WORLD governing Karate body, the International Karate-Do Organisation that is headquartered in Miami, Florida has just established a traditional Shotokan Karate Academy in Guyana, called the IKO Academy of Guyana.

The International Karate Organisation which is headed by American Eighth Dan Black Belt Shihan Adrian Ellis, a seven-time United States National champion, World champion, gold medallist in the Goodwill Games, and an Inductee into the Hall of Fame and who has been involved in martial arts for over 40 years, has taken the decision to found a karate academy in Guyana to propagate the goals of Master Funakoshi, the father of modern karate.

This new and recently launched martial arts entity here in Guyana is headed by Seventh Dan Black Belt Shihan Jeffrey Wong, who is its Chief Instructor and Chairman. He brings to the academy 50 years of experience in Shotokan Karate-do.

The IKO Academy of Guyana, which is endeavouring to properly develop a very special martial arts culture throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, has placed a lot of importance and emphasis on its academy and programmes being internationally affiliated, accredited and recognized; so that karatekas in Guyana who attend this institution could be assured of receiving a high quality of training,  and its belt rankings recognised not just in Guyana or the Caribbean, but indeed throughout the world.

Apart from being directly representative of the International Karate-Do Organisation in Guyana, the IKO Academy of Guyana is also officially affiliated to and accredited by the World Karate Martial Arts Organisation (WKMO), which is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland and which has a membership base in over 100 countries in the world.

Vice-president of the International Karate-Do Organisation in Guyana, with responsibilities for Marketing/National Brand Identity Development, Waynewright Orderson, has disclosed to Chronicle Sport that among the benefits to be gained by members of the IKO Academy of Guyana, would be participation in creditable World Cup tournaments, and authentic Continental and World Championships held all over the globe, along with technical seminars, referee and judge courses held in Europe, Asia, North America and other continents.