Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Kumite Lifestyle ("we," "us," "our") is a media brand and community based in the United States, operated by Nicholas Arndt as founder, host, and creator. This policy covers kumitelifestyle.com and any subdomains we operate (including the Kumite Lifestyle shop and member community).

2. What we collect

Information you give us directly

• Application forms (Be a Guest, Affiliate, Ambassador, Sponsor, Join the Team, Host a City, Advertise, Contact) — your name, email, social handle, sport / discipline, story, availability, and any other field you fill in.
• Signed agreements — when you apply to be a guest, affiliate, or ambassador, your typed legal name, drawn signature, IP address, browser user-agent, and the document version + timestamp are captured so the resulting PDF is legally complete under the U.S. E-SIGN Act and UETA.
• Newsletter / promo signups — your email address when you join any newsletter or mailing list.
• Shop orders — name, shipping address, and email when you purchase apparel or merch. Payment information is collected and processed by our payment processor (Stripe, via Fourthwall) — we never see or store full card numbers.

Information collected automatically

• Analytics — Google Analytics records aggregate visitor behavior: pages viewed, time on page, country/region, device type, and referring source. We don't see individual identities.
• Server logs — our hosting provider (Netlify) keeps standard request logs (IP address, timestamp, user-agent) for a limited window, used for security and debugging.
• Cookies — see Section 5 for details.

3. How we use it

• To respond to your application or inquiry personally.
• To fulfill orders from the shop (ship product, send order confirmations, handle returns).
• To send the emails you signed up for — newsletter, drop announcements, promo codes. You can unsubscribe from any of these in one click.
• To generate and store signed agreements when you sign one of our contracts (Guest Release, Affiliate Agreement, Ambassador Agreement).
• To improve the site — figure out what content people actually want, what's broken, and what to build next.
• To protect the site from spam, abuse, and fraud.

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We do not use your data to train AI models. We do not run targeted advertising on this site.

4. Who we share it with

We share only what's necessary, only with the tools we use to run this business:

• Netlify — hosting and form processing.
• ConvertKit (Kit) — email newsletter and broadcast delivery.
• Stripe / Fourthwall — payment processing and order fulfillment for the shop.
• Google Analytics — anonymized visitor analytics.
• Zoom — when you book a Studio session, your name and email are visible to us as the meeting host through Zoom's standard meeting controls.

Each of these has its own privacy policy that governs what they do with the data they touch. We don't share your information with anyone else unless we're legally required to (subpoena, court order) or you've given explicit permission.

5. Cookies & analytics

We use two categories of cookies:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to work (session, security). Always on.
• Analytics cookies — Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use the site. You can decline these via the cookie banner on your first visit, or block them in your browser settings at any time.

We don't use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels beyond what Google Analytics provides.

6. Your rights

Wherever you live, you can:

• Ask us what we have on you.
• Ask us to update or correct it.
• Ask us to delete it (subject to legal recordkeeping requirements — e.g. signed agreements must be retained for the life of the agreement plus applicable statute of limitations).
• Unsubscribe from any marketing email instantly via the link at the bottom of every email we send.

If you're in California (CCPA / CPRA), the EU/UK (GDPR), or another region with specific privacy rights, those rights apply to you here as well. Email info@kumitelifestyle.com with your request and we'll respond within 30 days.

7. Children's privacy

Kumite Lifestyle is intended for visitors 18 and older. Every application form requires confirmation that you are 18 or older (or, for guest applicants, that a parent or legal guardian co-signs). We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you believe a minor has submitted information, email info@kumitelifestyle.com and we will delete it.

8. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy in a way that affects what we collect or how we use it, we'll update the "Effective" date at the top, and — if the change is material — we'll notify newsletter subscribers by email. The version in effect is always whichever version is currently posted here.

9. How to contact us

Questions about this policy, or want to exercise one of your rights above? Email info@kumitelifestyle.com — every message is read personally by Nicholas.

This policy is written in plain language because we believe legal documents should be readable. It's not a substitute for legal advice. If you have a specific legal question, please consult an attorney.