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This week we feature America's largest open combat sports tournament.
US Open
Now in its 40th year, the tournament has become one of the most influential and prestigious championships in categories including fighting and breaking, and is broadcast globally each year on networks such as ESPN.
The US Open is unique in that it encompasses all open martial arts styles and competition types including sport, MMA, grappling and breaking, and has pioneered expanding basic martial arts competition to include fight choreography, multiple synchronized teams of traditional and open style forms and weapons, demonstration teams, and sparring in multiple light contact styles including point, crush and continuous.
The Open is also a pioneer in distinguishing between amateur level competitors and truly world-class professional black belt competitors, in anticipation of the launch of a World Professional Sports Karate League and Tour.
This leadership in the sports infrastructure organisation has helped to drive both competitor participation and huge general sports media interest around the world.
The most exciting competitions at the US Open, which will be televised worldwide, include the professional divisions of Men's Weapons, Women's Weapons, Synchronized Form and Weapons, Demonstration Team and Team Sparring. These featured divisions include:
Closely related to open weight sparring, men's and women's traditional and open individual formats.
The hot junior and youth divisions are packed with talent the likes of which we've never seen in the under-18 division. Future superstars like Pia Flores Rodrigues, Philip Blum, Luca Ricotti and countless others are the future super champions of our sport. They possess the kind of skill and innovation that yesterday's athletes could only dream of and that champions of old never thought possible.
