Although Article 21.9 of the World Karate Federation was officially removed from its statutes in 2018, the ominous shadow of this rule still looms over the sport.

Despite being part of the Olympic Movement, karate has failed in all five attempts to join the Olympic Games. This repeated rejection reflects not only the sport’s fragmented structure but also the autocratic tendencies of its leadership, both at odds with the Olympic spirit. A further obstacle lies in the WKF’s persistent resistance to democratizing its governance.

Gender equality within the WKF’s leadership is virtually non-existent. Only three of the federation’s 23 Executive Board members are women and of course none hold positions of real decision-making authority. The imbalance extends to the continental and national levels, where representation and influence remain highly unequal.

Many national karate federations, some directly linked to their countries’ sports ministries and supported by public funding, continue to struggle with deep internal conflicts. Their undemocratic structures have repeatedly placed karate at odds with international standards of good governance in sport. This problem is not limited to England, Azerbaijan, Georgia, France or Mexico. It is a global pattern in which so-called “national” federations often change hands from one faction to another, reappearing under new names and banners while perpetuating the same instability and division within the sport.

Article 21.9

After years of criticism over its repressive statutes and what many described as a “closed-door policy,” the World Karate Federation was eventually forced to abandon its notorious Article 21.9. Under mounting pressure ahead of the Tokyo 2020 qualification events, the WKF removed the clause from its rulebook, reintroducing its essence, though in a diluted form, across two separate articles: 6.3 and 8.2.

In practice, however, the change was largely cosmetic. It gave the appearance of opening WKF competitions to non-affiliated athletes, but the doors remained only half-open. The same exclusionary spirit persisted under a new guise, continuing to cast a long shadow over the freedom and inclusivity of karate worldwide.

Despite the fact that Article 21.9 no longer exists, the newly established ENKGB, which was appointed by the President of the British Karate Federation as the replacement for English Karate Federation, made a reference to article 21.9 in its official statement. The statement, released after ENKGB President Dale Gamble met with WKF President Antonio Espinos on Sunday, October 19, 2025, was worded in a way that could be interpreted as exerting pressure or threatening athletes to be banned.

What We Know

– On 19 August 2025, the Scottish Karate Federation issued a statement on its social media channels denouncing the leadership of Roger Williams and the British Karate Federation. Highlighting BKF’s authoritarian practices, lack of member consultation, poor management, financial opacity, refusal to publish accounts, revenues, and expenses, and failure to follow its own statutes, the three home nation federations – England, Scotland and North Ireland – have formally issued a vote of no confidence.

– On 4 October 2025, the British Karate Federation officially recognized the English National Karate Governing Body (ENKGB) as its representative in England, replacing the English Karate Federation. The move comes despite ENKGB ltd being less than three months old and having no member clubs or associations in the country. Registered with Companies House on 25 July 2025, the fledgling federation has yet to hold any elections, while Mike Dinsdale, WKF treasure is listed on its directors board as the WKF representative. Membership recruitment only began following BKF’s recognition.

– On 5 October 2025, Scottish Karate Governing Body issued a statement declaring that it does not support or endorse the BKF’s decision to recognize the ENKGB as a member body. The federation stated that the decision had been made without proper consultation with the official BKF board, adding that such unilateral actions were unsurprising given the recent conduct of the so-called BKF president. Scottish Karate affirmed its continued support for British karate and the members of the EKF, while also making clear that it will no longer support the current BKF president, Roger Williams.

– On 6 October 2025, the Northern Ireland Karate Board publicly rejected the British Karate Federation’s 4 October announcement recognizing a newly formed body to represent England. The NIKB emphasized that it does not support the BKF’s decision and raised concerns over what it described as a lack of transparency and robustness in the federation’s application of its statutes and regulations. It also criticized the BKF for failing to uphold its duty of care to a national member by not exploring all avenues for dialogue and mediation before taking action.

– On 8 October 2025, European and World Karate Federation President Antonio Espinós sent a letter to Steve Coupland, the elected president of the English Karate Federation, stating that the British Karate Federation, as a WKF-affiliated body composed of four independent home nation federations, must resolve its internal dispute in accordance with its own statutes and in line with the WKF’s regulations. Espinós also confirmed in his letter that the BKF had informed him that the English Karate Federation is no longer a member of the BKF.

– On 9 October 2025, the English Karate Federation issued a statement acknowledging that it was aware of the personal letter from the World Karate Federation, which had been publicly shared by the British Karate Federation. The EKF emphasised that the letter clearly stated the BKF must act strictly in accordance with its own statutes and those of the WKF, something it has failed to do. The federation also confirmed that, together with its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it intends to pursue the BKF’s violations through legal channels.

– On 18 October 2025, Dale Gamble, president of the newly established English National Karate Governing Body, posted a photo of himself with WKF President Antonio Espinós and announced that the organization had been officially recognised by the European Karate Federation with the unanimous approval of its executive members. In a statement released the following day, ENKGB cited Article 21.9, declaring that athletes wishing to compete in WKF events must now be members of his federation. As of yet, the WKF has not issued any response confirming or denying this claim.

– Article 21.9: Affiliated members and Individuals shall commit themselves to accept no authority other than the one of the WKF. The article faced widespread international criticism and was eventually abandoned by the WKF in 2018. However, Mike Dinsdale, who serves as the WKF representative for both BKF and ENKGB, appears to be out of date regarding its current status.