Dear Friends in Karate

Another year of activities is coming to an end and WUKO wishes to thank all the affiliated members across the 5 continents for their support and participation during the past year.

This year we consolidated our entity, with the main event being held in Spain, where 58 affiliated Federations came to participate at our Seniors World Championships.

In August we participated at Odessa in the Ukraine at the European Jundokan Championships. There were a lot of competitors, instructors from that region and a great deal of friendship. More than 900 competitors took part in the event, demonstrating to the world, the power of Karate Gojuryu. Congratulations to Mr. Valeriy Kusiy for hosting this event.

In September we were in Pretoria, South Africa. Mr Koos Burger and his friends affiliated to WUKO organized a big Open Intercontinental Africa which drew more than 800 competitors to the event. The South Africans demonstrated their capability to organize the First Continental WUKO Championship in 2009 which will be in Pretoria and will consist of the participation of 6 affiliated WUKO bodies.

We are sure that 2008 will be another year of WUKO successes with many more organizations joining our family.

To further improve our Referees, the WUKO Referees Committee has invited 20 experienced Referees from the 5 continents to participate in an International Referee Seminar to be held in March 2008 in the City of Norcia, near Rome. WUKO will pay the Hotel expenses, including meals, for the 20 invited Referees. We are certain that it will be a big success, because the 100 best competitors from Italy will also be in attendance. This will be an exceptional opportunity for the referees to learn in a very practical manner.

In May 2008 we will organize the 2? WUKO Seniors European Championships in Herstal, Belgium. Mr Michel Lelievre and his team are doing their best to receive more than 40 Federations for this event.

July 2008 will be the time for Brazil to show to the world a really big competition with the "2? WUKO PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS and WUKO INTERNATIONAL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS".

In October 2008 we will host the "2? WUKO WORLD CHILDREN, CADETS AND JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIPS" in Jesolo, Italy ( near Venezia ). This will certainly be a large competition and we expect more than 1 000 participants.

To finish the year 2008, in November we will have the "1? WUKO CONTINENTAL ASIA-OCEANIC CHAMPIONSHIPS" in Hyderabad, India. More than 2 000 competitors from that region are expected to attend the event.

We believe that WUKO is taking the correct route, and that we are returning to the world of Karate, discipline, technique and respect .

The EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of WUKO wishes all members and their families a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

OSS.