Dear WKO Branch Chiefs and Contacts,

Thank you everyone for your continued cooperation in WKO’s activities.

The year is about to come to an end. The temperature has dropped in Japan, and even putting on a Dogi before practice feels chilly. Meanwhile, the delayed autumn foliage, likely due to global warming, is coloring the streets with vibrant reds and yellows , enhancing the festive atmosphere as Christmas songs fill the air.
How are you all spending this time of the year? As we reflect on the past year, I hope you can find moments of warmth, joy, and peace amidst the busyness of the season , spending meaningful time with your family and friends.

This year was another year of great progress for the WKO. In the summer, the Dream Festival 2024 International Championships recorded the largest number in history of 3,755 participants. On the same day, a premier stage of the Fullcontact Karate world, the 1st Karate Champion of Champions, was launched with fans that filled the venue. We shared a new perspective on the scale of Fullcontact Karate and the sense of the top.
In addition, the year following the 13th World Championship marked the first year of a four-year cycle for our activities. It was remarkable and reassuring to witness the emergence of strong young fighters at the regional selection tournaments worldwide, who will lead the next generation.
On the other hand, it was deeply saddening to hear the news of the passing of our senior Shihans one after another from the beginning of this year, such as Shihan Masahiko Yamada of Japan, Shihan Miranda Hoyos of Bolivia, and Shihan Arpad Kalmar of Hungary. However, seeing the strong and determined to continue their legacy in each country efforts and branch has truly been a source of inspiration.

How was 2024 for you?

In our Fullcontact Karate activities, the WFKO (World Full Contact Karate Organization) recently announced information for the 1st World Fullcontact Karate Championship, which will be held in Ariake, Tokyo on May 31st and June 1st next year. As this championship also serves as the 8th World Karate Championship in Weight Categories for the WKO, let us proceed with the preparations, fulfilling our responsibilities as the coordinating organization of WFKO, with a strong sense of ownership and initiative.

Regional selection tournaments for the WFKO Championship have been proceeding worldwide. Starting with Japan, the qualifiers have completed in Europe, South Pacific, Asia, Central Asia, South America, Central America, and the Middle East, leaving with North America and Africa. With the final qualifier in Africa scheduled for late January, the lineup of competitors on the global stage of Fullcontact Karate’s grand festival is finally coming together. Unfortunately, we must ask for the patience of the Russian Karatekas a little longer.

In November, I visited Asia and Europe for their selections. Both were outstanding tournaments, the Asia tournament organized by Shihan Fumiaki Nagashima, Branch Chief in Thailand, and the Europe tournament organized by Shihan Koen Spitaels, Branch Chief of Belgium. During my stay, I received tremendous support from the Shihans and all those involved, for which I am deeply grateful. Thank you.
In addition, the Japanese delegation visited South and Central America, where they reported witnessing the great efforts put into organizing the superb tournaments.
I would like to express my gratitude and respect to all those who supported in organizing each regional selection tournament.

The 1st World Full-Contact Karate Championship is a unified competition where various styles and organizations come together. As the organizer, WFKO is both a sporting organization and an international federation. I hope the competitors will fully demonstrate the skills and techniques they have learned from their respective practical training organizations at this competition.
As preparations for this tournament move forward, I imagine that WKO branch chiefs, contacts, athletes, and others may sense an unfamiliar feeling. The diversity created by numerous styles and organizations is a significant cultural characteristic of Full contact Karate, and the uniqueness of each group adds vibrancy to it. At the same time, the gradual rise of national federations, going beyond the boundaries of styles and organizations, will start to feel more familiar at this championship. The intersection of the bond in individual styles and organizations, alongside the growing bond in countries and regions, may give rise to a fresh feeling of synchronization. As we prepare for this tournament, let us fine-tune this fresh sense and nurture the movement toward unity in the new world of Fullcontact Karate.
We must value the needs of this era and, as “All WKO,” unite with a spirit of service to ensure the success of this tournament. To the competitors, let us form strong solidarity, recognize each other’s presence on the world stage, and compete through rigorous training, striving together so that WKO can dominate the top positions in this tournament.

In closing, alongside devastating natural disasters and ongoing international conflicts, we are witnessing frequent acts of violent crime hidden behind the convenience of a highly information-driven society, symbolized by the internet. In consequence, our international community lacks stability, and human society is confronted with difficulties that expose our inner weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
The WKO will continue to contribute to world peace through the global promotion of Karate, a martial art in which the stronger we become, the more kind we become.
I sincerely hope for the earliest resolution of the difficult international conflicts and that the world will soon be filled with smiles.

As the year draws to a close, I wish you a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

WKO President Kenji Midori

Dear WKO Branch Chiefs and Contacts,

Thank you for your continued efforts to promote the Budo Karate around the world.

