International Traditional Karate Federation
The International Traditional Karate Federation (or ITKF; known in Japanese as Kokusai Dentō Karate Renmei ) is the international governing body for Traditional Karate. This organisation was founded by Hidetaka Nishiyama.
History
ITKF is the direct successor of the International Amateur Karate Federation (IAKF), which was established on September 27, 1974 at a constitutional meeting in New York City. This meeting was attended by the world’s national Karate federation representatives.
Six years before, in 1968, there had been growing worldwide interest for the formation of an international Karate federation that would also oversee the presentation of international competitions. At that time, in response to this increasingly worldwide interest, the American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF), now the ITKF member from the United States, organized the World Invitational Karate-Do Tournament which was held at two sites, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. and Mexico City, Mexico. The AAKF invited the team representatives from Asia, Europe, North and South America. It was this international tournament held in 1968 which was to be later recognized as the first truly world-scale competition. In addition, it was at this time that the participating international delegations met and agreed to form an international Karate organization. The date of the agreement was November 3, 1968. It was this agreement and the representatives involved that were to later form the basis for the formal constitutional formation of the IAKF in 1974.
The IAKF moved with deliberate and diligent purpose, as in 1975, when it mounted its First World Karate-Do Championship in Los Angeles, California. This tournament was followed in succession by World Karate-Do Championships in 1977 in Tokyo, Japan, 1980 in Bremen, West Germany and 1983 in Cairo, Egypt. The IAKF also moved to strengthen and revitalize the growth of the Traditional Karate sport on a continental level. This was done through IAKF Continental Organizations in Africa, Asia-Oceania, Europe and Pan America which mounted their own continental championships.
So as to more clearly differentiate and identify its exclusive and separate jurisdiction over the sport of Traditional Karate, the IAKF officially changed its name in May, 1986 to the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF).[1]
The ITKF wanted to make clear it was the governing body of traditional karate. In 1987, the IOC officially confirmed that the ITKF was the governing body for traditional karate.
ITKF Officials and Instructors
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| Instructor | Rank | Position | Country | Headquarters' official site |
| Rick Jorgensen | 7th Dan | Chairman | Canada | ITKFCTKF |
| Dr. Wlodzimierz Kwiecinski | 7th Dan | Vice President | Poland | TKFP |
| Dr. Vladimir Yorga | 9th Dan | Medical Committee Chairman | Serbia | ETKF, STKS |
| J. Michael Crowe | ' | General Secretary | U.S.A. | ITKF |
| Aiko Torii | ' | Treasurer | U.S.A. | ITKF |
| Rajeev Sinha | 7th Dan | Director | India | TKFI |
| Sabeth Mukhsin | 8th Dan | Director | Indonesia | FKTI |
| Luciano Puricelli | 6th Dan | Director | Italy | FIKTA |
| Nobuhiro Tsurume | 7th Dan | Director | Japan | JTKF |
| Kenneth Taylor | 5th Dan | Director | U.K. | UKTKF |
| Katsuya Ishiyama | 9th Dan | Chairman | Venezuela | ASVEKAT [1] |
| Ibrahim El Marhomy | 7th Dan | Chairman | Egypt,Africa&Middle East | ETKF [2] |
Technical Qualifications
Dan Ranking
ITKF officially recognizes Eligible Style Organization (ESO) rankings which have standards that match ITKF technical standards. ITKF recognizes each ESO ranking as an official rank.
Ranking Examiner
ITKF recognizes Ranking Examiners who have completed the necessary ITKF course and examination and each respective style organization’s recommended examiners. Examiners are ranked as Class A, B or C.
Judge
ITKF qualified judges serve at all official ITKF competitions. Judges must complete the required course and successfully pass the examination. There are two categories for Judges: Kumite and Kata. Each category has three classes: A, B or C.
Certified Coach
ITKF issues certificates for Certified Coaches, which require completion of the necessary course and examination.
