This WKUHOF event was held on 23rd-25th of June 2023 in Split Rock, Pennsylvania USA.
This was the first time the event had been held in the past four years due to COVID-19 restrictions throughout the World. There were over 400 people at the awards ceremony dinner attending from seven different countries including Australia.
The Australian Director for the WKUHOF for the past 25 years, Grand Master Ramon Lawrence, OAM, from Perth, Western Australia attended the 25th anniversary event. He asked Grand Master Anthony Hockley, and his wife Kelly who were to be travelling in the USA at that time, to also attend the event.
Anthony would be taking over the role as the new President of the Australasian Martial Arts Hall Of Fame (AMAHOF) in August 2023, which is based on the WKUHOF, and GM Lawrence thought that this would be a great chance for GM Hockley to see how the American event runs and meet the WKUHOF President Trevor Tasetano.
At the awards presentation dinner on the Saturday night, it was announced that GM Lawrence was retiring from his position on the board of the WKUHOF. He and the USA board members had agreed to make GM Hockley his chosen successor.
GM Hockley was presented with a WKUHOF Golden Lifetime Achievement Award, and given a Board Member position as the new Australian Director for the WKUHOF.
This makes GM Anthony Hockley only the second Australian to ever hold this position, which he is very honoured to do so. He looks forward to helping on the board of the WKUHOF with all awards in Australia.
