BERMUDA KARATE (KICKBOXING) ORGANIZATION
A BERMUDA REGISTERED CHARITY (#315)
Since 1992 the Bermuda Karate Organization has existed as a Bermuda registered charity. Headquartered at Bermuda Karate Institute, BKO (originally WAKO/WKF Bermuda) has enabled local martial artists to compete abroad in high-level events, principally those run by the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) and the World Karate Organization (WKO, originallly WKF).
BKO’s representation of Bermuda abroad and other activities include the following:
1991 WAKO World Championships in London, England
David Simons, bronze forms
1992 WKO World Championships in Mestre, Italy
Skipper Ingham, gold senior forms
1994 WKO World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Gladwin Phillips, gold in traditional sparring
1996 WKO World Championships/Canadian Open Karate Championships in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Skipper Ingham, gold kata (35 years +)
Zenji Ingham, gold kata, bronze weapons
1998 WKO World Championships in Orlando, Florida
Talia Iris, gold medal in sparring, fourth in weapons (age 14-16)
Mark Watson, fourth forms and weapons (age 9-10)
1999 WKO Panam Karate Championships in Curitiba, Brazil
Talia Iris, gold in forms, weapons and sparring (age 14-16)
Artur Paulino, gold point, silver forms
Dominic Butterfield, gold forms, silver weapons
Jerry Bailey, gold short weapons, silver traditional, bronze point
2000 WKO World Championships in Jesolo Lido (Venice), Italy
Talia Iris, gold in weapons, traditional kumite and point sparring (age 15- 17)
Scott Kennedy, silver point sparring, traditional kata and free kata
BKO team fifth (Ruben Bean, Michael Burrows, Troy Darrell)
2002 WKO World Championships in Birmingham, England
Talia Iris, silver WKO rules kumite, bronze open kata
Malachi Darrell, silver WKO kumite
Scott Kennedy, bronze WKF and WKO rules kumite
2003 Bermuda delegation participated in Okinawa Karate Kobudo World Tournament and Jundokan Dojo 50th anniversary in Naha, Okinawa, Japan
2004 BKO Team at WKF world championships in Marina de Massa, Italy; Scott Kennedy was a finalist (top 8) in forms and gold medalist in point sparring; Malachi Darrell won gold in traditional sparring
2007 BKO Skipper Ingham won gold medals in both traditional and open karate form in his age group in Arnold Martial Arts in Columbus Ohio; BKO team also sponsored the participation of team member Sentwali Woolridge in kickboxing with the Bermuda San Shou Association at the same event; Sentwali won a silver medal
2007/8 BKO provided a $1000 scholarship each year to student Jeron Gunness to assist in completing an associate degree in Rhode Island
May 2009 Ray Sillar organized BKI students to raise $1597 benefiting the International Brain Research Foundation (IBRF)
October 2009 Ray Sillar and Darren Lee, representing BKO, coached by Skipper Ingham and Gladwin Phillips, competed in the K1 division of the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) in Villach, Austria
July 2010 BKI students organized by Ray Sillar participated in Youth Culture Festival
January 2011 BKO Team at John Chung's World Cup Finals in Virginia: Skipper Ingham first form
January 2012 BKO Team at John Chung's World Cup Finals in Virgina: Skipper Ingham second forms, Andrea Mckey second forms and third weapons, Kent Bean first weapons and second forms
January 2013 BKO Team at John Chung's World Cup Finals in Virginia: Skipper Ingham second forms, Jasmyn Renfroe second form and first weapons, Kent Bean first form and second weapons Also in 2013 BKO gave subsidies of $500 to Anton Daniels and $350 to Jay Astwood to assist their training trips to Thailand, local competitor Jasmyn Renfroe received $1000 towards her tertiary education in Costa Rica
January 2014 BKO Team at John Chung's WCF in Virginia: Andrea McKeyfirst traditional weapons and second forms Also in 2014 BKO presented a $1000 academic scholarship to champion Kent Bean
January 2015 BKO Team at John Chung's WCF in Virginia: Skipper Ingham first forms and tied for grand championship, Andrea McKey second form and first traditional and open weapons, Ryley Mason second form, Kent Bean first weapons and wu shu
June 2015 Skipper and Kristina Ingham attended Metetsu Yagi seminar in Miami at Robert Young's dojo
January 2016 BKO Team at John Chung's WCF in Virginia: Skipper Ingham first form; Andrea Mckey first open weapon, traditional weapon and form; Kent Bean first and grandchampionship form and weapons
In June BKI 2016 instructor Deondre Morris, with BKO sponsorship, competed in the Thai Boxing Association-Sanctioning Authority's World Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, earning a Class A a bronze medal.
In December 2016 BKO sponsored Deondre Morris in Toronto, Canada, where he won Destiny Fight Productions Super Middleweight World Championship.
Skipper Ingham, Andrea McKey and Kent Bean were selected for inclusion in AMAA Who’s Who in the Martial Arts 2016/2017 edition
January 2019 Andrea McKey led a Bermuda team to win 23 medals at John Chung's WCMAC in Virginia including a third in forms and two thirds in weapons forms for herself and grandchampionships in forms by Jashae Allen-Lamontagne and Kent Bean and a grandchampionship in weapons by Milahn Powell
Members of the public are invited to support BKO in its program of local competition and representation of Bermuda abroad by joining as follows: individuals $50 to $99 annually, companies $100 to $999, sponsors $1000 or more. Sponsors may have their name or logo appear on BKO team uniforms.