Ken Zen Ichi and Chief Instructor MICHAEL BERGER, Rokudan(6th dan), operate under the auspices and guidance of the International Karate Association and Grandmaster Takayuki Kubota. Born in Kumamoto, Japan in 1934, Takayuki Kubota began training at the age of four with his father Denjiro Kubota, an accomplished expert and teacher of the military bayonet. Due to his insatiable desire to learn every aspect of martial arts, Soke Kubota attained high ranking in the arts of karate, judo, aikido, taiho-jitsu, gyaku-te jitsu and kendo. In 1953, he founded in the International Karate Association in Tokyo, where he taught numerous students, well known law enforcement agencies, and at military bases throughout the country. He later became the personal bodyguard to the ambassador of Japan, and in 1964 relocated the World Headquarters to Los Angeles, California, where he continued his ascent to world recognition by again teaching at esteemed law enforcement agencies and to a core of talented young students that would become the backbone of the organization. After more than sixty years in the martial arts,
Soke Kubota continues to strive to promote the ideals of traditional Japanese style karate and martial arts, and has been recognized by numerous authorities and diplomats worldwide, as his membership has grown to over 18,000 members in over 54 countries.

Shihan Michael Berger makes periodic visits to Japan and elsewhere throughout the world to promote karatedo through further training and teaching.Therefore, Ken Zen Ichi Dojo also maintains a direct relationship with the Japan Karate Association in Tokyo, and has various affiliate dojos throughout Japan and worldwide.