World Kickboxing Association on arvau

Wikipedia / World Kickboxing Association

The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) also known as World Kickboxing and Karate Association, is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning body for kickboxing and karate.

History

In 1976, the WKA was founded by Howard Hanson in the United States and originally named World Karate Association. The organization was the first non-profit governing body to use an independently controlled rating list and the first to establish a world championship division for women and the first to include countries from Asia. The organization secured network broadcast in the US and Japan and became a major sanctioning body for professional karate. Early stars of the WKA included Benny Urquidez, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Kevin Rosier and Graciela Casillas. According to martial arts author John Ritschel, "The WKA became successful by finding common ground between Western and Eastern full-contact fighting culture, thereby creating and defining a culture for the sport that improved the recognition of full-contact competitions."

The WKA reported that it had had 52 of its events in televised syndication worldwide in 1981, compared to 48 events broadcast by rival federation PKA (the Professional Karate Association) that year.

Although PKA and WKA tried to expand their promotional presence in Europe, their success was limited. In contrast to the U.S., the development of full-contact karate (kickboxing) in Europe has been more significantly influenced by nationalism and governmental interference than by the pursuit of television revenues. Nevertheless, by 1982, European organizations had sanctioned approximately 20% of all events worldwide.

The WKA later developed on the European continent with Champions like Rob Kaman and Fred Royers. In 1991, Howard Hanson sold the WKA to Canadian Dale Floyd which was followed by a fade in the organization's North American activities, only having tournament champions such as Tony LoCoco. In 1994, Paul Ingram took over the WKA and established its world headquarters in the UK, which led the appointed European directors Fred Royers from Holland and Jean-Paul Maillet from France to leave in January. At the time, WKA was the second largest professional sanctioning organisation in the World. By 2011, the WKA had 129 offices worldwide and was the best known governing body among the rival federations in kickboxing. In 2013, it had 40 member nations.

WKU split

In 2012, the manager of the WKA split away to form World Kickboxing and Karate Union (WKU), sponsors such as KWON, which formerly supported the WKA, also moved to the WKU. Paul Ingram took the WKU too court in Germany winning several decisions to take ownership of the WKU name causing the WKU to become WKUWORLD/GCO.

From 29 September 2012 WKA had new management: Michele Panfietti began serving as World President and Cristiano Radicchi began serving as General Secretary. From December 2016, the WKA headquarters was transferred back to Birmingham, England.

A New ERA of the WKA

In December 2018, Dave Sawyer, a martial artist and administrator based in New Zealand, became World President of the World Kickboxing and Karate Association (WKA). The organization accepted its first constitution on July 17, 2025.

The World Kickboxing Association sanctions fights worldwide fought under the WKA ruleset.

From October 31 to November 4, 2022, the organization is set host the 2022 WKA World Championships in North Wales.

Ruleset

Under its professional ruleset it sanctions boxing, full contact karate and kickboxing, low kick, K-1 and Glory kickboxing, as well as Thai boxing and Muay Thai.

Using substances banned by one of the appropriate organizations isn't allowed, WKA supervisors, promoters and the official medic can perform tests on the competitors. Failing a test, or failing to provide a sample can result in a two year ban. Tests are performed by a qualified person of the same sex.

Competitions are held inside of a ring not smaller than 20 square feet or larger than 24 square feet, with four ropes surrounding it. Referees judging the bouts must be certified by WKA.

Full contact karate fights consist of two twelve minute rounds for men, and two ten minute rounds for women. European and national title bouts consist of two ten minute rounds for men, and two eight minute rounds for women. All other regional and state fights consist of two eight minute rounds for men and two six minute rounds for women. For boxing and all forms of kickboxing and karate, rounds consist of three three minute rounds for Class B athletes or five three minute rounds for Class A athletes, depending on the experience of the competitors. Class B athletes are those with seven amateur wins. They are promoted to Class A after achieving eight Class B wins. There is always a minute of rest between rounds. Rounds are scored based on eight counts, effective striking, ring control and style specific techniques.

All competitors wear competition appropriate attire, with compulsory groin protectors for men and breast protectors for women, with both additionally having to use a mouth guard. Full contact karate athletes wear foot protectors, with the exception of title bouts, should the champion demand otherwise. 10 oz gloves are used in all divisions, unless fighters up to and including middleweight agree to use 8 oz gloves.

Bouts in which one of the fighters has missed weight are permitted, provided the weight differential doesn't exceed 3.5% of the weight division allowance or 3.5kg, whichever is less.

Aside from this, WKA also certifies Karate and kickboxing colored belts and black belts, ranging from 1st to 9th Dan for kickboxing or 1st to 10th for Karate.

