World Association of Kickboxing Organizations

The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.K.O or WAKO) is an international kickboxing organization counting over 120 affiliated countries representing all five continents.[1] WAKO is a major governing body of amateur kickboxing and is responsible for the development of kickboxing worldwide. The organization was officially recognized as an official kickboxing governing body by Sport Accord.[2] WAKO is recognized by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[3][4]

Not to be confused with World Kickboxing Association.
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
AbbreviationWAKO
Formation1977
TypeFederation of national associations
Legal statusActive (as per Swiss Law as founded in Zurich on 6 February 1988)
PurposeGlobal Development and governance of the sport of Kickboxing
HeadquartersMonza, Italy
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
National association
Official language
English
AffiliationsSportAccord
WADA
International World Games Association
Websitewako.sport
RemarksWAKO was established as "World All Style Karate Organization"

History

In 1977, WAKO was founded in Europe[1] and formulated the rules and regulations acting as the Kickboxing Federation of the World.[5] It was founded by American Kickboxing promoter Mike Anderson, and his friend, German Kickboxing promoter Georg Brueckner. WAKO was officially registered in Zurich, Switzerland and become the largest unified kickboxing organization in the world. In 2006, the International Amateur Kickboxing Sports Association (I.A.K.S.A) and WAKO merged under the umbrella of WAKO, making its acceptance possible by the General Association of International Sports Federations (G.A.I.S.F) as the governing body for the sport of Kickboxing.[6] WAKO offers 7 different styles: Points Fighting, light-contact, full-contact, kick-light, low-kick, K1-style, and musical forms. Today WAKO can count on 126 affiliated nations in the five continents, with 95 officially recognized by their respective Sports or Olympic Council.

WAKO became a member of Sport Accord and was officially recognized as the official Kickboxing governing body by Sport Accord,[2] Olympic Council of Asia, WADA and the International World Games Association. Kickboxing is included in World Combat Games, Asian Indoor Games, and the Martial Arts Games (promoted by OCA) in the 2017 International World Games. WAKO has five continental divisions functioning under the auspices of the WAKO International Federation which are WAKO Europe, WAKO Pan America, WAKO Asia, WAKO Oceania and WAKO Africa. WAKO hosts its ordinary General Assemblies in Antalya, Turkey.[7]

In 1991, WAKO PRO was officially established during a WAKO Board meeting in Spain. After a their career as amateurs in the organization, fighters were now able to continue as professional fighters in WAKO Pro.[8]

Olympic recognition

On the 20th of July 2021, the International Olympic Committee officially recognised kickboxing as an Olympic sport, and recognised WAKO as the world governing body for the sport.[9][3][4]

Styles

WAKO supports 7 different styles: four of them are on the tatami and three of them are in the ring,[10]

Musical form

A musical form is a staged or imaginary fight against one or more opponents in which the performer uses techniques from Oriental Martial Arts to personally selected music.

Point Fighting

Also known as semi-contact. Point fighting is a discipline where two contestants fight with the primary goal of scoring defined points and using controlled legal techniques without using full force.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches and kicks. striking above the waist.
  • Foot sweeps are allowed.
  • Elbows and knees are forbidden.
  • Clinch fighting and throws are forbidden.

Light Contact

Light Contact in the past was recognised as an intermediate stage between semi contact and full contact Kickboxing. Modern Light Contact has evolved into its own unique style fast and dynamic continuous kickboxing. Unlike Point Fighting, athletes will fight continuously amassing scores over 3x2 minute rounds.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches and kicks. striking above the waist and below ankle/mid-calf.
  • Foot sweeps are allowed.
  • Elbows and knees are forbidden.
  • Clinch fighting and throws are forbidden.

Kick-light

Kick-light is an intermediate stage between semi-kick and low-kick kickboxing.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches and kicks, striking the thigh (only from outside to inside and vice versa), which can be attacked using the shin.
  • Foot sweeps are allowed.
  • Elbows and knees are forbidden.
  • Clinch fighting and throws forbidden.

Full contact

Full Contact is a discipline of Kickboxing where the intention is to mimic the pressure felt during a real fight.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches and kicks, striking above the waist and below the ankle/mid-calf.
  • Foot sweeps are allowed.
  • Elbows and knees are forbidden.
  • Clinch fighting and throws are forbidden.

Low-kick

In low-kick Kickboxing, there is the possibility of attacking the opponent's legs with clean kicks.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches and kicks, striking the thigh (only from outside to inside and vice versa) which can be attacked using the shin.
  • Foot sweeps are allowed.
  • Elbows and knees are forbidden.
  • Clinch fighting and throws forbidden.

K1-style

See K-1.

