Martial Arts Tournament Software: Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, Kickboxing and BJJ in One System
Hundreds of athletes, dozens of categories, several mats, and a big screen. Here's what martial arts tournament software should do and how karate, judo, taekwondo, kickboxing, and BJJ differ, with a checklist for organizers.
Redakcja TG
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Martial arts events run at a different scale from team tournaments. Instead of a dozen teams you have hundreds of athletes, dozens of age, weight, and grade categories, several mats running in parallel, and a hall full of parents who want to know when their child is up. A plain bracket generator isn’t enough: you need martial arts tournament software that handles the whole day, from registration through the draw and mat schedule to the big screen, certificates, and the club medal table.
What do karate, judo, and taekwondo events have in common?
The rules of combat differ, but organizationally these sports are very similar. In each of them, the organizer has to:
- collect entries from many clubs and split athletes into categories,
- check attendance and, where there are weight categories, run a weigh-in,
- draw brackets so athletes from the same club don’t fight each other in the first round,
- spread categories across several mats or courts,
- collect results from every mat in real time and tell athletes when they’re up,
- hand out medals and certificates right after each category ends,
- calculate the club medal table.
These are the tasks that take the most time and cause the most delays, and they’re exactly what good martial arts tournament software takes over.
How do the sports differ?
| Sport | Events | Organizational specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional karate, WKF, Kyokushin | kata, kumite, kihon | judges’ scores in kata, different kumite scoring rules, often double elimination for kids |
| Judo | contest | weigh-in, weight categories, repechage and two bronze medals, golden score |
| Taekwondo (WT, ITF) | kyorugi / matsogi, poomsae / tul | PSS electronic scoring in higher-level bouts, forms scored by judges |
| Kickboxing, amateur boxing | bouts in different rule sets | rings or mats, rounds, judges’ decisions, weigh-in |
| BJJ and grappling | ground fighting | weight + belt categories, points and advantages, often large adult categories |
Detailed guides for each sport: how to run a karate tournament, how to run a judo tournament, and how to run a taekwondo tournament.
What should martial arts tournament software have? A checklist
- Excel import of entries: clubs send a spreadsheet, and the system creates categories and adds athletes.
- Attendance check before each category: no-shows stay out of the bracket.
- Draws without same-club bouts: athletes from one club don’t meet in the first round.
- Multiple formats: knockout, double elimination, round robin for small categories, and judge scoring for kata, poomsae, or tul.
- Mat schedule: the system calculates category durations and builds a plan, and athletes check it on their phones via a QR code.
- Referee panel at the mat: a result entered on a tablet goes straight to the bracket.
- Mat screens and a big screen: current and next bout, status of every mat, podiums with club logos, and sponsors.
- Automatic certificates: printed onto ready-made templates or in full with graphics.
- Medal tables for clubs and, at international events, for countries.
- Streaming: bouts broadcast from a phone to YouTube with TGapp Stream.
Proven at Traditional Karate Federation of Poland events
Turniej Generator (tg-app.pl) runs events for the Traditional Karate Federation of Poland, from club tournaments to national championships. A few examples:
- 37th Polish Traditional Karate Championships: 439 athletes, 1,095 starts, and 73 categories over two days,
- 26th Polish National Children’s Cup: 679 young athletes at Sport Arena Łódź, a screen at every tatami and three big screens,
- 11th Kraków International Cup: 873 athletes from 14 countries and a country medal table.
Organizationally, judo, taekwondo, kickboxing, or BJJ events need the same tools: entry import, draws, a mat schedule, live results, and rankings. If your sport has special requirements, such as repechage under specific federation rules, email us at kontakt@tg-app.pl.
See sample events on karate.tg-app.pl. Running tournaments in other sports too? See what to look for in tournament software.
Frequently asked questions
Can one system handle karate, judo, and taekwondo?
Yes. Organizing the event (registration, categories, draws, mat schedule, results, and rankings) works very similarly across these sports. Differences in combat rules are set at the category and format level.
How many athletes can martial arts tournament software handle?
Turniej Generator has run events with hundreds of athletes and more than a thousand starts, such as the Polish Traditional Karate Championships (1,095 starts) and the Kraków Cup (873 athletes from 14 countries).
Can parents and coaches see results on their phones?
Yes. The schedule, brackets, and results are online via a QR code, with no app to install.
