It is clear that over the last few decades, the grass-roots traditional karateka in the UK has not been adequately catered for when compared to the amount of investment made to respective governing bodies in the shape of member contribution. A majority of the funding secured through government grant and membership contribution appears to have been used to pay for salaries and other irrelevant issues that have had little or no benefit to the vast majority of the membership in real terms.

The focus of previous Governing Bodies for Karate has been very much on the sporting element, which is not representative of the vast majority of groups and individuals who take part in karate every day throughout the UK. In the past, the majority has been funding the activities of the minority which is both unfair and unreasonable.

Whilst there is a need for those involved in Sport Karate to be catered for, there is also a need for the vast majority to get value for money for the investment they make on a financial basis. Until such time as a body that addresses this issue is brought into existence, there will be an inequality in the provision for the majority of those taking part in karate every day throughout the UK.

Traditional Karate Great Britain has been brought into existence with the objective of addressing this and other issues. In view of the failure of previous Governing Bodies to adequately represent those they were supposed to serve, a new model is necessary to address this shortcoming, and to this end a policy of transparency, consultation, democracy and fairness has been implemented and the entire process of self-government has been made as equitable and even-handed as possible.

It is the belief that this can be realised and in giving all member groups and individuals a greater stake in the direction of the organisation, more will be achieved for the benefit of the majority of traditional karateka in the UK today.

TKGB is a non-prescriptive, non-profit, democratically-run federation of traditional karate associations in Great Britain operating as a governing body for supporting and promoting the practice of traditional karate. The purpose of this organisation is to accurately represent, promote and preserve traditional karate on a national basis, and best serve the needs of those who practice traditional karate in Great Britain in the form of a self-governing body.

16/02/2007