The Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo Federation (HKF) will organise the Level C Karatedo Coach Certification Training and Examination on 9, 10 and 11 October 2026. It is one of the Federation’s key professional activities in 2026, aimed at improving the quality of the coaching workforce, progressively standardising instruction and coaching, and moving towards training systems that meet international standards.

The programme is designed to develop coaches with scientific knowledge, practical skills and the capacity to organise training, meeting the requirements of Karatedo development in the new period. Its focus extends beyond completing the certification examination to establishing a sound professional foundation for coaching at clubs and chapters, particularly in the training of grassroots practitioners and talented athletes.

A knowledge base linked to practical competence

The Level C course has been developed to combine sports science, coaching methodology and specialised practical training. Participants will be equipped with essential content for instruction and coaching, including:

• Karatedo history; ethical education and motivation for training;
• Adolescent psychophysiology; fundamental coaching principles and methods;
• Physical conditioning and the selection of talented athletes;
• Fundamental knowledge of Karatedo competition rules;
• Practical skills in technical and tactical exercises;
• First aid, injury prevention and training safety.

By placing specialised, educational, safety and training-organisation content alongside one another, the programme aims to help participants approach the work of a Karatedo coach in a comprehensive, scientific and systematic manner.

Knowledge lays the foundation; methodology shapes the coach. The Level C Karatedo Coach course connects sports science, coaching methodology, professional ethics, competition rules and training safety, with the goal of building an increasingly professional and well-rounded coaching workforce.

A multidisciplinary faculty

The course will be taught by experienced lecturers, scientists, physicians and specialists in sports education, research and coaching, including:

• Associate Professor Dr Vũ Việt Bảo – Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports;
• Associate Professor Dr Nguyễn Ngọc Vũ – Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages – Information Technology;
• Dr Nguyễn Nam Hải – Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology;
• Dr Vũ Văn Huế and Dr Đào Văn Thâu – Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports;
• Dr Đỗ Hữu Lương, Specialist Level II – Military Hospital 175;
• Trịnh Ngọc Hoàng, MSc – Thủ Dầu Một University;
• Nguyễn Khánh Duy, MSc – Hong Bang International University;
• Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Phong, MSc – National Sports Training Centre;
• Along with several other lecturers and coaches from the Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo Federation.

The combination of experts in sport, education, science and technology, and sports medicine is expected to provide participants with a more comprehensive perspective on the profession of modern Karatedo coaching.

Schedule, venues and participation format

The theory component will take place over two days, 9 and 10 October 2026. Participants may register to attend either in person or online. Morning sessions will run from 08:00 to 11:30, and afternoon sessions from 13:30 to 16:45. The in-person venue is the Ulearning Education and Training Co., Ltd. Auditorium, 233/17 Lý Thường Kiệt, Phú Thọ Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

The practical component will be held on Sunday, 11 October 2026, from 08:30 to 11:30 in the morning and from 13:30 to 16:45 in the afternoon, at the CUDVC Centre, Thủ Dầu Một Ward, 567 Bình Dương Boulevard, Thủ Dầu Một Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

From knowledge to practical competence — where a coach’s mettle is developed and tested. Level C participants directly practise techniques and methods of organising training, and undergo professional assessment, working towards a common standard for the quality of Karatedo coaching.

Eligibility, certification and registration

The programme is open to members aged 18 and above who hold a rank of Nidan or higher. Members aged 18 and above who hold Shodan may participate if they have at least one year of assistant coaching experience at their unit and have confirmation from the unit’s coach. Members aged 16 with a black-belt Shodan rank or higher may attend as auditors, receive a certificate of participation and accumulate training hours. Entry-level A and B judges who do not yet hold a Level C Coach Certificate are also required to undertake supplementary training.

Members who complete the programme and meet the requirements of the assessment will be awarded a Level C Karatedo Coach Certificate, valid for two years. Certificate holders meet the conditions to provide instruction and coach talent-development teams at clubs and chapters in accordance with Federation regulations. Participants who do not meet the requirements will receive a certificate of participation; this certificate is valid in lieu of the annual professional refresher course for black-belt members during the prescribed period.

Applications must include a registration form, two 3x4 photographs, a copy of the black-belt diploma, a 2026 membership card and a Karatedo Passport. The course fee is VND 3,000,000 per person for applications registered before 20 September 2026, and VND 3,500,000 per person from 21 September 2026; the fee includes learning materials.

The fee for issuing a Certificate/Certificate of Participation is VND 100,000 per document; a Karatedo Passport costs VND 250,000 per book. Online registration: https://forms.gle/UUaaNXqemCipHZYh9. For further information, contact Ms Phùng Thị Lệ Thủy, Chief of the Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo Federation Office, telephone 0903 806 124.

The Ho Chi Minh City Karatedo Federation calls on its chapters, clubs and affiliated units to disseminate this information to eligible members, coaches and individuals, while facilitating the participation of young coaches in the programme.