WTOKF -History and concept
WORLD TRADITIONAL OKINAWA KARATE FEDERATION Our purpose is to constantly improve karate, to globally promote the idea of unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values of karate, specifically by promoting youth and development programs, to organize our own international competitions, to set rules and regulations and to ensure their enforcement and to monitor, by the WTOKF, the entire system, in all its forms, and all necessary measures to be taken to prevent violations of the statutes, regulations and decisions of the WTOKF Rules, in order to avoid all methods or practices that could endanger the integrity of competitions and all abuses in the WTOKF. We say “NO” to racism, in all its forms! History shows that, since the beginnings, violence was present and it cyclically comes back among individuals and nations, in a way or another. Therefore, the inner transformation and the suppression of violence are still to conquer by each of us. Today, we have an advantage that our ancestors did not have. We know the history lessons and we have a weapon that they passed on to us so that we learned to evolve into a world of violence. Some of the most important founders of Karate come from these ancestors. They really had a strongly developed intelligence and an authentic sense of humanity. They all worked hard and made huge sacrifices to develop and bring to perfection the art of KARATE-DO. Taoist philosophy says: "Heaven generates, earth nourishes and man performs” meaning that heaven is the spirit, the mentality that we put into practice, the earth nurtures it while people evolve by culture and behavior. In 1935, Master Gighin Funakoshi, at the age of 67, codified and structured KARATE and KATA. Originally, his style included 19 KATA, 12 of them came from SHURITE, while 7 of them from NAHATE. Afterward, Master Funakoshi changed the names of some KATA and established a gradual progression system. Thus, PINAN became HEIAN, KATA grew to be much more spectacular, more visual, with large gestures and low positions, finally managing to form a more coherent style of karate, different from the original Okinawaian. During this time, Master Funakoshi devoted all his energy to provide KARATE-DO the complete image of the work inspired by the philosophy of Japanese Budo. He turned the martial practice into an authentic art of living and a philosophical truth. Even if he had been obstructed by the followers of the imperialist revival and military nationalists, Master Funakoshi overcame all emotional, material, technical or ideological obstacles and reinterpreted the traditional sense of TODE, and turned it into KARATE-DO. In Master Funakoshi’s vision and conception, the TODE turned into Karate is a peaceful practice, with very precise gestures, while the purpose tends to serve an ideal which harmoniously develops the body and the spirit. Karate has followed, right from the beginning, the natural course of history, becoming a SCIENCE…, an ART…!!! With such enrichment, KARATE-DO or the "art of empty hand" has spread worldwide. After a few peaceful times, this knowledge has been interpreted with great sensitivity by Master Funakoshi’s followers.... Sensei Masatoshi NAKAYAMA, sensei Taiji KASE, Sensei Hidetaka NISHIYAMA, who, over the years, had continually improved and perfected this art, creating different styles. This determined internal struggles which aimed at fighting for supremacy. I want to thank all my Budo teachers and mentors for guiding me through my live in Preserving, Developing and Promoting Traditional Japanese Budo Worldwide. The new historical stage of development of Traditional Japanese Budo is to show the Respect and Unity of Okinawan Karate and Ju-Jitsu working together to provide quality education and training. And to make a complete student in all aspects of Budo. To Preserve, Promote Japanese Culture, Budo and Heritage of Japan Worldwide. Considering the current situation, WTOKF consider that it is time for the karate unification worldwide. Because of our policy is to open our doors to all the existing styles in the karate world, thus enabling everyone to choose and to practice the style he likes. Important is to be a united WTOKF family and in doing so our motto is: “Together we have the same goal: An aim, a dream for millions of hearts: Karate Olympic Sport"
PRESIDENT |