The season is due to start with the opening event of the Karate 1-Premier League, the most important league event in the world of karate, which takes place in Paris on January 26 until 28.

Subsequent Karate 1-Premier League events throughout the year are scheduled to be in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on February 16 to 18  and Rotterdam in The Netherlands from March 16 to 18.  

That is set to be followed Rabat in Morocco from April 6 to 8; Istanbul in Turkey on June 8 to 10 and Berlin in Germany from September 14 to 16. 

The League is due to end in Tokyo between October 14 and 16.

After making its debut last year, the Karate 1-Series A will once again return this season with four events happening between February and December.

The series is due to start in Guadalajara in Spain on February 10 and 11.  

The 2018 season also sees the creation of a new competition, the Karate 1-Youth League, designed for competitors aged 11 to 20 who are looking for to succeed at a high level. 

The inaugural event is due to be held in Sofia in Bulgaria on May 26 and 27 with the final one of the year taking place in Carloe-Venice in Italy in December.

Karate’s most important event of the year, the World Championships, will be hosted in Madrid from November 6 until 11 and will be used as preparation for Karate’s full Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

Although Karate will not make its full Olympic debut until 2020, Karate’s first outing as an Olympic sport will take place at the Summer Youth Olympic Games which will take place in Buenos Aires from October 6 to 18. 

Overall there are almost 30 tournaments included in the 2018 WKF Official Calendar.