The founder , Chief Instructor and the chairman of JKA American Federation, Takayuki Mikami, is Japanese native who is 9th Dan (degree) black belt JKA Master. He is the highest JKA ranked master in the United States, and he holds the position of JKA Senior Technical Advisor, which is the second highest technical position after JKA World Federation Chief Instructor. He is the first-ever graduate of the JKA Instructor Training Program, created by Master Gichin Funakoshi and Master Masatoshi Nakayama. After becoming All Japan Kumite and Kata champion and grand champion over several years, he began concentrating on instruction overseas. He eventually formed the All South Karate Federation in 1965 in New Orleans, LA, where many people who were attracted by his Karate skills and personality trained hard everyday. In 2008, he formed the JKA American Federation, affiliated with the JKA World Federation, in order to better serve his members and to connect more closely and directly with the JKA World Federation.