forms, sparring, weapons, and more.
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Forms (kata) — solo routines demonstrating technique and precision
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Point Sparring (kumite) — controlled one-on-one fighting scored on technique and points
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Weapons — traditional martial arts weapons forms
🥋 What Pittsburgh Power Is
Pittsburgh Power is a major open martial arts tournament that takes place as part of the Kumite Classic ecosystem — specifically at the Pittsburgh Power & Fitness Festival held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The event date for 2026 is May 16–17, 2026.
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It’s designed to welcome competitors from all martial arts styles and organizations — including karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, wushu, tang soo do, and others.
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In addition to traditional karate events, the tournament also offers WAKO-sanctioned divisions (point fighting/kickboxing), giving athletes opportunities to compete in sport kickboxing under modified WAKO rules.
🏆 Competition Format
Participants compete in divisions that include:
May 16-17 2026
Downtown Pittsburgh
$1000 open weight grands
Full scale expo
10k spectators
Open all styles, schools, groups
Korean forms
Japanese forms
Chinese forms
Open forms
tag team sparring
flag sparring for kids
para divisions
LED saber divisions
Athletes who win Gold (1st) or Silver (2nd) in their divisions may be titled State Champion for Pennsylvania.
🎯 Pittsburgh Power Open and Inclusive
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“Open” means all schools, styles, and clubs can enter — it’s not restricted to any single organization.
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Divisions are typically organized by age, belt level, and gender, creating competitive brackets for everyone from beginners to advanced martial artists.
📍Power Event Context
The Pittsburgh Power competition runs within the Kumite Classic umbrella — a long-running multi-discipline martial arts and fitness expo established by Bill Viola Jr. that has become one of the most important martial arts events in the Pittsburgh region.
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Kumite Classic itself is often described as a mecca for sport karate and martial arts competition, attracting competitors from across the U.S. and beyond.
📌 Join us
Pittsburgh Power is:
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A state-level open tournament for martial artists of all styles.
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Held as part of the Kumite Classic festival.
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Featuring forms, sparring, and weapons divisions plus WAKO kickboxing.
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Hosted at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
