An official appointment the ITKF Board of Directors with the Polish minister of sport

On 5 December 2008 in Warsaw the ITKF Board of Directors who visited Warsaw on the occasion of the European Cup, had an official appointment with the Polish minister of sport Miroslaw Drzewiecki and representatives of the management board of the Polish Olympic Committee.

Below a news from Polish mass media.

Traditional karate is struggling to be included to the Olympic Games

Traditional karate is discriminated by the International Olympic Committee – states  Rick Jorgensen (Canada), Chairman of the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF). He reminds that traditional karate has been unsuccessfully trying to be included to the family of the Olympic disciplines since 1975.

The ITKF Board of Directors who visited Warsaw on the occassion of the European Cup, had an official appointment with the Polish minister of sport Miroslaw Drzewiecki and representatives of the management board of the Polish Olympic Committee. Traditional Karate authorities are trying to obtain support of national federations and national Olympic committees in their efforts to gain equal rights towards two international karate federations   – ITKF (traditional karate) and the one recognized by the IOC – WKF (World Karate Federation – general karate).

The dispute between the ITKF and WKF has been running for many years  and its solution seems to be more and more far away. In April 2008 did the IOC make a decision that karate represented by the WKF together with such disciplines as rugby, golf and squash can put an official application to be included to the Olympic programme.  
– The situation of karate in the world has become critical – says Mr. Jorgensen – and requires energetic steps from us. When the IOC  gave recognition to the WKF, it excluded traditional karate from the family of the Olympic disciplines. This is a discriminatory action against thousands of traditional karate athletes around the world. All our previous actions were based on the diplomatic methods but because of such an open discrimination we are determined to use stronger arguments including legislative steps. It’s time to take up decisive battle in order to protect our identity and to bring back the position and role of traditional karate.

Mr. Jorgensen emphasises that his federation follows the principles of the Japanese budo formulated and promoted by the spiritual master of traditional karate Nishiyama Sensei. The ITKF Board of Directors shares the opinion that evolution of general karate brought the discipline far from the tradition and the inclusion of new competition rules has made it more similiar to taekwon-do.

Mr. Wlodzimierz Kwiecinski, Chairman of the Traditional Karate Federation of Poland and the ITKF Vice-President at the same time recalled that after WKF (at that time called WUKO) had gained the IOC recognition many athletes turned to WUKO. Nishiyama Sensei, the ITKF Chairman of the time stated then that general karate would lose its tradition and philisophy.

– After several years it turned out that Sensei had been right. Traditional karate and general karate are two completely different sports. – said Mr. Kwiecinski.

– We do not see anything wrong in the fact that karate is evolving towards taekwon-do but it is necessary to remember that it has built its position using the image of traditional karate – concluded Rick Jorgensen.
– We strive to gain equal rights to both federations and to avoid discrimination of traditional karate practitioners.