My dear friends

Ever since we voted to restructure the USANKF in July 07 in West Virginia, we have been waiting for that important day to arrive when we can vote in a new Board of Directors that will reshape our organization and lead it to a better future.

As that important vote is approaching, I want to share some of my thoughts with you on just what is at stake and  what we should all be considering.

What gives me the right to express my thoughts to you and why does my opinion matter?

My involvement with amateur, traditional Karate began in 1972 when Hidetaka Nishiyama of the ITKF/JKA was the leader of the AAU Karate, representing the traditional community.  I have been active ever since, in the AAU, then the USAKF and finally in the USANKF helping to mold the future of our sport as an athlete, coach, referee and as a member of the Board of Directors, Vice President of the USANKF and finally as the chairman of the Referee Committee.

During these past 35 years, I have worked with six presidents, who’s job was to improve the status of American karate. They were supposed to select the best athletes from across the USA, put them in the care of the best coaches, raise the funds to allow them to train and travel to the championships. Furthermore, they were also responsible to develop well organized events that we all wanted to go to and bring our students and friends as well.  We hoped that we would develop an organization that put the future of American Karate first and our sport and art of Karate-do into the mainstream of  American sport.

Instead, we got yelled at, often humiliated and all too often made to feel that they were doing us a favor by letting us pay for the privilege of working for free.

In my opinion, the reason for their failure was their inability to tolerate talented individuals who had ideas and opinions that may have differed from their own. Perhaps they thought that they were smarter than the rest of us. Perhaps they thought only they understood what karate was and should be.

All too often they became dictators and bullies, surrounding themselves with "yes" men. Whoever disagreed , was kicked out. Those who wanted to maintain their
empty titles and meaningless positions went along with whatever was demanded. (Over the years, I often marveled at these "little senseis" who preached to their students  to stand up to bullies,  but when they were bullied they did not practiced what they preached.)

This was the situation that caused the USOC to step in and take over the USANKF and demand the restructuring that brings us to this vote. We all know the recent history of  the USANKF, of unilateral rule, lack of openly dealing with finances and most importantly of running the organization into the ground. Lawsuits and complaints that led to massive disaffection and good people leaving the organization.

We have demanded and yearned for real change and now the time for such change has finally come!!

The idea is, for us to vote in a new group of honest, dedicated and experienced men and women to the board of directors that will not tolerate a new dictator but rather will lead with a collective consensus, discuss all ideas, argue it through and through and finally adopt the policies that are best for all of us.

Each member of the Board of Directors should be capable of running the group. Whether one is voted in as a “referee director” or a “coaching director” or an “RSO director”  think before you vote for them. Do you think they could lead you and the organization to a better future?

Will they have the vision to reach out to all those  who practice our style of traditional Karate and the ability to bring them into our group?

Will they have the experience to help develop the grass root support we need to make the NKF the best organization in America?

Will they have the knowledge to assemble the technical staff we need to make our teams win in the international arena?

I will be careful to vote for those who have integrity, honesty and intelligence. I will be careful not to vote for any “little sensei’s” who just want a position that they are not qualified for and who are pushed on us thru backroom deals.
I am urging you also to think very carefully before you cast your vote.
Here is your opportunity to finally make your voice heard !

Please be careful in your selection. Please make sure you vote and get your students to vote as well.

Don't give away your vote. Make it count. After the election you won't have anyone else to blame!

Alex Sternberg