World renowned Canadian-Guyanese karate personality, Master Frank Woon-A-Tai, 8th dan, recently announced the formation of his new world karate organization, the International Karate Daigaku (IKD). Daigaku means university or college in Japanese. The announcement came on the 30th Anniversary of his first karate dojo in Canada.
The new organisation has strong West Indian roots.
Well known for his development of karate in Guyana, the Caribbean region, and Canada, Master Woon- A-Tai, a native of Georgetown, is closely associated with the Caribbean Karate College (CKC) as president and, until recently, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) and the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF).
Master Frank Woon- A-Tai heads the organisation as Kancho (founder) and interim Shuseiki Shihan (chief instructor) with Karate Master Dr. Dexter Shim, 7th Dan, of Trinidad and Tobago and Karate Master Maureen Woon- A-Tai, 7th dan, who is also originally from Guyana, as interim Deputy Chief Instructors.
When they officially take office, their position, new rank, and title shall be announced.
This is customary with leaders of world martial arts organisations.
Maureen has made history by becoming the first woman to be a deputy chief instructor of a traditional world karate organisation and she is an inspiration to women everywhere.
Surprisingly, IKD has over 70 karate dojos in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and other provinces in Canada, as well as dojos in Guyana, Suriname,French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, St. Vincent and other Islands.
There are wonderful opportunities for expansion globally into Europe and Asia.
When the Guyana Karate College building is completed at Liliendaal, it will also provide access for international karatekas to train and study in Guyana. It would be fitting, as the membership grows throughout the world, for the First IKD World Cup to be held in Guyana, the birth place of its founder. Master Woon-A- Tai’s unique teaching method is very popular with the international karate community and his organisation is expected to grow rapidly.
After leaving the ISKF, an organisation he served faithfully for 40 years, Master Woon-A-Tai said he left due to unnamed persons who were envious of his accomplishment and success as well as politics.
The ISKF was viewed by the JKA as a threat and Master Woon- A- Tai and the Caribbean Karate College were viewed as threats to the ISKF. Master Woon- A- Tai stated that, after careful contemplation and reflection, he decided to re sign because his integrity, loyalty to his teachers, and technical, and administrative abilities were compromised by false accusations and innuendo by the said unknown persons. His high position in the ISKF, the Caribbean, and his success in hosting the World Cup in 2008, as well as the recently concluded Pan American Karate Championships in Guyana may have been factors.
He further stated it is well known that the higher one moves up the ladder of success, there will always be people ready to push one back down.
However, he has a positive outlook for his future in karate and views what happened as a blessing in disguise as he has vast support from over 70 dojos mentioned above in several countries. With such popular support he feels justified and holds no grudge against anyone. His impeccable karate credentials, including a University of Toronto degree in Japanese Studies, 47 years karate experience, ability to organise on a large scale, and his international standing make him the ideal candidate for a world karate leader.
Master Woon-A-Tai decided the best course for his new organisation to follow was to carry on the work that he and Dr. Shim had already started in developing the instructors’ training programme of CKC and to extend the work of the IKD in advancing scientific development and medical research on karate training.
The work of the IKD would not only benefit karate in the Caribbean, but also in other parts of the world.
Master Woon- A- Tai wants his organisation to be the Harvard or Oxford University of karate. The slogan of the International Karate Daigaku is – Tradition in the 21st Century.
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