IKCA Membership Information

A Bit of History

IKCA Membership Information: Since 2017, we’ve had many, many requests to bring back our IKCA Membership Programs. We listened. It just took a bit to make it all happen.

Membership Information: 1990-2017

Pictured here is the “old school” personal membership package that used to be shipped to you from IKCA Headquarters.

This is 2022 – times have changed, and the way we did it for 30 years doesn’t line up with how our members – past, present, and future – are using the web, watching media, and interacting.

So we went back to the drawing board. Some of this we kept, and some of it we have evolved making our website and our Distance Learning Program truly interactive – which was a goal of ours since 1990.

So … let’s talk about the updates…

Membership Information: 2022 and into the Future of the IKCA

Here is the NEW IKCA Membership Package. Memberships have now gone digital through our newly designed website which you’ve already found. They’re priced similarly to how they were in the past, but now provide SO MUCH more value.

One of the questions we’ve had a lot – “I have a Lifetime Membership that:

1) I bought when they were offered from 2002 – 2016. or

2) Was given to me by SGM Chuck with my IKCA Black Belt from 2017 – 2021.”

We know, we hear you; and we’ve kept your ability to access EVERYTHING you could previously have access to on the previous website design. Nothing has changed, your Lifetime Membership is considered “Grandfathered” and all you need to do to have access to all the course videos is to register at the Free level for your personal IKCAkenpo.com website account. Once you get signed up, please fill out an Info request and send it to Steve Z so he can verify your records and provision you access to coursework appropriately. (Please include your username or email address in your info request so he can find your information in the system.)

The NEW stuff (like the Digicons, Seminar recaps, etc) is not covered under a grandfathered Lifetime Membership. None of the new content was available at the time those memberships were available. Therefore, new availability of content falls under the new membership tiers.

Do I have to become an IKCA Member with one of the new Membership options?

You have the choice to keep what you have or to upgrade to one of our new membership options.

We have instituted a policy that will ensure the viability of the organization into the future. An active IKCAkenpo.com Free, Individual, Black Belt, or Certified Instructor Membership is required for students to proceed above Blue Belt level in our coursework and be recognized by HQ with official IKCA Diplomas & Promotion packages.

Some organizations require membership from the outset. Some require it at black belt. Blue belt is the halfway point in our colored belt levels, and we’ve found the majority of students who earn Blue Belt continue on and earn their IKCA Black Belts. Setting the membership requirement at the halfway point makes sense.

You said “More Value”…

That’s right, we did. Let’s be clear – signing up for one of the new membership levels is entirely your choice. We believe after you review everything you get with the new Memberships, you’ll see what we mean. This info is for you.

You STILL get the membership package shipped to you with your first year’s membership, and you can still get a renewal package shipped to you each year you renew by request. There are multiple tiers of paid memberships for our different level members – as truly each of these levels is a recognition of advancement and responsibility. With all of the paid tiers – you’ll get:

IKCA Membership Certificate that are serialized like our diplomas.
IKCA Member ID card.
First Year: IKCA Membership Patch.
Access to our private Members Only sections of our website – there’s sections for the Black Belts, and our Certified Instructors too!
Access to Members Only products at IKCAStore.com.

We’ve tried to simplify it as much as possible.

If all you want is access to the base Course Videos, the Free Membership level gets you that access subject to your current belt level.

If you’re an IKCA Colored Belt of any level below Black Belt, you’re qualified for the IKCA Individual Membership.

IKCA Black Belts have completed the base syllabus and we open up the Tips & Tricks section as well as a whole new product section. Black Belts who are not yet fully Certified Instructors – the Black Belt Membership is for you.

IKCA Certified Instructors get access to ordering diplomas as well as everything Black Belts and Individual Members have available to them. If you hold an IKCA Certified Instructor credential and wish it to remain active, you must register with the Certified Instructor Membership.

Here’s the Quick Registration Page.

Here’s the page with a bit more info on all the levels: Membership Levels.

I still have questions. Who can I talk to?

David Ghigliotty is our Director – Distance Learning Program & Public Relations. He’s on Facebook, he can be reached through our Contact Forms. He’s your man to answer any questions you have.

What if I have trouble with the website?

Again – hit the contact forms, but send this one to Steve Zalazowski.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: If I get an Individual Membership at the (belt color) level, and then take test, do I have to pay a new $50 membership fee?
- A: Absolutely not, our fees are annual.
- Example: Let’s say you bought the $50 membership, and went from purple belt to blue belt. We would adjust your access level to the coursework on the back end as part of your promotion package.
- Example 2: Let’s say you are a brown belt and you bought the Individual $50 membership. Then you took your Black Belt test and passed it during that year. At that point you can keep your Individual Membership, but you won’t get access to the new materials we open up for you with the Black Belt Membership. That’s the point you would want to Upgrade to the Black Belt Membership – and the cost is prorated to upgrade automatically by the system.