  • Opponents are allowed to hit each other with punches,knee and kicks. Legs and any other part of the body can be attacked using the shin.
  • Foot sweeps are forbidden
  • Elbows are forbidden.
  • Throws are forbidden.
  • Clinching must be less than 5 seconds. Kickboxers are allowed to hold the opponent's neck with both hands in order to attack only with the knee. You are only allowed one knee strike per clinch exchange.

Competitions

WAKO holds a world championship every two years, with youth (18 and under) and adult (18–45) championships in separate years; only national teams are accepted. Each member country can present only one competitor in each weight class. Competitors are commonly the national champion of their weight class in that particular Kickboxing style and many are also officially recognized by their National Olympic Committees or Ministry of Sports.

WAKO Kickboxing was one of thirteen combat sports participating in the first Combat Games being held in Beijing, China under the patronage of the IOC and SportAccord. WAKO participated in the World Combat Games in St. Petersburg, Russia in September 2013, under the patronage of the IOC and SportAccord. There were three styles at the Combat Games: Low Kick, Points Fighting (formally called Semi Contact), and Full Contact.

World champions

Male champions
Weight class K-1 Rules Low Kick Rules
Atomweight (52.7 kg) Vacant Vacant
Flyweight (54.5 kg) Vacant Vacant
Bantamweight (56.4 kg) Italy Luca Cecchetti Vacant
Featherweight (58.2 kg) Vacant Vacant
Lightweight (60.0 kg) Spain Silviu Vitez Vacant
Super lightweight (62.2 kg) France Rémi Parra Vacant
Light welterweight (64.5 kg) Czech Republic Václav Sivák Spain Manuel Garcia
Welterweight (66.8 kg) Portugal André Santos Portugal Thiago Santos
Super welterweight (69.1 kg) Spain Sergio Sánchez France Jonathan Mayezo
Light middleweight (71.8 kg) Slovakia Žiga Pečenik Portugal Johan Silva
Middleweight (75.0 kg) Italy Davide Armanini Vacant
Super middleweight (78.1 kg) Serbia Nikola Todorović Vacant
Light heavyweight (81.4 kg) Germany Sergej Braun Serbia Nikola Stošić
Light cruiserweight (85.1 kg) France Bilal Bakhouche-Chareuf Russia Andrei Chekhonin
Heavyweight (88.6 kg) France Gregory Grossi Serbia Bojan Džepina
Cruiser heavyweight (94.1 kg) Italy Enrico Pellegrino France Romain Falendry
Super heavyweight (+94.1 kg) France Mohamed Bensalem Croatia Antonio Plazibat

Female champions
Weight class K-1 Rules Low Kick Rules
Flyweight (50.0 kg) Italy Silvia La Notte Turkey Erivan Barut
Featherweight (55.0 kg) France Sarah Moussaddak Vacant
Lightweight (59.0 kg) Spain Loli Munhoz Vacant
Welterweight (62.0 kg) Vacant Vacant
Middleweight (65.0 kg) Serbia Teodora Manić Vacant
Light heavyweight (68.0 kg) Vacant Vacant
Heavyweight (71.0 kg) Slovenia Alexandra Filipová Vacant
Cruiserweight (74.0 kg) Vacant Vacant
Super heavyweight (+74.0 kg) Vacant Vacant

Sponsors

The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations on Monza, February 6, 2020, signed contracts with two sponsors for the next four years concerning its protecting equipment and clothing. The winning proposal came from Top Ten and Adidas Kickboxing, two worldwide prestige brands within the sports market.[11][12]

Notable WAKO Pro world champions

See also

References
  1. Geoff Berkeley (13 June 2021). "World Associations of Kickboxing Organizations to elect new International Women's Committee chairperson". Inside the Games.
  2. Abhishek Arora (23 July 2022). "First-ever WAKO Indian Open International Kickboxing Tournament slated to begin on 10th February in capital". Sportskeeda.
  3. Jackson Rudolph (31 July 2021). WAKO Fully Recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Black Belt Magazine.
  4. Geoff Berkeley (13 June 2021). WAKO toasts "historic day" after gaining IOC recommendation for full recognition. Inside the Games.
  5. "About W.A.K.O".
  6. "SportAccord Members".
  7. Daniel Etchells (27 November 2019). World Association of Kickboxing Organizations changes statutes and elects new Board. Inside the Games.
  8. The history of WAKO PRO: Where, when and why? (Part 1). BOEC.com. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  9. IOC session accepted WAKO application for Full Recognition
  10. "WAKO rules and regulations". Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  11. "Wako - World Association of Kickboxing Organizations". Wako - World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  12. "Adidas kickboxing", Wikipedia, 2022-12-21, retrieved 2022-12-21
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