Certified Instructor
ITKF issues certificates for Certified Instructors, which require completion of the necessary training course. [2]
ITKF Summer Camp
The ITKF runs an annual retreat for Karate training held in San Diego, California. Karate students come from all over the world to train. Guest Instructors, often outside of the ITKF are invited to teach classes. Exams for black belt, examiner certification and judge certification are offered.
List of National Federations by Country
The ITKF has national clubs in the following countries:[3]
Albania - Albanian Traditional Karate Federation
Antigua - Antigua Martial Arts Federation
Argentina - Asociación de Karate Tradicional Argentina
Armenia - “Centre” National Traditional Karate-Do Federation of Armenia
Australia - Australia Traditional Karate Federation
Austria - Austrian Traditional Karate Federation
Belarus - Traditional Karate-Do Federation of Belarus
Belgium - Belgian Amateur Karate Federation
Brazil - Confederacao Brasieira de Karate-Do Tradicional
Canada - Canadian Traditional Karate Federation
Chile - Asociacion Karate Tradicional Chile
Colombia - Comisión Técnica Nacional de Karate Tradicional
Croatia - Traditional Karate Federation of Croatia
Cyprus - Cyprus Traditional Karate Federation
Czech Republic - Czech Traditional Karate Association
Dominican Republic - Federación Dominicana Karate Tradicional
Egypt - Egyptian Traditional Karate Federation - ETKF [3]
France - Fédération de Karaté Traditionnel et arts Martiaux Assimilés en France - FKTAMAF [4]
Georgia - Georgian Traditional Karate Federation
Germany - Deutscher Traditioneller Karate Verband
Greece - Greek Traditional Karate Federation
Hungary - Hungarian Traditional Karate-Do Federation
India - Traditional Karate Federation of India
Indonesia - Federasi Karate Tradisional Indonesia
Iran - Iran Traditional Karate Association
Ireland - Irish Traditional Karate Federation
Israel - Federation Traditional Karate Israel
Italy - Federazione Italiana Karate Tradizionale e. Discipline Affini
Japan - Japan Traditional Karate Federation
Kyrgyzstan - Traditional Karate-Do Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic
Latvia - Latvian Traditional Karate Federation
Lithuania - Lithuanian Traditional Karate Association
Macedonia - Macedonian Traditional Karate Federation
Malaysia - Association of Shotokan Karate Sabah
Malta - Traditional Karate Federation of Malta
Mexico - Traditional Karate Federation Mexico
Moldova - Traditional Karate-Do Federation of the Republic of Moldova
Netherlands - Nederlandse Traditionele Karate Federation
Norway - Norwegian Traditional Karate Federation
Panama - San Ten Traditional Karate Association
Paraguay - Federación Paraguaya de Karate Tradicional
Peru - Asociación Peruana de Karate Tradicional
Philippines - Philippines Traditional Karate Federation
Poland - Traditional Karate Federation of Poland
Portugal - Portuguese Traditional Karate Federation
Puerto Rico - Federación de Karate Tradicional de Puerto Rico
Romania - The Romanian Traditional Karate Federation
Russia - Russian Traditional Karate Federation
Rwanda - Rwanda Shotokan Karate Association
Serbia - Traditional Karate Federation of Serbia
Slovakia - Slovak Federation of Karate and Martial Arts
Slovenia - Slovenian Federation for Traditional Karate
South Africa - South Africa Traditional Karate Federation
Spain - Traditional Karate Organization in Spain
Sri Lanka - Ceylon Traditional Karate Federation
Switzerland - Swiss Traditional Karate Federation
Turkmenistan - Traditional Karate Federation of Turkmenistan
Ukraine - Ukraine Traditional Karate-Do Federation
United Kingdom - United Kingdom Traditional Karate Federation
Uruguay - Federación Uruguaya de Karate Tradicional
USA - American Amateur Karate Federation
Uzbekistan - Regional Traditional Fudokan Karate-Do Federation of Uzbekistan
Venezuela - Venezuelan Traditional Karate Association
