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JANUARY, 2004



HOME - NEWS - EVENTS - RANKINGS - SANCTIONING - JOINING - RULES & REGULATIONS - ISCF

FRIDAY, January 30th 2004, AT 7:00 PM, PT

Illinois Says "NO" To Kickboxing...
Unless It's IKF Sanctioned!

Mixed Martial Arts Banned Too... Can ISCF Come To The Rescue?

I remember how proud I felt standing across Matt Hughes at UFC 42, fighting in the main event on pay-per-view after struggling to make a name for myself in smaller shows since 1999. I'm a very private person and have made MMA my full time career—it's in my blood, the subject never drifts far from my mind.

Today I'm working 15-hour days, holding down two jobs. This is certainly not where I expected to be after recently proposing to my girlfriend. When I choose to fight, there is nothing that is going to stop me…until I met promoter Chad Mason.

In mid-August, Chad (Mason) contacted me about promoting a fight in my hometown here in Minnesota. After reaching an agreement with my manager, DeWayne Zinkin, Jr., I spent hours on the Net finding suitable venues to help him any way possible. I really want the sport to grow, and despite hearing things about Chad's storied past, I wanted to fight in front of my hometown fans, friends and family.

After settling on Spikers, a local bar that I had fought at before, I joined Chad in meeting with them to cut the deal for November 1st. Originally, I was going to be on two Chad Mason cards during the same month—one on the 1st (Minnesota) and one on the 28th (Iowa). On his word and supposed contract, I turned down other offers and put everything I had into training and assisting Chad with the promotion.

Unbeknownst to anyone, including Spikers, Chad changed the first date to November 7th. Spikers called me and read me the riot act, but I assured them the November 7th date was good as gold and not to worry. Though I had nothing to do with the promotion outside of fighting, I told Chad I could sell tickets and sure enough, I sold over 150 in less than two weeks. My family and friends were staying at nearby hotels and I was excited about fighting in front of my hometown crowd.

The Monday before the show, Chad called me and said everything was great and that he was going to finalize my deal with DeWayne, along with buying some airtime on a local radio station for advertising. I felt good about the situation and concentrated on my training, anticipating the inevitable. But as the days passed, I never heard back from Chad and my manager couldn't reach him.

The day before the show I received a call from someone who said the show had been cancelled for two weeks. Promoter Monte Cox even called and said the same thing, as if it had been public knowledge. But how could this be? I had just spoken with Chad days before the show. After receiving two more calls relating to the same subject, I tried to reach him but to no avail.

Chad finally called Thursday evening, admitting the show was canceled. If not for that call, I would have shown up Friday night with all the people I sold tickets to, along with my family and closest friends, expecting to see me fight. I would have looked like an ass.

I told Chad I needed to be paid for the 12 weeks of training and keeping me off the market for three months with no fights and no money. He said he would personally come to Minnesota on Sunday to remedy the money. He never did.

As soon as I got off the phone with Chad that Thursday, I spent the rest of my night calling everyone I know, and everyone I sold tickets to, telling them the show was canceled, assuring their money will be paid back. I called Spikers as well and left a message with the manager telling him the show was canceled and what happened.

I got a call from Brad Kohler on Friday morning saying he talked with Spikers; they wanted to meet with me. He told me they were pissed off and rightly so. Brad went to the meeting to do some damage control. They blamed me for everything that happened. They said they were out a lot of money for chair and table rentals and whatever else. Outside of losing money and other opportunities, I lost face in my own town and that's something I can never regain.

At the end of the meeting they asked if I would stay and meet people on the night in question to explain why there was no show. Along with Brad, I stayed at Spikers for five hours. I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday returning people's ticket money. Chad Mason just disappeared and left me to clean up his mess.

He (Chad Mason) is a coward without a conscience.

Chad did not answer any of my phone calls or my manager's calls for several days. When we finally got a hold of him, he kept saying he would pay my show money which he said I was entitled to for all my work and training. Chad assured me he would pay the next day, but tomorrow never came. Of course the November 28th date came and went without a thought. Several fighters lost out on this opportunity as well.

The last time I talked with Chad was about a week ago. He said he was going to Western Union to wire the money and would call back 20 minutes later after everything was sent. He never called back.

I've called 30 times since then; he will not answer his phone. So for the first time in nearly three years, I'm working full time and unable to concentrate on training 100%. Every night, no matter how tired I am, I still train with the same intensity I've always had. My name is mud in my own town, Chad Mason contends he is putting on a show (without me against my original opponent) on December 12th and refuses to acknowledge the people he's hurt in the process. To boot, the money owed to me was to pay for my wedding on January 24th, something Chad knew all along.

"I'm not asking for sympathy, but I am asking the MMA community to permanently ban Chad Mason from promoting shows. He is taking advantage of a movement yearning to find its legs and I cannot allow this person to continue his practice of stepping on people for financial gain. I urge everyone to strongly reconsider any dealings with this individual. This sport is still a grassroots community, one with a lot of hope to succeed. It's a shame bad apples have plagued what so many have fought for so I ask you to do the right thing and shun his unscrupulous practices."
Sean Sherk

MORE NEWS OF 1-29-04

Looking For Fighters!

We here at the IKF are looking for 2 "PRO" Full Contact Rules Fighters for a March event in California, USA. We are seeking fighters preferable from the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington, as well as Arizona & Utah), but will accept offers from across USA. We need an experienced Super Heavyweight (215 lbs up to 235 lbs) and a not so experienced fighter around the Light Cruiserweight (179.1 lbs - 186 lbs.) division. Up to 190 would be acceptable.

The fights will both be 5 round, non title bouts. Please contact us here at the IKF if interested at (916) 663-2467 or by e-mail at main@ikfkickboxing.com Thank You.

MONDAY, January 26th 2004, AT 11:10 AM, PT

Alby Bimpson Wins
Ambassador for St. Helens Award

IKF Europe
St. Helens, England celebrated the best of the Borough's growing tourism and leisure industry in style when it presented the winners of the 2003 Tourism Awards with their accolades at a special event held at Haydock Park Racecourse.

The individual awards that were hand-crafted at The World of Glass went to each of the 11 winners, and their many achievements that reflect both the quality and the diversity of the St. Helens (England) tourism and leisure industry. A special award was presented to martial arts expert Alby Bimpson (R) who was named as Ambassador for St. Helens, based on public nominations for the most friendly, helpful, professional and enthusiastic person who best promotes the Borough.

Bimpson who is the IKF European Director and World President of the Golden Belt Competition, tirelessly promotes martial arts at every level, from grassroots to the international stage, and also raises money for children's charities.

SATURDAY, January 24th 2004, AT 3:45 PM, PT

Major League Kickboxing?
IKF TEAM KICKBOXING LEAGUE IDEA?
AND Regional Registration Fees &
USA Tournament Discussion

So, here is an ideas for you to ponder over the weekend either on your own or even on the Kickboxing Message Board.

Over the last few years, many of us have kicked around various ideas on how to better promote our sport and the fighters. Many ideas have come to the table over the years and today we would like to put one what we call the "Better" ideas in front of you. To begin with, I must say, running the IKF can at times be frustrating for many reasons, but the one that frustrates me the most is keeping myself motivated to keep moving forward despite all the issues I am faced with daily. However, over the years I discovered that the best way to motivate myself each day is to pick up the phone and make a call to a fighter, trainer or promoter and just listen to what ideas they have and as well, see how their day is going. I am always eager to hear new ideas to improve not just the IKF but the sport of Kickboxing as a whole.

Well after I had wrote the below article in the morning today, I got a call from one of our IKF Promoters Rob Zbilski out of Lake In The Hills, Illinois. Getting Rob's call provided me with a fantastic motivational brain storming opportunity about several things. Before I get to the "Headlined" topic, let me fill you in on what Rob and I discussed.

2004 Regional Event Fees
We discussed promotional ideas for the 2004 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament this year such as Regional Registration fees, National Registration fees and ticket sales. The main focus of our discussion was how to get more amateur fighters involved at both the Regional and National level. Our main discussion focused around the Regional tournaments. At the regionals, (Keep in mind I have discussed this with other people too) we plan to lower the regional registration fees per fighter from the previous $40 per fighter to either $25 or $35 per fighter. The difference of these fees would be if or not the fighter has a scheduled fight or not. All fighters would register paying $25.00. ($15 will go to the Regional Promoter/Director and $10 to the IKF) If the promoter is able to book a Regional division bout (In the fighters age, rule style and weightclass) for the fighter they would pay the additional $10 at the Regional event registration (The full $10 fee will go to the Regional Director/Promoter for assuring you have at least 1 bout at the Regional - Which possibly took more of an effort on his/her part.). If the promoter is not able to find a fighter a "Regional" bout, the fighter would not be required to attend the Regional Event and would pay no more money. Their $25 Regional Registration fee in a sense buys them a "seeded" position at the National Tournament, higher than those who do not register and attend a Regional Event. This will answer the pleas of many that have asked us to make the regional events more affordable, especially if they do not get a fight booked.

IKF USA Nationals Or The IKF World Classic?
well, one thing is for sure, this WILL BE a World Tournament. the actual name has not been confirmed but it will be very soon. However, we will have certain rules and regulations for each incoming fighter to follow. To begin with, we will probably have "TWO" divisions for every weightclass. Yes, TWO. Why? It will be hard enough checking to assure all fighters who register are "AMATEUR" fighters and have NEVER fought as a Pro. But one thing we can check on is their fight records, or at least have a good general idea of them. Since all records for this event have always been publicly posted, we will still hope the readers here will help us police them along with Pros and Amateurs coming from Europe and other regions around the World. I mean, what "PRO" would take pride in winning an amateur tournament? Lets hope NONE!

As mentioned, we will split each weightclass into "TWO" divisions. An "A" division, for fighters with more than 10 fights, and a "B" division for fighters with less than 10 fights. The transition from Juniors to Adults is still being discussed, which is another issue still. Regardless, this way we will be sure the beginners don't get into a bracket against a fighter with 20-40 fights. It will inspire more beginners to the event and give the more experienced "A" fighters a stronger sense of Pride in winning an "A" Class Amateur title against other "A" Class Amateurs. Look for more and more news about the World tournament in the coming week.

