PKF — Panamerican Karate Federation

What is the PKF?

The Panamerican Karate Federation, in Spanish the Federación Panamericana de Karate, is the continental federation for karate in the Americas within the World Karate Federation’s structure. The WKF lists it as “Panamerican Karate Federation - PKF” among its five continental federations, beside the African, Asian, European and Oceanian karate federations.^[5]

Its statutes describe it as “una organización permanente con estatus legal” (Article 1.1) and state that “La PKF es una organización sin ánimo de lucro” (Article 1.4).^[3] They set its purpose as to “promocionar, organizar, regular y popularizar el deporte del karate por todo el Continente Americano”, and define the sport as the activities “administradas por la FEDERACION MUNDIAL DE KARATE –WKF-”, the world governing body (Articles 1.8 and 1.2).^[3] The federation covers karate’s two competition disciplines, kata and kumite, and para-karate. The WKF names José García Maañón as its president; the PKF’s own site also describes him as First Vice President of the WKF.^[5][1]

What does the PKF govern or do?

The PKF writes no competition rules of its own for kata and kumite: its events run under the WKF’s competition rules, which the WKF published in 2026 editions for kumite, kata and para-karate, with a 2026 competition rules bulletin.^[9] The WKF Statutes require continental federations to adhere to WKF regulations, “recognising the supreme authority of the WKF in all matters related to the sport of karate”.^[6]

What the PKF regulates is the organisation of its own events and its internal bodies. Its published documents are the 2015 statutes, a “Reglamento para la Organización de Campeonatos PKF” updated on 22 August 2018, regulations for its technical and referee commissions, and a regulation of its disciplinary and legal commission posted in February 2023.^[4] Its site maintains sections on PKF referees, PKF coaches and anti-doping.^[1] On anti-doping, Article 1.10 of the statutes states that “La PKF tiene el firme propósito de adoptar y respetar el Código Mundial Antidopaje”.^[3] The WKF publishes its own anti-doping rules, in a 2021 edition as since updated.^[9]

When was the PKF founded and where is it based?

According to the federation’s history, “La PUKO fué fundada el día 1ro. de Octubre de 1975”, in the “Mayfair” room of the Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.^[2] It names twelve founding countries — Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and Venezuela — and Caylor Adkins of the United States as first president. No independent source for the founding date was retrieved.

The renaming is a separate date. The history states that “En 1995 durante el Campeonato Panamericano en Medellín, fueron aprobados los nuevos Estatutos de la PUKO y al mismo tiempo se cambio el nombre de la organización a Panamerican Karate Federation P.K.F.”^[2] The statutes now published were “Aprobado en el Congreso de Buenos Aires el 15 de mayo de 2013”, with reforms approved in Toronto on 17 March 2015.^[3]

The seat moves with the presidency: “La sede y el domicilio legal de la PKF estarán situados en el país de residencia del Presidente elegido” (Article 1.3).^[3] The WKF gives the federation’s address as Juncal 1662, Buenos Aires, Argentina.^[5]

How is the PKF recognised?

Recognition comes from the WKF. Article 2.2 of the WKF Statutes, approved by the WKF Congress on 25 October 2022 in Konya, Turkey, provides: “The WKF recognises in principle 5 (five) Continental Federations (Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania).” The same article requires them to collaborate with the WKF “within their areas of jurisdiction” and to “forward to the WKF a full annual report on the competitive, organisational and promotional activities undertaken”, and Article 2.3 requires their statutes to “conform to the principles of the WKF Statutes.”^[6] The Statutes do not name the PKF; the WKF’s federation pages list it as the continental federation for the Americas.^[5] Article 2.1 states that national federations may also belong to continental federations “in order to participate in, or supervise the organisation of Regional or Continental karate competitions, including Regional or Continental Games”.^[6]

The PKF holds no IOC recognition of its own; any Olympic-movement standing belongs to the WKF. Karate entered the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1993 and the Pan American Games in 1995 at Mar del Plata, according to the PKF, and its site reports karate confirmed for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.^[2][1] A list by Panam Sports naming the PKF among recognised continental confederations could not be retrieved.

What does the PKF organise?

The PKF runs a senior continental championship, the Pan American Karate Championships; Article 1.8 of its statutes states that the PKF “organiza los Campeonatos Panamericanos de Karate”.^[3] According to its history, the first Pan American Championship took place in Curaçao “1ro al 3 de Mayo de 1981, con la participación de 10 países”.^[2] The federation numbers the 2026 edition, held in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the XXXIX; the XXXVIII was in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2025.^[8] The 2025 and 2026 editions combined senior and under-21 events. The WKF lists the 2026 edition from 28 to 31 May 2026, and the next senior edition in Mexico City from 1 to 4 April 2027.^[7]

The federation also runs a separate cadet and junior championship: the WKF lists the 2026 edition in San José, Costa Rica, from 27 to 30 August 2026, and the 2027 edition in Dallas, United States, from 27 to 29 August 2027.^[7]

Who are its members?

The members are national karate federations, one per country. Article 5.5 of the statutes states “Solo se permitirá 1(una) Federación Nacional por país”, and Article 5.1 provides that “La PKF también tiene que reconocer todas las Federaciones Nacionales reconocidas por la WKF”, with recognition communicated to the national Olympic committee in line with the Olympic Charter.^[3]

The WKF’s page for the federation gives “Federation Members: 39” and lists them: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.^[5] The PKF’s own site carries a page of affiliated countries.^[1]