ISKA (sports governing body)

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Not to be confused with Iška, a river in Slovenia.

International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association
TypePrivate
IndustryKickboxing promotion
Founded1985 (1985)
Headquarters
United States
Websitehttp://www.iskaworldhq.com/

The ISKA (originally International Sport Karate Association, later also called the International Sport Kickboxing Association[1][2]) is one of the major international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United States. It was established in 1985 as a response to legal and revenue issues that sent the Professional Karate Association (PKA) into decline.[3]

History

From 1974 until 1985, the PKA had been the most recognized worldwide kickboxing sanctioning group. It was instrumental in establishing public relay of the sport via ESPN, helping to introduce the burgeoning sport to a wider audience,[4] and had also developed the first fighter's ratings systems. Five major U.S.-based promoters and resigning PKA executives created the new body, the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), with an official announcement on July 16, 1986. The first U.S. directors were Mike Sawyer, Karyn Turner, Tony Thompson, John Worley and Scott Coker. It currently runs the biggest martial arts tournament in the world, The U.S Open. Thousands of competitors from around the world participate every year.[5]

Many of the major PKA promoters began sanctioning their events with the ISKA and several also joined its administration. ISKA also secured ESPN broadcasts of its major title bouts in 1986, thus helping bring quick credibility and recognition to the new association.

Since the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) was mostly active in Europe and the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) in Asia, ISKA was quick to expand through its own European Directors starting October 1986 with Olivier Muller, Jérome Canabate and Mohamed Hosseini. American Richard Mayor oversaw the establishment of this European wing as European President between 1986 and 1988.[6]

By 1991, the worldwide control of the ISKA was shared by two co-chairmen: Mike Sawyer and Olivier Muller. International TV coverage was secured, and united separate organizations were formed worldwide to handle responsibility for international sanctioning and grading. ISKA has conducted its official activities under ISKA ASIA since 2008 with Dr. S. A. Moinshirazi the President of ISKA ASIA. Paul Zadro is the President of ISKA Australia, which is the biggest martial arts tournament circuit in Australia.[7]

In the early 2000s ISKA began sanctioning K-1 events such as K1-MAX and K-1 USA, and for several years they also sanctioned both kickboxing and MMA events for Strikeforce.[8] Starting from 2012, ISKA sanctioned events for the kickboxing promotion Glory.[8]

Current activities

ISKA is a sport karate, all styles kickboxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) sanctioning body in the United States and over 50 countries worldwide.

ISKA's Martial Arts World Championships are held yearly at the US Open of Martial Arts in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The US Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championships is held annually every year on the Fourth of July weekend. More than 8,000 competitors and 12,000 spectators attend the two-day event each year. The event closes with the Night of Champions featuring the ISKA World Martial Arts Championships. The Night of Champions airs live on ESPN3, while a highlights show airs later on ESPN2. The US Open is the longest continuously running martial arts event on ESPN. The US Open highlights continue to air throughout the year on CSI Sports networks, reaching approximately 85 million households.[9]

Kickboxing World Champions

Men's Kickboxing Divisions

Style Flyweight Bantamweight Featherweight Super Featherweight Lightweight Super Lightweight
Oriental Rules 'vacant' Japan Tenshin Nasukawa France Franck Gross Spain Miguel Martínez Morocco Adam Bouarourou Austria Benjamin Horváth
Full Contact Kickboxing France Mathieu Damiano Vacant France Jérôme Ardissone France Jonathan Pastorino France Yoann Portaller Ukraine Vladislav Mělník
Freestyle Kickboxing Vacant Argentina Martín Blanco Japan Tenshin Nasukawa Vacant France Mohamed Karbal France Enzo Bonio
Muay Thai Ukraine Andrii Mezentsev Vacant Spain Carlos Coello United Kingdom Jonathan Haggerty Vacant Japan Shunsuke Ōishi
K-1 Rules France Akram Hamidi Japan Eisaku Ogasawara France Yanis Goucef Slovakia Ján Szajko Japan Koji France Yannick Reine
Style Light Welterweight Welterweight Super Welterweight Light Middleweight Middleweight Super Middleweight
Oriental Rules England Mo Abdurahman Vacant Italy Armen Petrosyan Italy Mustapha Haida France Karim Ghajji France Karim Ghajji
Full Contact Kickboxing Ukraine Vladislav Mělník Vacant France Gaëtan Delacher Spain José Rodríguez France Mehdi Kada France Mondhor Yacoubi
Freestyle Kickboxing France Modibo Diarra Spain David Mejia Spain Sergio Sánchez France Edouard Bernadou Belgium Cedric de Keirsmaeker Poland Lukasz Plawecki
Muay Thai Thailand Khumsab Spain Malker García Italy Fabio Pinca Spain Nauzet Trujillo Morocco Youssef Boughanem France Patrick Madisse
K-1 Rules Romania Roberto Gheorghiță Spain Malker García Italy Giorgio Petrosyan Denmark Youssef Assouik France Mickaël Lopes Da Veiga France Patrick Madisse
Style Light Heavyweight Light Cruiserweight Cruiserweight Super Cruiserweight Heavyweight Super Heavyweight
Oriental Rules France Cyril Benzaquen France Reda Oudgou Spain Alberto Tapia Spain Moisés Baute Vacant Turkey Murat Aygün
Full Contact Kickboxing United Kingdom Jon Durrant France Emmanuel Mahout EnglandJames Green United Kingdom Riyadh Al-Azzawi Vacant Vacant
Freestyle Kickboxing France Frédéric Kowatz Italy Luca Andreani France Florent Kaouachi Vacant Vacant Vacant
Muay Thai Turkey Atakan Arslan Austria Henry Bannert Belgium Bejan Ahmedi France Emmanuel Payet United States Randy Blake Austria Thomas Froschauer
K-1 Rules United Kingdom Kevin Ward Belgium Madani Rahmani Spain Francis Jorge Russia Turpal Tokaev Guinea Mamoudou Keita Belgium Frédéric Sinistra