Japan is in the midst of a humid heat wave, and Karatekas across the country are drenched in sweat and practicing hard day after day. It has been two months since my last message, and I hope you are spending your days in good health and with great fulfillment as always.

In Japan, after the All Japan Full Contact Karate Championship in May, the Karate Dream Festival 2024 International Championships and the 1st Karate Champion of Champions were simultaneously held on July 20th and 21st. The Karate Dream Festival was the first international competition in six years. The largest in history, 3,775 athletes from 23 countries and regions, including 338 foreign athletes competed in the international championships in the Kata and Kumite categories. This world’s largest Fullcontact karate mega-event had more than a total of 30,000 people attending, including competitors, families, Senseis, Sempais, and other related members. We shared our emotions at the venue, seeing the fierce battles, the paths of the competitors, and the efforts and support of their families and comrades.
I would like to express my deepest respect for the Karatekas of all ages, each with their own stories, and their culmination of every moment of every training.

Now, the 1st Karate Champion of Champions (KCC) was held in conjunction with this Dream Festival. This is a premier tournament that produces star athletes from the Fullcontact Karate World, with each of the 8 strongest males and females carefully selected from 106 countries and regions, competing for total prize money of 30 million yen.

The tatami for Karatekas, with the belief in simplicity and fortitude, has been filled with colorful lights and sounds that resonate with the heart and body. The intersecting images, the profound stage set, and the special effects, all together, captured the charm of karate from various angles, stimulated the sensibilities, and stirred up a lot of excitement.
In addition, athletes and officials who had finished their matches, including
Starting with the winners of the 182 categories of the above-mentioned Karate Dream Festival, came to the venue after their tournaments, and the venue quickly became overcrowded until there were standing audiences.

This KCC surely has become the bridge to new dreams for the junior and youth champions of the Dream Festival. Well done to all the competitors who fought with all their might in this extraordinary space, a true Champion of Champions. I would like to send my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Yuki Okada and Ms. Mihiro Suzuki, who won the tournament. I also would like to mention Mr. Eventas Guzauskas and Ms. Brigita Gustaityte from Lithuania, who both came in second place. I felt that all the spectators gave their unstinted cheer for their strong will to not give up until the very end.

The KCC Special Referee Team for this premier tournament was assembled with premier members, mainly the past World Champions. The young referees, who were called up on an emergency basis during the preparation of this event, refereed more than 100 matches at the Karate Dream Festival to adjust the standards and prepare for the KCC tournament. I felt the pride of the champion from their attitude to make such serious preparations and respond to the efforts of the competitors. Great fight and great judges. Everything was of premium quality. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the competitors, coaches, and everyone else who supported this tournament.

The scale of the Dream Festival, the feeling of the summit at KCC, and the genuine sense of solidity seen at the past World Championships. In Shinkyokushinkai, we would like to draw out the full potential of Fullcontact Karate from all angles and take them to the next level. However, it is essential to innovatively nurture athletes who stand on those stages. We shall work together to produce the best competitors on a global scale.

The Fullcontact Karate movement, which is spreading worldwide, will enter an unpredictable stage with the 1st World Fullcontact Karate Championships scheduled for next May in Tokyo. The selection tournaments in each region will be actively held around the world. Following Japan and Europe, the South Pacific tournament is also coming soon. I believe that Shihan David Jacobs, who has been newly appointed as the South Pacific regional representative, will demonstrate his leadership, and I ask for the cooperation of everyone in the region. Additionally, in November, selection tournaments will be held in Asia, Central and South America, and the second European selection tournament will be held in Belgium.

I hope that all the Shinkyokushin competitors participating in these preliminaries will carry the prestige of Shinkyokushinkai on their shoulders and earn a ticket to the World Championship. To each country and regional federation, please prepare for the fateful day, in the spirit that Shinkyokushinkai, the leaders of this grand movement, will reach the pinnacle of this championship and dominate all the categories, to mark the beginning of a new era.

Lastly, I received a sad news on May 30th. Shihan Arpad Kalmar, the Branch Chief of Hungary had suddenly passed away. Moreover, I heard that he collapsed during the European Championship that he attended. Speaking of Shihan Arpad, he was known not only for his accomplishments as a Karateka, but also for his remarkable success as a journalist. I believe there are many people who were photographed by him, not only in Europe but also in Japan. I was speechless at the sudden news of his death and could not believe it. I can only imagine the heartache of Shihan Arpad’s family and the Hungarian Branch. I would like to express my sincere condolences and pray for his soul. Shihan Arpad, please rest in peace.

Let’s continue to work together as branch chiefs and all concerned parties around the world to spread the presence of Fullcontact Karate in the international sports world.
OSU

Kenji Midori
WKO President