The Official Black Belt Magazine World Sport Karate Rankings have been created by a committee with the consideration of major leagues including but not limited to the ISKA, WAKO, NASKA, and WKC.
This update accounts for the results of the 2021 Battle of Atlanta and U.S. Open, with particular consideration of the ISKA Night of Champions at the U.S. Open. Those ranked as "Champion" received their titles during the Night of Champions or daytime grands at the U.S. Open, with a few exceptions that were made by the committee to account for division depth, inclusion of new divisions, and other special factors. In the adult sparring divisions, pay-per-view events like Virtual Fight Tour and Pro Point were also considered.
Notable additions to these rankings include youth (13 years of age and younger) divisions, senior (30 years of age and older) divisions, and team sparring. Junior (14-17 years of age) sparring divisions have also been included, but the athletes are featured in no particular order due to the lack of competition between age groups.
Finally, readers will notice several asterisks (*) throughout the rankings. Any competitor with an asterisk next to their name is recognized as an exceptional martial artist who deserves to be ranked, but has been inactive recently due to injury or pandemic-related circumstances (such as international travel restrictions). All such competitors were automatically given a fifth-ranked position in the interest of consistency and fairness between divisions.
The Adult Rankings
Men's Weapons
- Jake Presley
- Connor Chasteen
- Alex Mancillas
- Danny Etkin
- Joey Castro
Women's Weapons
- Sammy Smith
- Kaelyn Kowalski
- Kyleigh Boyer
- Sara Campbell
- Noell Jellison*
Men's CMX Forms
- Connor Chasteen
- Shaquan Parson
- Rashad Eugene
- Donis Coronel
- Christopher Conover
Women's CMX Forms
- Sammy Smith
- Eden Williams
- Valeria Bolaños
- Jessica Wideman
- Noell Jellison*
Men's Traditional Forms
- Ariel Torres
- Joey Castro
- Jared Dunn
- Connor Chasteen
- Alec Jahanvash
Women's Traditional Forms
- Jewelianna Ortiz
- Amber Rutherford
- Kaelyn Kowalski
- Laine Barrett
- Julia Moreci
Men's Lightweight Fighting
- Enrique Letona
- Kevin Walker
- Colocho Santiago
- Tyreeke Saint, Tobias Lopez, Tyson Wray (Tied)
- Elijah Everill* & Jack Felton* (Tied)
Men's Heavyweight Fighting
- Avery Plowden
- Brandon Ballou
- Jamal Albini
- Romani Alicea
- Kameren Dawson*
Men's Open Weight Fighting
- Enrique Letona
- Oscar Guzman
- Kevin Walker
- Brandon Ballou
- Elijah Everill*
Women's Fighting
- Mouse Millner
- Alexa Fleshman
- Raelynn Perkins
- Valeri Morales
- Elizabeth Rouillard* & Dorina Szabó* (Tied)
The Junior Rankings
Junior Boys' CMX Weapons
- Dawson Holt
- Salef Celiz
- Phillip Brumme
- Benjamin Jones
- Riley Tracy & Esteban Tremblay* (Tied)
Junior Boys' Traditional Weapons
- Shane Billow
- Austin Hladek
- Mason Bumba
- Benjamin Jones
- Esteban Tremblay*
Junior Girls' CMX Weapons
- Samantha Mitling
- Rebecca Hammond
- Carrie Quinn
- Katelyn McMillan
- Madison Magnotta
Junior Girls' Traditional Weapons
- Katelyn McMillan
- Kira Jones
- Alessandra Alinea
- Rylee Rainone
- Faith Olsen
Junior Boys' CMX Forms
- Salef Celiz
- Shane Billow
- Phillip Brumme
- Mason Bumba
- Cade Trentadue
Junior Boys' Traditional Forms
- Diego Rodriguez-Florez
- Shane Billow
- Luca Ricotti
- Eric Quackenbush
- Aaron Kao-Mutch
Junior Girls' CMX Forms
- Maddy Kennaway
- Reese Beck
- Annalise Bolen
- Andrea Guzman
- Carrie Quinn
Junior Girls' Traditional Forms
- Madison Magnotta
- Kira Jones
- Faith Olsen
- Katelyn McMillan
- Alessandra Alinea
Junior Boys' Fighting - Featured Competitors
- Oscar Garcia
- Isaac Torres
- Connor Bedard
- Brandon Taylor
- Mason Bumba
Junior Girls' Fighting - Featured Competitors
- Cassandra De La Barrera
- Alexi Jimenez
- Natalie Allen
- Miranda Depierne
- Callie Garrett
The Youth Rankings
Youth Boys' Weapons
- Michael Molina
- Zeke Gomez
- Gavin Richmond
- Harold Lerner
- Brady Clifford
Youth Girls' Weapons
- Isabella Nicoli
- Adelynn Lau
- Alyss Groce
- Savannah Agosoto
- Aubrey Shoaf
Youth Boys' CMX Forms
- Dante Rodriguez
- Gavin Richmond
- Zeke Gomez
- Michael Molina
- Ryan Clifford
Youth Boys' Traditional Forms
- Angel Perez
- Sterling Keefe
- Dante Rodriguez
- Gavin Richmond
- Adomas Rackauskas
Youth Girls' CMX Forms
- Alyss Groce
- Sofia Rodriguez-Florez
- Averi Presley
- Savannah Agosto
- Kodi Molina
Youth Girls' Traditional Forms
- Sofia Rodriguez-Florez
- Adelynn Lau
- Gabby Viola
- Savannah Agosto
- Kodi Molina
The Senior Rankings
Senior Men's Weapons
- Drew Derrick-Bisbee
- Terry Creamer
- Edgar Cordova
- John Kim
- Eric Tremblay* & Andrew Cabilan* (Tied)
Senior Men's Forms
- Ray Kellison
- Terry Creamer
- Edgar Cordova
- Tracy Armstead
- Andrew Cabilan*
Senior Men's Fighting
- Hakim Walker
- El-Java Abdul-Qadir
- Julio Lugo
- Kodaq Wray
- Luis Rivas
Senior Women's Forms & Weapons
- Roxanne Doyon
- Amy Williams
- Deborah Kim
- Halyette Pratico
- Clarissa Villanueva
The Team Division Rankings
Synchronized Weapons
- Kodi Molina & Michael Molina
- Alessandra Alinea & Shane Billow
Synchronized Forms
- Connor Chasteen & Diego Rodriguez-Florez
- Judah Sagawa & Lila Bartz
- Isabella Nicoli & Madison Magnotta
- Benjamin Jones & Dawson Holt
Team Demonstration
- Team Freestyle
- Team Infinity
- Team Premier (North Augusta)
- Team Premier (Atlanta)
Men's Team Fighting
- Team Legend
- Team Straight Up
- Team All Stars
- Team DKS
- Team Dojo Elite* & Team Impex* (Tied)
