Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
2024 NCR Shiai – Noon Saturday March 23
The 2024 NCR shiai will be held at the SKM dojo. We expect the tournament to be well attended by adults and kids from all the surrounding dojos in our region. The shiai will have certified AAKF/WTKF judges in both kumite and kata.
The NCR judges come with years of judging experience at the national and international level and most have competed nationally and/or internationally. The tournament will provide a comfortable environment where athletes can test their skills against fellow karatekas. The event will help the athletes prepare for their next kyu test or dan examination by receiving feedback from the judges on their performance that will help improve their karate skills and knowledge. The judges will use the shiai to sharpen their skills and performance in preparation for the 2024 AAKF National Championships that will be held in the Twin Cities in June of this year.
Details to follow regarding the 2024 AAKF Nationals.
AAKF Annual Membership Renewal – March 31 Deadline
The new AAKF registration system is still a work-in-progress. For 2024, the AAKF club and individual membership registration will be done manually with your club sensei. If you are a current AAKF member the cost is $25. For a new AAKF membership the cost is $35. For club renewal, the cost is $170.00. Check this out -> Benefits of an AAKF membership.
Please provide your name to your club’s sensei and make your check payable to your club. Club owners have the detailed instructions for mailing in their club’s AAKF membership roster and payment instructions to the AAKF office.
2024 AAKF Spring Seminar, April 12-14, Madison, WI
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
2024 NCR Seminar – Highlights
NCR recently held a noon kumite seminar at the SKM on January 27, 2024. The seminar covered reaction timing and distance principles. The drills involved partner work. The seminar was taught by Sensei Art Wong (St. Paul) and Sensei Tom Meagher (Northfield). Students were given feedback by both the senseis and their training partners. Participants had fun and learned new techniques and training drills to better their kumite.
Below are some photos from the kumite seminar working on reaction timing. Click here to see additional photos from the kumite seminar.
2024 NCR Shiai – Noon Saturday March 23
The 2024 NCR shiai will be held at the SKM dojo. The shiai is always well attended by adults and kids from all the surrounding dojos in our region. The shiai will have certified AAKF/WTKF judges in both kumite and kata. The NCR judges come with many years of national and international experience in judging as well as competing nationally and/or internationally. The shiai will provide the students an event that will test their skills against fellow karatekas, provide an environment for comradery of like minds, and have fun. The shiai will prepare students for their next kyu test or dan examination. The students will receive feedback from the judges so they can improve their skills and knowledge of karate. The shiai will sharpen the judge’s skills and performance in preparation for the 2024 AAKF National Championships that will be held in the twin cities in June of this year. More details to follow regarding the 2024 AAKF Nationals.
The AAKF national organization, which Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) is a member of as well as the regional clubs and students, is redesigning their website. At this time, static information have been posted on the new AAKF website with more changes to come that will provide a better online entry experience for registering clubs, student’s memberships, student’s kyu ranks and dan ranks, and examiner and judge’s certification. Click hereto view the latest AAKF website. Also, click here to view the AAKF Facebook site.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
Happy Holidays!
Happy holidays to everyone as we wind down 2023. This fall we had a lot of karate competition events:
2023 NCR fall shiai at the SKM dojo in Mpls,
2023 Pan-Am championships in Buenos Aires,
2023 Traditional Karate-do Academy UofMn Tournament, and
2023 Fall Great Lakes Region Madison tournament.
Below are the highlights from those events. Have a happy holiday and happy new year.
Happy holidays from SKM club
NCR Fall Shiai– October 14, 2023 – Highlights
The 2023 NCR Fall Shiai held at the SKM dojo was a huge success. We had more competitors participating than last year and more judges helping out in the two rings. The students had a good time and received valuable feedback from the judges on their kata performance.
Below are a few photos from the 2023 Fall Shiai. Additional photos links on NCR Facebook site and UofMn Facebook
Judges and competitors lined up to start the shiai event.
Sensei Trung Le reviewing the kumite rules with the competitors and judges
WTKF 2023 Pan-Am Tournament – Highlights
The World Traditional Karate Federation (WTKF) held the 2023 Pan-Am championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Al Kotula, Laurie Elliott, and Mark Abeln represented the Traditional Karate North Central Regions as USA judges at the Pan-Am tournament. A karate seminar and judging seminar was held prior to the tournament. This allow the judges and participants to review and train on traditional karate principles, and WTKF tournament rules and procedures.
NCR Judges Travel to Pan-Am Games in Argentina
Laurie Elliott
The 2-day judging seminar was held on Wednesday/Thursday with the Championships on Friday.
