Biography

Sensei Francisco commenced karate in 1979. Dojo Francisco Astudillo opened in 1991 and affiliated to WSKF in 1993 with first attendance at the WSKF World Championships Mexico in 1994.

Experienced in preparing individuals and teams for ordinary, intermediate and high-level competition, Coached students progressing to various from local, municipal, state, national and international levels in  Venezuela, Sensei Astudillo served as a member of the AKC evaluation committee for Carabobo-Venezuela forwarding athletes for trials and National squad selections to the Venezuela Karate Federation FVK.

Coached in Venezuela Universities providing sport karate training for male and female athletes, Co-managed the squad’s physical, technical and tactical annual programmes, with analysis of squad performance, Advisor to the sport committee of Arturo Michelena University and team coach at Carabobo University adding three times champion female, male and absolute champ in the National University Games.

Until his departure to Ireland in 2016 he served as a Board Member of WSKF Venezuela Association Civil and Foundation Committee and Board Member of Karate Do Association AKC Carabobo Committee.

Appointed Ireland’s National Kata Coach in 2017, He is an Instructor and Founder of WSKF SEDAI. In June 2019, he was named Leinster Kata Coach for O.N.A.K.A.I (Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland). In 2018 he is assigned Senior Instructor for WSKF Spain.

Qualifications

• Instructor licence WSKF Japan
• Examiner licence WSKF Japan
• Judge licence WSKF Japan.
• Coaching Level 1 (Sport Ireland)
• Child Welfare and Protection Levels 1 & 2
• Garda Vetted
• Referee licence O.N.A.K.A.I Karate Ireland.

Achievements

• 14 times WSKF World Championships Champion
• Holder of several Venezuelan National University and Federation Venezolana de Karate titles.
• Holder of numerous Irish National and International champion titles and medals
• Best competitor award at the WSKF World Championships, Tokyo, Japan, 2013.
• Recipient of Sporting Recognition awards conferred by the University of Carabobo, Caracas and San Diego Venezuela.