Cups & Awards

Championship Cup Scoring

Points by placement and tie-breaking criteria for cup winners.

Key takeaways

The Championship Cup is for adult Black Belts, ages 18 to 34, competing in all Black Belt divisions.
Each division needs a minimum of 4 competitors to qualify for the Cup.
Creativity points never count toward Cup results — only Black Belt divisional placements do.
Winners must be present at closing ceremonies in proper WTSDA dobohk, or the Cup passes to the runner-up who is present.

Who the Championship Cup is for

The World Tang Soo Do Association Championship Cup, for Regional or World Championships, is reserved for Black Belts ages 18 to 34 who compete in all Black Belt competition divisions. Each division needs a minimum of 4 competitors to qualify for the World Championship Cup — and for any Regional Championship that carries this same requirement.

A row of gold championship trophies topped with martial arts figures, ready for presentation. — Championships conclude with the presentation of the Championship Cups.

How the winner is determined

All adult Black Belts, male and female, ages 18 to 34, are eligible.
Creativity points are never counted toward Cup results.
Winners earn points by placement, totaled across their Black Belt divisions.
If the total points result in a tie, the winner is first determined by seniority of rank. If tied on rank too, the winner is determined by seniority of WTSDA membership number.

Points by placement
Placement	Points
1st place	10 points
2nd place	8 points
3rd place	5 points
co-3rd place	5 points

Division cups

Beyond the overall Championship Cup, Division Cups may also be awarded by age group — Seniors (35 and above) or Youths (under 18) in the Dan divisions, and Seniors, Adults, and Youths in the Gup divisions. Division Cup winners are determined the exact same way as the Championship Cup. Each individual Championship committee decides how many Division Cup levels to offer.

A lineup of Division Cup winners from many countries holding their trophies on stage in front of the World Championship flag backdrop. — 2018 World Championship Cup and Division Cup winners.

Eligibility to receive the award

Winners must be present to receive the Cup

Winners must be present after the final event, in proper WTSDA dobohk, to receive their Championship or Division Cup. If a winner is absent during closing ceremonies, the Cup goes to the runner-up who is present instead — the only exception is an emergency situation with the Championship Director's permission.

Winners of Regional Championships must be a member of that Region to be eligible for the Championship/Division Cups.
Eligibility for Championship Cups at non-regional Championships is set by the sponsoring studios and listed in that Championship's entry paperwork.

The age floor can move up, never down

International jurisdictions may raise the minimum age of 18 to match their local age of majority, but it can never be reduced below 18. Any such increase must be noted on the Championship application.