Now For The Headline News...
This is something Rob Zbilski and I have both been thinking about for some time now. What if there were "LEAGUES" of Kickboxing Teams like in NBA Basketball, NFL Football and other sports for different rule styles of kickboxing. For example, lets just use the two most popular styles to create these Leagues which are:

• Full Contact League
• MuayThai Rules League

What if each of these kickboxing "LEAGUES" had 2 groups, an Amateur League and a Pro League?

What if each of these Leagues had divisional conferences and regions such as: (Using Full Contact for these examples below)

• WEST CONFERENCE
  • Full Contact West Coast
  • Full Contact Mountain
• EAST CONFERENCE
  • Full Contact East Coast
  • Full Contact Central

Next, what if each league had "TEAMS" that made up "Standings". Each TEAM would consist of say 5 weightclasses per team with '1' fighter to fill that weightclass. The weightclasses could be something like:

• Lightweight
• Welterweight
• Middleweight
• Cruiserweight
• Heavyweight

Having only 5 weightclasses would make the events work easier. An event would feature 5 Amateur Bouts and 5 Pro bouts. Each Team would have back-up fighter in case one of the Team fighters was injured, just like in Pro sports. A TEAM may consist of say 10 fighters per amateur and pro divisions. Again, just ideas so far.

When the Teams compete, it would be a TEAM Vs another TEAM. In the end, the TEAM with the most points wins. However, at the end of the year, fighters with the best records would be selected for the "ALL-STAR" event.

The "WIN" Points make up their position in their Divisional (Ex: Full Contact West or Mountain) Standings. the most points would be in first place, followed down the line. Teams could be all fighters from 1 gym/school (Where the Team would be named after their gym/school) or a combined group from the city or region the team is based out of with a name of that region or a mascot name like in other team Sports. (Ex: Team Chicago, Chicago KICKS, Team Minnesota, Team Dragon etc.) Here is an example of a Division and its teams:

• Full Contact Central Division
  • Chicago KICKS
  • Texas TKO's
  • St Louis STRIKES
  • Kansas City KNOCKOUTS
  • Denver DRAGONS

Now, how would all this work?

1. Each TEAM and Division would have a franchise owner, just like in Pro Sports. That owner pays for a franchise fee. The franchise fees would be the expenses for the League (IKF) to pay for the playoff and Championship events at the end of the year.
2. Each Franchise Team would have a "SEASON" and a Season schedule. The schedule would consist of something like 5 - 7 events, again, just ideas.
3. At the end of the season, the top Amateur and top Pro teams in each Division will meet each other for the 2 Conference Championships: In the West Conference: West Coast Division Vs the Mountain Division and in the East Conference:: Central Division Vs the East Coast Division.
4. In the "PLAYOFFS and the Championship Finals, the LEAGUE (IKF) would pay for the team accommodations, meals, pro purses and venue expenses from the Franchise Fees each TEAM pays at the beginning of the year.
5. Each Franchises attains these fees like in other pro sports, Sponsorship. However, now the sponsors have a full season schedule put in front of them rather than 1 event and will get exposure from around the Nation as the Team Travels.
6. After the Conference Championship Events we end up with 2 Conference Champions that meet for the Amateur and Pro TEAM "Super Bowl" of American Kickboxing at a place like Las Vegas, Orlando Florida, New Orleans etc. etc.
7. The "Super Team" event changes locations EVERY year, just like the Super Bowl does in the NFL.
8. After the Championship, the league looks at the best fighters in each of the 5 amateur and 5 pro weigh classes and invites them, at the Leagues expense, to participate at the "Kickboxing All-Star" event held somewhere like Hawaii or Orlando Florida or Vegas.
9. Remember, this is FAR DIFFERENT than the idea of Individual tournament fights like the Nationals. This is TEAM competition. Rob and I, and everyone else look forward to your ideas...

MORE NEWS OF 1-24-04

POSTED AT 1:05 AM, PT

IKF Des Moines, Iowa Results
By Brooks Mason, IKF World Ambassador

Boys and Girls, Apologies for the late report. I plead the Flu, the whole Flu and nothing but the Flu.

The great city of Des Moines, Iowa has entered the kickboxing market with a bang. Lance Farrell and Russ O'Connell (R) teamed up to bring a solid card of fights to the 7 Flags Event Center. Every chair was filled and the crowd loved the constant action.
This event was the first of the year for new team development. The best coaches in America have to build and rebuild their National Teams. Work, school, marriage, children....... all take their toll on the ranks of the amateur fighters.
The best coaches have to fight back by constantly looking for and developing new talent. We saw some talent that will really blossom come the Nationals. Let's get to the fights.

Fight #1: Abraham Kuhl of Omaha, Nebraska {Doyle's Gym} versus Aaron Olrt of Independence, Iowa {O'Connell's Gym}
Round #1: Abe came out with a barrage of leg kicks followed up with shots to the head. He scores two knockdowns on Aaron and dominated the round. Olrt started to come back at the end of the round.
Round #2: Once again we saw the Doyle influence from Abe, with strong kicking to the legs. Olrt held his own this round and managed to get in a few leg kicks of his own.
Round #3: Abe started the fight by kicking to the legs but soon turned to head hunting. At 1:14 of the third round, Abe sent Olrt to the canvas with a vicious barrage of left and right combinations. Referee Blaine Nichols stopped the fight. The team building began. Kuhl wins by TKO.

Fight #2: Joshua Lee of Clinton, Wisconsin {Pete Hetrick's Gym}. versus A.J. Gross of Cedar Falls, Iowa {O'Connell's Gym}
Round #1: Lee came out swinging for the fence. Spinning backfist and crushing hooks dominated his game. Gross landed some hard body shots and catches Lee with a low blow to receive a warning. Both fighters and are in the groove and the action continues after the bell.
Round #2: Lee comes out strong and lands a hard right hand. Gross gets a one point deduction for grabbing the leg. Gross gets called for holding the head and Nichols stops the fight. Lee wins by disqualification.

Fight #3: Justin Wilkins of Kansas City, Missouri {Dan Tharp's Gym} versus Brian Stichter of Davenport, Iowa {Pat Millitech Gym} Worked by Russ O'Connell
Overview: I refereed the fight so round by round is a blur. Both fighters showed good boxing and kicking skills. The fight was a tie going into the third round. I stopped the fight at :55 of the third because Wilkins took some hard shots and was still on queer street after the 8 count. He was a game fighter which reflects well on Tharp but he had had enough. Stichter wins by TKO.

Fight #4: Sam Armstrong of Beloit, Wisconsin {Pete Hetrick's Gym} versus Matt Schuller of Cedar Falls, Iowa {O'Connell's Gym}
Round #1: Sam and Matt came out swinging for the cheap seats. Matt sends one south on Sam and follows it with a hard right. We were not sure which head took the most damage. Sam pulled himself together and finished the round. Good Hetrick inspiration.
Round #2: Both fighters came out strong but Schuller soon took control landing a devastating right hand. Armstrong recovers and I think took the round.
Round #3: Sam and Matt fought till the bell but Matt took the round convincingly. Matt Schuller wins by unanimous decision.

Fight #5: Joe Mabin of Kansas City, Missouri {Curtis Stout}versus Timothy Whitney of Cedar Falls, Iowa {O'Connell's Gym} Worked by Dan Tharp
Round #1: Tim Whitney came out like a ball of fire. Setting a blistering pace. Joe Mabin did not set a blistering pace but he did set his foot upside Whitney's head at :28 seconds of the first round. Mabin can kick high and hard. Mabin wins by KO at :28 of the first round.

Fight #6: Tim Gorham of Omaha, Nebraska {Doyle's Gym} versus Nate Mohr of Davenport, Iowa {O'Connell's Gym}
Round #1: Tim Gorham came out leg kicking as if he had done it his entire life. In fact, for this round, he was by far the better kicker. Nate Mohr hung tough and even beckoned Gorham to "Bring It On".
Lesson #1. Never tell a Doyle fighter to bring it on. Mohr weathered some very tough shots. Gorham took the round.
Round #2: Both fighters came out and once again Gorham displayed the better leg work. Mohr was also busy and seemed to establish some control at the end of the round as Gorham started to tire. Mohr took the round.
Round #3: Mohr landed some good rights and kept his focus. Gorham showed the exertion of a tough fight and began to fade in the latter part of the round. Even as Doyle yelled "You got to go". Gorham was too fatigued to make it happen. Mohr wins with unanimous decision.

Fight #7: Chevas Lamoya of Blair, Nebraska {Doyle's Gym} versus Jeremy Evans of Urbandale, Iowa {Ferrell's Gym} Worked by Russ O'Connell.
Round #1: When these two boys stepped into the ring, I figured this will be short and sweet. Lamoya was a typical Doyle fighter. Chiselled muscles, look of confidence and no doubt in his mind he is there to win. Evans on the other hand did not quite fit this profile. He looked like a nice young kid who had no business in the ring with a Doyle fighter. I was wrong. Evans displayed kicking skills you get from years of Tae Kwon Do and kick he did. Lamoya hit this kid with strong hooks but he stayed on his feet. Evans kicking skills soon began to keep Lamoya and his devastating hands off balance. I think Lamoya took the round with sheer power.
Round #2: Lamoya immediately took the fight to Evans but Evans manage to avoid the heavy hands and started to connecting with good spinning back kicks. Frustrated to close the gap on the elusive Evans, Lamoya missed a kick, losing a point. The kid from Ferrell's Gym was looking more like a fighter every round.
Round #3: Lamoya started the round very aggressive and was trying to end the fight. Evans was showing signs of fatigued but was still able to catch Lamoya with spinning side kicks as he came in. Both fighters missed kicks in the last round and it went to the bell. Evans wins by unanimous decision.

