Organization of Sport Karate Worldwide

Karate enjoys great popularity around the world, and can count on millions of practitioners from all styles. Karate does have a unique dual identity that distinguishes it from other sports, activities, and martial arts. In the majority of clubs that practice on of the four major styles of karate (Wado, Shito, Goju, Shoto), the members belong to two organizations.

Each club will belong to a style organization, which concerns itself with the teaching of a traditional martial art. This association should ensure that both instructors and students have a correct understanding of the basic principles regarding that styles' application of karate-do.

Clubs can also belong to a sport karate association. These associations offer access to tournaments, team selections, regional/national/international competitions, referee courses, coaching courses, and other activities. The clubs of the JKF Wado-Kai are all members of the World Karate Federation (WKF).

The WKF is recognized as the governing body for sport karate competitions world wide by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). By its' own rules, the IOC can only recognize one international governing body for any sport that it recognizes.

As a prerequisite to being recognized as an Olympic sport - not to be confused with a sport that is part of the Olympic program for the Summer/Winter games - a world governing body must recognize only one National Federation (NF) in each country. This NF is the governing body for that sport in that country...in Canada the National Karate Association is the NF for karate.

Further to this, each NF can recognize one and only one governing body for its' sport in each region of the country. Karate Ontariois the provincial association recognized by Karate Canada, and charged with (e.g.) organizing tournaments and sending teams to national championships.

The JKF Wado-Kai mandates that all member clubs must be members of their national sport karate associations. Each club in CZWKA is a member of its' provincial association, and as a result are also members of both Karate Canada and WKF.

Bushido Karate is a full and active member of Karate Ontario/Karate Canada and the CZWKA/JKF-Wadokai.