Johnpaul Williams (Menlo Park & San Jose, CA) • 5-State Nationwide Squad (CA, TX, NJ, CO, FL) • Global Dispatches

October 23, 2026 Breakthrough: On October 23, 2026, our nationwide mobilization reached a major turning point when I identified three additional USA participants from Florida: Andre, Marie, and Pedro! Their addition expands our American squad into a formidable 5-state coalition heading to Kyoto.

Our nationwide US squad roster now unites dedicated karateka from all over the country:

• California: Johnpaul Williams (training out of Menlo Park & San Jose)
• Texas: Hisao and Senior Master Nelson Nathaniel Jr.
• New Jersey: James, Charles Sensei, and Narissa
• Colorado: Miyuki
• Florida: Andre, Marie, and Pedro (identified October 23, 2026)

Each of us is honing stamina, classical Gōjū-Ryū body conditioning, and WKF timing within our respective regional home dojo. For my own part, I have locked in my registration for Men’s Kumite Heavyweight (+75 kg) in the 55–59 division (turning 58 next year for the 2027 championship, with my Kata registration pending). Across state lines, we remain in active check-ins (such as my October 7 exchange with Nelson Nathaniel: “Little steps!”), building national momentum as we await official competitor roster confirmation directly from the WMG Organizing Committee.

National Federation Coordination: This past week, I reached out once again to the USA National Karate-do Federation (USANKF) using my primary email address, seeking official communication and coordination for American athletes heading to Kansai. While awaiting formal response from the national governing body, our nationwide squad preparations continue uninterrupted across California, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, and Florida, as well as through direct international channels.

Simultaneously across Japan, fellow competitors are stepping forward. Longtime karateka Fumiaki Eguchi (江口 史晃) of Sōkonjuku (創魂塾) in Fukuoka—a fellow member of our JKF Gōjūkai (全日本空手道連盟剛柔会)—publicly confirmed his registration for Men’s Kumite Division 2 (Ages 50–59). In Kansai, competitors like T.K. Kabashima are holding dedicated sparring exchange sessions (スパーリング交流会), preparing for what will be a historic domestic championship.

On the international front, our global Seiwakai fraternity is mobilizing. I have spoken directly with Sensei Morgan Moss of South Africa—5th Dan Seiwakai Gōjū-Ryū, WGKF World Champion, and WKF Premier League Grand Champion—who confirmed he is officially registered to compete in the Kumite division. Having an athlete of Morgan’s caliber stepping onto the tatami underscores the exceptional world-class standard awaiting us in Kyoto.

September 20, 2026: Public Announcement from Kyoto — “The Road to Kansai Begins”

Source: Official Social Dispatch • Kyoto, Japan

On September 20, 2026, I posted an announcement: “Public Announcement from Kyoto — ‘The Road to Kansai Begins’” in search of additional USA participants, JKF Gōjūkai, and Seiwakai friends—and got the answer I was looking for!

“The road to Kansai begins! IMGA World Masters Games should be a fun experience. Who else is in? #WMG2027 #WMG2027Kansai #WMG2027Karate #WMG2027_Kansai #WMG2027空手道 #WMG240DTG #WMG2027_空手道”

The call to action resonated immediately across the national and international karate community. Practitioners and senior colleagues across the United States and abroad reached out to compare training regimens, coordinate delegations, and align on travel logistics for Kyoto.

Direct Competitor Communications • Menlo Park, CA to Austin, TX

Following our initial social exchange back in February when Nelson first surfaced on the WMG radar, I initiated direct outreach across the United States martial arts landscape in early September 2026 to scout fellow American competitors preparing for Kansai. In Texas, I connected via direct message with Senior Master Nelson Nathaniel Jr. (@ninja_nelson), owner and head instructor of Austin Karate Center (with extensive rankings across Okinawan Gōjū-Ryū and Shotokan, and regular competitive appearances on the USA Karate circuit):

“So who else is going from Texas to WMG2027? I’ll be 58 next year for the events, registered in the heavyweight division, plus 75 kilo… All Karate kata and Kumite is in Kyoto at the Kyoto City Budo Center next door to the Butokuden around the corner from the Heian Jungu shrine.”

When Nelson inquired whether the World Masters Games is considered an Olympic event, I broke down the official institutional architecture:

“The World Masters Games are officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The event is organized by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), the world governing body for masters-level sports and received formal recognition from the IOC in 2001!”

Two days later, on September 12, I performed a line-by-line audit of the official WMG Karatedō competition page (wmg2027.jp/en/competition/karate/) and flagged apparent mismatches between the published divisions and age brackets. Having already contacted WMG headquarters directly in Japan to request the official competitor roster for Team USA athletes, we are awaiting their official registry dispatch. Dialogue with Sensei Nathaniel remains active (“Little steps!”) as dojo across the nation assess their contenders for Kyoto.

Source: Official Video Announcement • Talavera de la Reina, Spain

On September 1, 2026, global momentum for the World Masters Games Kansai 2027 surged across the international martial arts world. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-time World Champion Sandra Sánchez released an emotional video reel across her official social channels, formally declaring that she has accepted an official invitation to return to competition in the Masters Kata division:

“En mayo de 2027, en Japón, se celebran los Juegos Mundiales Master. He recibido una invitación, he sido seleccionada y ahí estaré… Vais a poder seguir conmigo toda esta preparación y nos vemos en el tatami.”
(In May 2027, in Japan, the World Masters Games will take place. I received an invitation, I have been selected, and I will be there… You will be able to follow this entire preparation with me, and I will see you on the tatami!)

