English Karate Council Development Plan 2014-2018 Foreword
Karate is the most popular martial art practiced in England, with participation rates higher than taekwondo and judo, which are Olympic sports and have received substantial funding from UK sport and Sport England. Karate has received no public funding for seven years yet still has an estimated 150,000 participants. These participants directly experience the benefits of karate It is a healthy form of exercise, creating all round fitness and flexibility It builds self-discipline and good character It offers the opportunity to compete from club to international level Karate needs an appropriately structured and sustainable governing body; recognised by Sport England, which will: Continue to encourage diverse and wide participation; ensure that the Do - the traditional karate code of conduct and practice - is followed by all Instructors; Encourage more diverse and wider participation. Provide a code of practice to be followed by all Instructors and which will provide assurance to the public, schools and local authorities that the governing body will demonstrate the highest standards of probity, openness and accountability. In addition to which their members will provide high quality karate teaching. This will help protect the public from rogue operators who often charge high prices for poor karate instruction, a fact which is supported by the evidence. Be a governing body that will provide clear, effective leadership but will not dictate to Karate Associations, or prevent karateka from training or competing with one another. Be served primarily by appropriately skilled volunteers who give their time for the benefit of karate. This business model will also help to keep costs to the minimum and is considered essential to enable the governing body to function efficiently and effectively. The benefits of having a new umbrella governing body will be not only to strive for the highest standards of corporate governance across the various karate organisations, but crucially to build on the success and reputations of established, well-run karate groups and through them provide more opportunities for karate participation, to include diverse, under-represented groups. It will seek additional funding and support for karate from sports agencies and ensure that any funding is directed primarily at increasing grass roots participation. John Bell Chairman of the English Karate Council
CONTENTS Our starting point 4 Our structure 5 Our mission, vision, values 7 Our collective success 9 Our action plans 10 Recruitment 11 Retention 12 Talent development 13 Workforce development 14 Environment 15 Organisational and business development 16 Marketing and communications 17
Our starting point Karate has been established in England for over 50 years, enjoying a huge surge in popularity during the 1970 s as a result of film and television publicity. Participation has remained strong in recent years as measured by Sport England s Active People Survey, despite no public funding for karate. Karate pays its way through licence fees and club membership fees so that in many karate organisations and clubs the income is recycled to the benefit of the members. Karate is a safe sport as demonstrated by the good record with insurance companies, low levels of reported significant injuries and in particular the attention paid to safety in the advice to karate Instructors. There are strong benefits to the individual from practising karate. These include: Fitness and flexibility Progression and regular reward through the grading system Participation for life, with many participants over 50 A great sport for young people, developing concentration, self-discipline and confidence. Self defence Explicit reference to physical and mental development in the typical training syllabus However karate is not well promoted or understood by the public. It is fragmented with many hundreds of karate groups, many of which are teaching high quality karate, but unfortunately, not all are. The record of karate governance in England has not been good, with a number of governing bodies failing over the years. This has led to cynicism about governance from many karate organisations who do not wish to get involved in the complicated politics of karate. The groups who formed the English Karate Council in March 2012 fully recognise that lessons from the past need to be taken into account, and confidence in a new NGB for karate will need to grow from acceptance that this time the foundations for the new NGB are firm and well founded, the product of extensive consultation between England s largest and longest established associations. The success of this development plan will come from the determination to address the issues set out above, and our approach to these issues will be addressed in the following sections.