Sensei Tabassi reviewed 5 judging concepts including 1) Ethics, 2) Physical ability, 3) Know the rules, 4) Know the principles, and 5) Budo. An analogy was made between a) knowing the rules, and b) knowing the principles. Knowing the rules is like knowing the driver’s manual for the rules of the road. Knowing the principles is like actually driving a car. Both are important and interrelated, but they are very different in practice.
Some (very) brief highlights from the seminar include:
Posture: Must have good posture for correct breathing and connection to the floor in order to get energy from the floor. Every stance starts with the skeletal structure (bones). The spine directs the movement.
Body dynamics: Use body dynamics to increase energy.
Power: Use pressure to create sharp action.
Transition: Transition means you’re not giving your opponent an opening.
Keep eyes soft. Think of looking at a mountain, but only focus on a small rock on the mountain. The eyes carry a lot of power over the body.
Below are some photos from the 2023 Pan-Am Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. More photos and videos on the Pan-Am Championships can be found on NCR’s Facebook, click here.
Judges at the 2023 Pan-Am Championships
Al Kotula, Laurie Elliott and Mark Abeln having a good time at supper. Night life in Buenos AiresMen’s kumite matchWomen’s kata competitionAl Kotula kata judgingTabassi Sensei explaining karate principlesBrian demonstrating with SenseiAl and Laurie working judging drills
Traditional Karate-do Academy at UMN
Tournament Highlights November 18, 2023
The annual Fall Traditional Karate-do Academy at UMN tournament was held near the UMN campus on November 18, 2023 at the Van Cleve Park Gym 901 15th Ave SE, Mpls. MN. The competitors came and tested their skills with fellow karatekas at this fun filled event. The event helped prepare them for their next kyu or dan examination. For senior black belts, they came and helped judge, coach, and provide feedback to the students.
2023 Traditional Karate-do Academy tournament competitors and judges
The UofMn tournament helped the competitors and judges prepare for next year’s annual 2024 AAKF National Championships hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR), more details to follow on date and location in Mpls, MN.
The Great Lakes Region Madison Japanese Karate Club is one of the oldest Martial Arts clubs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison held their annual fall tournament Nov 4, 2023.
Click here for NCR’s posted photos of the event. Post two clickhere. Post three clickhere. Post four photos/videos clickhere.
CompetitorsJudgesUofMN students
New Black Belts at Shotokan Karate MN
On November 11, 2023 Mike Winter achieved the black belt rank of Nidan, and Abdi Omar achieved the black belt rank of Shodan. Both students are from Shotokan Karate Minnesota dojo. CONGRATULATIONS! Mike and Abdi on your achievement.
Mike and Abdi executing their dan test kumite
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
NCR Fall Shiai– October 14, 2023
NCR is holding its annual fall shiai hosted at the SKM dojo on October 14, 2023 from noon-3pm
This is your opportunity test your skills with fellow karatekas form our region. Use the fall shiai as a precursor to testing for your next kyu rank or dan rank. You will get feedback, assess your skills, and it will help develop your karate way of life roadmap.
NCR judges will use the fall shiai event to help test and hone their judging skills for future regional, national and international tournaments.
Come and participate at the fall shiai and have fun cheering on your fellow karatekas.
WTKF 2023 PanAm Tournament
The WTKF 2023 Pan American Tournament which covers North America, South America and Central America will be held in Buenos Airess, Argentina on October 4 to 7, 2023. NCR will sending three judges from our region – Al Kotula, Laurie, Elliott, and Mark Abeln will represent USA as one of the certified international judges. The event will include an international camp, judging seminar, youth competition and adult black belt PanAm championships. Help support our fellow karatekas by donating to NCR to help offset their travel expenses. Click herefor more details on the 2023 Pan-Am tournament.
Highlights from the Japanese Obon Festival at St. Paul
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Sensei Trung Le and his Traditional Karate-Do Academy at UMN Club gave two demonstrations at the Sunday Obon Festival on August 20, 2023.
Click herefor more photos from the UofMn club Facebook site. Click herefor the Star Tribune article and photos.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
2023 60th Annual AAKF National Championships – Highlights
The 2023 60th Annual American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) National Championships was held in Washington, DC June 21-24, 2023. NCR athletes that attended the championships were: Jason Briscoe, Jethro Harding, Jasmine Beldin, Kara Winter, Eve Wandering, Joseph Harding, and Emil Perez-Lauterbach. NCR judges who attended were: Al Kotula, Art Wong, Trung Le, Laurie Elliott, Mark Abeln, and Michael Ching. NCR athletes were very successful. The NCR judges used their skills in assessing the athlete’s performance doing kata and kumite. The weather in DC was cooler than normal with an occasional rain. The karate seminar, conducted by the AAKF senior technical council members, was held prior to the championships. The seminar helped sharpen everyone’s skills and knowledge in kata, kumite and judging.
