Kumite Head Coach

About 6Tigers Academy

6Tigers Academy is one of Canada’s leading karate organizations, serving athletes from preschool through adulthood, including recreational participants, para-athletes, provincial champions, national team members, and international competitors. The academy is committed to excellence in coaching, inclusion, leadership development, and creating lifelong positive impacts through martial arts.

Position Summary

6Tigers Academy is seeking an experienced Kumite Coach to lead the development and delivery of high-performance karate kumite programming while supporting recreational athletes of all ages and abilities. The Kumite Coach will oversee athlete development pathways from beginner through international competition, mentor assistant coaches, contribute to coach education, and help advance the organization’s mission of creating technically excellent, inclusive, and athlete-centred programming.
This position requires an individual with extensive international kumite competition and coaching experience, strong technical expertise in WKF-style karate kumite, and demonstrated success developing kumite athletes for national and international competition.

Key Responsibilities
• Plan, implement, and evaluate long-term athlete development programs for children, youth, adults, para-athletes, and high-performance competitors.
• Coach athletes during daily training sessions, tournaments, provincial championships, national championships, and international competitions.
• Develop individualized annual training plans, including technical, tactical, physical, and psychological preparation.
• Conduct technical analysis of athletes and opponents using video review and performance metrics.
• Design competition strategies and provide real-time coaching during competition.
• Mentor and supervise assistant coaches and instructor trainees.
• Assist in the development of coach education materials and internal training systems.
• Lead technical seminars, clinics, and special training camps.
• Support athlete recruitment and talent identification.
• Collaborate with sport science professionals, medical practitioners, and strength and conditioning coaches when appropriate.
• Foster a safe, respectful, inclusive, and athlete-centred training environment.
• Maintain accurate athlete records, training plans, and performance evaluations.
• Assist with program planning, scheduling, and quality assurance across multiple academy locations.
• Represent the academy professionally within provincial, national, and international karate organizations.
• Prepare athletes for provincial, national, Pan American, and World Karate Federation (WKF) competitions through advanced technical coaching, tactical planning, and competition strategy.
• Apply current World Karate Federation (WKF) rules, international competition standards, and best practices to ensure athletes are prepared to compete successfully at the highest levels.
• Support the development of elite athletes representing Canada in international competitions by providing high-performance coaching and advanced competition preparation.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum five (5) years of full-time experience coaching competitive karate.
• Demonstrated experience coaching athletes at national and international championship events, including World Karate Federation (WKF) competitions, with the ability to prepare athletes to compete successfully at major international events such as the Pan American Championships and World Championships.
• Extensive international competition and coaching experience due to the academy's focus on developing athletes for national, Pan American, and World Karate Federation (WKF) competitions.
• Experience developing athletes from grassroots through high-performance levels.
• Advanced technical expertise in World Karate Federation (WKF) kumite.
• Experience designing periodized annual training plans for competitive athletes.
• Experience coaching athletes with diverse backgrounds and abilities, including youth and para-athletes.
• Experience mentoring developing coaches and leading technical training sessions.
• Strong understanding of Long-Term Development in Sport principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and travel for competitions.

Preferred Qualifications

• International coaching or national team coaching experience.
• International competitive experience representing a national team, world medals strongly preferred.
• NCCP Competition Development certification or equivalent internationally recognized coaching education.
• Current First Aid and CPR certification.
• Additional education in kinesiology, physical education, coaching science, or sport performance is preferred.
• Ability to communicate in multiple languages is preferred.

Core Competencies

• High-performance coaching
• Technical and tactical expertise
• Athlete-centred leadership
• Coach mentorship
• Long-term athlete development
• Performance analysis
• Inclusive coaching practices
• Professional ethics and integrity
• Strategic planning
• Team collaboration

Working Conditions

• Work with an exceptional team of professionals who are competitive, fun-loving and athlete-centred
• Work in a dojo that strives for excellence in every aspect of what we do
• Full-time position requiring daytime, evening, and weekend hours.
• Frequent travel to tournaments, training camps, and competitions.
• Active coaching role requiring prolonged standing, demonstration of techniques, and physical participation in training sessions.

Compensation and Benefits

• Performance-based bonuses tied to athlete development outcomes and competitive achievements, including:
o 5% of the annual base salary for coaching an athlete to win a National Championship.
o 10% of the annual base salary for coaching an athlete to win a medal at a World Championship.
o 15% of the annual base salary for coaching an athlete to win a World Championship title (Gold Medal).
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid vacation and professional development support, including funding for coaching certifications and continuing education.
• Travel expenses covered for sanctioned competitions, training camps, and official events.
• Relocation assistance may be provided for qualified candidates moving to the Ottawa area.