The Phoenix Karatedo Association is a continuation of ryu established in the early 1960s in the USA by Hulon Willis and later Raymond Elmore. The first unified organization was organized under the auspices of the "Southside Virginia Police Karate Association" in Petersburg, Virginia. Following Elmore, leadership passed briefly to Keythe Hancock and later to Dan Soller. The Phoenix Karatedo Association's history became more definitive in 1981, when the Soller School of Karate was founded at Mount Saint Mary's College (Emmitsburg, Maryland) in order To develop and promote the art of karate". In 1983, the school was recognized as a college club and would later become a part of the college's academic curriculum. The term "karatedo" replaced "karate" in 1988 to better reflect the spirit and philosophy of the club. In 1990 The Phoenix Karatedo Association was formally founded in order to better organize a growing and successful membership and provide an umbrella organization to benefit graduates of the karatedo program as they relocated across the country. The Mount Dojo served as the head dojo until January of 1994, at which time the training facility at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named the Hombu Dojo. The dojo at Mount Saint Mary's College continues to be designated as the Founding Dojo of the Association. Continuing the tradition of its founding ryu, the Association's training methods and philosophies are based on the Japanese style of Kyokushin, founded by the late Mas Oyama.