University of South Alabama Camp, 2008, Report -- The University of South Alabama hosted its annual training camp and College Championships October 24 through October 26. The featured instructor, Mikami Sensei, took the participants through four vigorous training sessions that touched on every part of the Shotokan curriculum. Thanks to the instructors and students of the USA Karate Club for hosting this event and running a smooth tournament. The next event scheduled for the region is the end of the year training on December 13, 2008. It is very important that every club in the JKA/AF send at least one representative to the training and meeting or contact maria at maria@jkaaf.org to submit a written proxy.

ELECTION RESULTS. As most of the instructors know, after the formation of the group written ballots were sent out to all the clubs that form the JKA/AF to elect corporate officers. On August 9, 2008, there was an executive committee meeting in Lafayette, Louisiana, in which those ballots were tabulated. The following results were recorded:

Takayuki Mikami, was elected Chairman; Jerry Kattawar, Jr., was elected Vice Chair (Executive Director); Maria Hrabec, was elected Managing Director; Scott Decuir, was elected Secretary; Kyriakos Papadopoulos, was elected Treasurer; Tony Nakamura, was elected Communications Director, and Bill Staten, was elected Auditing Director.

Furthermore, Steve Robichaux, was elected At Large Director, Fathi Jarushi, was elected At Large Director, Doug Walsh, was elected At Large Director, Danny Guidry, was elected At Large Director, Thomas Fields, was elected At Large Director; and Khalil Sorbi, was elected At Large Director.

Furthermore, Shih-Min Hsu was elected Director from Birmingham Shotokan Karate; Dan Almon was elected Director from Capital City Karate Club; Dennis Keyes was elected Director from the Cleveland Shotokan Karate Club; Joe Muzzi was elected Director from the Greenville YMCA Shotokan Karate Club; Michael England was elected Director from the JKA of North Texas; Joe Giluso was elected Director from the JKA of Ponchatoula; Timothy Dupree was elected Director from the JKA of Thibodaux; Angel Carr was elected Director from Southern Shotokan; Dewey Swink was elected Director from JKA of Hammond; Ricky Pampo was elected Director from Karate Club at LSU; Lane Nevils was elected Director from the Lafayette Karate Club; Ramy Badawi was elected Director from the Louisiana Karate Association; Bruce McGee was elected Director from the Maumelle Karate Club; Mai Nguyen was elected Director from Xavier University Karate Club; Richard T. McKenzie was elected Director from the Minden Karate Club; Dimitri Papadopoulos was elected Director from the Jewish Community Center Karate; Wayne Hammond was elected Director from the Monroe Karate Club; Candis Durand was elected Director from the New Iberia Karate Institute; James K. Ellis was elected Director from Nichols State Karate Club; Glenn Taylor was elected Director from the Shreveport Karate Club; Devin Fadaol was elected Director from Tulane Karate Club; Phylis Logsdon was elected Director from University of South Alabama Karate Club; Tim Ethridge was elected Director from Vicksburg Shotokan Karate; Ben Anderson was elected Director from W. Tennessee Karate Association; Rose Shuff was elected Director from University of Louisiana Lafayette Karate Club; Stephen Powers was elected Director from Auburn University Karate Club; Cleo Sorbi was elected Director from the ISKA; Arun Rao was elected Director from University of Illinois at Chicago Karate Club.

All clubs not reporting their elected directors were given time to file their results or verbally contact the managing director with their nominations and those clubs were to still be allowed a representative at all meeting conducted by the Board. Any club who applies for and is granted membership into the JKAAF shall automatically be allowed one representative Director on the board, which should be disclosed on the club’s application form. Congratulations to everyone who was elected.

RESULTS FROM THE 2008 JKA WF America NATIONAL tournament in Tampa, Florida, October 11th and October 12th. The JKAAF did excellent competitively at the recent tournament. The results are:

In the women's divisions Ray Semana (LKA) was named the best all around female competitor. Ray took first in women's advanced Kata, women's advanced Kumite, and was a member of the women's kata and kumite teams that both took gold and became a nominee for the U.S. team in both kata and kumite. Georgia Gaconnet (JKA Chicago) took second in women's brown belt kata and first in women's brown belt Kumite. Candis Durand (NIKI) placed third in women's kumite and also took gold on the kata and kumite team. Rachel Neill (LKA) placed third in individual kata and received a Gold for team kata and Holly Damico (LKC) received gold for team kumite.

In the men's divisions Lane Nevils (LKC) was named the best all around male competitor. Lane took first in men's advanced kata, silver in men’s kumite, and was a member of the men's kata and kumite teams that both took gold and became a nominee for the U.S. team in both kata and kumite. Devin Fadaol (Tulane) won the Kumite championship, won gold in team kumite and became a nominee for the U.S. team in Kumite. Tony Nakamura (JKA Chicago) took third in Kumite and also became a nominee for the U.S. team. Soon Yeoh (LKC) took fourth in Kata and gold in team kata and kumite. Christopher Jones (JKA Chicago) took silver in men's brown belt kata. Patrik Dala (JKA Chicago) took bronze in men's brown belt kata and kumite. Dimitri Papadopoulos (Tulane) won two gold medals in both men's team kata and team kumite.

In the Senior events Maria Hrabec (LKA) took bronze in kata, gold in kumite, and gold in team kata. Cindy Mortimer (GYMCA) took silver in kata, silver in kumite, and gold in team kata. Helen Stone (LKA) received a gold medal for team kata. Nemoto Hiroshi (JKA Chicago) won gold in men's senior kata.

In the Collegiate Events, Naomi Nemoto (U. of Ill. Chicago) received the gold medal for women’s advanced kumite and Kaitlin Baudier (LSU) received the silver for kumite. Ahria Sorbi (George Mason) received the gold medal in men's individual kata and the silver medal in kumite. Nathaniel Thomas (Xavier) won gold in men's kumite and gold in men's team kumite. Jon Decuir (LSU) won bronze in men's kumite. Jon Malveaux (Xavier) won silver in men's kumite and won gold in men's team kumite. Austin Orgah (Xavier) won the gold medal in men's team kumite.

In the Youth Events, Parisa Sorbi (ISKA) won silver in kata, silver in kumite and bronze in team kata. Cody Sedlitsky (NIKI) won silver in kata. Gavin Campbell (ISKA) took silver in kata and gold in kumite. Paulihna Sorbi (ISKA) won silver in both kata and kumite. Ailsa Campbell (ISKA) won the bronze medal in Kumite. Henry Takane (ISKA) and Ariana Tayebi (ISKA) won bronze in team kumite.

Congratulations to all who participated and to the JKAAF and Sensei Mikami for his positive influence and inspiration on the team. Everyone from the JKAAF displayed great fighting spirit.

The JKA American Federation, Chief Instructor Takayuki Mikami, has received its official Charter from JKA headquarters. For more information on affiliating your club with the JKAAF or joining the JKAAF please visit www.jkaaf.org.