Dear IOGKF Family,
I would like to thank you for all your hard work to preserve and promote traditional karate. Looking back this year, we had great success at the World Budosai, breaking the attendance record with over 1,100 karate-ka. I am sure that everybody was so happy to see Higaonna Sensei back in action. Higaonna Sensei is very satisfied with the outcome of the event, and now his focus is to work with all Okinawan karate masters and the Okinawan government to bring Okinawa Karate to UNESCO as an intangible cultural treasure. Higaonna Sensei told me to tell you that he wishes everybody “Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year!”
This year Sensei Bakkies, Sensei Terauchi, Sensei Ernie, Sensei Henrik & I, and many other senior instructors traveled to different member countries and taught many gasshuku. Despite the absence of Higaonna Sensei’s presence at the international Gasshuku, each country continued to host a successful events in their own regions. This shows the strength of our organization. Due to everybody’s effort, the IOGKF is well respected among the world’s martial arts society for its high standard. As the main objective of our organization is to preserve traditional karate, we can only grow slowly, as I want to make sure to keep our standard high.
In the coming year, the following is the list of the big events.
Oceania Gasshuku (Feb 24 – 26, New Zealand)
North America Gasshuku (Jun 15 – 18, USA)
European Gasshuku (Jul 24 – 28, Czech Republic)
South American Gasshuku (Nov 10 – 12, Colombia)
IOGKF Chief Instructor Gasshuku (Nov 29 – Dec 2, Okinawa)
I am looking forward to training with you.
I wish you, your family, and all members health and prosperity in the coming year!
Respectfully yours,
Tetsuji Nakamura
IOGKF Chief Instructor