Oss All,
In the words of our late IJKA founder Kato Shihan, the officials of IJKA UK would like to wish all our members a very Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.
2023 was a fantastic year for the association, with opportunities for members to attend 3 seminars this year starting with Worcester and ending in Aylesbury for our Christmas Course.
Between those two we held our first International Seminar with Utsumi Takato Sensei IJKA International Chief Instructor.
The venue near Blackpool was superb and easily accommodated all the karateka that trained.
We had a good attendance from all IJKA UK members and karateka from other IJKA countries and other associations joined us.
The two day seminar was not just about karate though as we had a wonderful social gathering on Saturday night with a superb meal.
The seminar and social event were both great successes and a reflection on the great organising behind the scenes for many months prior to the weekend.
IJKA UK set the bar high and delivered, proving that although we may be a young association in formation terms, we are not lacking in any organisational skills and also have an unrivaled history and lineage within IJKA International.
Our late Honorary President Ron Bellwood would have been very proud that his beloved Blackpool was chosen as the seminar location and host.
Takato Sensei really enjoyed his time with us all, as did the many visiting karateka from other countries and associations.
IJKA UK look forward to inviting Takato Sensei to the UK again.
The way forward for IJKA UK is UP.
All the very best for 2024 from IJKA UK.
Osu,
The Officials