Tuesday, April 7 2009

SENSEI Marvin Mark has been confirmed as a special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Karate Federation (TTKF).

Sensei Mark has over 25 years experience in the discipline and has held senior positions in various organisations in the field.

He is well-versed in karate and other grappling arts and boasts advanced credentials in his chosen discipline. The TTKF advisor will report directly to TTKF president Virginia Elizabeth Seebaran.

Meanwhile, siblings Anthony and Stephen Parris have been incorporated into the TTKF. Stephen, co-founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Associated Schools of Karate (TASK) is the new TTKF representative for Canada.

Stephen is also the president of the Canada Associated Schools of Karate and a World Union of Karate-Do Organisation (WUKO) member since the early 1970s.

Stephen will also serve on the TTKF Technical Committee for the Shotokan and Wado-Ryu styles.

Anthony will serve as chairman of the TTKF Technical Council from October.

The brothers were graded in two Japanese karate systems — Wado-Ryu under Grand Master Hironori Otsuka and by Shotokan Master Hirokazu Kanazawa in Shotokan Karate International.

They are the only persons from TT to achieve this grading. Anthony and Stephen represented TT at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in 1975 and at Long Beach, USA in 1977. They are regarded as pioneers to the sport and the TTKF welcome them for their vast knowledge and experience that they will bring to the organisation.

They both are ranked as Sichidans ( 7th Degree Black belt ) by the WUKO, making them the highest ranked members of the TTKF.