THIS year marks the 45th Anniversary of probably the most vibrant karate associations in Guyana, the JKA International of Guyana, which has evolved into The Guyana Karate College, GKC, in collaboration with IKD Guyana.

The story of the birth and development of this organization speaks much for the dedication of a few pioneers, in particular Shihan Frank Woon-a-Tai, M.S., 9th Degree Black belt, who almost singlehandedly held it together during severe challenges.
The Guyana Karate College has proven itself to be a worthy member of the worldwide traditional karate family by emerging stronger after each experience in its glorious history. Charles, Aubrey and Josef Woon-a-Tai, Keith Da Costa, Jeffrey Wong, Amir Khouri, Jackie Gomes, Dr. Guy Low and the late Ian Fung, all early students of Frank Woon-a-Tai, and others have all made significant contributions to Karate over the years.
The GKC was registered in August 2006, but commenced training in November 2007 with a total of twenty-five students. Training first began at the National Gymnasium, but because the membership has grown to over three hundred practicing karatakas, training now takes place at the Malteenoes Sports Club in Thomas Lands; at the Marian Academy, and at the Timehri Community Centre.
In August 2009, the students of the college had their first international exposure when they participated in the 8th International Shotakan Karate Federation/Caribbean Karate College Championships held in St. Lucia. They recorded impressive results, winning several gold, silver and bronze medals in all of the categories in which they participated.
The momentum of high performances continued at the 11th ISKF Pan American Championships, held in Guyana in 2010; and then on to the next Caribbean Championships, which were held in Grenada in 2011.
The first International Karate Diagaku World Shotokan Championships were hosted in Toronto, Canada in July 2012, and the GKC achieved the phenomenal accomplishment of placing second at the tournament, defeating many karate power houses such as the United States, Jamaica and Venezuela, among others from Asia and Europe.
Most recently — in fact, just a week ago — the GKC attended the 10th Caribbean Karate Championships, held in Bridgetown, Barbados under the astute leadership of Sensei Jeffrey Wong, 6th Degree Black belt; and again they kept the Golden Arrowhead flying high, raking in an unprecedented 80 medals: 34 gold, 25 silver and 21 bronze.
The team maintained consistency, carting off the trophy for the best performing country in the junior category.
November 2013 will see another hive of activities for Karate in Guyana with the hosting of the South America Cup under the auspices of the International Karate Daigaku. This event is expected to draw participation from Brazil, French Guiana, Colombia, Venezuela and other South American countries, apart from Guyana.
The future of Karate in Guyana, with the completion of the new state-of-the-art training facility at Liliendaal currently under construction, is brighter than ever.
Like the Japanese Masters who changed the world in their own small way, the Guyana Karate College intends to carve a path for Guyana in the world of karate.
The main aims of the GKC include helping young people to find direction in life, keeping them off the streets, and helping to break the cycle of crime and violence in Guyana by teaching them the tenets of the college – character and discipline, sincerity, effort, etiquette, and self-control.
At the college, men, women and children can all benefit from martial arts training, being provided by a strong team of instructors, including Dr. Guy Low, Lavern Jones, Aubrey Bettencourt and Claire Martelly, to promote the ability for all ages and genders to learn Shotokan Karate.
To maintain a strong family atmosphere, although there are separate children’s classes, many families attend the adult classes together.
All are welcome to join. Enrollment is on a continuous basis for beginners and adults, and the Malteenoes Dojo is located in Thomas Lands, Georgetown.