Felton Messina started practicing Karatedo in 1966, while studying in the University of Puerto Rico, city of Mayagüez, supervised by his first teacher, the Puerto Rican Edwin Hernández in a style called Okinawan Kenpo Karatedo. In 1968 he was promoted to black belt 1st Degree and received the grade certificate from Edwin Hernández. In 1969, Felton Messina returned to the Dominican Republic having graduated as an electrical engineer. When he arrived in Santo Domingo, the only martial arts practiced there, were Judo and Taekwondo. When a group of young people heard of his arrival, they asked him to teach them the style of striking martial art that he had learned in Puerto Rico. In 1969 the Kenpo Karatedo Association was formed by Felton Messina, and this new style spread throughout the whole Caribbean nation. While being president of the Dominican Judo Federation,, he was advised by the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, to form what to this day is known as the Dominican Karate Federation (DOKAFE), which was recognized as well by the Dominican Olympic Committee. With the recognition of DOKAFE by the Dominican Olympic Committee Felton Messina quits from his position as Pres
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