Our structure English Karate Council New Members Karate England Federation of English Karate Organisations Amateur Martial Association Karate Union of Great Britain
Merseyside winners of a National Youth Championships pictured at one of Britain's oldest clubs, the Liverpool Red Triangle
Our Mission To champion the benefits of Karate to people of all ages and abilities and to lead its development Our vision Through excellent leadership and strong governance to be the governing body to which all English Karate groups will want to belong. Our values The values behind our work: Leadership Openness and Accountability Support and Help Care Humility Diligence Respect Diversity and Equality Hisham Saif, Individual Kata Gold Medallist 2013, WSKA World Championships Liverpool
Where we are now? Workforce 1700 qualified instructors 300 trained referee and judges at national and international level 3500 volunteers supporting karate 200 competitive coaches Environment 2,000 karate dojos (clubs) operating across England 50 of these operate within FE and HE settings Participants 44,000 participants taking part on a twice weekly basis 40% of participants are female Participants range in age from 3 to 90 300 taking part on the competitive talent pathway 60% are children and young people 5% of participants have a disability Profile 8 national and international competitions staged since 2012 150 Medal successes at international level
Our action plans 2014-2018 Karateka of all ages training together at a special Black Belt development course
Recruitment and Participation Our challenge Whilst the number of people participating in karate demonstrates a very buoyant sport, the English Karate Council acknowledges that there is still work to be done in order to ensure that karate fully meets its participation potential. As a starting point, EKC are committed to breaking down barriers and changing potentially negative perceptions - such as karate being an aggressive sport. To do this, EKC will need to communicate the many positive and lifelong benefits of participation. Underpinning these communications, EKC will need to ensure that high quality and accredited karate opportunities are available and effectively promoted throughout England. In addition to providing consistently high quality experiences, this will also encourage providers who are operating as unaffiliated bodies to join the EKC. At a specific level, the EKC will use this plan period to increase the numbers of school children, women and people with a disability to take up and enjoy the sport. Our actions To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Embrace and promote Sport England ClubMark as a minimum quality standard, enabling member groups to be certified ClubMark assessors for karate clubs. Develop and embed an EKC quality charter mark (Karate Mark) in order to clearly demonstrate when karate providers are operating in line with the high quality expectations of the EKC. Subsequently use this charter mark to develop and promote an online karate directory informing new participants of the many opportunities they can engage in. Create and implement an online and poster recruitment campaign to promote the positive benefits of karate and breakdown negative perceptions. Work with the primary and secondary education sector to develop and pilot a school based karate intervention. This programme will focus on fundamental skill development and also be designed to help teachers achieve key curriculum outcomes through the use of karate experiences. Develop and pilot a karate intervention that specifically promotes the health and wellbeing benefits of karate participation. Establish and disseminate specific advice and guidance relating to the delivery of high quality karate to participants with a disability. Our impact - through the implementation of our actions, EKC will have: Built and promoted a directory of EKC accredited karate opportunities Developed and implemented a national recruitment campaign, explaining the positive attributes of EKC membership and the many benefits of karate Developed and piloted a new school based intervention which can be rolled out nationally during the next plan period Created and piloted a new women s intervention through the development of new partnerships Encouraged a minimum of 10% of currently unaffiliated groups to join the EKC Developed and established a new monitoring system allowing EKC to evaluate annual increases in participation Developed Karate Mark and working with clubs to achieve it Established EKC members as accrediting organisations for ClubMark Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our recruitment and participation work EKC will: Have developed a new monitoring system to record people joining the sport. By the end of the plan period this will enable karate to segment participation into gender and age groupings. This will also enable EKC to identify the levels of participation by people with a disability Have developed a system of assessing the quality of opportunities provided by EKC members Have developed case studies that provide clear advice and guidance in relation to the new EKC interventions Demonstrate through the Active People s survey results a growth in karate participation Ensure karate clubs within the EKC are aware of the minimum standards associated with Karate Mark and working towards achieving the quality mark
