2024 NCR Spring Shiai – Highlights

The Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) held their annual spring shiai at the Shotokan Karate Minnesota (SKM) dojo on Saturday March 23, 2024. We had athletes/judges from SKM, Traditional Karate-Do Academy at UMN, Madison Japanese Karate Club and Midwest Karate Association St. Paul. The athletes had a good time getting feedback on their kata and kumite from the judges. The judges were able to sharpen their skills to get ready for the 2024 AAKF National Championships that will be held in Bloomington, MN in June, see below for more details. Below are some photos from Mark Abeln and Trung Le from the shiai.

Click here for more photos from the 2024 NCR Spring shiai

2024 AAKF National Championships and

International Camp

June 19-22, 2024 Bloomington, MN

The 2024 National Championships and International Camp is less than 3 months away.

The AAKF North Central Region welcomes you to the AAKF 61st National Championships and International Camp to be held in Bloomington, Minnesota from June 19 – 22, 2024. The venue location is Cedar Valley Church 8600 Bloomington Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55425

Join us for this longstanding competition to uphold the budo spirit and the high standards of traditional karate through top caliber competition. The event will feature six individual and five team competition categories along with the ever thriving Junior National and Adult Kyu Championships.

There will be exams conducted for dan rank, judges qualifications, ranking examiner, and coaching qualifications on Friday June 21, 2024. All examinees are required to take part in all three days of training.

Camp participation is open to all karateka and all ranks are invited to attend. If you are not a member of the AAKF, you will be charged an additional $40. Click here for more details.

2024 AAKF Seminar Highlights

AAKF held a seminar in Madison, WI on April 12-14, 2024. Tong and Chiai senseis conducted the seminar.

The seminar covered bunkai and oyo with several katas like Jion. The students had a good time with partner drills. Tong and Chiai senseis discussed and demonstrated many kata application techniques with the students on how to use leverage verses strength. In a self defense situation, time and space are very limited. Use technques that are simple and works rather than something fancy and complex. Use proper posture alignment and transmitting power from the floor through the legs to the technique instead of using only upper body and arm tension to generate power. Here is link on a brief explaination of bunkai and oyo. Here is a gallary of photos from the seminar:

Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration

• Upcoming events
  • TBD
• NCR 2025 plans
  • January 25, 2025 NCR/SKM winter Shiai at SKM. More details to follow.
  • March 1, 2025 NCR/SKM kata seminar at SKM. More details to follow.
  • March 29, 2025 NCR/SKM spring Shiai at SKM. More details to follow.
• AAKF upcoming events:
  • 2025 – AAKF National Champtionships and International camp. Madison, WI More details to follow.

• WTKF Events
  • WTKF calendar  – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.

Click here to view NCR’s photo albums.

More photos here from the U of Mn club photo library.

Dan Examination Schedule

• NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
  • tbd
• Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
• Dan rank registration required when you pass your dan exam – click here