The Organizers

Born in Guáraque, Mérida, Venezuela in 1962, Carlos Quintero began karate at thirteen and moved to Caracas in 1979 to train under master Shoko Sato. He became national champion of Venezuela six times, represented his country at the Pan-American Games and competed in four World Karate Championship tournaments.

He moved to the United States in 1988 and opened his own dojo, going undefeated at state and regional level and taking three consecutive USA National Championship titles in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In 2004 he coached the Florida Kumite Team to gold at the USA-NKF National Championships. He founded Kobushi Dojo Doral in 2002 and remains head coach of its competition team.

On 25 October 2025 he was installed as the first Kyoshi of Karate-Do Shito-Ryu Keishin Kyokai. He sits on the USA Karate Federation Referee Committee and presides over rank promotions and advanced instructor training in South Florida — the same standard he applies to the Cup’s officiating.

Sensei Gonzalo Figueroa is an instructor at Kobushi Dojo Doral and a Judge D certified official with the National Karate Federation in both Kata and Kumite — so he works the Cup from inside the ring as well as behind it.

He handles the tournament’s website, registration links and everything a competitor or parent touches before they arrive: the schedule, the division rules, the directions to the venue. If the information you needed was easy to find, that was the intent.