10/05/2026
5th WUKF SA National Championships & Afro-Asia Open
The World Union of Karate-do Federation’s 5th South African National Championships & Afro-Asia Open once again took place in Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape Province at the Boardwalk Hotel’s luxurious International Convention Centre from the 30th April to the 3rd of May.
Special guests in attendance included WUKF President, Prof. Dr Liviu Crisan and Mrs Victoria Crisan (Romania) and WUKF’S Chief Operating Officer, Mr Roy O’Kane (Scotland). WUKF was also honoured to receive South African Member of Parliament, the Honourable Mr Marlon Daniels as a special visitor to the Championships.
The Referees’ Seminar which preceded the Championships was attended by more than eighty referees with all seminar costs carried by WUKF. In addition to the seminar, online training was provided for jury table judges as well as referees. Special thanks to Ms Alta Venter, Ms Tarryn Madgewick, Ms Vijay Govender, Mr Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde and Prof. Maureen De Jager for presenting the courses.
The Championship was held across eight floors and attracted a record entry of 1013 competitors with a massive total of 2 548 category entries! Since the Championship’s inception in 2022, entries have almost trebled! The 2026 edition was contested by fifteen South African WUKF affiliated federations as well as WUKF federations from Scotland (Kanzen Karate), USA (USA-AAU), Reunion (WUKF League Reunion), Mauritius (Shotokan Martial Arts Federation Mauritius) and Namibia (WUKF Namibia). WUKF Chief Referees, Mr Stuart Forsyth and Mr John Cameron (both from England) also officiated throughout the Championships. Karate styles represented included Goju-Ryu, Sh*to-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Shotokan, Shukokai and Ryuei Ryu.
The Championships offered individual categories for children, youth, seniors and veterans including novice, intermediate and elite categories which encompassed kata, shobu ippon, shobu nihon (for children up to the age of twelve), shobu sanbon kumite and inclusive categories for competitors living with disabilities. In addition, the growing and increasingly popular Okinawan kobudo short and long weapon categories were once again included in the programme.
Team events included kata and WUKF’s signature event, shobu sanbon rotational team kumite which must surely rate as the single most exciting and exhilarating competition format in world karate.
The top three federations at the Championships are as follows:
1st place: Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan South Africa
2nd Place: United Shotokan-Ryu
3rd Place: International Federation of Funakoshi Shotokan Karate South Africa
WUKF SA members affiliated to MASA officially represent their respective provinces. Provinces represented included Gauteng, Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, North West, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.
The growth in WUKF both nationally and abroad can largely be attributed to a strong international leadership under the guidance of Prof. Dr Liviu Crisan. The WUKF Executive Members are all active karateka rather than bureaucrats, with their leadership style enhanced by excellent communication, transparency, integrity, friendship, respect, inclusion and an ongoing invested interest in the success of each member country and federation.
A tremendous thank you to all officials, volunteers, competitors and spectators for supporting this incredible celebration of WUKF Karate & Kobudo in South Africa. The Championship was permeated by a tangible spirit of teamwork, sportsmanship and friendship which could be viewed as a return to the traditional core values which karate-do has always sought to instil in its participants and officials.
For South African and African federations and dojo which share WUKF’s ideals and principles and who want to be part of an international federation which prioritises a harmonious environment of mutual-respect, fair play, cooperation, self-determination and fellowship, Gary Grapentin may be contacted at [email protected].
For the official results please click on the following link:
Results for 2026 WUKF SA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS & AFRO-ASIA OPEN | Karate | Kihapp
- Gary Grapentin (WUKF President for Africa)
07/05/2026
24/04/2026
21/04/2026
16/04/2026
15/04/2026