Fight #8: Andrew Iva of Blair, Nebraska {Doyle's Gym} versus Lance Ferrell of West Des Moines, Iowa {Ferrell's Gym}Worked by Russ O'Connell.
Round #1: Andrew Iva came here from Hawaii and Mick Doyle did what he does. Turn men and women into Champions. Iva was in shape, he was well trained although green, he was fighting a man almost twice his age and he had Doyle and Willie Steward in his corner. Now from my point of view this looks like a stacked deck. On the other side of the ring we have Lance Ferrell. A Tae Kwon Do guy, over forty years old and green to the ring. He did have Russ O'Connell for a part time trainer and Russ was working his corner. You take Russ serious, no matter what role he plays. Ferrell was taller and had about ten pounds on Iva. Iva was here to destroy someone. Ferrell simply didn't see it that way. The first round was brutal. Iva came out swinging and Ferrell came out kicking. The kicker won.
Round #2: Realizing the kicking ability of Ferrell could not be matched, the Doyle Team sent Iva out to close the gap and work inside. Ferrell kept Iva at a distance and delivered kicks and hands while taking advantage of his height. If anyone thought Ferrell didn't belong in the ring, they were changing their minds by now. Iva pressed and pressed the fight but could not get the inside work the Doyle Camp was counting on. Iva continued to press forward. Ferrell started to relax. Both men walked back to their corners as fighters. Spectators no longer.
Round #3: Andrew Iva will be one of the men to beat at the Nationals. Lance Ferrell was the man to beat today but that was not to be. Iva tried the entire round to find a way past the kicking ability of Ferrell. But there was no door, no password, no hidden entrance. Only pain. Both men left it all in the ring and both can look at the fight with pride. Lance Ferrell, on this night, in this ring, was unbeatable. Ferrell wins by unanimous decision.

Well boys and girls we saw the first glimpse of the new teams for the Nationals. Doyle, Hetrick, O'Connell, Tharp, Millitech and now Ferrell have all started their march to the IKF nationals. Our thanks for sanctioning with the IKF and to the 7 Flags Event Center for doing such an excellent job. Our thanks to our newest promoter, Lance Ferrell. A Job well done! And to our old friend Russ O'Connell for bringing kickboxing to yet another part of America.
This is Uncle Brooks (R) coming to you from Mick Doyle's Martial Arts"" in Omaha, Nebraska, The Home of Kickboxing. Thank you.

MORE NEWS OF 1-24-04

FIGHTER INSURANCE

Those promoters seeking fighter insurance you can attain coverage from Gagliardi Insurance out of Campbell, California. They can be reached at (408) 369-8040. They will insure events sanctioned by the IKF and the ISCF. They are the "ONLY" Company offering fighter insurance at this time so if someone is telling you they can get you covered for a couple of hundred dollars, they are WRONG! Due to the massive amounts of claims from other groups (See January 12th Article) this insurance has gone up dramatically to about $80.00 to $115.00 per fighter (Depending on the requested amounts of coverage). All of us hope that a new carrier for this type of insurance will be attained by mid February. We will keep you posted.

MORE NEWS OF 1-24-04

IKF Amateur Kickboxing Approved In
NEW YORK!

Back in October of 2002 we were sent a press release about how the sport of kickboxing was banned in the state of New York. New York had in place a law covering "Combative sports that stated such events could only be held if sanctioned or governed by the organizations on the "Approved List". This list has been around for years but has never been followed until Mr. Hugo B. Spindola, General Counsel for the New York State Athletic Commission, decided to re-enact it in the summer of 2002. the actual law and "Approved List" reads:

Section 8905 defines combative sports as "any professional match or exhibition other than boxing, sparring, wrestling or martial arts...the term 'martial arts' shall include any professional match or exhibition sanctioned by any of the following organizations: U.S. Judo Association, U.S. Judo, Inc., U.S. Judo Federation, U.S. Tae Kwon Do Union, North American Sport Karate Association, U.S.A. Karate Foundation, U.S. Karate, Inc., World Karate Association, Professional Karate Association, Karate International, International Kenpo Association, or World Wide Kenpo Association."

When this was made public it was clear to everyone that unless a promoter sanctioned their event with one of the organizations on this "Approved List" they would not be allowed to promote their kickboxing event in the State of New York. However, after the list came out, which was clearly a list of "Karate" organizations, one of the organizations in a sense, slid in under everyone's noses.

A Little History: For those of us who have been around awhile, the WKA when it was founded by Howard Hanson was originally called the "World 'KARATE' Association", as noted above on the "Approved List". Today the World "KARATE" Association sanctions exactly what you read, "KARATE" (Point sparring, semi/light contact, kata & forms). In their defense, the World Karate Association years ago also sanctioned the sport of KICKBOXING too under the name of the World Karate Association. In the early 90's, Hanson gave the organization to Dale Floyd out of Canada who eventually sold it to businessman Paul Ingram in England where their headquarters are today. A few years back, WKA split their organization into two different arenas and the letters WKA now stand for 2 different organizations, the World KICKBOXING Association, still known as WKA to sanction the sport of Kickboxing and the World KARATE Association, also known as the WKA to sanction Karate events. This was also done with ISKA who operates the International Sport 'KARATE' Association as well as the International Sport 'KICKBOXING' Association, both being known to the public as ISKA but actually 2 different organizations. A clever idea by both since they sanction both karate (Point sparring, semi/light contact, kata & forms, breaking and other martial arts competitions) and Kickboxing. After speaking with past and present representatives of these organizations both will tell you their main income comes from their "Karate" organizations, not their "Kickboxing" organizations. This makes their decision to split their organizations into two companies a smart business move for both organizations.

Back To our Story: When the decision was made by the New York State Commission, the WKA was able to slip in due to the fact that they had been on the list as a "KARATE" organization, like all the others on the list were. However, to those looking at the list for approval, they were told that the "K" in WKA meant kickboxing, not Karate. This was how the WKA slipped into New York as if they were on the "Approved List" and why only kickboxing events sanctioned by the WKA (regardless what the "K" stood for) could be held in the State of New York.

Over the last year, those wanting to promote events in the State of New York had to turn their back on the other organizations they had been using over the years such as USKBA, ISKA, USMTA and IKF. Instead, they were forced to start new relationships with the WKA. Some of those who knew of WKA had mixed feelings about this new regulation while others didn't know who the WKA was since they had sanctioned less than 5 events a year in the USA at this time. Others new to our sport don't know the WKA history but had heard of them through the events in Canada headed up by Promoter Mike Miles.

Back To The Law: As you remember from above, the actual law in place in the State of New York reads, "any professional match or exhibition other than boxing, sparring, wrestling or martial arts...the term 'martial arts' shall include any professional match or exhibition sanctioned by any of the following organizations, etc. etc." The key word in this law is, you guessed it, "Professional".

Today we spoke to Mr. Hugo B. Spindola, General Counsel for the New York State Athletic Commission. Mr. Spindola has been doing a good job with the New York State Athletic Commission and has also been trying to help other "Kickboxing" organizations get approved to sanction kickboxing events in the State of New York. Many have attacked him in his stance of using the "Approved List" but the truth is, he was simply 'doing his job' and following the law as it is written.

Mr. Spindola informed us today that the IKF is allowed to sanction "AMATEUR" kickboxing events in the State of New York. Of course we were excited to hear this since we have had several amateur promoters inquire about sanctioning their events in New York with the IKF. He also informed us that sanctioning Pro Kickboxing bouts or events has yet to be approved for those not on the "Approved List". However, he and his staff are doing what they can as fast as they can to provide an application system for other sanctioning organizations such as the IKF. When we know more, we will fill you in, but for now, we look forward to seeing IKF Amateur kickboxing back in the State of New York!

MORE NEWS OF 1-24-04

Whether it be Heavyweights or Super Heavyweights, whenever the big boys are talked about, people listen. Thus the reason for the success of K-1, "HEAVYWEIGHTS!" In the IKF Pro Full Contact Rules division, late last year the IKF retired the IKF Pro Heavyweight World Title from one of the greatest fighters ever, Dennis Alexio. On February 3rd, 2001, IKF Pro Super Heavyweight World Champion Mike Labree successfully defended his World Title when he defeated the #1 contender, George Randolph of Glenville, West Virginia, USA by TKO in the 3rd round. After the win Labree voluntarily retired his title and from kickboxing at the age of 38.

Since then, several fighters have thrown their names into the hat to be considered as a contender for these titles but no promoter has stepped up to promote them.

• The top 4 contenders in the Heavyweight division include:
  1. Mark Selbee of Georgia, USA.
  2. Kevin Smiles of England.
  3. John James of Michigan, USA.
  4. Ronnie Copeland of North Carolina, USA

Some have questioned Selbee's number one ranking and who knows, maybe their concerns are legit, maybe not. Showing an overall record of 19-0 with 10 wins by KO, only 7 of those bouts are pro bouts. He has fought all of his kickboxing bouts under full contact rules. Not that he needs it but he has no Pro Boxing experience to add to this. Here are 5 of his Pro kickboxing bouts we have record of plus his last win by forfeit.

• On October 25th, 2003 in Dalton, Georgia, USA he was awarded the vacant IKF Pro North American title by forfeit when his scheduled opponent Dan Lucas split open his forehead in a freak accident at his home the day before their scheduled bout.
• On August on August 2, 2003 he defeated Horace Craft by decision in Atlanta Georgia.
• On February 1, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA he defeated previous IKF Pro U.S. Champion Kevin Hudson of Greer, South Carolina, USA by split decision, 97-89 Selbee, 96-91 Selbee and 95-94, Hudson.
• On September 21, 2002 he defeated first time kickboxer Kevin Brooks by TKO round 4 in Atlanta Georgia.
• On August 23, 2002 he defeated first time kickboxer John McCarthy by first round KO in Atlanta Georgia.
• On June 8, 2002 he defeated first time kickboxer Darren Walters by second round KO in Atlanta Georgia.
• His last amateur bout was on April 12th, 2002 when he defeated Adrian Turpin of Anderson, Georgia, USA to win the vacant IKF Amateur East Coast U.S. Heavyweight title by unanimous decision 40-36, 40-36 and 40-37.

As it sits right now, Selbee must confirm his IKF North American title he was awarded by forfeit against either James or Copeland. The winner will most likely meet up with Smiles for the IKF Heavyweight World Title.

