Announcement

The World Kumite Organization is growing at a rapid pace. Due to this, at the last AGM meeting in March 2010 attended by some 40 Shihans from all over the world, it was agreed that the only way to proceed was to introduce a selection tournament system for those countries with large numbers of Shihans such as Japan, Iran, and Australia. This however, does not affect Executive Members Shihans who have the privilege of bringing 1 fighter in each division (Open Weight and Middle Weight) to represent them at the Kumite Championships. It was agreed that Kancho Shugihara would arrange the Selection tournaments for the Japan Regions. The inauguration of the WKO Japan will be held at 7:00 p.m. on July 17^th (Sat) in Hotel ILCuore Namba, Osaka. http://www.ilcuore-namba.com/en/index.html

Japan is divided with 10 regions as listed below: WKO_Japan

Okinawa Block (the southern edge region of Japan)
Kyushu Block (the southern region of Japan)
Shikoku Block(the southwest region of Japan)
Chugoku Block(the northwest region of Japan)
Kinki Block ( the west region of Japan, including Osaka)
Toukai Block( the mid-south region of Japan)
Hokushinetsu Block(the mid-north region of Japan)
Kanto Block( the east region of Japan, Tokyo area)
Tohoku Block(the northeast of Japan)
Hokkaido Block( the northern region of Japan)

A chief of block is selected in each block and many karate sects in each region are handled by a block chief.

Over 100 sect groups belong to the WKO Japan currently.

Shihan Hasegawa, as the Chief Advisor for the World Kumite Organization, will be monitoring all selection tournaments around the world.

Australia and Iran will be announcing their WKO tournament dates at the end of this month. All other Shihans that plan to hold WKO tournaments, please advise the Hombu so we may advertise your tournaments on the website and to other members all over the world.

The amount of response for the WKO is amazing, there are so many Shihans all over the world that are just disillusioned by politics. We have to be careful this does not happen to our organization. Many are joining us because for us it is not about who is in charge but about getting the job done. Creating a unity not only of instructors and masters but systems of Martial arts.

In Japan and Iran the numbers of champions is very high and the standard very high also so it makes sense to run selection tournaments in these regions. Kancho Sugihara was chosen to organize the Japan regions due to the quality and amount of tournaments he promotes every year and the fact he has the high profile sponsorship to do so. In Australia Shihan Gorge Kolovos is the most active in the region in relation to Promoting tournaments. WKO tournaments will be held in the region of Melbourne for now until more growth in other states appear. Then it is quite possible we will expand the selection tournaments to other regions as well.

Iran, under Hanshi Shagahagi’s guidance, has produced some of the top fighters in the WKO. Due to the government support of Karate and martial arts in Iran its growth and the growth of the WKO there is phenomenal. All WKO tournaments are supported by the government. This means all systems attend and only the best get to compete.

Many other Shihans are following suit and looking at promoting the WKO tournaments in their respected areas. This is important for the growth of our organization.

The DVD is being launched on the WWW.World-kumite.org website at the end of this month. We are sorry for the delay however everything ground to a halt here in Thailand due to the political unrest.

We ask that Shihans and members feed us with information in relation to tournaments, promoting your champions, camps and seminars. We will promote them on the WKO site and in our News Letters.

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION.

WKO KNOCKDOWN MAGAZINE: The WKO is now looking at the publishing of a by-monthly Martial arts Magazine dedicated to WKO members and Shihans. It will take the resemblance of the famous BLACKBELT magazine published in the USA. This will promote individual Masters and schools along with fighters and events. The magazines success will depend on the Shihans supplying the WKO with content. We ask those who may be interested in distributing the magazine in their regions to contact us and discuss it. Your support is much appreciated.
We are still receiving many requests for the WKO to hold grading. Please understand the WKO only underwrites your grading supplied by the individual organizations accepted by the WKO. From then on, grades are honouree based on your affiliation to the WKO. Every 5 years for Shihans over 5^th dan. Under 5^th dan, you need to supply you grading certificate from your respected organizations. The WKO will then underwrite your grade. For those who have separated from your original organizations and operate individually we will look at these applications case by case.
We are faced with a dilemma and that is the growth of the WKO is so rapid that it will be hard to keep everyone happy. Please bare with us, and help us as we are a new organization based on old fundamentals. The Khohai Sempai (Sihing, Sidai) system is in place regardless of administrative positions in the WKO. The respect is as per rank. Therefore, when you have ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact us in order for the rest of the Organization to hear and comment on your thoughts.
Shihan Hasegawa, the World Chief Advisor, has voiced his concern that monopolies may arise in those countries that are running selection tournaments due to the controlling of who gets to compete. The problem is that if Iran were able to have each non executive Shihan send a fighter we could have 30 fighters from Iran alone. The same would happen in Japan and Australia. Therefore, we feel in these countries it is necessary to run selections and split the countries into regions. To avoid monopolies the possibility of each region in each country could send a representative. For example Australia has 4 regions Perth, Sydney, Victoria, Queensland. The winners of the said WKO tournaments in each of these regions would be invited to compete in the World Kumite Championships held every 2 years. Japan and Iran the same, if there are ten regions the winners in each region can compete in the World Kumite Championships held every 2 years . Each alternate year, each country could hold a WKO All Country tournament with each region competeing to find a country Champion. This winner would receive a bye and proceed direct to the World Kumite Championships. It's my opinion by doing this, tournaments will be promoted on a global scale as the WKO strength lays in our Shihans and also the strength of our fighters and tournaments.
Remember Executive members only have the right to by pass a selection tournament and send their fighters direct to the World Kumite Championships.

The Executive Members are:

Shihan Edward Emin
Master Ooi Hock Lye
Hanshi Ahmad Shaghaghi
Shihan Kazuyuki Hasegawa
Kancho Masayasu Sugihara
Kaicho Hoosain Narker
Sifu / Master Robert McInnes
Kancho Walid Hassan Marie
Si Fu Gawain Siu
Shihan Tamaki Moriguchi
Shihan Barry Johnston
Shihan George Kolovos
Kancho Ademir da Costa
Shihan Monte Allen
Shihan Gong Han
Shihan Ahmad Ismail
Kancho Toshio Mizuguchi

As always, the advice and comments of all the masters is welcome and it's your collective ideas that will determine the success of the Future of the WKO