Having retired from professional elite competition after claiming gold at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, Sánchez explained that competing in Kansai is also an advocacy campaign to elevate global recognition for veteran and master-level karatedō. Her video announcement electrified the karate world, confirming that the Kyoto Budo Center tatami will feature the greatest names in the sport’s history.

June 2026: USANKF Follow-Up & International Delegation Coordination

Source: Federation Inquiry • Nationwide Squad Coordination

In June 2026, following the opening of general registration, I followed up with the USA National Karate-do Federation (USANKF) to inquire about official delegation procedures, athlete sanctioning, and communication channels for veteran competitors heading to Kyoto.

With the IMGA operating under an open-entry policy for all qualified national federation members, our squad maintained forward progress—solidifying our nationwide training regimens across California, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, and Florida, while coordinating directly with colleagues in Tokyo.

March 2026: General Entries Open Across Japan & Media Launch in Osaka

Source: WMG 2027 Kansai Organizing Committee • Osaka Launch Event

On March 2, 2026, the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai Organizing Committee (wmg2027.jp) officially opened general entry registration worldwide. At the televised launch event in Osaka, celebrity martial artist and comedian Masumi Yagi (八木 真澄 / サバンナ・八木)—a 1st Dan in Kyokushin Karate and 2nd Dan in Judo—appeared as an official tournament ambassador and confirmed his dedication to enter the Karatedo tournament, urging all adult athletes: “First, submit your entry to set your concrete goal, and then practice toward that!”

Social Dispatch • California to Texas Martial Arts Network

Days before the organizing committee in Kansai opened general worldwide registration, early whispers were already rippling through the American martial arts community. On the night of February 25, 2026 (11:45 PM), I noticed Senior Master Nelson Nathaniel Jr. (@ninja_nelson) of Austin Karate Center tuning into the upcoming games, prompting a lighthearted callout:

“@ninja_nelson how do you even know about this? Are you old enough to?”

The banter touched on the core qualification benchmark of the games: with entry open strictly to karateka aged 30 and older, veteran competitors who still maintain elite sparring speed and sharp kata suddenly found a common international objective on the horizon. That February spark laid the groundwork for our detailed cross-country coordination later in the year.

July 2025: Active Countdown, National Taikai Floor & Tatami Standards

Yokohama Budokan • 52nd National JKF Gōjūkai Taikai

Following intensive summer training at the Seiwakai International Gasshuku and participation on the competition floor of the 52nd National JKF Gōjūkai Taikai in Yokohama, our technical roadmap crystallized.

Masters competition under WKF officiating demands lightning-fast decision-making, strict non-contact control, and precision athletic footwork. Experiencing national-level officiating in Japan underscored the rigorous physical standards required for Kyoto.

April–May 2025: Stepping into the Old Butokuden (旧武徳殿) & Kyoto Budo Center Designated

World Butokusai • Sakyō-ku, Kyoto

The official circulars from the Organizing Committee formally designated the Kyoto Budo Center (京都市武道センター) as the host venue for Karatedō. For any traditional martial artist, this venue is hallowed ground: it stands directly adjacent to the historic Old Butokuden (旧武徳殿), Japan’s oldest surviving martial arts hall built in 1899 under the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai.

Having had the rare privilege to enter and demonstrate inside the Old Butokuden during the 2025 World Butokusai, the aura of those centuries-old polished wooden planks is stamped forever in my memory. Returning to Kyoto in May 2027 to step onto the tatami at the adjoining Kyoto Budo Center is the culmination of years of dedicated preparation.

January 2025: National Governing Body Outreach — Initial Inquiry to the USANKF

Source: Official Communication to USA National Karate-do Federation (USANKF)

In January 2025, seeking formal alignment and guidance on USA masters participation for the 2027 Games in Kyoto, I reached out directly to the USA National Karate-do Federation (USANKF), the national governing body for Olympic and WKF karate in the United States.

Having received no reply from the national federation, we resolved not to let bureaucratic silence stall our momentum. Rather than waiting on administrative channels, we committed to forging our road forward independently—anchoring our technical training in the international JKF Gōjūkai fraternity, collaborating directly with colleagues across Japan, and preparing our dojo in Menlo Park and San Jose for May 2027.

October 17, 2024: The Genesis — A Midnight Message from Mieko Nakao Sensei in Tokyo

Source: Direct Communication / Facebook Messenger Exchange with Mieko Nakao Sensei (Tokyo)

This entire journey began on the evening of October 17, 2024. My longtime colleague Mieko Nakao Sensei (仲尾 美恵子 先生)—6th Dan, Seishinkan (聖心館) Tokyo, and JKF Gōjūkai Overseas Committee member—messaged me fresh off competing at the European Masters under full World Karate Federation (WKF) officiating, where she captured a hard-fought Bronze Medal.

Mieko Sensei: “Thanks for reminding me. European masters had 350 competitors. I won bronze medal. I lost semi final to the current European master champion… Next year in Kansai master’s game will be quite tough. We need to practice a lot.”

Important Clarification: While Mieko Nakao Sensei has confirmed that she is not competing in the 2027 Games, she continues to enthusiastically support and advise our squad with competitive intelligence on WKF refereeing and international masters standards.

Her message was the spark. Right then, I committed to the road, formally submitting my registration for Kumite (with my Kata registration pending), and establishing the multi-year training continuum that guides our dojo in Menlo Park and San Jose today.