James has been very active and on some-what of a winning streak lately including winning an 8 man tournament on the East Coast and on June 21, 2003 he defeated Horace Craft by first round KO. But don't forget James was stopped by Super Heavyweight Kelly Leo in the 3rd round on February 8, 2003. James has also stayed busy in boxing with a pro record of 3-2-1. Here are the results of his Pro boxing bouts:

• 12-19-03: fought to a 4 round Draw with George Crawford (1-0-1) at the DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
• 7-26-03: Lost to Sam Commings (3-1) at the DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI, USA by a 4 round majority decision.
• 5-16-03: Won a 4 round unanimous decision to Steve Daher (4-3) at the DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
• 1-31-03: Won a 4 round unanimous decision over Steve Daher (4-2) at the DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
• 12-6-02: Lost by first round TKO to Timor Ibragimov (1-0) at the Palladium Athletic Village, Davie, FL, USA.
• 7-26-02: Won by second round KO over Mike White (0-2) at the DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

Copeland has been less active. On August 23, 2002 he lost to Kelly Leo of Georgia by unanimous decision in Atlanta Georgia in a quest for the vacant IKF "Full Contact - Above The Waist" rules East Coast Title. Although the bout was protested by Copeland's camp, and a rematch requested, apparently no one continued to question the decision since no re-match was ever booked. Regardless, in January, 2003 Copeland decided to move down to Heavyweight and forgive the rematch. Back on June 8, 2002 Copeland fought to a 7 round draw against Super Heavyweight Mike Sheppard. One thing Copeland has been doing though over the last 5 years is Pro Boxing where he has stayed busy. His boxing record is 8 wins and 3 loses but none of the opponents he defeated had a winning record. Of the 8 opponents he defeated in those 11 bouts, 5 of them had never won a fight. Of all 5, their total combined wins were only 25 while their combined loses were 184. Here is Copeland's Pro Boxing record:

• 10-11-03: Lost a 4 round unanimous decision to Franklin Edmondson (11-21-1) at the Coliseum in Greensboro, NC, USA.
• 9-25-03: Won by TKO in round 1 over Antonio Sloan (0-6) at The Plex in North Charleston, SC, USA.
• 9-26-02: Lost by first round KO to Quentin James (2-2-3) at The Plex in North Charleston, SC, USA.
• 9-28-01: Lost by TKO to Paolo Vidoz (5-0) in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• 5-24-02: Won a 4 round unanimous decision over Kenneth Bentley (9-93-1) in Nashville, TN, USA.
• 1-5-01: Won by second round KO over Jerry Barnes (0-18) in Memphis, TN, USA.
• 4-3-01: Won by first round TKO over Roy Bedwell (15-62-1) in Memphis, TN, USA.
• 3-6-01: Won by second round KO over Robert Toolie (0-5) at the The New Daisy Theater, Memphis, TN, USA.
• 7-16-99: Defeated Earl Ladson (0-0) by first round KO in NC, USA.
• 6-11-99: defeated Jimmy Townsend (0-0) in Tampa, FL, USA by first round TKO.
• 1-29-99: Defeated Carlton Powe (0-1) in Tampa, FL, USA by second round TKO.

However if someone is able to match-up James and Copeland instead, and Selbee never confirms his title (For various reasons such as he cannot come to terms with a promoter for his requested purse.) the decision process becomes a little more difficult. There is an "outside" chance that under the above scenario, James or Copeland could move into the number 1 or number 2 ranking (With Selbee dropping to #3) due to activity, to fight Smiles.

• The top 7 contenders in the Super Heavyweight division include:
  1. Raoul Doucet of Canada.
  2. Mike Sheppard of West Virginia, USA
  3. George Randolph of West Virginia, USA
  4. Kelly Leo of Georgia USA.
  5. Derek Panza of New York, USA
  6. Chris Ballard of England.
  7. Stuart Green of England.

As it sits right now, IKF North American Champion Raoul Doucet is the clear number 1 contender for this title. However, the number 2 contender is close on his heels, especially due to their last meeting, which was for that IKF North American belt Doucet now wears.

Following close behind and possibly very deserving of a rematch is Mike Sheppard of Glenville, West Virginia, USA. According to those who witnessed, this "Should" have been for the vacant IKF Pro FCR Super Heavyweight World title. However, instead, it was the IKF North American title. IKF World Ambassador Brooks Mason called this bout between Sheppard and Doucet one of the greatest FCR Super Heavyweight bouts he had ever seen. It was on April 26th, 2003 in Glenville, West Virginia, USA and Doucet won the title when he defeated Sheppard by unanimous decision.

Sheppard has also been in the Pro boxing ring too with a record of 8 wins 4 loses and a draw. He stopped boxing though back in 2000. His boxing record consist of:

• 4-20-02: Defeated Tim Miller (0-0) at the Memorial Field House, Parkersburg, WV, USA by 4 round unanimous decision.
• 6-9-01: Lost to Jeremy Bates (8-1-1) in Parkersburg, WV, USA by TKO round 1.
• 2-10-01: Defeated Leroy Loscar (1-3) by decision in WV, USA.
• 12-9-00: Defeated Thomas Dixon (0-1) in Huntington, WV, USA by KO round 1.
• 9-16-00: Lost to Chad Van Sickle (2-0-1) in Huntington, WV, USA by TKO round 2.
• 3-30-00: Defeated Terrence Holley (0-5) in WV, USA by first round KO.
• 11-26-99: Lost to Simon Welms Nielsen (0-0) in Viborg, Denmark by first round KO.
• 10-14-99: fought to a 4 round draw with Chad Van Sickle (1-0) at the Club Dance, Columbus, OH, USA.
• 4-24-99: Defeated Byron Parker (0-6) in WV, USA by TKO round 1.
• 3-19-99: Defeated Pete Wajda (2-5) in WV, USA by decision.
• 5-15-98: Defeated Demetrius Liddell (0-0) in WV, USA by KO round 2.
• 3-26-98: Defeated Kevin Robertson (0-0) in WV, USA by first round KO.
• 4-19-97: Lost to Chris Clark (2-0) in WV, USA by second round KO.

It's pretty clear these two are a solid 1 and 2 for the vacant IKF Super Heavyweight World Title, now we just need to find a promoter to host the bout.

As for the other contenders, number 2 ranked George Randolph of Glenville, West Virginia, USA already had his shot at the Super Heavyweight World title but fell short when previous champion Mike Labree stopped him by TKO in the 3rd round. Since then Randolph as been doing some mixed martial arts, but don't count him out of the hunt by any means. however one thing seems to be for sure... A lot of these Full Contact Rules fighters have been forced to jump into the leg kicking ring due to lack of offers for Full Contact style bouts from promoters. At the K-1 Battle at the Bellagio last August 15, 2003, a first round win over Kelly Leo by TKO was met with a second round loss to veteran leg kicker and K-1 fighter Michael McDonald who stopped Randolph with a first round KO. At the K-1 USA Grand Prix back on May 3, 2002 he lost to Jeff Ford by decision in, you guessed it, another leg kick - K-1 style bout.

Ranked at number 3 is IKF East Coast Champion Kelly Leo. In his last known bout to us as noted above, Leo lost to George Randolph by TKO in the 3rd round due to a cut at the K-1 - Battle at the Bellagio on August 15, 2003 under K-1 (Leg Kick) rules. Before that on June 28, 2003 he lost to Carter Williams by TKO in round 2 in another leg kick bout. Back on February 8, 2003 he defeated John James by TKO in the 3rd round in Wisconsin in a leg kick rules bout. As noted above, on August 23, 2002 he defeated Ronnie Copeland of North Carolina by unanimous decision in Atlanta Georgia to win his IKF "Full Contact - Above The Waist" rules East Coast Title. Although the bout was protested and a rematch requested, apparently no one continued to question the decision since no re-match was ever booked. Regardless, in January, 2003 Copeland decided to move down to Heavyweight and forgive the rematch.

On February 9, 2002 Leo defeated Brad Fowler by first round TKO in Wisconsin in a leg kick bout. On February 9, 2002 at the K-1 North American Grand Prix he lost a decision to Andre Walker of Colorado. In all, Leo has mostly fought Leg Kick (K-1 Style) bouts over the last 2 years because he has had more offers for them so maybe his goal is on an International or MuayThai rules title instead.

Looking at number 4, Derek Panza of Greenvale, New York, USA is a 3 time World Champion and a great fighter. But some promoters have informed us that his requested purse may take him away from any IKF title hunt. This has not been confirmed by us here at the IKF so to us, this is only speculated. Panza has also done pro boxing but despite his noted 8 or 7-0 record on some bios we have seen, we only found him to have 4 wins and 0 loses. Still, an impressive record. Here are his pro boxing bouts:

• 12-4-99: Defeated Caseny Truesdale (7-32-1) in Augusta, GA, USA by decision.
• 9-11-99: Defeated Willie Walker (4-1) by TKO round 1.
• 3-12-98: Defeated Dwayne Cason (1-2) in Farmingdale, NY, USA by TKO round 3.
• 2-10-98: Defeated Scottie Chestnut (2-3) in Plainview, NY, USA by TKO round 1.

Looking at number 6, Chris Ballard bay need to slip down in the rankings even more. He last fought on September 28, 2003 in Bracknell, England and lost to unranked fighter James McSweeny. Before that he lost to unranked fighter Greg Rogers by TKO at 2:00 of Round 1 in Revere Massachusetts USA on July 19, 2003. BOTH back to back defeats make his actual ranking questionable but who would he be replaced with? He got ranked into the IKF when he won the vacant IKF Pro English "Heavyweight" title with a unanimous decision win over North Hampton, England's Dave Sharp, (47-41, 46-43 and 47-41). However Ballard's title was later retired when the IKF was informed he was too heavy to defend it on September 21st, 2003, so he was moved up to the Super Heavyweight division.

At the number 7 spot, Stuart Green's (No photo on file) last win was his one and only pro boxing bout on 11-17-03 when he defeated Chris Long (1-1) at the St. Andrews Sporting Club in Glasgow Scotland by decision in a six round bout. However he hasn't been winning in kickboxing much at all. In his defense, he seems to have been booked to be a 'victim' instead of a contender when you look at who he's faced and what rule style the bouts were fought under. At the K-1 Lumberjacks on February 4, 2001 he lost to Peter Aerts by first round KO. At the K-1 European Grand Prix on September 1st, 2000 he lost to Mirko Filipovic by 2nd round KO. At the May 12th K-1 in 2000 he lost to Sergei Morozov by first round KO and not to forget his March 10, 1996 K-1 World Grand Prix loss to Ernesto Hoost by kick KO in round 2.

In Green's defense, all 4 of these loses were all in K-1 rules, not Full Contact rules where Green made his name in the mid 90's. However it makes you wonder, who did he beat to win his WKA "Leg kick" rules Intercontinental title which he still holds? He once held the WKA Full Contact Rules World title but now the WKA doesn't even have him ranked in their men's full contact rules division. Whether or not he has been active recently still remains to be known but his past performance is sure to eventually drop him even lower if not completely out on the rankings in the coming weeks when the rankings go under full review.