Retention Our challenge With over 44,000 affiliated members the English Karate Council has every reason to be proud of its achievements and to consider itself as a significant national governing body. Although this represents a very positive position, the EKC acknowledges that this number has remained relatively static for the past few years and that greater emphasis needs to be put on the longer term retention of its members. Through a structured examination of this challenge, the EKC needs to identify any factors that need to be addressed which might cause members to leave and if any of these may be related to specific areas of membership such as age or gender. Karate clubs are often run by highly experienced and charismatic instructors, as a result there is a need to ensure appropriate succession planning within all clubs to ensure these opportunities do not cease when individuals choose not to continue their instruction. Like many other sports, karate retention is affected by normal social issues, for example the influence of boyfriends and girlfriends, computer games and other social activities. In addition the transition from school to college and on to university can have a negative effect on levels of retention. The final element that may impact on retention is the potential complexity of karate. Members may drop out if they are not sure of progression opportunities, though this is unlikely in terms of personal technical progression which is measured through a robust syllabus and grading structure and a clearly defined Instructor qualification programme. More clarity is probably needed on the competitive opportunities outside the individual s member body. Our actions - To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Undertake a review of its membership benefits in order to ensure that they are comparable with other sport offers and relevant to the specific needs of their membership Work with senior club instructors to encourage the identification and development of potential successors, supported by the member groups Develop and communicate a simple guide to karate progression. This documentation will be distributed to current and new members, providing them with clear development pathways that make ongoing progression easy to achieve Work with young karateka to develop and enhance the EKC website and social media platforms, ensuring that EKC remains current and relevant to young people an can offer interactive involvement in addition to the daily karate activity Establish and encourage youth leadership and instruction programmes with the appropriate awarding bodies Work with the AoC and BUCs to encourage good practice in colleges and universities Our impact - through the implementation of our actions, EKC will have: Introduced a refined and more relevant membership offer, including special categories for university students Used its membership package to incentivise and reward long term retention Upgraded its IT/communications platforms to reflect modern day needs Increased the EKC membership by a minimum of 10% by 2017 Broadened the active leadership and instruction workforce by a minimum of 10% by 2018 by engaging with key awarding bodies Ensured that AoC and BUCs promote the EKC policies and procedures to their institutions Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in the area of retention, EKC will: With external measures such as Active Peoples survey demonstrate an increase in karate retention Monitor its own membership numbers to gain overall and segmented picture of retention improvement Successfully train and embed succession planning into 75% of all EKC major clubs Use its improved website to gauge and record levels of customer satisfaction Karate participation within colleges and universities takes place within EKC guidelines
Talent Development Talent in Karate can be measured in two ways: 1. Technical Performance The skill and knowledge of the participant is measured by the grading system with a black belt confirming a good level of competence and skill. The challenge in the first instance is to obtain widespread adherence to the traditional grading system which has been in Worldwide use for over 100 years but which has over time been ignored by some karate groups; this has led to a devaluing of the Dan grade system and it cannot be assumed that a high Dan Grade is commensurate with high skill. Other challenges are to extend the opportunity for people with disabilities and the personal development of instructors. Our Actions- To meet the challengers identified above, the EKC will: Ensure that EKC member groups follow the EKC Dan Grading protocol agreed in 2013 Extend opportunities for people with disabilities to progress in Karate Provide development opportunities for Karate Instructors which will raise their skill level To create an EKC awards/ recognition programme which annually recognises Karateka who have achieved excellence in skill, instruction, leadership and volunteering. 2. Competition Well-established and ample opportunities already exist for Karateka to compete in Kata or Kumite or in both, at all levels from club through to International. The challenge in is to remove barriers to progression to particular International events that exist due to the World Karate Federation s Rule 21.9, which means that participation in England in WKF competition is not open to all talented performers Our Actions: To ensure that all Karateka who wish to compete have opportunities through a competitive structure which enables them to gain experience irrespective of their geographic location To ensure that all competition experience is welcoming, affordable, safe and relevant to their level of ability Provide development opportunities for competition Coaches which will raise their skill level. Ensure the future establishment of an elite squad. Create an EKC awards/ recognition programme which annually recognises Karateka who have achieved excellence as competitors or officials. Our impact - through the