The founder , Chief Instructor and the Chairman of JKA American Federation,    Takayuki Mikami, is Japanese native who is 8th  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.