Over in the IKF Pro International Rules division, another fighter that could be considered as one of the greatest fighters ever also retired from the sport. IKF Pro Heavyweight Champion Rick Roufus. No fighter has ever held the IKF Pro International Rules Super Heavyweight title so it remains vacant now with the Heavyweight title. Here too, the IKF has tried to have a promoter host an IR Heavyweight World title between 2 of the following top 5 contenders which include:

1. Mike McDonald of Canada.
2. Stan Longinidis of Australia -Word has it Stan may be retired now too though.
3. Giuseppe DeNatale of Canada.
4. Mark Russell, Manchester, Great Britain
5. Dewey Cooper of Nevada, USA

Chances are slim in finding a promoter with the $$ to match up McDonald vs Longinidis in the ring. we are unsure if McDonald has done Pro boxing but did some of you know that Longinidis had? What may surprise you is when. Longinidis last fought as a Pro "Boxer" on July 16th, 1988. Yes... 88. He lost the bout to pro boxer Kevin Barry at the Mildura Basketball Centre in Mildura, Victoria, Australia by decision. Just goes to show you how long this superstar has been at it. His pro boxing record was 1 win and 2 loses.

So if the money isn't there to match up Longinidis and McDonald, we move to the number 3 and 4 ranked contenders, Giuseppe DeNatale and Dewey Cooper. DeNatale also has some experience in pro boxing. Although only 2 recorded bouts, he won them both. The last one was November 22nd, 2001 when he defeated Chad Johnson (0-0) in Winnipeg, MB, Canada by a TKO in round 3. His only other bout, his first as a pro boxer was a defeat of Mathias Hughes (1-1-1) back on September 13th, 2001 at the Fort Gary Hotel Ballroom, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. He won the bout by first round TKO. Denatale has been pretty active as a pro kickboxer.

• On August 29th, 2003 he defeated Dan Lucas in Wisconsin.
• On June 28, 2003 he had defeated Mark Miller by second round KO in the first bout of a tournament event.
• That same day he lost his second bout to Tomasz Kucharzewski by second round KO.
• At the opening round of the K-1 USA tournament on May 2, 2003 he lost to Maurice Smith by decision.
• On February 8, 2003 in Wisconsin he defeated Horace Craft by third round TKO.
• On October 19, 2002 in Wisconsin again he defeated Kurt Hasley by 4th round TKO.
• At the K-1 USA Grand Prix on May 3, 2002 he lost to Michael McDonald by TKO.
• On February 9, 2002 he defeated Mark Miller by first round TKO in the first of 3 tournament bouts.
• In his second bout on February 9, 2002 he defeated Carter Williams by second round TKO.
• In the final that night on February 9, 2002 he defeated Kurt Hasley by second round TKO in the first of 3 tournament bouts.
• On September 29, 2001 he defeated Kent Hensley by TKO in round 2.
• On August 5, 2000 he defeated Dewey Cooper in a 5 round split decision.

Who comes next in the mix is a question to several and even a toss up. currently we have Mark Russell of England. Yes, this is the same Mark Russell that Dennis Alexio "DESTROYED" back in 1994 in the second round at Caesars Tahoe, Nevada. However, Russell fought full contact rules back then and now he's doing leg kick bouts. But is he winning? well, when he fought Alexio back in January of 1994 he had a record of 33-5. Pretty impressive, but that was 10 years ago. More recently we found the following on him:

• In round 1 of the K-1 Battle of Britain on March 24, 2002 he defeated Gary Turner by decision.
• In round 2 of the tournament he lost to John Wyatt by TKO in round 2.
• November 19, 2000 he defeated Masashi Suzuki by KO round 1.
• In the opening round at the K-1 UK Grand Prix on April 16, 2000 he defeated Shaun Johnson by TKO round 3.
• In the second round of the tournament he lost to IKF World Champion Matt Skelton by decision.
• September 27, 1998 he lost to Andy Hug by a second round head kick KO.
• September 18, 1994 he lost to Ernesto Hoost by TKO in round 2.

Next in line is even a bigger question to many. Many are still asking, How is Dewey Cooper ranked number 5 in this division? A simple question deserves a simple answer... Who else in this division should be?

When you go to Coopers web page (Which is a really nice site) he notes he is a 2 Time World Champion. However, we could not find out what world titles he has won. He also says he has a kickboxing record of 27 wins, 6 loses, 1 draw with 17 wins by knockout. We know he had at least 10 of those fights during a very impressive amateur career, but as a Pro Kickboxer, we were kind of lost at where all the other wins came from. All we could come up with was a Pro kickboxing record of 3 wins and 8 loses. Next he lists his pro boxing record as 9 wins, no loses, 2 draws with 7 wins by KO. However, this we found to be true. Here is who he has fought in Boxing followed by what kickboxing info we could find:

• 10-17-03: Defeated Caesar Carbajal (2-3) at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by TKO round 5.
• 8-1-03: defeated Joe Bigger (1-2) at the Orleans Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by round 1 TKO.
• 2-28-03: DefeatedRobert Green (3-2-3) at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by majority decision. After the bout Green assaulted referee Toby Gibson and was led away in handcuffs by local police.
• 12-27-02: Defeated Jeff Lindsey (0-1) at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by KO round 1.
• 11-8-02: Defeated Raul Fuentes (1-5) at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by KO round 2.
• 8-17-02: Defeated Raul Fuentes (1-4) at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by TKO round 4.
• 7-13-02: Fought to a draw with Robert Green (2-2-1) at the Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• 6-14-02: Defeated Isaac Broussard (0-3-1) at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by 4th round TKO.
• 2-17-02: Fought to a draw with Alex Tartelier (0-0) at the Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• 1-13-02: defeated Isaac Broussard (0-0) at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA by 4 round majority decision.
• 10-19-01: Defeated Doe Exee (0-1) in Las Vegas, NV, USA by TKO.

Here's a breakdown of Coopers pro kickboxing record that we were able to find.

• October 31, 2003 in Zagreb he lost to Vitaly Akhramenko by unanimous decision.
• August 15, 2003 he lost a controversial decision to Carter Williams.
• May 2, 2003 he lost to Yusuke Fujimoto by decision.
• May 3, 2002 he defeated Jean Claude Leuyer by decision in the first bout of the K-1 Tournament.
• However he lost his next fight that night to Rick Roufus by decision.
• August 11, 2001 he defeated Mark Miller by second round TKO.
• May 5, 2001 he defeated Arne Soldwedel in a 3 round decision.
• August 5, 2000 he lost to Giuseppe DeNatale in a split decision.
• March 17, 2000 he lost to Don Wilson by majority decision.
• October 23, 1999 he lost to Duke Roufus in a 5 round decision.
• March 22, 1999 he lost to Tsuyoshi Nakasako by second round head kick KO.

But somewhere there is someone who claims to have a whole lot of $$ and is making one of these high profile fights happen, or has at least planned the bout.

Sources have informed us that number 6 IKF Pro MTR Ranked Super Heavyweight Carter Williams will be have a rematch with number 1 IKF Pro MTR Ranked Heavyweight Mike McDonald for another organizations "Vacant" World title. from what we have been told, "BIG" money has brought this bout together so we hope the promoters make a profit. The bout will be on March 4th in London, England under modified MuayThai rules, or as we have been informed, K-1 rules. These two met in the ring at last years K-1 USA event where Williams won. We can see Williams for this, a "SUPER" Heavyweight title, but McDonald, at only 215 lbs should be fighting for a Heavyweight (215 lbs max) title. Williams last weighed in at well over 235 lbs. if not 240 so there will be a major difference in weight.

Due to the money McDonald may ask for after this fight, he may be out of the price range for most promoters other than the never ending $$ from K-1 Japan who funds K-1 USA. Because of this, maybe this vacant title could be fought for between DeNatale and Russell if the two will match up for it. However, the other question is "Would either of them even consider such a fight since they both mainly fight in MuayThai Rules bouts?" Again though, there needs to be a promoter to make this match-up happen.

As for the "SUPER" Heavyweight International Rules division, the top contenders may not ever be matched up due to their K-1 contracts. Sure, we would all love to see a 5 round Pro World Title between number one IKF IR Ranked Ernesto Hoost of Holland and number 2 IKF ranked Jerome LeBanner of France but lets face it... K-1 has these guys employed for good. With this being the case, many ask, "Why have them in the rankings at all?" Which is a good question and one that we are currently reviewing this year.

So if no promoter can attain let alone pay for these two, or probably any of the top 10 in the Super Heavyweight division, that brings us to the following 4 contenders for the vacant IKF Pro IR Super Heavyweight World title:

1. Carter Williams of California USA.
2. Ivan Tolkachev of Belarus.
3. Pedro Fernandez of Mexico.
4. Moti Horenstein of New York, USA

Unless one of the other top 10 become affordable, Williams may be the top contender here. But lets not forget, Williams and Fernandez fought to a draw last year in Mexico and both want a rematch. However word has it that Fernandez was sidelined after their bout due to a heart murmur which could very possibly end his career if not cleared by a medical doctor this year. If that be the case, Tolkachev or Hornstein would be next in line for Williams, that is, if all the others price themselves out of the market which include:

1. Ernesto Hoost of Holland.
2. Jerome LeBanner of France.
3. Stefan Leko of Germany.
4. Peter Aerts of Holland.
5. Ricky Nicholson of Wales.
6. Maurice Smith of Washington, USA - "IF" he is still fighting...
7. Mike Bernardo of South Africa.
8. Ray Sefo of New Zealand.

The match-up scenarios are very similar over in the IKF Pro MuayThai Rules division except for the fact that we have a MTR Super Heavyweight World Champion. However the question is, "For how long?"

IKF Pro World Champion Matt Skelton (Right) of Bedford, England (63-8/57 Kickboxing) stopped Jeff Ford of Kansas City Missouri, USA at 1:51 of the second round in North Hampton, England on November 26th, 2000 to win the title. Skelton is one of only a few IKF Pro World Champions to defend his title and did so successfully on November 18th, 2001 in North Hampton England when he defeated Peter Varga of Budapest, Hungary by TKO at 53 seconds of round 3. However, where has Skelton been since? His bout against Varga was his last kickboxing bout. Instead, he's been doing Pro Boxing! And doing quite well too.

