About AKANA

American Karate Academies National Association (AKANA) is a national karate organization founded by GM Jerry Piddington, first known as American Karate Academies (AKA), which was conceived at Mr. Piddington's karate school in Anaheim, California in 1969 (a Tracy Karate Studio). AKA continued in 1974 during the era of Hanshi Piddington's Maryland and Virginia Schools. Shortly afterward, in 1976, the Carolina era began with Mr. Piddington's Black Belt Academies in Charlotte, NC, where he formed the National Karate Association (NKA) which birthed the undefeated kickboxing team, The Charlotte Warhawks. AKA and NKA evolved into AKANA in 1991 with schools on the East Coast in Virginia, NC, and SC, and on the West Coast in Medford, Oregon, and has continued to this day. AKANA now has chartered schools, individual black belt members, and individual kyu-rank members across the nation. AKANA is a gathering place for everyone who is a part of the history and lineage of O'Shihan Jerry Piddington from the beginning to the present. AKANA is committed to honoring and preserving its history. AKANA is a family of like-minded people who are bonded together for the purpose of supporting and encouraging each other.

These are the AKANA memberships available:

• School Charter Membership for dojo owners
• Mudansha (Below Black Belt) Membership
• Yudansha (Black Belt) Membership
• Lifetime Membership for Chartered Schools 

AKANA provides its school-chartered members and individual members (any style) access to promotions, teaching credentials, honored titles, and proclamation of styles endorsed and signed by Grandmaster Jerry C. Piddington with an AKANA verification number authenticating the certificate. All promotions must go through the Head Instructor of the Chartered School unless they are Individual Yudansha (Black Belt) or Mudansha (Kyu-rank) Members.

These are the promotions available:

• Mudansha (Kyu Rank) Certification (Below Black Belt)
• Yudansha (Dan Rank) Certification (Black Belt)
• Honorary Belt Recognition (Black Belt)
• Honored Title Certification (Tashi, Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi)
• Teaching Credential Title Certification (Sensei, Shihan)

Here are some of the benefits of joining AKANA:

• Secure history and lineage from GM Jerry Piddington, founder of the first American Style of Karate established in 1973 under the USKA by O'Sensei Robert Trias, Father of American Karate.
• Have access to belt rank promotions, teaching credentials, and honored titles signed by GM Piddington.
• Have recognition on the akana.org website which records all black belt memberships, black belt rank, teaching credentials, honored titles, head of styles, and Tomoe Warrior status with an official certified AKANA number.
• Join a network of like-minded martial artists for AKANA events such as tournaments, gatherings, and seminars.
• Participate in unique testing such as Tomoe Warrior, Kobudo Warrior, and Sun & Moon tests.
• Participate in unique martial art events honoring the heritage of our indigenous American Native Indian and martial art forefathers such as the Sweat Lodge (fire breathing), Firewalking, Glass Walking, and Mushin (meditation under a waterfall) incorporating the five natural elements.
• Access to professional and knowledgeable AKANA-approved/licensed instructors available for seminars.
• Direct access to GM Piddington for events, testing, and training seminars.

School Charter Members:

This membership is for all dojo owners, no matter the style they teach, who want to include and document their art in the annals of AKANA history with the opportunity to include their students as part of this prolific AKANA family lineage.

• This membership includes an 11x17 Dojo Certificate, an 11x17 Individual Black Belt Certificate, an AKANA patch, and all privileges of an AKANA School Chartership and Black Belt Membership.
• All AKANA trademark logos may be used on school advertising, event promotion, and website. There must be special permission in writing to use the logo on merchandise.
• Chartered Schools have access to all membership patches, along with membership and Kyu-Rank promotion certificates with Hanshi Piddington's signature. The Kyu-rank promotion certificates can be customized for your school.
• Chartered School owners will have total access to provide their students with AKANA Black Belt Certificates, AKANA Certified Teaching Credentials (Sensei or Shihan), and AKANA Honored Titles (Tashi, Renshi, Kyoshi, or Hanshi), endorsed and signed by GM Jerry Piddington. All promotions go through an AKANA Chartered School unless they are an AKANA Individual Member that does not belong to a chartered school. All Black Belts within the AKANA Chartered School are encouraged to become AKANA Yudansha Members.
• School Charters will be listed on the website with their school logo for validation of their lineage and history, providing a marketing advantage. Please provide jpeg images with the school owner in full uniform with a clean background and a school logo.
• Chartered Schools have access to all materials, certificates, and patches to promote unique AKANA sanctioned events such as Tomoe Warrior, Kobudo Warrior, and Sun & Moon Tests, along with AKANA sanctioned tournaments, friendship competitions, seminars, and gatherings. Chartered school owners are encouraged to offer discounts for AKANA members and support other AKANA events.  

