The Kage Showdown, named after the Japanese word for shadow and pronounced “Kah-Geh”, looks to take forms and weapons competition to a new level. The anonymous promoter of this event seeks to eliminate bias by disguising competitors to conceal their identities. Reportedly, the format features unique technology and an interactive fan-based judging process to assist in further limiting bias.

The creators of the Kage Showdown also recognized that professional sport karate competitors are some of the most underpaid athletes in the world. They believe that the “sport won’t become legitimized until we pay (the athletes) what they are worth”. The total prize pool for the Kage Showdown is $10,000. The winner will receive $5,000, while second and third place will earn $2,500 and $1,000 respectively. The rest of the prize money will be split between the remainder of the ten total competitors.

The competitor field consists of men and women of different ages, ranks, and experience levels. Videos will be released leading up to the Battle of Atlanta, and fans will vote for their favorites. The top three will do a live competition in The Battle Zone Finals at The Battle of Atlanta to determine their spots on the podium. The audience watching that evening will text in their votes to determine the placement. All 10 competitors will be revealed after the dust has settled.

They are calling their fanbase the “Kage Clan” and wish to build that community in the interest of helping the sport. Please visit their website for more information, keeping in mind that some areas of the website are not accessible to build suspense for the contest.