W.K.C. Beginnings and History
The martial arts can be 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 practiced to
a universal conformity. Whereas the Martial art which is a
generic term generally used to cover combat forms from all
over Asia, 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 another generic term used
that of Kung fu. This name/term is used to encompass 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 practitioner’s 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.
Changes in the
Sport.
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 failures, petty squabbles and
political in fighting major world organization’s were formed
to overlook the sport at its many levels. One of the first
of these was the World Kickboxing Council. (W.K.C.).At first
other world bodies looked on to see if the W.K.C. would fare
any better than the organizations that had come before. But
within a few short years the WKC had 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.Then by the late eighties the sporting connotations
of the martial arts had exploded beyond belief and
tournaments were being held almost every week in all
countries of the world. These took over both in number and
interest from the ring sports. These connotations had names
such as Points Karate, Semi-Contact, Forms, and Light
Contact. And suddenly the mat sports were born. The American
Sports Magazine (Sports Today) opined that the martial arts
were the third most practiced 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.
Decline
The original World Kickboxing Council gradually fell into
the doldrums to consequently vanish without a trace along
with a few other world bodies. The World organizations that
remained incorporated these new mat sports into their
existing framework. But like everything in the world
sometimes when things get too big they begin to fragment.
This is what started to happen with the organizations that
were left. Add to this in some of the World organizations
the mat sports were hijacked and their unscrupulous
officials began to siphon funds away from the sport. As a
result of this and trying to keep a writhing giant that was
the sport under control standards began to fall. Bad
refereeing continued rising prices, dis- organization in
staging championships and of course falling participation in
the number of competitor entries.
It was then that a group of very experienced martial arts men and seasoned promoters said ‘enough was enough’ they resigned and stepped out of these world bodies and went off to form a new world organization with the sole interest of putting the mat sports first and foremost on the world forum. They resurrected the W.K.C. (World Kickboxing Council) and introduced points karate and forms / kata into the existing divisions to take the sport back to how it used to be.
The W.K.C. Today
From this rebirth the new W.K.C. can now boast of being the
only Sanctioning Body for mat sports only Points Karate,
Light Contact Karate, and Forms in the world. Their mission
statement and prime directive is
‘the competitor always comes
first’
Their first and continuing aim is to lower prices, improve
refereeing and judging, and be at the forefront of
developing ideas for sport safety, and technique
advancements in tournaments and competitions. But most of
all to bring the sport back to being Fun!
Each country within membership of the W.K.C. 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 W.K.C.
has in place, a rules committee, a health and safety
committee, a child protection officer, a refereeing
structure, and always each year there is an annual world
council meeting. The Council World 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.
Growth
Part of the concept of the W.K.C.’s growth is that it will
continually move forward and strive to improve every aspect
of its infrastructure. It will also examine developments
within sports science and sports safety. Thus ensuring that
in future years the W.K.C. and its member countries will
keep on growing from strength to strength. And it will
strive to be a continuing source of inspiration to all of
it's members in the nations of the world and in keeping with
the spirit of brotherhood of the martial arts
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