This coming February Skelton (11-0 as a Pro Boxer) will meet up with Julius Francis, a former European kickboxing and British boxing champion. Skelton will defend his English Boxing title in the bout. (You can read the discussion about this bout by clicking HERE. So what's up with Skelton's IKF Pro World Title? Now that he has a successful career in Pro Boxing, will we ever see him kickbox again? Sources say probably not. With this being said, should the IKF retire his World Title and make it available to someone like former IKF USA National Amateur Champion and upcoming Pro star Carter Williams? Only time will tell.

The IKF San Shou World title has never been filled and since there are very few San Shou style fighters out there, let alone Heavyweights, we may have to wait awhile to see a World Champion here.

As for us here at the IKF? It's about 1:AM now, so I think we we will call it a night. Have a great weekend...

IKF Chicago, Illinois, USA
2004 is going to kick off with a "bang" in Illinois as Z's Martial Arts Academy and Rob Zbilski (Right) of Team Z promotes another exciting and Illustrious IKF Event on February 20th.

In a quest to further promote the sport of Kickboxing, Team Z is stepping it up and moving this production out of the Rec-Center to the Marriott Hotel in Schaumburg Illinois. Included in the production will be special Lighting, top notch audio/video along with nothing but the best representation of the IKF.

Team Z is expecting around 15-fights that night including the main event which will feature IKF Pro World Champion Tommy "The Little Dragon" Bach (Left) taking on Keith "The Hammer" Nesbitt of Steelton, Pennsylvania in a 7 round Professional non title bout. It looks to be a great night of Full Contact Kickboxing. Team Z will also be spotlighting in the Junior Female division, 13 year-old Sara Ross (Below Right) the two-time IKF National Champion. Sara will be taking on Julia Harvey (Glenn Hudson Kickboxing) in a 3- Round toe-to-toe match.

The show will also be spotlighting in the boys Junior Lightweight division Cameron Monyelle (Team Thump) taking on Jackson Aren (Sui Hung Martial Arts, Tommy "The Little Dragon"Bach, trainer). Team Z is happy to have as the "Third man in the Ring" Referee Scott Fischer.

Rob Zbilski quotes; "We're lucky to have someone like Scott in charge of the ring. Officials with his level of integrity, control and most importantly concern for the fighters is hard to find." Team Z has definitely got it down to a science. Zbilski has been promoting shows now for over 15 years and his reputation in the IKF and Martial Arts arena is astounding.

In 2003, Zbilski and Team Z put on the Largest IKF Regional Amateur Tournament in the Country with 35 fights and fighters (80) from all over the Midwest. Zbilski and Team Z are expecting this to be one of their biggest shows in well over 5 years. This looks to be another one of Rob's magnificent productions in the sport of Kickboxing. For Ticket/or Fighter information, you can contact Zbilski's or a member of Team Z at (847) 458-8333. Fighters interested in being on the fight-card, should contact Rob Zbilski directly at (847) 458-8333 or by e-mail at LITH@teamzs.com or go to their website at www.teamzs.com

Davis

IKF Studio, City, CA, USA: This past Saturday night the Platinum Live Supper Club in Studio City, California was host to some exciting IKF Amateur Kickboxing that was included in a full evening of entertainment. This was more than a basic kickboxing event, It was a "SHOW!"

IKF Promoter Johnny Davis (Left) of AK Promotions and Club owner David Sebag (Right) wanted to do something different in the kickboxing promotion game so the wanted to do an evening of entertainment in true Hollywood fashion!

The night of action came with more than just great kickboxing from 8 west coast fighters. Davis and Sebag combined the kickboxing action with some great singing and other action too.

Starting the night off, the National Anthem was sung by popular vocalist Nathalie Azerad. Next we had a fitness / dance demonstration done to some of the hottest aerobic sounds performed by top fitness competitor Shiva and her group called "Flava". Her face is known to many as the Krav Maga Self Defense System's model.

During the middle of the show, two songs will be performed by vocalist, actress and rising superstar Ashley Ta'mar Davis who was a constant winner on the 2003 Star Search TV series who has received many civic and music awards. "What a Voice!"

And we cannot forget the "DYNAMIC" martial arts demonstrations by Alfred Hsing, Christopher Jew, Isiah Polstra and Anthony Atkins! These featured presentations were a show by themselves, and to add Kickboxing action in there just made it all seem like a bonus show. So lets get to the fight action...

The kickboxing action started out with a two round exhibition bout between two time IKF Champion Raul Rodriquez of Bakersfield, California and training partner, California amateur MTR Middleweight Champion Julian Lugo Jr. of Barstow, California. Our hats off to Lugo who drove to the event at his own expense from "3 Hours" away, just to add a little more action to the show. The two did one of their exhibition rounds in full contact rules and in round 2, they demonstrated the style of International Rules. Raul was scheduled to fight Christian Gonzales of San Francisco, California but Gonzales pulled out of the event complaining of a sore foot. Gonzales is trained by Jongsanan Fairtex.

Sebag

The first actual fight of the night was in the IKF Super Heavyweight International Rules (leg kick) division between Chris Cope (189, 2-0/0) of Santa Barbara, California Vs Chris Gonzalez (195, 1-1/0) This bout was fought under American Kickboxing - Full Contact Rules which did no help for Gonzalez. Although often more aggressive, Gonzalez only threw 5 kicks over the 3 round bout. If not for the "Generous" kick counting for him by the kick counter in round 1, he "Should" have lost a point in all 3 rounds. Somehow, the judges thought his aggressive style was enough to award him round 2, 10-9 (Before the 1 point missed kick deduction) despite the fact he only threw 2 kicks. After a strong 9 kick round 1, Cope only threw 3 in round 2 costing him a point too. In round 3 though Cope redeemed himself, throwing 12 kicks to win this one by unanimous decision, 27-26 on all 3 judges cards.

Bout two of the night was in the International Rules Division as Van Palacio (270 lbs. 202/0) of Hanford, California took on Brent Simms (241lbs. 2-0/0, Fighting name - 'Ala Hem') of Las Vegas, Nevada. Although he put up a good fight, Palacio seemed to be edged out in each round enough for the judges to give each round to Sims 10-9 which gave Sims the win in the end 30-27 on all 3 judges cards.

The semi main event was suppose to be the title defense of IKF California Light Heavyweight Champion Floyd Savoy of San Francisco, California vs challenger Derek Burnsed of Citrus Heights, California. However, a severe hand injury forced Savoy out of the bout so instead, Burnsed was matched up against former IKF International Rules West Coast Light Middleweight Champion Mike Morello, of Santa Barbara, California for a 4 round non title full contact rules bout.

This match-up was another close bout. In round 1, both had no problem meeting their mandatory kick requirement as Morello threw 14 to Burnsed's 12. At the end of one, 2 of the 3 judges gave the round to Burnsed while the third gave it to Morello. In round 2, the action was the same, Fast and Furious! Morello threw 14 kicks again but on the other side of the ring Burnsed seemed to fade in stamina and only threw 8 kicks. At the end of 2, all 3 judges gave the round to Morello 10-9 for his aggressive style and good hand and foot combinations.

In round 3, Burnsed came back strong with his kicks but couldn't land any good effective combinations. His 13 kicks to Morello's 7 had little impact to the judges who all gave round 3 to Morello, 10-9 because Morello was not only throwing a lot, his strikes were hitting his targets too. It must have been a strong talk in the corner for Burnsed by his trainer and IKF World Champion Dave Marinoble because when he needed a big round, he gave it. Burnsed out-kicking Morello 10-8 and landing some clean combinations which was enough to win the round for him on all 3 judges cards, 10-9. In the end, this one ended in a majority draw with one judge giving it to Morello 39-37 and the other 2 marking it even at 38-38.

In the main event of the evening Robert Elledge, (15-1) Roseville, California faced off against challenger Mark Tabuso, (15-6) of Daly City, California in the defense of Elledge's IKF Amateur FCR Super Lightweight California Title. Tubuso had taken a long lay-off from the ring but you never would have noticed it on this night. Both fighters came out in round 1 with "Feet and Fist of Fury!" Elledge made quick use of his feet in round one throwing 15 kicks to Tabuso's 8. All 3 judges thought Elledge was busier after one and all 3 gave him the round 10-9.

Round 2 was much the same but where Tabuso stayed steady with his 8 kicks in the round, Elledge dropped down to 10. Again, all 3 judges gave the round to Elledge 10-9. In round 3, Elledge seemed to slow up and although he still threw 10 kicks to Tabuso's 6, it was Tabuso who did more damage with the kicks he threw and his hands. In the end, the judges thought so too and all 3 gave round 3 to Tabuso, 10-9.

In round 4, Tabuso came alive even more but Elledge still stayed ahead on the kick count with 10 to Tabuso's 9. Still, it was Tabuso who did more damage with his hands and feet. However, midway through the round, Elledge went to kick Tabuso and Tabuso caught Elledge's leg and kicked out his supporting leg at Elledge's shin. Elledge fell to the ground in some pain and referee Cecil Peoples deducted a point from Tabuso for the foul. This was the difference of the bout and a break Elledge needed. Although the judges all gave round 4 to Tabusco, it was the point deduction that helped Elledge secure his title for another day by a very slim one point margin, 38-37 on all 3 judges cards.

L-R Standing, Cecil Peoples, Referee/Judge, Joe Gangi, California State Athletic Commission. Doc Hamilton, Referee/Judge, Kris Adrian, Judge, Mark Zacharatos, Referee/Judge
Dean Lohouse, California State Athletic Commission - Middle: Abe Belardo, IKF Trainer/Promoter. Steve Fossum, IKF President. Sitting, Johnny Davis, Promoter & special guest Benny Urquidez.

Well we can't let you know yet where it will take place, and we can't yet let you know when. But what we can say is that this Spring, IKF Amateur World Champion Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson (Right, 33-0/18, Light Cruiserweight Full Contact Rules) will be making his Pro Debut. He has already been confirmed for a bout this spring and the IKF is now seeking an opponent for him.

