The memberships of the three AAs are merging into one organization, ITF America, the largest ITF Affiliated Association in the USA. As a well-structured legal entity and registered 501.c.3 non-profit, we meet all of the requirements set forth by the ITF - and then some.

With the memberships merged, the legal entities of ATFI, OTFA and NTA will follow a legal dissolution process, as we'll all be unified in one organization with a blended and unified leadership structure and membership base.

We don't expect any significant changes. At the first of the year when normal membership dues are scheduled, they'll go to this unified organization instead of the separate AAs. We've tried to blend the fee structures of the three former AAs into one that is both simple, and competitive, with little disruption to existing members. We think that you'll be very much pleased with what we'll be offering.

You can continue to use them...they reflect the well-fought and hard-won path to unify the ITF in this country and will always be a part of our lineage and history. Be proud of them! They are accepted in the newly unified entity; over time, we may rebrand with a new name and logo, but even then, we will honor our roots.

Tell them that the United States is continuing its trend towards unification, making our art stronger in this country. Share with them that they are now a member of the dominant ITF association in the United States, and that this should bring greater opportunities to anyone that wants to progress competitively or individually in their art.

Really, they are almost too many to count. With over 75% of the ITF membership in the US in this organization, we'll have critical mass that will allow us to cost-effectively make resources available at a scope that we've never been able to before. Now, schools that may not have had a senior instructor or master reasonably available to them in terms of distance will have a much better chance of local/semi-local support for testings, trainings, black belt classes, etc. We'll have seminars as one unified group that will be 501c 3 Non-Profit Corp open to all, with greater depth of masters and instructors to draw from. We'll have economies of scale in terms of purchasing power for equipment, insurance, and other services. And we'll have a much richer collective brain trust to tap into for areas such as marketing, school building, financial strategies, etc.

ITF America remains an Affiliated Association (AA) under the ITF, as it has been. As a wellstructured legal entity and registered 501.c.3 non-profit, we meet all of the requirements set forth by the ITF - and then some. We'll continue in this AA role, which is different from the NA role with regards to certain responsibilities. However, this will simply be a continuation of the role/responsibilities that each of the former AAs (ATFI, NTA, OTFA) had in the past, so it will be seamless.

The ITF America Board of Directors is comprised of 4 Officers and 7 Board Members. All information can be found on our Board of Directors page.

Yes. The interim Board of Directors is laying the foundation to have elections in June 2020. We want to enable instructors and leaders from across the country the opportunity to offer service and be presented to the membership.

Only the ITF Plaque holders will be able to vote using our state-of-the-art electronic voting system, to enable all members to vote from where they are, completely securely and anonymously, without the cost and imposition of traveling across the country to a congress, assembly, or other meeting. In this way, we feel that we'll get the broadest participation and input from our members.