World Karate Federation

The international federation for sport karate

The World Karate Federation (WKF) is the international hub for sport karate. From Madrid, the federation works with national and continental karate federations on competitions, rules, training, and the global development of the sport.

The WKF brings kata and kumite together in an international competition structure in which athletes, coaches, referees, and officials operate at the highest level.

The organization

Profile

Karate worldwide under one sporting structure

The WKF represents national federations from different parts of the world and operates through continental federations in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and the Pan-American region. The federation focuses on international competitive sport and on a clear, recognizable foundation for karate practitioners.

Governance, technical committees, judges, coaches and athletes are all part of this international sporting structure. The WKF also maintains programs focused on integrity, safe sport, women in sport, anti-doping and para-karate.

Over the years

History

Connected to international karate since 1970

The World Karate Federation was founded in 1970 and grew into a central international organization for sport karate. Over the years, the federation developed a worldwide competition system with national and continental championships, rankings, and events for different age groups.

Under the WKF, karate gained an increasingly clear place within the international multisport world. Its participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics marked an important moment for karate's visibility on the world stage.

The WKF is building on this development with a focus on sporting quality, international cooperation, and a safe future for karate.

Within the sport

Activities and role

Championships, rankings and training

The WKF organizes world championships, continental championships and international competition series. The program includes the WKF World Championships, Karate One, the Premier League, Series A and the Youth League.

Young athletes can compete in championships for cadets, juniors and the U21 category. National teams, coaches, judges and referees also receive international guidelines, training and competition frameworks within the WKF.

The WKF Ranking provides athletes and federations with an international reference point within the competition calendar. Regulations and technical documents ensure a consistent approach to kata, kumite and the organization of competitions.

Connection

Membership and participation

National and continental federations

National karate federations form the foundation of the WKF community. Through the Asian Karate Federation, European Karate Federation, African Karate Federation, Oceanian Karate Federation, and Panamerican Karate Federation, countries and athletes are connected to the international calendar.

These federations bring karate practitioners together for national teams, continental championships, and global WKF events. This creates a pathway from the dojo and national competitions to the international stage.

Why this matters

Impact and meaning

Karate as an international sport

The WKF contributes to the international recognition and development of karate. Through standardized competition rules, training programs, and rankings, athletes from different countries can compete with one another within a common framework.

The federation connects elite sport with broader themes such as integrity, anti-doping, inclusion, safe sport, and the growth of women in karate. Para-karate shows that athletes with disabilities also have a full-fledged place within the international karate community.

In this way, the WKF stands for a karate sport that strives to be technically strong, internationally accessible, and socially engaged.

Media and additional information

Competitions and international karate calendar

The official WKF channels bring together news, competition information, results, rankings, regulations, and international developments. The calendar includes world and continental championships, multisport events, and various Karate One series.

Topics such as anti-doping, safe karate, approved protective equipment, coaches, judges, and referees are also part of the WKF's international sporting environment.

More information about the World Karate Federation and international karate can be found at wkf.net.