WKA Beginnings and Early History

The martial arts are one of the most confusing sporting disciplines in the world, totally distinct from all other sporting connotations. You can only play football one way, tennis, rowing, running, gymnastics, and virtually every other sports discipline is practised to a universal conformity. Whereas the Martial arts which is a generic term generally used to cover combat forms from all over the world, is broken down into many various styles and forms of fighting. The term martial art as used today is meant to indicate fighting formats that originated in South East Asia. There are many colourful and exciting disciplines encompassed within these indigenous fighting arts.

From Japan we have Karate, jiu jitsu, judo, Aikido. From Korea there is Taekwon-do, Hapkido, Kuk-Sool –Won. From Thailand there is Muay Thai (Thai Boxing). Bando from Burma (Myan-Mar) from China there is the generic term Kung fu that encompasses at least five hundred different styles of empty hand fighting. The list is endless, and then here in the West we have the many various forms of wrestling and boxing. From France we have La Savate. It would seem that to the uninitiated there is a plethora of combat systems that would seem endless. All fighting and competing under different methods and rules systems.

In the early 1970’s with the advent of the Bruce Lee films the many Eastern fighting systems were brought to the attention of the world audiences. And what occurred was one of the strangest and most unique sports happenings ever experienced. Almost within two decades the many varied martial arts systems experienced a boom time, which resulted in millions and millions of practitioners worldwide taking up one form or another of martial arts discipline. At first people used the martial arts for getting fit, keeping healthy, esoteric purposes. But it would seem only natural with man’s urge to test him/herself that these art forms took on the mantle of competition.

Almost overnight various formats were developed to formulate a competition link between ancient fighting disciplines and modern sporting concepts. Unfortunately at world level there was no infrastructure, no set format of rules, the elements of danger were still included in the combat forms. As the martial arts disciplines grew in popularity mans urge to meet his/her peers on the competition floor demanded conformity, a universal rules system, and a method that would ensure the practitioners safety whilst competing at sporting level.

Various groups came forward in an attempt to unite all these Eastern martial disciplines under one set of rules that would cover the many and various forms of combat all under one umbrella. After many many failures, petty squabbles and political in fighting an organization was formed and termed the World Kickboxing Association (WKA).
At first other world bodies looked on to see if the WKA would fare any better than the organizations that had come before. But within a few short years the WKA expanded its area of operations to eventually create a global network of countries all within membership with representatives each running successful organizations on all five continents.

They created (through its members) National and international competitions and tournaments whereby martial arts practitioners could meet their peers on the mats and in the rings to take their skills and talents to world champion status.

The WKA Begins to Grow

By the early 1980’s The American Sports Magazine (Sports Today) opined that the martial arts were the third most practised sport in the world today, indicating that a general consensus estimation that there was in excess of 20 million people globally training in one form or other of martial art. Meanwhile other martial arts bodies seeing the success of the WKA began to form their own versions of multi-disciplined associations around the world. Some succeeded many failed. It would seem that those who failed forgot the principal of ‘Sport for All’ and did not base their ideals and rules on the democratic principle. Unlike the WKA which follows totally the formulating of rules committees, democratic voting per country per membership, and annual reviews of the structure as a whole.

The impetus of the WKA on world martial arts as a whole was revolutionary. They were the first organised body of martial arts on a global scale to sanction fights, create ranking systems, and institute a development programme. Whereby at grass roots level children of all ages under a strict code of ethics and safety could learn via satellite WKA clubs in every City, Town, and village, a martial arts discipline thus ensuring for future years the growth of the sport.

By the early 1980’s the WKA ring sports were world renowned then a development in the USA led to the biggest re –shaping of the sport since its inception. This was the advent of ‘Freestyle’. Freestyle was a format created from the many martial arts disciplines to allow jiu jitsu practitioners to meet karate fighters, Aikido fighters to meet kung fu devotees, kick boxers to fight with taekwondo practitioners all under one set of rules and not in a boxing ring but on mats!

This almost fighting revolution took the world by storm, the WKA were naturally the first world body to recognise for the first time in martial arts history all martial arts, no matter what discipline, could be united under one format of competition and rules system and compete in complete safety. Within a few short months the WKA staged its first World Championships, which were a resounding success. More so for the fact that for the first time ever children were allowed to compete from as young as ten years old (boys and girls). The WKA, always the sports innovator had created a worldwide system that could now ensure children from every country around the world and in the name of sport take their art to world champion status. Thus ensuring the continued growth of the sport as whole for many generations to come.

The WKA TODAY

The WKA today enjoys great success at all levels on a global scale. It has representatives in more than 90 countries and regularly holds competitions, culminating once a year in a WKA World Championships involving all the amateur martial arts disciplines and styles under one set competition format. Last year (2001) with more than sixty countries present and two thousand competitors the WKA held its seventh World championships in Vienna Austria. This year (2002) the WKA’s venue for the World Championships is Italy and nearly 3,000 competitors from eighty countries are expected to attend. The success of the WKA can only be due to its organizational infrastructure and its democratic process and its safety and fairplay guidelines.

Each country within membership of the WKA has a president who is responsible for that countries implementation of the rules and regulations. And to overlook the growth and practice of the martial disciplines as a whole. The WKA has in place, a rules committee, a health and safety committee, a refereeing structure, and always each year there is an annual congress. The Congress discusses the many aspects of change within the sport, it designates via the democratic principle of votes new rules and regulations, updates and innovations within the sport as they come to light. No one person dictates what is to be done. Each member country votes upon all decisions. This is largely how the WKA has grown from the first real and oldest kickboxing sanctioning body in the world to enjoy the continuing success in this new century.

Many have tried to emulate the format and success of the WKA but all have failed due to the fact they fail to adopt the democratic process and also fail to accept that children are the sports future and therefore need to be nurtured if the sport is to grow. Part of the secret of the WKA’s growth is that it is continually moving forwards and striving to better every aspect of its infrastructure, and also examine developments within sports science and sports safety. Thus ensuring that in future years the WKA and its member countries will keep on growing from strength to strength……………………