Congratulations to all the athletes who attended the championships and their placement in their group.
NCR athletes and judges attending the 2023 AAKF tournament
Seminar group pose in their favorite stance
SKM: Joseph Harding in 1st, Emil Perez-Lauterbach in 3rd
SKM: Eve Wandering in 2nd place
Downtime at a restaurant
Yum, Joseph Harding enjoying victory
Clickherefor additional NCR Facebook posting of the 2023 AAKF National Championships’ photos.
WTKF Dan Certificates Arrived
The World Traditional karate-do Federation (WTKF) dan rank certificates have arrived. The WTKF dan certificates were handed out at the recent 2023 June AAKF National Championships to the AAKF regional directors. If you registered your dan rank with WTKF in the last few years, contact your club’s sensei to see if your WTKF dan rank certificates arrived.
2023 Pan Am Tournament
The 2023 WTKF Pan Am tournment is scheduled for October 4-7, 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for more details. Contact Art Wong if you are interested in representing AAKF/NCR as a judge or as a competitor.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
2023 AAKF Spring Seminar – Highlights.
The AAKF organization held their 2023 Spring Seminar at the Van Cleve Recreation Center in Minneapolis, MN from April 21-23, 2023. Over 60 participants attended this fantastic seminar conducted by Tabassi Sensei (Mid-Atlantic region) and Cheah Sensei (Western region). The students learned new concepts and training drills and how to apply kata basics with their kumite and self-defense situations. The seminar brought together a community interested in learning and elevating the art of Shotokan karate. The student’s new found knowledge and drills they performed helped raise their karate skills. The local club instructors learned new information and training drills and developed a deeper understanding of karate.
The next seminar will be an International Training Camp as part of the 2023 AAKF Nationals (June 21-24) in Herndon, Virginia.
Click the following photo and video links from the seminar (more photos/videos are still coming in):
Thank you to Mark Abeln, Mike Ching, Trung Le for the photos and videos.
2023 AAKF Spring Seminar held at Van Cleve Recenter Center in Mpls, MN.
Successful Dan Examination April 22, 2023
On April 22, 2023, the AAKF Technical board members (Tabassi Sensei and Cheah Sensei) conducted a dan examinations during the 2023 AAKF Spring seminar at the Van Cleve Rec Center in Mpls. The people testing all did very well during their dan examination. The Traditional Karate North Central Region now has two new elevated black belts: Al Kotula SKM dojo – Rokudan (6th dan) and Trung Le UofMn club – Godan (5th dan), and a new black belt Jason Briscoe – UofMn club – Shodan (1st dan). Also, a Madison club student (Alex Ulate ) tested for 2nd kyu and passed as well.
Congratulations to everyone on a very successful test.
2023 April 22 Dan exam results: Alex Ulate-2nd kyu, Trung Le-Godan, Tabassi Sensei, Jason Briscoe-Shodan, Cheah Sensei, Al Kotula-Rokudan)
2023 AAKF National Championships
June 21-24 Washington, DC
The 2023 AAKF National Championships will be held in Washington, DC June 21-24, 2023. Whether you are a black belt or kyu level, you will be able to compete in either the adult or youth division. You must be an AAKF member to compete. Senior black belts wanting to judge at the National Championships must be an AAKF qualified judge. AAKF registration will be due May 30, 2023 with more details to follow.
Click herefor detail information packet on travel, lodging, costs, schedule, youth rules
Click here for detail athletes registration form and seminar registration form
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
NCR 2023 Winter Shiai Highlights
The Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) recently held a shiai on March 25, 2023 at the SKM dojo in Mpls, MN. There were 30 participants at the event. The athletes had a good time and received feedback from the judges. The judges were able to tune-up on their kata and kumite judging skills. For some of the athletes and judges, the shiai gave them the opportunity to prepare for the June 2023 AAKF Nationals in Washington, DC.
Click here to view the NCR Facebook photos from the shiai event. Click herefor the UofMN Facebook photos.