implementation of our actions, EKC will have: Developed and promoted a new EKC competitive structure which clearly defines progression from grassroots to international performance Established and embedded a new talent development structure including the development of regional and national squads Established a talent development pathway for people with a disability and have promoted this within the EKC club structure Enhanced the talent development identification and development guidance within the EKC leadership programme. Developed and implemented a talent development pathway for current high performing instructors and talented instructors wishing to get involved Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in this area, EKC will: Monitor increases in the numbers of performers taking part in EKC competition Evaluate the effectiveness of EKC squads on regional, national and international competition Monitor the increased number of people with a disability competing in EKC competitions Ensure that 70% of all current coaches and 100% of new coaches receive advice, guidance and training on disability coaching
Workforce Development Our challenge Over many years the individual members of EKC have developed a significant amount of high quality educational resources for instructors. This has been used to successfully educate and develop the current karate workforce. Whilst this has proven very effective, the EKC recognise that there is a lack of standardisation within these resources and the potential for conflicting standards and approaches to be implemented. Underpinning this, the EKC also acknowledges that the current data held on the current coaching workforce is insufficient to fully understand the skills held within the sport and the potential knowledge gaps that need to be addressed moving forwards. From a broader perspective, the EKC understands that whilst its practice is of a high quality it does not comply with or complement the current UKCC structure adopted by many other sports. Moving forwards the EKC wishes to maintain its current good practice but at the same time seek to integrate more effectively into national structures. Whilst maintaining its own integrity and positive traditions. From an official s perspective, the EKC members have consistently developed high quality competition officials who can deliver on the international stage; however they have always been aware of the need more officials to support local and regional competition. From an official s perspective, the EKC has consistently developed high quality competition officials who can delivery on the international stage, however are progressively realising that they need more officials to support local and regional competition. Similarly the EKC want to continually promote the sport as a fulfilling place to volunteer. Our action - To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Establish an EKC instructor s database in order to identify the number of qualified instructors, the levels of their awards and through their member groups, encourage their continuing development as skilled karate instructors. Seek to introduce a competitive coaching development programme from 2018 onward Create a plan to match karate instruction qualifications to the UKCC framework. Seek to implement this plan from 2018 onwards. Introduce a range of additional support for the ongoing development of instructors, leaders and officials. Launch a campaign to recruit new competition officials and club volunteers. Seek to develop a volunteer recognition programme by 2016. Work with other sports and key partners to collect and analyse best practice that can aid the development of the EKC workforce. Our impact - through the implementation of our actions, EKC will have: Developed a comprehensive EKC workforce database securing vital information on coaching and officiating Developed a plan for the implementation of an EKC endorsed instructors licencing programme Fully reviewed the EKC instructors qualification identifying areas for future development Created a plan for the future integration of EKC qualifications into the UKCC Developed and introduced a range of professional training opportunities to support ongoing instructor development Launched an EKC coach and officials recruitment campaign Used best practice from other sports to shape thinking and development Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in this area, EKC will: Carry out an annual appraisal of the information collected through the EKC instructing and officials database Seek to ensure that a minimum of 75% of all practicing instructors have taken the appropriate EKC qualification by 2018 Work with clubs to monitor the effectiveness of the EKC volunteer and official recruitment campaign
Environment Our challenge Karate is delivered within a wide range of sports and community facilities. Some of these are well equipped, but more often than not they are no more than a small and sparsely equipped hall. In an attempt to keep karate affordable to everyone, many clubs are unable to invest in facility and equipment development and progressively they are coming under pressure to meet increasing charges in many leisure facilities. Whilst the EKC provides basic advice regarding safe environments they are currently unable to effectively police this. Despite this the levels of injuries within karate are at a very low level. Moving forwards EKC wants to support the sport in its endeavours to improve the facilities people enjoy karate in but in doing this not place an unfair or unrealistic pressure on the much needed volunteer infrastructure. When preparing for competition, EKC member groups have limited access to matted floors