About Us

The PUKO was founded on October 1, 1975. The foundation took place in the "Mayfair" room of the Queen Hotel Mary in Long Beach, California during the 3rd World championships. The founding countries were Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, the USA and Venezuela.

The first Directing Committee was formed as follows:
President: Caylor Adkins (USA)
Vice-president by North America: Jesús García Ávila (México)
Vice-president by America Center: José Luis González (Guatemala)
Vice-president by the Caribbean: Aldwyn Parris ( Trinidad)
Vice-president by the South America: Carlos Antonio Valiente (Paraguay)
Secretary General: Jim Stevens (USA)
Delegate: Ross V. Rumbell (Canadá)
Delegate: Augusto Delfos Gonzalez (Argentina)

The second congress of the PUKO was held in Tokyo in November 1977 during the 4th world championship. During the Congress the President informed that soon the PUKO would be organizing its first Pan-American Championship. They promised to send information on this to all the countries as soon as possible.

The third PUKO congress PUKO was held in Madrid in November 1980 during the 5th world championship. During the Congress a new Directing Committee for the PUKO was elected.

The new Directing Committee then formed was as follows:
President: John Evans (USA)
Vice-president by North America: the delegate of the USA
Vice-president by America Center: Arturo Armas (Guatemala)
Vice-president by the Caribbean: Aldwyn Parris ( Trinidad)
Vice-president by the South America: Augusto Delfos Gonzalez (Argentina)
Secretary General: George Anderson (USA)

The present members again were informed that soon the first Pan-American Karate Championship would be organizae. During this Congress the delegate of Curacao, William Millerson, requested to speak and exposed that it is so sad to notice that the Directing Committee of the PUKO promise so much and is doing so little. At the same time he requested the authorization of the PUKO DC to organize the first Pan-American Championship in Curacao in 1981.

The Congress approved the organization of the first Pan-American Championship in Curacao.

This first Championship of the PUKO was organized in Curacao starting on May 3, 1981, with the participation of 10 countries. It was then remarkable that William Millerson was the organizer of the championship, was trainer and coach of his equipment, as well as a competitor. He won the gold medal against Billy Blanks.

The following championships were organized in 1983 in Guatemala, and 1984 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

In 1985 a championship was organized in San José, Costa Rica. Due to problems between PUKO and the National Federation of Costa Rica, PUKO never recognized this championship as a Panamerican championship but an Invitational PUKO tournament. Just before this event John Evans communicated in writing informing the members that he is resigning as PUKo President because of health reasons. An an Extraordinary Congress in was then organized in to elect a new PUKO Directing Committee. The Congress was organized on January 19, 1986 with the participation of delegates from Barbados, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, the USA and Venezuela. Also some one from Peru attended the extra-ordinary congress as an observer.

The Directive Committee was:
President: George Anderson (USA)
Vice-president by North America: Luciano Valero (México)
Vice-president by America Center: Raúl López (Panamá)
Vice-president by the Caribbean: José Méndez Rivera ( Puerto Rico)
Vice-president by the South America: Gustavo Keusch (Venezuela)
Secretary General: William Millerson (Curacao)
Treasurer: Mario Herrera Baltodano (Costa Rica)

Since then William Millerson always insisted that the Pan-American Championship must be organized annually, same like in Europe where the European championships is organized annually for this is the only way to guarantee a good development of karate at Pan-American level. This was then also approved during this extra-ordinary congress. It was approved that the Pan-American championships in principle would be organized annually in the middle of May. Also the venues of the next Panamerican championships were approved during this congress. They were 1987 in Argentina, 1988 in the USA and 1989 in Venezuela. Due to unknown reasons the Pan-American championship of 1987 could not be organized in Argentina and was moved to Curacao, whereas the championships of 1988 and 1989 were organized as was programmed. These championships were organized respectively in New Orleans and Maracaibo.

It was during the Pan-American championship of 1990 in Niteroi, Brazil that several other countries of South America joint PUKO. These were Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay which all began to participate very actively in the PUKO championships. In 1991 a record of 26 countries participated in the Panamerican championships organized in Curacao.

The Karate participates for the first time in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1993 in Ponce, Puerto Rico and for the first time in the Pan-American Games in 1995 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. It was during the Pan-American Championship of 1995 in Medellín that the new Statutes of the PUKO were approved and at the same time change the name of the organization was changed to Panamerican Karate Federation (P.K.F.).