News & Events

2021 Gasshuku

2021 Gasshuku will take place on October 2-3, at IMA HQ and Zoom.

We will be celebrating the 27th anniversary of Gasshuku in a totally different environment than previous years. This is our first in-person (& zoom) event since the start of the pandemic, and we look forward to your participation to keep the event beneficial and safe for everyone.
Join us for this in-person or zoom 2021 Gasshuku. Let’s enjoy some quality training together. Our goal is that despite COVID-19 events like this will give karate-ka additional motivation to stay engaged and to keep training.
This year event will include multiple sessions spread in two days with focus of agility, kumite and kata drills to help developing speed and power in kata along with some drills to help everyone increasing kumite ability. We also have divided the training by groups to allow maximum benefits for each participants.
Attendance is limited to the first 50 who register. (We will maintain a waitlist if necessary).
Masks are required, and participants will be asked to maintain personal distances of at least 6-feet at this no-touch, event. Please bring your individual beverages and individually-packaged snacks. We will send the log in information for those of you who will be joining us by zoom.
If interested please fill out below form and mail it with your method of payment to:
IMA
1340 Main Street
Louisville, CO. 80027

If you are not feeling well for any reason, or if you have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the two weeks prior to October 10th, please forego this event and join us for a future one. You will be Reimbursed %100.

Karate competition in 2020 Olympic

Dear IMA members and families;

You are perhaps one of the millions of people around the world who are glued to your TV in late night and watch the Olympic Games. Japan has done a tremendous job of making the dream of many athletes become a reality by hosting the 2020 Games after one year of delay.

Karate will be show cased for first time (and as of now for the last time) in 2020 Olympic Games. We all hope that the 80 Karate-ka from around the world perform an exciting game and show the world that we deserve to be a permanent inclusive Olympic sport.

Karate competition will be on Aug. 5-7 and you can watch it live. The below link will give you all information about US team competitors as well as a link to watch the competition.

GO USA,

IMA

Tokyo Olympic Games_Everything to know (teamusa.org)

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Karate/Features/2021/July/18/Tokyo-Olympic-Games_Everything-to-know

Congratulations Black Belts

The IMA Family offers its sincere congratulations to everyone who successfully earned new black belt designations on June 26th!

Over 25 students and instructors endured 8 hours of training and testing past Saturday as part of their black belt progression. In addition to multiple members of the IMA family earning advanced black belts through many years of dedicated training, one member of our family were also awarded the rank of Nanadan (7th degree black Belt) – making the weekend one of the most memorable in IMA’s long history.

Jr. Black Belts

Mady Forsberg

Lucan Sewall

Asher Echery

Connor Swanson

Shodan (1st Degree Black Belt)
Michael Knehs

Nidan Ho
Peter Dessev

Elam Fifer-Whiting

Giulia Toscano

Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt)
Philippe Lepercq

Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt)
Keith Nakasato

Special Achievements

Shihan Rick McGavin has tested and achieved the Rank of Nanadan (7th Degree Black Belt). Shihan McGavin is one of the pioneer of IMA who training with Hanshi Madani from establishing of IMA from 1995. The IMA family would like to congratulate Shihan McGavin for his achievement and also Would like to salute his dedication to IMA and to Karate!

Thanks also to all of the black belts and instructors who helped with the Dan testing and to all of the friends and family that came to support the students.

Rocky Mountain Championship Schedule

The 2021 Rocky Mountain Championship is promising to be another great event with many competitors from Colorado and many other states.

In order to comply with CDC and hotel COVID requirements, we have set a time line for each category/age to check in. We would like to ask you please respect this time lime and do not attempt to check in any earlier. Please click on below link for see the schedule of event for every day. Schedule | Rocky Mountain Championship

Please see below the guidelines for the upcoming Rocky Mountain Championship:

  • Face coverings will be worn by ALL attendees
  • Athletes will only be allowed to remove face coverings while on the tatami and actively competing.
  • Coaches are required to wear a face covering at all times unless seated in a coaching chair actively coaching.
  • Officials will wear a face covering at all times.
  • Volunteers will wear a face covering at all times.
  • ALL spectators will wear a face covering at all times.
  • Kumite equipment will be disinfectant before each bout.
  • Hand sanitizer will be provided at each score table and throughout the venue.
  • Temperatures of everyone in attendance will be checked upon entering the venue.
  • Any elevated temperatures will prevent entry into the event.
  • Temperature checks will be conducted on all Officials, Volunteers, and Spectators each time they enter the competition venue.
  • Athletes will only be permitted into the venue at the time of their competition or to warm-up beforehand.
  • Spectators (limited to 2 per athlete) will only be allowed in the venue while their athlete is competing.
  • No athlete will be allowed to check in ahead of the schedule

Thank you for your support and participation. We are looking forward to a great and safe competition.

RMC staff

Rocky Mountain Championship

The 2021 Rocky Mountain International Championship will be held on April 17-18, in Westminster, (Marriott Hotel Ballroom) Colorado, USA. Please log in to the web site for all information and registration.

Due to state safety restrictions, we have extended the days of the competition to two days to comply with these safety measurements. There will be changes and procedures that must be followed in order to comply with State and hotel requirements in addition to creating the safest environment possible while still competing in a professional and friendly Karate Tournament.

As always, we are pleased to offer a referee course and kumite clinic with USA Karate team members. These seminars will be offered on Friday April, 16th. Please refer to proper pages for all information.

This Open international tournament is one of the most exciting and most valuable traditional tournament in America and with hundreds of participants guarantees a unique traditional karate Championship. 

Whether a junior, senior or master competitor, you will most certainly find this tournament a wonderful experience.

We hope you will join us!