Referee Commission
Maurizio started karate training in 1966 and from 1972 until 1982-1983 was a member of the national team selection. At the request of Sensei Myiazaki he became a referee.
From 1982-1983 until 1994-1995 h was responsible for the selection and the formation of the Belgian referees. In 2015 he was once again appointed chief referee for Belgium.
He is qualified as an international referee with the the JKA, ESKA, WSKA and ITKF and is a member of the referee commission for both ESKA and WSKA.
Maurizio is roku dan JKA
RICHARD POOLE (WALES)
7th Dan
Richard Poole was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 January 1958. Following the death of his father in Kenya, he moved to the UK was brought up in Rhyl in North Wales with his younger brother.
As a teenager he competed at county level in athletics and swimming and at age 16 years joined a new karate club which was affiliated to the Karate Union of Great Britain.
Richard continued to train whilst studying to become a teacher of Physical Education at Cardiff College of Education. In 1977 he graded shodan and was selected to compete for the KUGB Welsh team and in 1978 for the Welsh All Styles team. He competed nationally and internationally before and after graduation until sustaining a C5 fracture (broken neck) in a climbing accident.
Following a long period of recovery Richard was once more selected to represent Wales and competed nationally and internationally in ESKA in both kata and kumite until his retirement from competition in 1993. In addition to instructing at Cambridge University Karate Club and the Rhyl and Prestatyn karate clubs in North Wales, Richard has since 1993 been an ESKA referee and was chairman of the KUGB in Wales for 25 years. He was graded 7th Dan in 2018.
Richard’s career included work both in sales and then as a scientist for a multi-national pharmaceutical company and later as a science teacher in secondary education.
With his background in education and business in the pharmaceutical industry Richard was well placed for a leadership role in the further development of karate in Wales and Great Britain. For many years he served as chairman of both the governing body for karate in Wales and the Federation of British Karate Governing Bodies (BKF). It was during this period that he also managed the BKF team which topped the medal board in the 1996 WKF championships in Sun City South Africa. For several years he was also national kata coach for the Welsh (KUGB) Team
Richard was elected President of the European Shotokan Karate-do Association in 2008 and the World Shotokan Karate-do Association in 2009.
Richard has expressed his pride in the growth of WSKA and the pivotal role that it has had and continues to have in the development of Shotokan karate worldwide. During his presidential address Richard stated
'It is important that WSKA continues its focus on the traditional values and strengths of Shotokan karate and that our championships continue to be characterised by the fiercely competitive nature of matches on the tatami and the high value we place on mutual respect and standards of etiquette.'
Malcolm Dorfman Sensei, 8th Dan, captained the University of the Witwatersrand Judo team in 1966, and thereafter joined the University karate club.
Malcolm Dorfman Sensei is the assistant Chief Instructor for the Karate No Michi World Federation.
He was elected as Regional Director of WSKA in 2001.
Dan Grading Examinations:
- 8th Dan Karate no Michi in 2000: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by a major official JKA mainline Shotokan organisation.
- 7th Dan JKA Shotokan (Asai Group) in 1994
- 6th Dan JKA Shotokan in 1986: Highest Dan level ever awarded to a non Japanese by M. Nakayama Shihan, the late Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association. (Shadan Hojin Nihon Karate Kyokai -- prior to the split).
Personal Karate Sporting Achievements:
- Springbok: Member of the Springbok team for 9 years, commencing in 1970. Springbok captain in 1978.
- Referee: Chief Referee of South Africa for 12 years, commencing 1982.
- Coach: National Coach of the first ever Protea team in 1993.
- International Championship achievements: Winner of several international titles in a competition career that spanned 27 years (1967 to 1993)
- South African Sport Merit Award:
- Awarded in 1979 for personal achievements in 1978
- Awarded in 1982 for coaching achievements in 1981
- South African All-Styles Karate:
- Founder member of first official non-racial all-styles karate organisation in South Africa (KASA) in 1993
- Awarded 8th Dan by KASA for technical contribution to the development of karate in South Africa
- Former official Technical Director of all-styles karate in South Africa.
- Status in Japan & Worldwide:
- Assistant World Chief Instructor of Karatenomichi World Federation.
- Member of the Karatenomichi World Federation ‘Saiko-Shihankai’ (Supreme Master Panel) – one of the original three members.
- Holds the highest rank ever awarded to a non Japanese member of a JKA-Shotokan mainline association
- Awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1994.
- Re-awarded the rank of A-class Instructor, A-class Examiner & A-class Judge by the Karatenomichi World Federation (KWF) on its inception in 1999.
- Appointed as World Cup Supervisor at the KWF World Cup in 2002-2007
- Appointed by the World Shotokan Karate-do Association (WSKA) as African Continent Director in 2001.
Tommaso Minì (Switzerland) 6th Dan JKA Tommaso Minì was born on 26 June 1951 in Carini, Sicily. He travelled with his family to Switzerland, where he started Karate in May 1972 with the Swiss Karate do Renmei. In addition to his work and career in the technical industry, he took various responsibilities in karate, perceived with lots of engagement and enthusiasm.
- Technical director of the Swiss Karate Federation several years
- Chairman of the referee commission Swiss Karate Federation – to date
- Member of the Shiankai commission Swiss Karate do Renmei – to date
- Member of the technical commission Swiss Karate do Renmei – to date
- Chairman of the technical commission Swiss Karate do Renmei – to date
- 1984 EAKF referee Kata and Kumite
- 1991 EKF referee
- 1996 WKF referee
- 2001- to date - ESKA referee and technical commission
- 2004-2012 EKF referee commission
- 2006-2012 WKF referee commission
- 2005 – 2012 EKF Chairman referee commission
- 2013 – to date member of the WSKA referee commission