10/08/2025
47 years ago, promoters John Worley, Larry Carnahan, their then partners Pat Worley, Gary Hestilow and Gordon Franks held their first martial arts tournament.
To distinguish their event, they selected a diamond stone set in a solid gold ring as the grand championship award and called the tournament the “Diamond National Karate Championships”!
The Diamond Nationals has truly earned its name by awarding 264 gold diamond rings since that first competition.
Every year, top martial artists come from all over the world, competing to win this incredible award, establishing their place in sport martial arts history.
With a reputation for clock-work organization and a world class team of officials and support staff, the Diamond Nationals has continued to set the standard for sport karate tournaments throughout to world!
