by Papua New Guinea and the other Pacific island countries do not have a World Karate referee, contrary to a news report that a Shitoryu Karate instructor in Lae has been granted such status.
According to the PNG Karate-Do Federation (PNGKF) president Carl Mari, the only Pacific Islander, a Fijian, has passed the Oceania judge B-licence.
To get someone to achieve World Karate referee status is quite out of our reach at this stage, but we’ll get there some day.
Carl Mari, in a press release
Mari attended the Oceania Karate Federation congress and the 17th Oceania Karate Championships three weeks ago in Noumea, New Caledonia, and witnessed his fellow Melanesian, who participated in the Oceania Karate referees examination; pass his Oceania judge B-licence, a first for Melanesia.
Mari was commenting on a story published in The National on Oct 7 which stated that Lae-based Karate-Do Shitoryo instructor John Tarapia had been granted a referees licence in June by the Philippines Karate-Do League.
The article also stated that Tarapia was introducing Shitoryu Karate in PNG.
PNGKF knows that Shitoryu was initially introduced to Lae by sensei (teacher) Luke Power, an Australian, in 2013 as Japan Karate-Do Hayashi-Ha Shitoryu Kai.
He started a Shitoryu Karate club and applied for affiliation with PNGKF, which was approved on acceptance of Sensei Power’s credentials. Sensei Power went on to introduce the style at Lae (Lahi) Shotokan Karate Club.
At that time, Sempai John was a purple belt in Shotokan Karate. However, due to work reasons Sensei Power left Lae a couple of months later, so Lae Karate remained a Shotokan Karate Club.
Sempai John became a brown belt in Shotokan Karate a year later.
In late 2014 a Filipino, Sensei Geron Tanulio, a Shitoryu Karateka also had several short training stints with Lae Shotokan Karate, and subsequently in late 2014 Sempai John advised that they have resumed training in Shitoryu.
But then after training with them for several sessions, Sensei Geron left. At that stage PNGKF did not receive Sensei Geron’s credentials nor that of any other Shitoryu instructors.
Thus, Lae Shitoryu Karate club’s recognition as a Shitoryu club was based on Sensei Power’s credentials and does not have any more connection with Lae Shitoryu Karate club.Carl Mari, PNG Karate Federation President
However, this does not go to say that PNGKF does not support Lae Shitoryu Club; they need to submit their credentials to PNGKF in order to assist them with the process so that they continue to enroll and support their members.
