At the Chief Instructors meeting during the 6 World Budosai in Okinawa, Morio Higaonna Sensei announced his retirement from the position of IOGKF World Chief Instructor, and appointed Tetsuji Nakamura Sensei as the new IOGKF World Chief Instructor, and Sensei Ernie Molyneux and Sensei Henrik Larsen as new Vice Chief Instructors.

Although Higaonna Sensei will no longer be a part of the organizational matters, he will be overlooking the IOGKF as the supreme master (Saiko Shihan).He will still travel and teach at international gasshuku such as the Chief Instructor Gasshuku, the European Gasshuku, the North American Gasshuku (MCF), the Euro-Asian Gasshuku, etc.