Black belt Kata competition – award ceremony
AAKF 2023 Spring Seminar (reminder)
April 21-23, 2023 – Mpls, MN
The 2023 American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) seminar will be held at the Van Cleve Recreation Center in Minneapolis Friday April 21 to Sunday April 23. There will be a dan and certification examinations Saturday afternoon. Click here for the online seminar registration link, schedule information, and hotel recommendation. Early registration discount by midnight April 14, 2023. Click here for the flyer. QR code to the registration link:
2023 AAKF National Championships
June 21-24 Washington, DC
The 2023 AAKF National Championships will be held in Washington, DC June 21-24, 2023. Whether you are a black belt or kyu level, you will be able to compete in either the adult or youth division. You must be an AAKF member to compete. Senior black belts wanting to judge at the National Championships must be an AAKF qualified judge. AAKF registration will be due May 30, 2023 with more details to follow.
Click herefor detail information packet on travel, lodging, costs, schedule, youth rules
Click here for detail athletes registration form and seminar registration form
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
NCR Winter Shiai
March 25, 2023
The Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) is having a winter shiai on Saturday March 25, 2023 from noon-3:00pm hosted at theSKM dojo. This is your opportunity to test your kumite and kata skills with fellow katatekas and get feedback from the NCR judges. Come to the winter shiai for fun and excitement, and support your fellow karatekas as they test their skills against their fellow athletes. Athletes and certified AAKF judges who are going to the 2023 AAKF National Championships in Washington, DC can use this shiai in preparation for the 2023 AAKF Nationals. Click herefor more details on the shiai.
AAKF 2023 Seminar
April 21-23, 2023 – Mpls, MN
The 2023 American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) seminar will be held at the Van Cleve Recreation Center in Minneapolis Friday April 21 to Sunday April 23. There will be a dan and certifcation examinations Saturday afternoon. Click here for the online seminar registration link, schedule information, and hotel recommendation. Click here for the flyer. QR code to the registration link:
AAKF Annual Membership Renewal – March 31 Deadline
Final Reminder
The annual AAKF Membership Renewal deadline has been extended to March 31, 2023. Individual AAKF memberships expire March 31. If you renew your current membership before March 31, the cost is only $25. After March 31, your AAKF individual membership renewal is $35. For club renewal, the cost is $170.00. Check this out -> Benefits of an AAKF membership.
Click hereto access the AAKF registration form. Write a check following the instructions from your club’s sensei. Deliver your payment and registration form to your club’s sensei – he/she will then mail the documents to the AAKF organization. For club registration form, click here.
2023 AAKF National Championships
June 21-24 Washington, DC
The 2023 AAKF National Championships will be held in Washington, DC June 21-24, 2023. Whether you are a black belt or kyu level, you will be able to compete in either the adult or youth division. You must be an AAKF member to compete. Senior black belts wanting to judge at the National Championships must be an AAKF qualified judge. AAKF registration will be due May 30, 2023 with more details to follow. Click here for more details on the AAKF National Championships.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
For Shotokan Karate of Mn- Mpls MN (SKM), and Traditional Karate-do Academy at UMN, contact the club Sensei for their updated training schedule plan for this week regarding the upcoming winter storm warning.
NCR Winter Shiai March 25, 2023 (new)
The Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) is having a winter shiai on Saturday March 25, 2023 from noon-3:00pm hosted at theSKM dojo. This is your opportunity to test your kumite and kata skills with fellow katatekas and get feedback from the NCR judges. Come to the winter shiai for fun and excitement, and support your fellow karatekas as they test their skills against their fellow athletes. Click herefor more details.
January 2023 Kata Seminar Highlights
The 2023 Traditional Karate North Central Region (NCR) kata seminar was held Saturday January 28, 2023. The 25 students who attended the seminar had a great time learning new katas such as unsu, gojushihosho, and kankusho as well as indepth instructions on heian katas and tekki. Thank you to SKM for hosting the event. Also, thank you to the instructors for sharing their indepth knowledge of the katas and demonstrating some of the kata’s bunkai: Al Kotula, Darren Marr, Jon Hodapp, Dave Pinske, Laurie Elliott, Mike Ching, Gerry Ramacher, and Art Wong. Advanced katas challenged students to apply new principles to the kata that would be part of their next exam.
Click here for NCR Facebook photo album on the NCR kata seminar and click here for additional posts.
AAKF 2023 Seminar – April 21-23, 2023 – Mpls (update)
The 2023 American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) seminar will be held at the Van Cleve Recreation Center in Minneapolis Friday April 21 to Sunday April 23. There will be a dan and certifcation examinations Saturday afternoon. Click here for the online seminar registration link, schedule information, and hotel recommendation. Click here for the flyer. QR code to the registration link:
AAKF Annual Membership Renewal – March 31 Deadline
The annual AAKF Membership Renewal deadline has been extended to March 31, 2023. Individual AAKF memberships expire March 31. If you renew your current membership before March 31, the cost is only $25. After March 31, your AAKF individual membership renewal is $35. For club renewal, the cost is $170.00. Check this out -> Benefits of an AAKF membership.