As of July 14, 2020

Women's Kickboxing Divisions

Style Atomweight Strawweight Flyweight Super Flyweight
Oriental Rules Vacant England Michelle Newell Italy Gloria Peritore Australia Serin Murray
Full Contact Kickboxing France Emilie Machut France Djouarha Chafia Italy Gloria Peritore France Lizzie Largillière
Freestyle Kickboxing Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant
Muay Thai Japan Anna Shiratsuki Scotland Amy Pirnie Australia Kim Townsend Vacant
K-1 Rules Spain Cristina Morales France Ludivine Lasnier France Djouarha Chafia Cuba Cynthia Gonzalez
Style Bantamweight Featherweight Super Featherweight Lightweight
Oriental Rules Vacant Netherlands Mellony Geugjes Spain Lara Fernandez Turkey Deniz Batinli
Full Contact Kickboxing Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant
Freestyle Kickboxing Vacant Italy Chiara Vincis France Aurélie Froment Israel Nili Block
Muay Thai Italy Melillo Sveva Vacant Vacant Vacant
K-1 Rules France Anissa Meksen Italy Martine Michieletto Turkey Sabriye Şengül France Aurélie Froment
Style Super Lightweight Light Welterweight Welterweight Super Welterweight
Oriental Rules Turkey Deniz Batinli Belgium Anke Van Gestel Vacant Vacant
Full Contact Kickboxing Italy Irene Mertens Vacant Vacant France Cathy LeMee
Freestyle Kickboxing France Cindy Perros France Cindy Perros Vacant Vacant
Muay Thai Italy Veronica Vernocchi Vacant Vacant Finland Anna Rantanen
K-1 Rules Belgium Anke Van Gestel Germany Johanna Kruse Vacant Vacant

As of August 31, 2020

Sport Karate World Champions

Current ISKA Team World Champions[10]

Current Team Champions Discipline
Team Competitive Edge Demo Team
Team Paul Mitchell Karate Synchronized Team Weapons
Team KTOC Synchronized Team Forms
Team Top Ten USA Men's 3 Man Point Sparring

Current ISKA Adult World Champions[11]

Current Adult World Champions Discipline
Danny Etkin Men's Traditional and CMX Forms
Haley Glass Women's CMX Forms

Women's Weapons

Richard Hoen Self Defense
Bailey Murphy Men's Ope As of July 2nd, 2021n Weighuly 3rdenge Match
Morgan Plowden Women's Open Weight Challenge Match
Jackson Rudolph Men's CMX Weapons
Mason Stowell Men's Traditional Forms

Current ISKA Youth World Champions[12]

Current Youth World Champions Discipline
Dawson Holt 14-17 Boy's CMX Forms

14-17 Boy's Traditional Weapons

Anna Beth Hedgepath 14-17 Girl's CMX Weapons

14-17 Girl's CMX Forms

Maddie Kennaway 14-17 Girl's Traditional Forms
Madison Magnotta 14-17 Girl's Traditional Weapons
Mason Bumba 14-17 Boy's Weapons
Dax Howland 13 & Under Boy's CMX Weapons
Kodi Molina 13 & Under Girl's CMX Weapons
Isabella Nicoli 13 & Under Girl's CMX Forms

13 & Under Girl's and Boy's Traditional Forms

Averi Presley 13 & Under Girl's Traditional Weapons
Judah Sagawa 13 & Under Boy's CMX Forms

As of July 3rd, 2021

Breaking World Champions

Current World Breaking Champions Discipline
Justin Cuellar 3-Directional Power Wood (Lightweight)

Men's Creative Breaking

Ken Goodrich Power Concrete Arm/Hand (Lightweight)
Parker Moody Power Concrete Kick (Lightweight)
Steve Fisher 3-Directional Power Wood (Heavyweight)
Larry Fields Power Concrete Arm/Hand (Heavyweight)
Tim Steele Power Concrete Kick (Heavyweight)

See also

References

  1. ^ Sherdog.com. "International Sport Kickboxing Association Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more". Sherdog. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "About us – ISKA World Headquarters". Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Bill Wallace (October 1988). The Decline and Fall of the PKA Empire (Digitized by Google Books). Black Belt Magazine. p. 13. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. ^ Corcoran, John and Farkas, Emil. Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. Gallery Books, New York (1983) p. 317.
  5. ^ "What is ISKA?". iskaworldhq.com. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "From A to WKN". Worldkickboxingnetwork.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "A HISTORY OF KICKBOXING". Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  8. ^ a b ISKA – About Us
  9. ^ "National Coverage Map". Usopen-karate.com. Archived from the original (JPG) on December 11, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  10. ^ "Sport Karate Champions 2021 – ISKA World Headquarters". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  11. ^ "Sport Karate Champions 2021 – ISKA World Headquarters". Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "Sport Karate Champions 2021 – ISKA World Headquarters". Retrieved April 26, 2022.

External links

Web resources

Books and articles

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