Weight classes

Full Contact World Champions

The list includes full contact world title holders. (title defenses are not included)

Super Heavyweight

Stan Longinidis (Stan the Man) - 1993
Duke Roufus - 1995
Stuart Green - 2000 Defeats Sunday Abioundun
Jean-Marc Girard - 2005 Defeats Hakan Senöz
Sergej Maslobojev - 2007
Anatoly Nosyrev - 2007 Defeats Matos Vitor
Mike LaBree - 2012 Defeats Jordan Carroll; still champion as of 11-11; most likely vacant in or sometime before 18-12 when the management moves to NZL with the records "lost from years before" (WKA official website

Heavyweight

Gary Sandland - 1993 Defeats William Van Roosmalen.
Tony Tasker - 1994
Steffano Tomiazzo - 1995
Marek Piotrowski - 1995
Stuart Green - 1997 Defeats Grant Barker
Erdal Yildrim - 2003
Jean-Marc Girard - 2005
Andre Mewis - 2007
Florian Pavic - 2010 Defeats Patrik Berger; retires in 12 (sometime after 12-05-18).

Super Cruiserweight

Franz Haller - 2002
Uros Repas - 2006
Florian Pavic - 2009 Defeats Hichem Medoukali; retires in 12 (sometime after 12-05-18).

Cruiserweight

Tony LoCoco - 1994
Pavlica Steko - 2002
Blerim Rashiti - 2007
Gareth Richards - 2010 Defeats José De La Llera; vacant in 16.
Amer Abdallah - 2016 Defeats Daniel Hughes; announces his retirement in 18-10.

Super Light Heavyweight

Rob Kaman - 1992 Defeats Mark Russell; defeats ISKA world super middleweight champion Jean-Yves Thériault on 92-06-20 in Paris, FRA in a double title match but is forced to vacate the title for exceeding the weight limit.
Mladen Steko - 2002
Herbert Danois - 2007 Defeats Albert Krieziu
Marlon Hunt - 2010 Defeats Robert Cassells

Light Heavyweight

Bruce Ozbek - 2002
Marc Apele - 2005 Defeats Orhan Celik.
Jens Lintow - 2006
Dominik Haselbeck - 2007 Defeats Angel Alvarez.
Ramin Abtin - 2007
Mariusz Niziolek - 2009
Tarik Kuzucu - 2009 Defeats Richard Pedro.
Mukhtar Khizriev - 2011
Gareth Richards - 2011 NZL with the records "lost from years before" (WKA official website).
Ryan Lyall - 2021 Defeats Adil Zerhoui; vacates on the same day upon retirement.

Super Middleweight

Ramin Abtin - 2002
Dominik Haselbeck - 2007 Defeats Geogi Iliev; still champion as of 11-10-20; most likely vacant in or sometime before 18-12 when the management moves to NZL with the records "lost from years before" (WKA official website).

Middleweight

Arthur O'Loughlin - 1989 Defeats Terry Begue
A.J. Verel - 1992
Stan Peterec - 1994
Perry Ubeda - 2002 Defeats Şahin Yakut
Serguei Lapinski - 2002
Dean Sugden - 2006
Muzammal Nawaz - 2007
Christopher Autrey - 2011 fastest knockout in WKO/WKA/K-1/Glory history at 7 sec.

Most knockouts in 1 year (11)

Semen Poskotin Merkel - 2010 Defeats Przemyslaw Ziemnichki in full contact rules (legionisci.com, 10-05-24); still champion as of 12-12-07; most likely vacant in or sometime before 18-12 when the management moves to NZL with the records "lost from years before" (WKA official website).

Super Welterweight

Kash Gill - 1991 Also wins ISKA freestyle light middleweight title on 93-11-21.
Victor Vargotsky -1994 Defeats Luis Aguila
Angelo DiBella - 1995
Roberto Fatica - 1995
Mark Weller - 1996
Imed Mathlouthi - 2002
Chris Algieri - 2005 Defeats Brad Fowler
Viktor Hoffman - 2011
Bobby Campbell - 2017

Welterweight

Victor Vargotsky - 1994
Murat Comert - 2002
Jason Vassallo - 2007
Dennis Lukashev - 2011

Super Lightweight

Terry Butwell - 2002
Alain Coppey - 2007 Defeats Christian Deiss
Bobby Campbell - 2009 Defeats Christian Deiss.
Sam Allan - 2013

Lightweight

Juan Torres - 1994
Muzaffer Tosun - 2002
Rocco Cipriano - 2007
Michael Peynaud - 2011 Still champion as of 2012-11-29; most likely vacant in or sometime before 18-12 when the management moves to NZL with the records "lost from years before" (WKA official website).

Super Featherweight

Danny Melendez - 1990 Defeats Aldaberto Leal for KICK and WKA titles.
Rocco Cipriano - 2004

Bantamweight

Scott Allan - 2011

Women’s Super Lightweight

Bianca Ammann - 2011

Women’s Lightweight

Fredia Gibbs - 1992 Defeats Chevrette Pabros.
Christine Theiss - 2007 Defeats Donatella Panu

Women’s Bantamweight

Kaliope Yeitsidou - 2006
Cindy Metz - 2011

Women’s Flyweight

Rebekka Hermann - 2011