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.
The coliseum also hosted two major karatedo championships, the 1996 Philippine Karatedo Federation National Championship headed by Pocholo Veguillas and Cristina Ramos-Jalasco, former Philippine Olympic Committee chairman and daughter of former president Fidel Ramos and the 2007 20th PKF National Open.
He taught karate at Columbia University, State University of New York, McGill University, Loyola College, The National Theatre School of Canada and the Canadian Headquarters of Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karatedo, the Ken Nin Kai dojo in Toronto.
As well as being a prominent entrepreneur and world representative of the Kyudokan school, Minoru Higa is a committee-member for the Okinawan Karatedo and Kobudo Federation, vice-president of the Ryukyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai Association, chief committee-member of the Okinawa Bodybuilding Association, a member and referee for the Japanese Bodybuilding Federation, and a member and referee for the Japanese Powerlifting Association.