In January of 1964, Pocholo Veguillas, a former student of Takayuki Mikami (Shotokanryu), together with two other karate instructors started a karate club in a dojo built from used machinery crating materials for floors, interwoven bamboo slats (sawali) for walls and second hand roofing materials. This was built in a vacant lot at Scout Lozano in Quezon City, which was loaned to them by a family friend. The club started with just a handful of students. However, due to the demands of other increasing responsibilities, his two associates were forced to resign from the organization in June of 1964 leaving Veguillas alone to continue with the club.

In July 21, 1964, Pocholo Veguillas together with his student, which has now grown to around thirty, inaugurated the Kuroi Samurai Karate Dojo(KSKD), which was later to become the pilot organization of the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK). On the same year, the KSKD was invited to join 40 other clubs to form the Karate Federation of the Philippines (KaFePhil). This was to be the first attempt to unify all karate clubs in the country. In the first national seminar of karate instructors organized under the KaFePhil in December of 1964, Pocholo Veguillas topped the examinations given by the board of examiners. These seminars and examinations were held annually and blackbelters from the KSKD consistently topped them.

The KSKD transferred to a bigger dojo, which was built adjacent to the Veguillas residence in Plaridel St., Quezon City in 1968. The first branch of the KSKD was also founded in the high school of Ateneo de Manila in Loyola Heights, Quezon City in July of the same year.

On the same year, the Karate Federation of the Philippines organized the first National Open Karate Championships. KSKD gained national prominence when its players coach by Pocholo Veguillas won said tournament.

In 1970, various Karate Federations decided to put up a grand championships among members selected from each federation. Each federation had to field in its best players only. The selection from the KaFePhil was coach by Pocholo Veguillas. Majority of the winners of said tournament - Asian Festival of Combat Sports came from this team. This was to be the last participation of KSKD in the KaFePhil.

In 1973, the Kuroi Samurai Karate Dojo with its 14 other branches established the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo.

The Association for the Advancement of Karatedo, together with the other major karate organizations in the country formed the Philippine Karate Association (PKA). This national federation was recognized by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (now Philippine Olympic Committee) and the World Union of Karatedo Organizations (now World Karate Federation). This was in May 1974.

After its last participation in the KaFePhil in 1970, the KSKD decided to concentrate in the development of its organization. The first KSKD age-group championships was held in 1970. In 1974, due to a change in its organizational structure, the annual championships was renamed the AAK Age Group Championships. Subsequently, Karatedo by AAK was included among the sports in the Milo Summer Sports Clinics.

In 1986, the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo transferred its Honbu dojo to a 300 square meters area at the Penthouse of the Milelong Building on Amorsolo Street, Lepaspi Village. This was in the heart of the Philippines business district in Makati.

The 14th South East Asia Games in 1987, had karate in its program. Because of this, a national tryout was organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee to form the national karate team. In as much as most of the winners of the tournament came from AAK, Pocholo Veguillas was designated by the Philippine Olympic Committee as training director of the national karate team.

After the 14th South East Asian Games, the Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) was organized with Pocholo Veguillas as its founding President. He was PKF president from 1987-2000. Under his leadership the Philippine Karate National Team won 72 medals, 41 of them gold, in international competitions and several Filipino Karatedo technical officials were accredited internationally.

Gojuryu (Hard - Soft Style) was introduced to AAK in 1987 by Shin Tsukii, a student of Goshi Yamaguchi. In order to further their knowledge of Gojuryu, a group of AAK instructors led by Richard Lim were invited by Goshi Yamaguchi to train under him in the Goju kai Honbu Dojo (Headquarters Gym) in Tokyo. Upon his visit to Gogen Yamaguchi, founder of Gojukai, Pocholo Veguillas agreed to include Gojuryu in the AAK curriculum.

In 1989, Hitoshi Kato introduced Shitoryu to AAK. AAK members were invited to Shitoryu Championships in Japan and Genzo Iwata trained AAK instructors at the Shitokai Honbu Dojo in Tokyo. During the foundation of the World Shitoryu Karate Federation in Chiba, Japan in 1993, the AAK was invited as its Philippine representative.

Another group of AAK instructors were also sent to Japan to train under Hiroyuki Seitoguchi sensei of Hosei University, (Shotokan) where Takayuki Mikami used to be the Chief Instructor.

In 1990, the AAK Honbu Dojo transferred to the Metropolitan Club in Estrella St., Makati City. In 1993, the AAK Honbu Dojo, moved to its present location at the 5/F Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City

In the past, several Japanese instructors came to AAK to introduce their various styles. Among them were Takeo Fujiwara and Toshiatsu Sasaki of Shotokan, Kasuya Mitani of Okinawan Shurite, Hidehisa Haseme of Shitoryu, Kanzo Miyahira of Toguchi Goju, Seiji Nishimura and Hisao Murase Sensei of Wadoryu and Tsuguo Sakumoto of Ryueiryu.

Today, the AAK has embraced the teachings of these karate masters and has evolved a unique system of Karatedo known as the AAK System. It has produced World Champions in all styles competitions as well as in the tournaments of each individual karate styles. It has been in the forefront in the development and advancement of Karatedo both nationally and internationally.

Among the AAK’s recent major tournament achievements are:

2000

1 Gold medal - Asia Pacific Gojukai Karatedo Championships - SINGAPORE (Read Story)

1 Gold Medal - International Open Junior Karatedo Championships - Nagano, JAPAN (Read Story)

2001

2 Gold Medals - Asia Pacific Shitoryu Karatedo Championships - SINGAPORE (Read Story)

2 Gold Medals - World Gojukai Karatedo Championships - Perth, AUSTRALIA (Read Story)

2002

3 Gold Medals - International Open Junior Karatedo Championships -Mackenzie, CANADA (Read Story)

2 Gold Medals -11th KOI Karate World Cup - Dresden, GERMANY (Read Story)

2003

2 Gold Medals - 12th KOI Karate World Cup - Evia, GREECE (Read Story)

2004

5 Gold Medals -13th KOI Karate World Cup - Mandaluyong City, PHILIPPINES (Read Story)