Attend the US Open

NOVICE (Nov) (belt color white).

White belts that have been in classes or otherwise training for six months or less. This must be their first, second, third, or fourth open tournament. If they have or have ever had any color of belt, prior training before their current training program, or competed in more than three prior open tournament, they must move to Beginner or higher.

BEGINNER (Beg) (belt color usually white, yellow, or orange).

Training history of no more than a year, and no more than ten open tournament participations. More than a year only if injury or other absence prevented all training and competing for a period of a contiguous month or more. Otherwise, if more than a year training or more than ten open events, must move to Beginning Intermediate Division regardless of belt color.

BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE (Beg Interm) (belt color usually orange, blue, green, or purple).

More than a year in training, but less than two years unless injury or other absence preventing all training and competing for a cumulative three months or more. No more than fifteen open tournaments entered. If training time or number of events or both exceed these limits, must move to Advanced Intermediate regardless of belt color.

ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE (Adv Interm) (belt color usually blue, green, purple, or rarely, red).

No minimum on training time before entering Advanced Intermediate. However, may not compete in Advanced Intermediate longer than two years, unless injury or other absence prevented all training and competing for a cumulative four months or more. No more than 30 open tournaments entered. If training time or number of events or both exceed these limits, must move to Advanced regardless of belt color.

ADVANCED (Adv) (belt color purple, red, brown, or very rarely, green). May have black horizontal stripe in brown or red belt indicating candidate status for pending black belt promotion.

No minimum on training time before entering Advanced division. No maximum number of open events that may be entered as an Advanced competitor. However, may not compete in Advanced division longer than two years or 20 events and as Advanced competitor, unless injury or other absence prevented training and competing for a cumulative five months or more.

BLACK BELT CLASS A (BBA): (belt color black, or brown or red with black horizontal stripe indicating black belt candidate).

No other belt color other than that listed may be worn in BBA divisions. No minimum training time or competition experienced required. No maximum time a competitor may compete as BBA. This classification of black belt will often have divisions separate from BBAA in which BBAA cannot enter. Those divisions will not be eligible for NASKA or ISKA Open World Tour BBAA points, or prize money or advancement to finals or World Title divisions reserved for BBAA.

BLACK BELT CLASS AA (BBAA). (only black belts may be worn in this division, unless special approval is obtained in advance from NASKA and/or ISKA).

This is the highest level of competition offered. Participants will be expected to be competitive with the world’s best competing for NASKA and/or ISKA Open World Tour points and contending for the limited opportunities to contest ISKA World Titles that may be televised. NASKA and ISKA reserve the right to deny entry to BBAA divisions and direct the competitor to BBA divisions instead.

Divisions that are listed together with a forward slash (Nov/Beg, Beg Interm/Adv Interm) are divisions which have combined the two listed categories into the same competition division.