The First All-India JKA Karate-Do Championship, organized by JKAWF INDIA, took place from 5th to 7th April 2024 in the beautiful sports arena of the Space Circle Club, Kolkata. The championship aimed to bring together karate enthusiasts from across to showcase their skills and promote the purpose of JKA Shobu-Ippon way of karate competition rules.

One of the highlights of the championship was the presence of Katsutoshi Shiina Shihan, 8th Dan and Technical & Executive Director of the JKA, who was invited as the ‘Supreme Judge’. His expertise and guidance added immense value to the event, especially during critical moments such as the final rounds and in the events of ties.

The opening ceremony of the championship was graced by the presence of Mr. Koichi Nakagawa, Consul General of Japan in Kolkata as Chief Guest, who was accompanied by Mr. Gautam Ray, Cultural Secretary of the Consul. Anil Sinha Sensei a JKA 5 Dan, who is the trailblazer of Shotokan Karate in India and the man instrumental in introducing the JKA in India in 1981 was also in attendance. The ceremony commenced with a vibrant march past, a karate demonstration by shidoin Dibyendu Mandal, Jibinlal NS, Kashif Ahmad and Kenzi, national anthem of both the countries India and Japan, inaugural speeches, followed by the dignitaries lighting the ceremonial lamp, symbolizing the auspicious beginning of the tournament.

A few over 500 students from various parts of India have participated in the championship, demonstrating their dedication and passion for the JKA karate. The first day of the championship saw the senior brown and black belts events, with over 150 participants competing fiercely. Shiina Sensei played a pivotal role as the head judge for the final round of the men’s senior kata event, offering valuable insights and feedback to the top 8 participants to help them refine their techniques.

To ensure the smooth conduct of events on the second day, three tatamis were utilized, accommodating over 200 participants across various categories. Prior to the commencement of the second day’s events, Shiina Sensei held a brief meeting with the judges, emphasizing the importance of fairness and integrity in the judging process.

The Third day events were for the juniors’, and mostly for childrens’. Over 150 participants competed on the last day of the championship. Shiina Sensei has identified a few children both boys and girls having immensely promising. Mementoes as a token present saying ‘thank you’ were handed over to the judges, table officials and support staffs as well as a token remuneration honouring their sincere efforts for all three days making the championship such a big success. The Champion’s Trophy was taken by the ‘Academy of Shotokan Karate-Do’ headed by Rakesh Chakraborty Sensei and Runners-up Trophy was taken by the ‘JKA Traditional Shotokan Karate Club’ headed by Arindam Sikdar Sensei based on medal tally. Prof. Dr. Puneet Bhattacharya assistant professor Department of Physical Education, Jadavpur University, a JKA 4 Dan was felicitated by the JKAWF INDIA organization for her Ph.D for her thesis on ‘a comparative study of neurocognitive variables between general student and Karate and Yoga practitioners’. Puneet has then presented a set of her thesis papers to Shiina Shihan to take to the JKA headquarters for future reference and study. On the final day Leela Bora Sensei a shidoin from Assam has announced of donating a set of Japanese styled white and blue karate mats to the JKAWF INDIA headquarters that received massive applaude.

Overall, the JKAWF INDIA’s First All-India JKA Karate-Do Championship was a resounding success, thanks to the meticulous planning and execution by JKAWF INDIA tournament organising team led by Arindam Sikdar Sensei the Tournament Director and the enthusiastic participation of karatekas from all over the country. The championship not only provided a platform for competition but also fostered camaraderie and mutual respect among practitioners of this traditional martial art form, ‘JKA Karate-Do’ that we love so much.