Click hereto access the AAKF registration form. Write a check following the instructions from your club’s sensei. Deliver your payment and registration form to your club’s sensei – he/she will then mail the documents to the AAKF organization. For club registration form, click here.
2023 AAKF National Championships – June 21-24 Washington, DC
The 2023 AAKF National Championships will be held in Washington, DC June 21-24, 2023. Whether you are a black belt or kyu level, you will be able to compete in either the adult or youth division. You must be an AAKF member to compete. Senior black belts wanting to judge at the National Championships must be an AAKF qualified judge. AAKF registration will be due May 30, 2023 with more details to follow. Click here for more details on the AAKF National Championships.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription
Traditional Karate North Central Region Newsletter
CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Are you ready to give aid?
Karate is a fun and exciting activity. But, as in all sports, there are risks that may require emergency aid. If a person is not breathing and there is no pulse detected, administering CardiopulmonaryResuscitation (CPR) may be required. It is important to know the CPR procedure. There are many CPR classes an instructors and adult students can attend to get familiar with the CPR procedure. Besides attending a CPR class, access to the CPR protocol information is available online. Click on the following American Red Cross links:
If the person is in cardiac arrest and you have access to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), use the AED as part of your CPR protocol. Click on the following American Red Cross links:
Consider laminating the 1-page CPR and AED documents back-to-back as a quick reference for the dojo and at home. Remember, always call 911 immediately to help save a life.
Kata Seminar January 28, 2023 Noon-2:00pm – SKM Dojo
Let’s get 2023 jumping with a kata seminar to help strengthen your foundation in karate. We will be conducting a kata seminar on January 28, 2023 from noon to 2:00 pm. at Shotokan Karate of MN in Mpls. The kata seminar will broaden your understanding and refine your knowledge of karate fundamentals while strengthening your skills in the art. The poster below provides the kata seminar details. Get in-depth instructions from different Senseis while having fun with your fellow karatekas.
Reminder: AAKF Annual Membership Renewal – March 1 Deadline
Individual AAKF membership expire March 1. If you renew your current membership before March 1, the cost is only $25. After March 1, your AAKF individual membership renewal is $35. For club renewal, the cost is $170.00. Check this out -> Benefits of an AAKF membership.
Click hereto access the AAKF registration form. Write a check following the instructions from your club’s sensei. Deliver your payment and registration form to your club’s sensei – he/she will then mail the documents to the AAKF organization. For club registration form, click here.
2023 AAKF National Championships – June 21-24 Washington, DC
The 2023 AAKF National Championships will be held in Washington, DC on June 21-24, 2023. Whether you are a black belt or kyu level, you will be able to compete in either the adult or youth division. You must be an AAKF member to compete. Senior black belts wanting to judge at the National Championships must be an AAKF qualified judge. AAKF registration will be due May 30, 2023 with more details to follow. NCR will hold a regional eliminations for athletes to qualify and represent our region at the 2023 AAKF National Championships. More details to follow on date and time of the regional eliminations.
Upcoming Calendar of Events and Registration
Upcoming events
2024 – TBD
NCR 2024 plans
May 18 noon-2pm Preparation for 2024 AAKF National Champioships – NCR judging seminar and competitor feedback. St. Paul dojo. More details to follow
May 3 Friday Black belt test – Shodan/nidan – MKA St. Paul
October 12 NCR SKM Shiai SKM. More details to follow
November 2nd Madison Tournament. More details to follow
November 16th U of M Tournament. More details to follow
AAKF upcoming events:
2024 April 12-14 – AAKF Spring seminar – Madison, WI – Click here for more information. Click here for registration PDF.
2024 June 19-22 – AAKF National Championships and International Camp – Bloomington, MN – Hosted by Traditional Karate North Central Region. Click here for more details.
WTKF Events
November – WORLD TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO CHAMPIONSHIP in Lima,Peru. More details to follow
2025 – tbd – TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
WTKF calendar – Click here for more upcoming WTKF events.
Click here to see past event videos and click here for past event photos from the NCR video and photo Library. Click here for additional photos from the U of Mn club photo library.
Dan Examination Schedule
NCR and AAKF dan exam schedule
Spring 2024
Dan examination testing requirements shodan-sandan – click here
Dan rankregistration required when you pass your dan exam – click here
Traditional Karate North Central Region Subscription