and effective spectator venues. As a result, many competitions and squad training sessions have to be delivered in moderate venues. This does not help the promotion of the sport and with EKC endeavours in recruitment and retention. The Member groups of the EKC have obtained expert advice from a practicing karateka who is an officer of the HSE. A Health and Safety Policy has been produced, also an Advisory Note on how to carry out risk assessments in the dojo. The challenge is to ensure that all Karate Instructors are aware of the Policy and guidelines on risk assessments. Similarly the EKC members have in place existing policies and guidelines on child and vulnerable adult protection and safeguarding. These have been consolidated into an EKC guidance document which is currently being assessed by our expert advisors working in conjunction with the CPSU. The challenge is to ensure that all Instructors, volunteers and adult participants are aware of these guidelines and codes of practice. Our action - To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Develop and promote a best practice guide, ensuring that all clubs and karate providers fully understand what makes a safe and effective karate environment. Disseminate guidance on risk assessments in dojos and competition venues Review current guidance on child and vulnerable adult protection and publish and disseminate that guidance Establish a technical guide to advise clubs and providers on the best equipment for the development of their opportunities. Create and progressively implement a facility accreditation programme that clubs and providers can use to promote the quality of their karate opportunities. Identify and apply for targeted grant aid to (a) purchase and develop an EKC competition equipment loan scheme, (b) subsidise access to high profile competition venues that help promote and present karate competition. Work with SE to identify and potentially establish training and competition venues in the North, South and Midlands. Our impact - through the implementation of our actions EKC will have: Promoted best practice in facility safety for both competition and training Developed technical advice to improve karate delivery Created and initiated a facility accreditation programme with a view to having 30% of all karate facilities accredited by 2018 Generated additional grant income to facilitate the implementation of targeted equipment and facility hire support Developed a plan for the identification and development of three training and competition centres in the North, South and Midlands Promoted best practice in child and vulnerable adult protection Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in this area, EKC will: Create a system for the collection of facility/venue information. From 2018 onwards initiate data collection as part of the EKC membership programme. Promote all accredited facilities with a section on the EKC website, and through this encourage other facilities to seek accreditation Provide advice and guidance to karate clubs and providers regarding the best approach to seek capital and revenue grant support Create a system to ensure risk assessments in dojos and competition venues Create a system which ensures that all relevant people are aware of, and have signed up to, the agreed protocols on child and adult protection and they are carried out appropriately
Organisational and Business Development Our challenge As the newly formed national governing body for karate within England it will be vital for EKC to establish a robust structure of governance and operation very early in their tenure. Through this process, EKC will continue to ensure that in addition to their current representative membership they develop an organisational board with the skills and experiences commensurate with an effective and well governed business. EKC will continue to spend time ensuring that all the necessary systems, structures, policies and procedures are in place in order to allow EKC to effectively govern all aspects of karate in England. Looking internally, EKC will need to clearly demonstrate to their membership that they are transparent and accepting of constructive criticism and strategic advice. In addition they will need to ensure that all members of the EKC respect and live by the vision and values of the organisation. From an external perspective, it will be important for EKC to quickly establish itself as a respected and valued national governing body of sport. To achieve this it will be important for EKC to develop strong networks and partnerships and to play a full and active part in the development of sport within England. With regards to business development, it will be important for the EKC to clearly define how the business needs to grow in order to deliver its strategic objectives. Our action To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Undertake regular skills audit of its current board identifying any additions which would aid the development of the EKC. Subsequently make new appointments as and when required Use all current good practice existing within the EKC membership to develop centralised EKC policies, procedures and operational structures to support the governance of karate within England Undertake a full review of the EKC constitution ensuring it gives the EKC the correct powers and controls required to effectively govern karate within England. Through this process the EKC board will ensure that they complement rather than impede the current best practice being delivered through its membership Develop and implement systems and forums that allow the EKC membership to provide constructive comments to the EKC board regarding