By Jokokan Federation
A little over a year ago, you could read on the website that Jokokan Denmark had now reached 125 members and 16,000 hits on our Danish/English website. After one year, this has now changed significantly in a positive direction.
After a survey of all the seven current member schools in Jokokan Denmark, Member of the Jokokan Europe association, in 2003 we will have reached 250 members with continued strong progress. This is a doubling of members in barely one year!
The major growth dynamos have been the Jokokan Skælskør Karate school and the new Jokokan Ballerup Karate school, each of which has had a membership increase of over 40 new members. But all Jokokan schools have prospered.
In the now one year old article (Read: 16,000 hits & over 125 students) 16,000 hits per month on the website were mentioned. It is now a pleasure to be able to say that we now have up to 20,000 visitors per month from all over the world on Jokokan's website, of which around 3-4,000 visitors are regular readers. Approx. 15 % of the readers come from Denmark, 30 % from the rest of Europe, approx. 35 % from the USA and 20 % from the rest of the world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal and new readers to Jokokan's website for the trust and interest you have shown in the Association of Jokokan, our set of values and teaching principles. We at the editorial office will continue to increase the quality and yield as everything can be done better within the concept when so many people visit the website.
At the same time, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our old and new members for their constructive attitude and efforts, and for having made a significant contribution to the creation of the "new" Jokokan association and community.
Not only that our membership has doubled in just one year and the number of hits has been replaced by the actual number of visitors, there are enterprising companies that, uninvited, have signed up as sponsors with comparatively larger sponsorships. Our voluntary, non-political and unpaid work has been noted, along with our value-based leadership, teaching principles and Jokokan's motto “We do as we say, and say as we do – with timely care”.
The unsolicited initiatives from these companies very quickly initiated the design of one actual guideline for various sponsorships in accordance with the association's statutes, guidelines and set of values. A separate sponsor page will therefore be created on Jokokan's website.
With a happy but humble farewell salute, I would like to say that we do not intend to rest on our laurels. We want to complete what we have started, and have already launched several initiatives and measures to ensure that this is successful.
In the Jokokan association there is "room for everyone", and there is room for many new and more members, schools and EU countries. We can offer many development opportunities both locally and federally, and we have our Budo and Bujutsu skills within most "martial arts and martial arts disciplines" at a high level within the Jokokan organization.
If you are only interested in the extended karate-do part, or later as a brown or black belt, in the total martial art system, then it is your choice, your interest and attitude that determines this.
If you are an independent martial arts school in Denmark or Europe and this sounds exciting, then you are also welcome to a voluntary and non-binding contact (read: From small independent club to large active member of a forward-looking association).
But one thing is certain, if you or you want to have an influence on the creation of the "new" Jokokan federation, characterized by mutual acceptance and respect for each other in a good international spirit with tolerance, understanding and recognition, then Jokokan is the place where you can do this. You and yours are most welcome.
