About

ETIK

A carefully chosen acronym with phonetics similar to the word 'Ethic', meaning, 'a system of accepted beliefs that control behaviour' (Cambridge Dictionary). ETIK stands for Educational and Technical Institute of Karate.

Mission

“ETIK is devoted towards taking karate students and organisations to the next levels of excellence through education and technical research, and by focusing all its energies on its core objective – developing studies in karate whilst preserving traditional quality, values and virtues, for generations yet to come.”

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunities to ALL serious students of Karate-do, with no barriers to where you come from and to which organisation you are member. This institute is non-political and is focussed on the research of Karate-do as part of Gendai Budo, the martial arts of Japan since the Meiji transformation.

History

ETIK has evolved over the years to what it is today, from the humble beginnings of a small karate club initiated by Mark Micallef in the mid-eighties at Corradino in Malta. After a few years of this experience with Mark, who was at that time considered as the most senior karateka in Malta, he decided to pursue a Masters and eventually Doctorate programme in Japan, a country he loved so much. He settled there, married a Japanese lady and has children, and very occasionally visits Malta. Mark entrusted Franco Azzopardi with the club before he left hoping that what he started will develop further, lest without his presence. Destiny took Franco in 1988 to Italy for a year as he was seconded on a work assignment. His kohai Ms Isabella Bugeja took care of the continuation of the club in his absence. In Italy, Franco met a person that changed his life. This was Enrico Pigliacelli, a gentleman and karate instructor, follower of the studies of masters Shirai Hiroshi and the late Kase Taiji. Through his friendship with Enrico, Franco' path crossed with that of master Shirai Hiroshi. Sensei Shirai impressed upon Franco a desire to search the core of karate both as an art and as a science. Sensei Shirai examined Franco in 1989 and awarded him shodan with the highest marks. He also gave him a name for the club - Centro Studi Karate Shotokan - Muteki, explained to him by master Shirai as meaning in Japanese, 'invincible spirit - one enemy or a hundred is the same as no enemy!' Franco led his students since then, to follow the research of master Shirai and his colleagues, Kase Taiji, Nishiyama Hidetaka, Kawasoe Masao, Naito Takeshi and others. Franco, with the support of Enrico Piglaicelli, used to take up higher belts to train regularly with this organisation and its members including Dario Marchini, the grand champion in kata. In 1992, master Shirai entrusted Franco with the ambitious task of constituting a national federation. Franco took upon himself this burden and the Malta Traditional Karate Federation was constituted in 1993. CSKS Muteki was a registered club within the federation and continued to be the Honbu Dojo, producing the quality karate that won the praise of many masters including Nishiyama Hidetaka, Chairman of the International Traditional Karate Federation and Technical Advisor of the Instructors' Committee of the Japan Karate Association. Most of the karate instructors in Malta are the produce of CSKS Muteki given their formation in karate by Franco Azzopardi.

Franco eventually built a certain affinity with the UKTKF through a long time friend and mentor, Ken Taylor. Through this friendship, came the closeness with Sensei Kawasoe, who eventually became the Technical Advisor in Malta with regular seminars, courses and examinations.

CSKS Muteki was later changed to Muteki Karate Studio and Franco's kohai for many years Omar Azzopardi was given responsibility of cadets and junior students. Quality remained the hallmark of Muteki with students attaining the best results in examinations and athletes overwhelming the podium in competition. Two senior students of Franco, Omar Azzopardi and Iden Azzopardi (not related even if they have a common surname), dedicated most of their youth training hard with Franco for international prestigious competitions. Their specialism was kata, both individual and team. The greatest achievement was a gold by Omar in the 2001 European Championships of the International Traditional Karate Federation chaired by Nishiyama Hidetaka, a silver by Iden in the juniors, a bronze in the Enbu kategory by the team composed of Iden and Omar, a 5th place in the senior kata even by Franco, and a 5th place in the senior team kata event by the trio.

Franco eventually qualified as an International Coach and Judge under the quality standards of the master Nishiyama Hidetaka of the ITKF. He was a regular face in the front rows at the high level seminars of the ITKF and the UKTKF. It is not uncommon that he is interpretor for master Naito Takeshi in the UK, and a demonstration student of masters Nishiyama and Kawasoe. It was always Franco's ambition to put Malta on the map of the karate world. He worked hard to gain recognition and to give Malta the opportunity of learning with the finest living legends whose lineage is unquestioned, the art and science that was so generous to him, . This he managed to do every year since 1995 with the regular visits to Malta by master Kawasoe Masao. Franco was given the local representation of the World Shotokan Institute of masters Shirai Hiroshi, Kawasoe Masao and Naito Takeshi, with permission to examine students up till shodan. Till now, he only examined up till 1st kyu, believing that students should be given the opportunity to be examined by the top examiners. Master Kawasoe has been responsible for all examinations from shodan onwards in Malta.

All this history led to the evolution of ETIK, the Educational and Technical Institute of Karate which is the institution and examining body accrediting students with adequate qualifications to progress to higher levels of karate. ETIK provides education programmes that lead to examinations in theory of karate and qualifications at Foundation Level (Certificate), Intermediate Level (Certificate) and Advanced Level (Diploma) mapping the traditional kyu grade system to more acknowledged educational systems. This system is believed to acknowledge the studies afforded by karate students worldwide, with that equivalence to the more established educational models. Students of the art and science can further progress their studies and qualifications with ETIK to reach the level of Junior Assistant Coach, Assistant Coach and Coach. The programme is designed with other established higher level educational institutions.

Educational and Technical Institute of Karate (ETIK). © 2007-2008.
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