organisational strategy and governance activities Deliver an annual conference to facilitate creative discussions and debate between the EKC board and its membership Join relevant external forums to raise the profile and influence of the EKC within the broader sporting landscape. Seek to present the EKC as a credible and effective NGB in as many forums as possible Develop a comprehensive business development plan which clearly defines how the EKC will approach the generation of new and diverse income streams and how they will develop their business structures and culture to reflect these changing demands Our impact - through the implementation of our actions EKC will have: Developed a board with the correct mix of experience and business acumen Embedded robust and centralised policies and procedures throughout the sport Established a new constitution that reflects best NGB practice Created two-way communication structures that allow the sport to interact and develop effectively Raised the profile of EKC within the broader sporting landscape Generated new and diverse income to drive the implementation of the development plan Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in this area, EKC will: Have achieved Sport England NGB recognition Subject itself to independent appraisal of the EKC governance structures Have clearly demonstrated best practice in the implementation of governance activates Have generated new and diverse revenues demonstrating growth and progress
Marketing and Communications Our challenge As a newly formed NGB, the EKC faces a range of marketing and communication challenges. These challenges are both internal and external and need to be addressed in a sequential manner. Firstly, many karate organisations, clubs, instructors and participants will be unaware of the EKC and its new remit. As a result it will be important for the EKC to raise its profile within the sport and clearly explain its role as the NGB. Having achieved this the EKC will need to develop effective communication channels which enable it to effectively disseminate information throughout the sport. This will be very important in relation to new policies, procedures and structures but also in relation to the implementation of its strategic plans. To achieve both of these internal objectives it will be vital for the current EKC member organisations to fully adopt the EKC logo and to firmly embed it within all of their current marketing and communications. The consistency of this approach will in the longer term dictate the level of success that EKC can achieve. In addition it will be vital for this internal communications effort to clearly promote the benefits of membership and give the membership confidence that the EKC is approachable and supportive of their needs. From an external perspective the EKC will be totally unknown. As a result the EKC will need to invest time and effort into building its brand profile and networks. Given its limited resources the EKC will have to be creative in its approach and rely on the development of partnerships. At a basic level the EKC will need to build a strong brand and an appealing website that achieves excellent search results, progressing from this point the EKC should develop its social media activity and ultimately its media profile. As a starting point this might involve gaining recognition on key sporting websites including the BBC, SKY and Eurosport. Our action To meet the challenges identified above the EKC will: Create a strong brand and embed the EKC logo into all internal karate communications, resources, policies and procedures Develop EKC campaign materials to support the implementation of new recruitment and participation campaigns Positively promote the benefits of EKC membership and use this work to encourage non-affiliated organisations to join the EKC Establish two-way communication channels that demonstrate the transparency and openness of the EKC Build an engaging and effective website which will be the first point of contact for current and new participants. This website will also be designed to justify the value of the EKC to prospective commercial and statutory partners Develop an active social media platform that encourages creative and progressive dialogue within the EKC membership Raise the media profile of the EKC and secure a level of recognition on key sporting platforms such as the BBC and SKY sport Develop the capability to engage in on line streaming of karate information and competitions Identify and recruit a range of advocates and champions who will support the work of the EKC Our impact - through the implementation of our actions EKC will have: Established itself within the current membership as the recognisable NGB for the sport of karate within England Used its new brand profile and the benefits of membership to recruit non- affiliated groups into the EKC Raised the external profile of EKC through marketing associated with targeted campaign activity Broken down any negative perceptions of karate amongst the general public Significantly raised the online and media profile of EKC and be seen as a one stop shop Measuring our success - To assess the effectiveness of our work in this area, EKC will: Undertake a survey of its membership to assess the levels of internal awareness and acceptance within the sport of karate Independently measure the sports media and online profile in order to demonstrate measurable improvement Ensure the EKC website tops the search engine results for a broad range of karate search enquires Monitor the number of visitors to our website
Holly Sterling scores with a perfectly controlled kick against her much taller opponent to take the KUGB National title