Oh, and we noticed another IKF Amateur World Champion was being discussed on the message board recently. The Thunderfoot, Trent Tompkins (Left, 15-0/9, Heavyweight Full Contact Rules) Well all you Thunderfoot fans, recent word this week has told us here at the IKF that the Thunderfoot may be shedding his headgear too to step into the Pro Heavyweight ranks later this year.

No word on when yet, but when it does happen it's sure to shake up the IKF Pro Heavyweight rankings which is currently seeking a new IKF Pro World Champion. A title that is now vacant due to the retirement of probably one of the best full contact rules kickboxers ever, "The Terminator", Dennis Alexio (Right, 70-2 with 65 Knockouts).

One thing is for sure, as both these fighters did in the amateur ranks, both plan to bring something to the Pro ranks... Excitement and KNOCKOUTS! Between the two of them their combined records are 48-0 with 27 KNOCKOUTS!

Look for more info on this in the coming weeks.

Bring on the Show...

In the main event of the evening Robert Elledge, (Right, 14-1) of Roseville, California will defend his
IKF Amateur FCR Super Lightweight California Title
against Mark Tubuso, (15-5, no photo on file) of Daly City, California.
Elledge is a three time IKF champion with 14 wins and only one defeat. His most recent scheduled opponent failed to even show up to do battle fearing he would be outclassed by the slick fighting style of Elledge.
Elledge's last opponents no show only infuriated him and he's biting at the bit for some real action! The way these two match up on paper, this fight will certainly be a barn burner!

Tubuso's name may be new to some but he has been around for quiet some time and executed many wars.
Tubuso's record of 15 wins with only five defeats tells the true story of his experience.
He's trained by veteran Mike Espinoza.
Mark and his trainer have been anticipating a fight with this opponent for many months and finally stepped forward to request the fight.

Previously the main event was to feature the title defense of
IKF California Light Heavyweight Champion
Floyd Savoy (7-1, Left)
but a severe hand injury forced Savoy out of the bout. He was to defend the title against Derek Burnsed (7-1, Wearing Belt at right) of Citrus Heights, CA.
This fight was suppose to happen back in November at the Feet and Fist of Fury event in Rocklin, CA but due to a Burnsed injury, it was canceled.

Last time Savoy was given a replacement fight and the same was done for Burnsed this weekend.
Burnsed will face off against former IKF International Rules West Coast Light Middleweight Champion
Mike Morello, of Santa Barbara, California (Below Right) who is trained by his father, Steve Morello in a 4 round non title full contact rules bout.

In another expected tough fight, title holder of two IKF belts in two separate rule styles
Raul Rodriquez (Below Left, The fighter who Morello beat for his title, and the fighter who beat Morello in a rematch to win it back) of Bakersfield, California, will be keeping his word by granting a rematch to the determined
Christian Gonzales of San Francisco, CA
in an International Rules bout. Christian is trained out of the popular Jongsanan Fairtex Gym.
I'm sure somewhere in the back of the Fairtex camp's minds, they want to prove that they will keep the spirit of their slain leader Alex Gong alive and kicking.

In a Super Heavyweight International Rules (leg kick) bout big Van Palacio (268 lbs.) of Hanford, CA will take on the aggressive Brent Simms (240+ lbs.) of Las Vegas, NV. Van's trainer Mike Constantin say his fighter is "eager to get it on with Sims." Simms has a lot of experience in his corner in Nick Blomgren of One Kick Nicks Gym out of Las Vegas, NV.
Nick also trains the "Black Cobra" Dewey Cooper, a popular fighter on some of the K-1 USA events in Vegas. When the bell rings to start this one, it should be some real thunder in the valley when these two meet at center stage! Music Entertainment: The National Anthem will be sung by popular vocalist Nathalie Azerad of Sherman Oak, CA. Additionally, two songs will be performed by vocalist, actress and rising superstar Ashley Ta'mar Davis who was a constant winner on the 2003 Star Search TV series and has received many civic and music awards.
Additionally, the current host of Star Search, Mr. Arsenio Hall is slated to be in attendance.

L-R: Kacy Lyons (Student), Garry Smith (South Carolina State House of Representatives) Stephen, his mother Gloria and his father, Ray Thompson

On Monday, September 29th, 2003, we here at the IKF Announced the retirement of former 2 time IKF World Champion, Rick "The JET" Roufus. At that point many wondered if "The Jet" would be heard from again, well, "The Jet" has taken off again and recently landed in Tempe Arizona with his family where he purchased a gym and is ready to "Bring It ON!"

Roufus recently purchased Tom Proctor's Absolute Gym in Tempe Arizona located at 23rd & Priest avenue. Of course Roufus plans to train fighters in all styles of kickboxing but he will also offer general classes for cardio fitness for those just looking to get in that great Roufus shape. In addition he will have an instructor adding a Mixed Martial Arts program to his curriculum.

Roufus called an end to his career due to an injury he felt he could not recover from (Severely Torn ACL). His impressive fighting record of 61 wins, 7 loses with 41 wins by KO and the winning of multiple World Titles in various weight classes (6 different World Titles in 6 different weight classes) made him a true legend in the sport. Adding to his kickboxing was his professional boxing record of 14 wins, 3 loses and 12 wins by KO and winning the WBC Continental American Belt, being ranked in the top 15. He won his first IKF World Title in Full Contact Rules when he knocked Mike McDonald of Canada OUT COLD at :43 seconds of round 1 at Caesars Tahoe Casino in Tahoe, NV, USA on January 22nd, 1994. His second IKF title was the IKF Pro International Rules Heavyweight title when he defeated Stan Longinidis of Boxhill, Victoria, Australia in Lowell Massachusetts, USA on May 15th, 1999. Roufus won by TKO after Loniginidis suffered a broken bone in his foot at the end of round 9. Roufus was ahead on all 3 judges cards at the time, 89-81, 86-83 and 88-81.

But Is It Over...?

We here at the IKF have been told the inside scoop but we can't make it public... At least, not just yet. What we can say though is that "The Jet" has had a hard time staying grounded and flight control in the tower says he may be taking off again soon. He tells us he's done with the tournament scene though so don't anticipate his return there. Word has it that we may see "The Jet" in the Full Contact Rules arena (Where "The Jet" truly shined) as well as in other rule styles against some very high profile opponents. And what about "The Jet" going for another IKF World Title? No one is saying "No" around here. All we have to say is

ADDED AT 4:10 PM, PT

CHANGES, IDEAS & ANSWERS
FOR 2004
Answers To Questions, New Ideas & New Rules To Know

• HEADGEAR
  • This was one of the most talked about and best discussions on the Message Board. Over the past few weeks we took the time to fully weigh-out all the discussions for and against this issue. "ALL" had very valid points but in the end, there was one statement that kept ringing in our ears which was, "It only takes one time, one injury to happen without headgear and everyone will point the finger at the IKF for not ruling on the side of safety." No matter what else we had to weigh against this, nothing could stand up to such a point. It was for this reason we made our final decision to rule on the side of safety. This rule will stay the same. ALL Amateurs Kickboxers must wear headgear.
    • TO ADD: Other organizations will have to make their own decisions where they stand on this rule and they will have to answer to any injuries sustained by amateur fighters not wearing headgear, but we will not subject ourselves or any amateur fighters under the watch of the IKF to such possibilities.
      SOLUTION? The problem here is not so much focused on the issue that Amateurs don't want to wear headgear. Sure, some have stated they do not want to wear it, but the majority have no issues or problems with wearing it. After intense review of this topic, the solution is not to take off the headgear for amateurs but instead, we need to make more opportunities for Pro fighters so that amateurs have a next level to move up to. Shedding the headgear will simply make promoters less likely to promote Pro Kickboxing, and if our sport is to grow, we need to enlarge the next level of our sport, the Professional Action! To do this, the IKF will be giving discounts and incentives for all promoters willing to promote pro bouts on their events. This will include discounts in Pro Title Sanctioning fees and other areas we can assist in. We will do our part and help where we can. Now the next question is, "What will you do for your part now?"
      
      
• TOURNAMENTS Vs TITLES
  • EXPANDING THE NAME OF THE IKF USA NATIONALS
    • The decision on this issue has not been finalized yet but here is what we can tell you. The IKF Nationals this year will produce an "IKF TOURNAMENT CHAMPION". There is a possibility that this event may keep the same name (IKF USA Nationals), but now be open to either all of North America or the entire World. The reason for this would be because of the many requests we receive each year from fighters and trainers outside USA to compete in this event. Like the name K-1 USA, the K-1 USA Tournament event is hosted "IN" the USA but in their May event, the fighters are from throughout North America. In their August event, the fighters are from around the world. At our IKF USA Nationals Tournament, the title would be a Tournament Title which is different than a title that can be fought for and won throughout the year. The IKF United States Title (Producing an IKF United States Champion) will be a promoted 5 round fight which can be promoted on an IKF Sanctioned event during the year. (To keep the Champion active, the holder of this title will be required to defend it a minimum of 1 time per year.) Although we are still finalizing the requirements for a fighter to contend for this title, one of the requirements discussed is that both contenders must have at least fought at the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament in the past (Or whatever the name of this event becomes if changed to something like the "IKF World Classic" as already suggested in a previous article last month.)
      
      
  • THE "CLASSICS" IDEA
    • Like in the example of USA Amateur Boxing in a previous article in December 2003, the USA Nationals will be the start of "MANY" Tournament events for amateur kickboxers to register into for more competition experience. The IKF hopes to assist Promoters as well as Promote ourselves (Like we do for the USA Nationals) several "CLASSIC" Tournaments throughout each year that follow the same concept of the USA Nationals but will be more regional so fighters can attend easier. An example "MAY" be something like, "The IKF West Coast Classic" or "The IKF East Coast Classic" or even something like "The IKF North American MuayThai Classic", all of which will award "Tournament" awards such as medals, belts or trophies, depending on the promoters budget. Using this same example, the IKF plans to host a "IKF Junior Classic" this year too for ALL Junior fighters ages 8 to 17. Remember, there are "MANY" tournaments Sanctioned by USA Boxing every year and they include:
      1. Silver Gloves National Championships
      2. Titan Games
      3. Everlast Men's U.S. Championships
      4. U.S. Challenge at Colorado Springs
      5. National Collegiate Boxing Championships
      6. Ken Goff Memorial Boxing Classic
      7. National Golden Gloves
      8. Junior Olympic National Championships
      9. Augusta Summer Boxing Classic
      10. Junior Olympic International Invitational
      11. Women's U.S. Championships
      12. Women's Golden Gloves
      13. Everlast Fran Jones Under-19 Championships
      14. Labor Day Championships
      15. National PAL Championships
          
          
  • NORTH AMERICAN TITLE TOURNAMENTS
    • There will be no individual rule style North American "TITLE" Tournaments this year like in the last 2 years. The IKF North American "TITLE" Fights, (Like the IKF United States Title Fights) will be given back to the Promoters to promote on their events.
      