Yudansha (Black Belt) Members:

This membership is for Black Belts who belong to an AKANA Chartered School or Individual Black Belts that do not belong to an AKANA Chartered School but wish to be a part of the AKANA family. If an Individual Yudansha belongs to a school that is not an AKANA Chartered School, the blessing of the school owner is required.

• This membership includes an 11x17 Membership Certificate, an AKANA patch, and all privileges of an AKANA Yudansha (Black Belt) Membership.
• Active annual members are eligible for all AKANA Black Belt Certificates, AKANA Certified Teaching Credentials (Sensei or Shihan), and AKANA Honored Titles (Tashi, Renshi, Kyoshi, or Hanshi), endorsed and signed by GM Jerry Piddington. All promotions go through their AKANA Chartered School unless they are an AKANA Individual Member that does not belong to a chartered school.
• Black Belt Members will be listed on the website with their picture and credentials for validation of their lineage and history. Please provide jpeg images of Black Belt Members in full uniform with a clean background.
• Black Belt Members are eligible and encouraged to participate in AKANA events such as Tomoe Warrior, Kobudo Warrior, and Sun & Moon Tests, along with AKANA sanctioned tournaments, friendship competitions, seminars, and gatherings.  

Mudansha (Below Black Belt) Members:

This membership is for Kyu-ranked students who belong to an AKANA Chartered School or Individual Kyu-ranked students that do not belong to an AKANA Chartered School but wish to be a part of the AKANA family. If an Individual Mudansha belongs to a school that is not an AKANA Chartered School, the blessing of the school owner is required.

• This membership includes an 8.5x11 Membership Certificate, an AKANA patch, and all privileges of an AKANA Mudansha (Below Black Belt) Membership.
• Mudansha Memberships are based on a four-patch system and are due at Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Belt Rank. (For example, Beginner Membership is due at 9th Kyu Yellow Belt, Intermediate Membership is due at 6th Kyu Green Belt, and Advanced Membership is due at 3rd Kyu Red Belt). 
• Mudansha Members have a right to purchase additional respective AKANA Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Association Patches to wear on their uniform or display on clothing.

School Chartered Lifetime Members: 

This membership is for elite high dan school owners who are committed to AKANA for life. This membership includes: 

• 11x17 lifetime membership certificate naming dojo as an official American Karate Academy endorsed by GM Piddington.
• 11x17 certificate declaring proclamation as head of a system of study endorsed by GM Piddington.
• 11x17 certificate recognizing an honored title (Kyoshi or Hanshi) endorsed by GM Piddington.
• 11x17 AKANA-licensed teaching credential certificate recognizing a teaching title endorsed by GM Piddington.
• 11x17 Yudansha Black Belt membership certificate recognizing rank endorsed by GM Piddington.
• All benefits and privileges of an AKANA chartered school and an AKANA Individual Black Belt Member.   

School Charter Members and Individual Black Belt Members may join AKANA at any time. These members are due annually from the date their membership dues are processed.

Individual Kyu-rank memberships are based on belt rank. Students are required to join AKANA or renew their AKANA memberships before they are promoted to certain belt ranks in their system of study. There will be membership drives during certain times of the year, especially before AKANA events, to help school owners generate revenue with the Mudansha memberships.  Schools can adjust when their students are due according to their Kyu-rank system.  Kyu members receive a membership certificate and patch based on a four-patch system as follows:

• Beginner Membership: Due at 9th Kyu (example: due when promoted to yellow belt)
• Intermediate Membership: Due at 6th Kyu (example: due when promoted to green belt)
• Advanced Membership: Due at 3rd Kyu (example: due when promoted to red or brown belt)
• Black Belt Membership: (due yearly at the time payment is processed)

There are several ways to join or renew AKANA memberships. If you belong to an AKANA chartered school, you should apply through the head instructor unless instructed otherwise. The person applying must first fill out an application. The application can be completed with an online form located on this website, by visiting the JOIN page, or a hard copy form provided by the school-chartered dojo. Once the application is approved, AKANA will send the applicant an online payment form by email or messenger, or they can pay their membership dues from this website by visiting the SHOP page or sending a check made to AKANA by mail.  Please call, text, or email us if there are any questions.