Trinidad and Tobago Karate Union
The Trinidad and Tobago Karate Union (TTKU) is the National Governing Body for the sport of Karate in Trinidad and Tobago. The TTKU is affiliated to the World Karate Federation (WKF) which is the only world karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
History of TTKU
T.T.K.U. has been in existence since 1998. It was developed after much effort on the part of several dedicated karate practitioners to create a more representative national karate body. This was done and an organization was formed that was recognized by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs as the national body for karate. Recognition was also given by the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) and this was due to its membership in the Pan American Karate Federation (PKF), the regional body for the World Karate Federation (WKF). It is also a member of the CCCK (Central American and Caribbean Karate Federation) and a founding member of the CKF (Caribbean Karate Federation).
The TTKU promotes sport karate under the direction of the previously mentioned international organizations and as a result TTKU is involved in sport karate which is recognized by the world’s highest sporting organization which is the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Karate became an Olympic sport when the WKF became a member of the IOC in 1998. In 2009 karate was just pipped by Rugby 7’s and Golf in becoming one of the sports which will make up the Summer Olympic program in London in 2016. Karate came 3rd in the final vote of IOC members in November 2009.
Founding Member Clubs
Wesley D. Shim - IKDTT (TKA)
Neville Mason - S.K.I.F.T.T.
Neville Byam - TASK
Anthony Sydney - GKD
Roger Howai - HSMA
Cosmos Simpson - TTSKD
Acherson Wells - SKOTT
Zaid Mohammed - JKO Trinidad
Selwyn TomPack - UWI Karate Club
Henry Austin Jr - TAK
Executive Committee
PRESIDENT - Philip Kalloo
VICE PRESIDENT - Ricardo Wooding
GENERAL SECRETARY - Cameisha Thomas
TREASURER - Radikha Sookdeo
ASSISTANT SECRETARY/TREASURER - Albert Tom Pack
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER - Anthony Peters
DELEGATE - Andrew Patrick
DELEGATE - Earl Barratt
TTKU Member Clubs
UWI Karate Club - Selwyn Tompack
Trinidad Assosciated Schools of Karate (TASK) - Anthony Peters
Tobago Shotokan Karate Club (TSKC) - Arthur Morris
Trinity Almighty Karatekas (TAK) - Simeon Stanisclaus
Kachi Make - Curtis Carrera
Shotokan Karate International Federation of Trinidad & Tobago (S.K.I.F.T.T.) - Neville Mason
OSKK - Cuthbert Hicks
Taekajudo Martial Arts Academey (TMAA) - Junior Codrington
Trinidad and Tobago Shotokan Karate Dojo (TTSKD) - Cosmos Simpsom
Japan Shotokan Karate Association of Trinidad & Tobago (JSKA-TT) Ricardo Wooding
International Karate Daigaku of Trinidad & Tobago (TKA) - Wesley Dexter Shim
International Shotokan Karate Federation Trinidad & Tobago (ISKF-TT) - Michael Alexander
Kanazawa Shotokan Karate International Federation - (KSKIF) Andrew Patrick
Shuko-Kai International Trinidad & Tobago - Archie Leiba
Shotokan Karate Kobudo Kai - Rae Johnson
International Competition
The TTKU since its inception has fielded formidable international competitors. In 2001, Trinidad hosted the PKF Pan American Junior Championships with 2 athletes, Richard Djerf and Brendon Strong winning gold in kumite. Strong also won a silver medal in kumite at the Pan American Senior Championships in 2005.
In 2006 TTKU won its first medal for karate at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the women's team kata, capturing a bronze medal. In the 2010 games a sliver was captured by Kwame Kinsale in the +84 kg kumite division which then qualified him for the Pan American Games in 2011, a first for Trinidad and Tobago karate.
In 2011 Trinidad amassed a total of 10 medals at the Central American and Caribbean Karate Federation Championships in Barbados