      
• RINGSIDE RULES
  • ALL IKF Event Representatives - You will now be required to make sure all these rules are abided to at the events you oversee. Although this rule has been on the IKF rules page for years now, it is not always enforced. However, last year we had some incidents at ringside that would have been prevented had these rules been "STRONGLY" enforced as required on the Rules and Regulations Page. These rules include:
    1. Event Officials and Event Personnel ONLY are allowed to sit at the Ringside Tables. This is NOT a Spectator Area and NO GUESTS of Officials will be allowed to sit at Ringside. all at ringside must be 18 years of age or older. The event Officials shall include;
       • IKF Event Representative
       • IKF Scorekeeper (This could be the Ringside Representative as well)
       • IKF Judges as approved by the IKF Event Representative. There must be a minimum of "2 FEET" between each Judge and anyone else at the table they are sitting at.
       • IKF Referee(s) as approved by the IKF Event Representative
       • Timekeeper as approved by the IKF Event Representative
       • IKF Kick Counters as approved by the IKF Event Representative
       • Ringside Physician(s) as approved by the IKF Event Representative.
       • Event Photographers as approved by the IKF Event Representative. NO Flash Photography at Ringside or within 10 feet of the edge of the fighting ring. Flashes can temporarily blind a fighter which could lead to serious injury of the blinded fighter.
       • *IKF Event Video Crew as approved by the IKF Event Representative.
         • (*) ALL Video Crew used on an IKF Sanctioned event can only be approved by the IKF Event Representative.
       • Event Ring Announcer
       • Event DJ (MC - Music)
       • Event Ring Girls & Assistant (Best to be kept in seats between the first audience row and the ring itself instead of at the ringside tables.)
       • Fighters Trainers and or Cornermen when their fighter is fighting.
         • ANY other individuals allowed at Ringside must be approved by the IKF Event Representative. Event Promoter and family members over 18 are allowed.
    2. NO Flash Photography at Ringside or within 10 feet of the edge of the fighting ring. Flashes can temporarily blind a fighter which could lead to serious injury of the blinded fighter.
    3. No "CHEERING" by those sitting at the ringside tables. Those seated at the ringside tables are suppose to be "Event Officials" who are suppose to be neutral to each and every fighter. For this reason, Cheering of a fighter while sitting at a ringside table is prohibited.
    4. No Sharp Objects are allowed at Ringside that point upward such as trophies. These items may cause serious injury if a fighter falls out of a ring.
    5. No ALCOHOLIC Beverages of ANY kind are allowed at ANY of the Ringside Tables.
    6. All drinks must be in an enclosed bottle or, if an open cup, be placed under the table at all times. This avoids any drinks splashing or spilling on important paperwork if a fighter falls out or steps out of the ring onto a ringside table and to avoid any fluids splashing in the drinks. (Blood for example)
    7. NO GLASS Containers, drink containers, plates, trays etc. at all are allowed at ringside. We had a fighter get cut on a water container when he slipped out of the ring and this should have never happened.
    8. ALL FOOD, if any, at or on any of the ringside tables must be covered when a bout is in progress to avoid any fluids splashing on the food. (Blood for example)
    9. There must be a minimum of "5 Feet" from the edge of each ringside table to the edge of the first spectator chair at ringside so event officials can move freely around the ring during an event.
    10. It is BEST if the promoter places a restrictive barrier between the first row of ringside seats and the event officials area. This prevents the crowd from confronting any event official and also keeps the crowd away from the ring to avoid any incidents or safety issues with the officials as well as the fighters and trainers.
    11. There must be a minimum of 2 feet on each side of each event judge to allow his/her privacy of judging each bout.
    12. NO ONE may sit by an event judge while a bout is taking place UNLESS one judge is training another as approved by the IKF Event Representative.
    13. Each (2) Kick Judge/Counter is required to have a stool (not a chair) Provided by the event promoter that places them high enough at ringside to see the bout.
    14. No "VOICED COMMENTATING" with a microphone to the event audience by ANYONE when a bout is in progress. Commentating for TV is of course allowed.
    15. For rules of the FIGHTING RING, please go to the Fighting Ring Page.
    16. For Detailed Duties of all Mandatory Officials Click Here!
        
        
• IKF PROMOTERS REGISTRATION FORMS
  • This too has always been a requirement for every IKF Sanctioned event but some promoters in the past failed to submit these forms prior to their events. This too will be strongly enforced now and any promoter not submitting their required form will not have their event sanctioned by the IKF. There are two different forms for promoters and they are:
    • First Time IKF Promoter "APPLICATION"
    • Current IKF Promoter Who Has Sanctioned With IKF Before
      
      
• KICK COUNTING
  • This too was a good discussion, but again, like the headgear rule, the majority focused on the "NEED" for a mandatory kick count in Full Contact Style Kickboxing, especially in the amateur ranks. Because of this, this rule will stay the same and if anything in the future, the requirements may be "Increased". A counted, 6 kick minimum for amateurs and a counted 8 kick minimum for pros.
    • TO ADD: In this discussion, two things became VERY NOTICEABLE. First, there has been a lot of discussion on "CERTIFIED/TRAINED" Kick Judges (Counters). As everyone knows, a kick judge can change the outcome of a bout just as easily as a scoring judge. However, the kick judges are the least trained judges at ringside and the most easily overlooked by the event promoters. MANY times the IKF Event Representative will ask "Who are your kick counters" to the promoter and the answer is too often the same, "Oh, let me find someone to do that." This will "NOT" be the accepted answer anymore. We here at the IKF feel the Kick Judges "NEED" to be trained just like any other event official. The training should be part of the Promoters event, done by the appointed IKF Event Representative.
      
      
• IKF LICENSED OFFICIALS
  • This is still in discussion for approval, but like in USA Amateur Boxing and any other organization, it NEEDS to be done, and will be done for better Officiating in 2004.
    This year we will implemented the use of "IKF Licensed Officials Cards." These cards will be issued to certain IKF Certified Officials, "Judges, Kick Judges and Referees." We will not certify Timekeepers. The card will be a laminated card that every event official will be required to present to the Official IKF Event Representative at ALL IKF Sanctioned events for approval of their official position. The license card will have a dated year on it and all licenses are only good for the year they are issued. Any Official presenting an IKF Event Officials License Card without the current year on it will not be allowed to be an official on an IKF Sanctioned event.
    
    HOW TO GET THE CARD:
    1. Attend the Rules Meeting at the yearly IKF Nationals "AND" actively work a minimum of 20 bouts at the IKF Nationals Approves you to register for the card and at a discounted rate of only $7.00. Please note on your registration form, in what capacity you worked (Judge, Kick Judge or Referee).
       Each year at The IKF USA Nationals, Approved Officials will be given an IKF Officials Shirt for free which you are required to wear when being an Official at an IKF event.
       
       
    2. FIRST TIME OFFICIALS: These Officials can attend an IKF Officials Certification course hosted by an IKF Event Representative in your area. Courses cost vary for first time attendees from $40 for bout and kick Judges, $60 for referees and or $80 for both and include the issuing of the card if you pass the Officials Test requirements for certification. New Referees must prove ability in a live bout with an IKF Representative in witness to assure their certification.
       
       
    3. EXPERIENCED OFFICIALS: Those with vast Judging and Refereeing experience only pay *$20 for judges and or referee for their "Seminar" fee "IF" they need to attend. If the Official believes their experience is enough to be approved by the IKF they may simply apply for just their IKF Officials License without going through the Certification course. To print out the registration form for an IKF Officials License, please go to this page link HERE. If the IKF does not think the Official has had enough experience to be granted an IKF Officials License, they will be notified by the IKF of additional training needed.
       • IKF Officials Shirts are available for $25 and sometimes available at these courses. all Officials are required to wear them when being an IKF Official at an IKF Sanctioned Event.
       • (*) This fee could be more. It would depend on the cost for the IKF Representative to host the Seminar.
         
         
  • FREE EVENT PASS: If approved by the event Promoter(s), all IKF Licensed Officials will be allowed to attend any IKF Sanctioned Event for free as long as they notify the promoter "IN ADVANCE". If there is seating room (Keep in mind some venues may be too small to give away any tickets) and they are welcome, they will be given "ONE General Admission Ticket" for the event unless the promoter is able to offer a better seat.
    
    
  • COST OF LICENSE: The yearly fee for the IKF Licensed Officials card will be to assure each Official is up to date on all IKF Rules and Regulations. The one year fee for the IKF License card is $20.00 per year.
    
    
  • DISCOUNTED LICENSE:
    • Officials who attend the rules meeting and work the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament will be given a discount for their card. These are Officials who "WORKED" (Meaning several bouts, not just 1 or 2) at the 2003 IKF/TKO USA National Amateur Tournament. These Officials will only pay $7.00 for their card and the may send in their fee and registration form now. To print out the registration form please go to this page link HERE.
    • There are some other Officials we know of who will also be given discounts for their Officials License Cards. To inquire if you are one of these Officials please contact the IKF by phone at (916) 663-2467 or e-mail at main@ikfkickboxing.com.
      
      
  • APPROVED? There are several IKF Officials who will not be required to take an IKF Certification course and are already approved for this card for 2004. To inquire if you are one of these Officials please contact the IKF by phone at (916) 663-2467 or e-mail at main@ikfkickboxing.com
    
    
• HOSTING AN IKF OFFICIALS SEMINAR:
  • IKF Representatives, promoters or any IKF associate who wish to host an IKF Officials Seminar are asked to contact the IKF for Hosting details at (916) 663-2467 or e-mail at main@ikfkickboxing.com
    
    
• WEIGHT CLASS CHANGE
  • We are still working on this topic but we hope to have a finalized answer within this week.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
To Our Friends
Around The World
From The
IKF

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