> World Karate Federation

The World Karate Federation (WKF) is the sole international governing body for sport karate recognized by the International Olympic Committee, representing approximately 200 member nations and claiming over 100 million practitioners worldwide. Its roots trace to European karate initiatives in the 1960s: Jacques Delcourt helped form the European Karate Union in 1963, which held its first championships in Paris the following year. The International Karate Union was established in 1970 and quickly evolved into the World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO); the IOC formally recognized WUKO in 1985. The organization adopted the name World Karate Federation on December 20, 1992. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, the WKF is led by president Antonio Espinós.

In 1999, the IOC formally designated WKF as “the sole governing body for the sport of Karate in the world.” After decades of lobbying, karate was added to the Olympic program and made its debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021 due to COVID-19 postponement), featuring kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) events for men and women. Despite the debut, karate was not included in the Paris 2024 Olympic program, making Tokyo the sport’s only Olympic appearance to date — WKF continues to pursue reinstatement for Los Angeles 2028. The WKF sanctions World Karate Championships, continental championships, and the Karate 1 Premier League series.

Note: The WKF is a governing and sanctioning body, not a commercial promotion. Events are organized by the WKF and its national member federations under WKF rulesets.