Dear Branch Chiefs and Contacts,

I hope you all are doing fine, and that you are in good health. As always, I would like to start my message, by expressing my appreciation to all of you for your dedication and hard work for our organization.

There is only a month remaining in 2010, a year in which we all walked hand in hand, with the goal of reaching “100 affiliated countries”, and creating the “strongest and largest Karate Organization”. I am very pleased to know that you all had a very productive, fabulous year.

WKO will enter a year of very high importance, only experienced once in every four years. The footsteps of the 10th World Championship is getting louder by the day. In the previous newsletter, I mentioned about the selection tournament in Russia. Late last month, the 42nd All Japan Championship, the first selection tournament for the Japanese Team, was held by the Japan Region in great success. Norichika Tsukamoto once again became the Japanese Champion, in a tournament where the competitors showed in their fierce battles, their strong will to win the honor of representing the Japanese Team. He has now won the All Japan Championship twice in a row after the World Cup in Russia, and he showed the audience a great example of a balanced “Shin-Gi-Tai” (Mind, Skill, Body) in his high level fighting. The comment by Tsukamoto after his victory was “I have been training harder than anybody else this past year”, and I believe these words contain the essence of Budo. To never give up, to pile up each day and moment of training yourself to the limit, this is the approach that a true Budo-Ka should have, and this spirit should also be the base philosophy of the world’s strongest Budo Organization. I hope that you all will learn from the mentality of Tsukamoto, who has kept on fighting at world’s top level since the 6th World Championship, held back in 1996.

I have recently visited and observed the South American Championship. The high technical level displayed by the men and women fighters of the Brazilian team, portrayed the remarkable progress of the country itself. Other countries in the South American Region have also raised their competitive level, and I believe they are getting close to becoming a threat for other powerhouses, such as Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Selection tournaments will continue to be held throughout our affiliated countries, and I expect all fighters to do their utmost to earn the honor of representing their country at the World Championship, which will be a tournament to decide the No.1 in Karate in the World.

Our organization is steadily heading towards becoming the largest organization in the world. As I always say, in order to develop Budo Karate, it is important to increase the number of qualified Branch Chiefs. I assume that you all remember the recent enlargement of the organization in Poland. We are actively promoting the welcoming process of new candidates who love WKO and request to become Branch Chiefs. However, we do not rush our decisions. As an organization that respects democracy, we always make it a top priority to listen to the opinion and thoughts of all concerned before making a decision. This is due to the fact that WKO is an organization built by our members. To run an organization based on democratic values requires tremendous patience. Sometimes, frictions between fellow members develop into large disputes, and negotiations to find a common solution could at times, reach a deadlock. Various events occur in organizations that have a long history. Good things, as well as bad things. I believe that it is important for all of us to understand the need to forgive, the need to compromise to make an effort to find solutions to whatever problem might occur. We should always keep an open mind, remember to pay back in two times fold what has been given to us, and waste no time in putting bitterness and hatred behind us. I strongly believe that one of our main issues to work on right now is to have the generosity to forgive the past, and to forgive people. Keeping this in our mind, we should continue our work together, without losing any of our important, fellow friends, heading towards our goal to become the largest and strongest Budo Organization and to reach the number of 100 affiliated countries.

Lastly I would like to thank you all for the cooperation you have given our organization this year. I hope you will have the time to enjoy your holiday season in peace, and would also like to use this opportunity to wish you a 2011, full of joy and happiness. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

OSU

Kenji Midori
President
WKO