Welcome to the official World Kickboxing Federation United Kingdom & Eire Website!
The World Kickboxing Federation is one of the leading organisations World Wide in the promotion of amateur and professional kickboxing in all styles, Muay Thai and Mixed martial arts hosting professional fighting events.
Our modern and interactive approach to this sport highlights our commitment to keeping you updated with the latest events taking place worldwide. The WKF UK was formed in Febuary 2011 under the leadership of Mark Graham,the WKF UK stresses its strong belief in offering equal opportunities to sufficiently skilled athletes who have practiced Kickboxing, enabling them to display their talents in the National and International Amateur and Professional arenas. Also to ensure the credibility of their “world championship” titles and gives these world class athletes an international platform on which to perform.
The WKF is recognized worldwide as a regulating governing body for amateur and professional kickboxing. The WKF crowns world champions in seven divisions of martial arts competition. Sanctioning many major title kickboxing events per year over SIX continents, the WKF continues to update rules, train & certify officials and maintain the ratings necessary to recognize both worthy champions and world rated kickboxing contenders in this fast growing and exciting sport.
The WKF UK is open to co-operation with all assosiactions officials managing kickboxing events and as our unique approach involves dealing with federations worldwide, places the spirit of kickboxing above all obstacles.
Please note - This is the OFFICIAL WKF UK Website. Please do not contact or co-operate with any other Websites claiming to be part of the OFFICIAL WKF.
our world website is www.wkfkickboxing.net
The history of Kickboxing
The true roots of Kickboxing can be found to date back 2000 years ago in Far East Asia, where Muay Thai Kickboxing was commonly practised as a self- defence discipline. However it gradually became more of a sport over the years. Thaiboxing soon became the most common and popular fighting sport in Asia. MuayThai - Kickboxing was controlled by the Thailand government, under the name of WMTC ( World MuayThai Council ). The main proponent that gave way to the rise of Kickboxing was Bruce Lee, making the link with the United States, making way for the future of International Kickboxing. By the late Twentieth century the sport Kickboxing was starting to take its own original form.
The strong urge for a Full contact sport, overtaking the rigid rules and boundaries of Karate, led to an all- new evolved version of Full contact Kickboxing. The initial International Championship for this sport was held in Los Angeles in 1974. This move was highly regarded by many leading Karate masters at the time, many encouraged and made eager attempts at the newly recognised sport. Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith & Isuena Duenas were the fist actual champions in this sport.
For most of this period the most formal and accepted international sanctioning group was the PKA founded in America. Its founders made the first link with the media as they organised televised reports of championships being held around the globe. The group also formed the first fighter’s rating systems. Among the stars of this new system were Jean-Yves Theriault, Jerry Trimble and Brad Hefton.
In 1975, Georges Bruckner created the first European Amateur Organization. He named it WAKO ( World All Style Karate Organisation ). It was soon seen as a strong rival to the original PKA group based in the US. However, in recent years, after the Italian Ennio Falsoni took control from WAKO’s German founder, the group has become the most highly recognised amateur federation in Kickboxing.
In 1976, Howard Hanson, a Shorin Ryu Karate black belt and student of Mike Stone, created his own group, WKA, WORLD KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION. At first the group had many successes and achievements, it even developed its regulations on low kicks in the sport. It gave way to champions like Fred Royers, Ronnie Green & Rob Kaman. Later in 1991 when WKA was sold to Canadian Dale Floyd, the group saw a gradual disintegration in its activity of events. At the time when Paul Ingram took control of the association and established it’s new headquarters in the United Kingdom, some important members began to leave, although it was seen as the second most important professional sanctioning association for Kickboxing internationally.
On July 16th 1986, ISKA was formed as a result of the many legal problems PKA was facing. The International Sports Kickboxing Association was founded by 5 promoters and PKA executives who had united to form this new association. the promoters were; Tony Thompson, John Worley, Karyn Turner, Mike Sawyer & Scott Coker. The associations glowing success attracted many of the remaining PKA members, who soon joined ISKA’s growing success. A major boost to the association’s success was the broadcasting of many of its championships on EPSN television network. In more recent years the association has been headed by Olivier Muller, who didn’t stay in power for long. ISKA was soon returned to the American promoters – headed by Mike Sawyer.
