THURSDAY, April 6th, 2000, AT 8:00 PM

California Submission Fighting... Fighters, Trainers & Promoters - Speak Up...

And MuayThai?

This special article goes out to all Submission Style fighters, trainers, officials and PROMOTERS, mainly in California, USA. The reason for this article is to ask for your support on some issues that concern the acceptance of Submission Style Fighting Events, and of all things, MUAYTHAI Rules in the State of California. Earlier today we spoke with the California State Athletic Commission in regards to the status of State Approval for Mixed Martial Arts Style Events and the rules and regulations surrounding Submission Style Fighting. What we found out about some of the rules and regulations that were discussed has sparked us to write this article to ask that many of you SPEAK UP in regards to a few issues.

Last Friday the State of California had a Martial Arts Advisory Board meeting to discuss the rules and regulations set forward for Mixed Martial Arts (Submission, NHB Style Events) to be approved or not approved by the State of California Athletic Commission. As many of you in the Submission game know, Submission style fighting is illegal in the State of California unless conducted at a Gaming Casino on Indian Reservation land. Many of us have been discussing the issue of making this style of fighting legal in the State. We have also suggested that if they were not going to oversee it, to at least back away from it and allow it to happen under it's own supervision of those involved in the sport.

However, there has always been a concern of Safety in regards to ANY Fighting sport. For instance, if the promoters doesn't want to follow standard safety requirements for a fight event, he/she could put the fighters in great danger. Standard Safety requirements would include such things as having "2" ringside doctors, (Not Chiropractors or medical assistants but real "MD'S") pre fight physicals, protective equipment, knowledgable referee to assure the fighters safety and many other standard safety requirements. Although we here at the IKF, ISCF and many of you may find them standard requirements, it may shock some of you as to how many promoters instead find them a burden. These promoters are not promoting in the view of the public and are not approved promoters by the State of California Athletic Commission. They instead choose to hold illegal/underground events throughout the State of California every month. It is with many of these promoters (Who don't use any good regulating sanctioning body to assure fighter safety and rules) why the Commission has chosen to step into the business of Submission Style events in California. Rather than have many illegal promoters operating right under their noses, the better decision would be to regulate Submission Fighting under the State Athletic Commission. This we support as well.

From a safety standpoint, we here at the IKF and ISCF (ISCF-The Submission Style Fighting division of the IKF) feel that having the State Athletic Commission involved is a positive. If nothing else, for fighters safety. However, when the issue is looked at with politics and commission expenses such as promoter taxes, fighters licenses, officials etc., many frown on the idea of having the State Commission involved. Issues that concern many here are;

• Who would appoint the event officials, the referee, Judges etc. and would the officials TRULY be qualified to work a Submission Style Event?
  • This question has been extremely important since the Commission has taken a lot of heat for not having qualified "KICKBOXING & MUAYTHAI" judges and referees at some of the Kickboxing events in the State. Many times the state appoints "BOXING" officials to work kickboxing events. This was an issue we brought up some time ago in an article found at this link on our Opinion Page: Kickboxing Problems Of The California State Athletic Commission... In addition, WHO would teach these officials? Who gas the current experience to be a Submission Bout referee? Who will be allowed to do what is a question that concerns many kickboxing promoters who want to add Submission Style Fighting to their events. Will they be forced to for expensive plane tickets to bring in commission approved officials from Los Angeles up to Sacramento or visaversa? And in addition again, WHO will appoint these officials? And more so, if the person appointing them has no Submission fighting knowledge, how will that person know if the person(s) they appoint are truly qualified? What about the guys who don't get appointed as officials that have great knowledge of Submission fighting just because they didn't know the right people to get the job? Will it become the ol, "It's not what you know but WHO you know?" Now we add POLITICS to the game and things get heated... You can see where it gets more and more complicated.
• What Bout Rules will be Approved and what will be Denied?
  • Were "ELBOWS" Going to be allowed?
    • This is where we bring attention to MuayThai Rules in the State of California. If the Commission approves Elbow/Forearm (Not Pointed Elbow Strikes) strikes for Submission Style Fighting than they have no choice but to approve and allow the same for MuayThai. Currently, elbow strikes are illegal in the State of California in MuayThai bouts. EVERYONE involved in the 2 styles of fighting are in favor of allowing elbow strikes. And once the elbow issue is addressed, what about knees to the head?
  • Can the bouts be held in a BOXING RING?
    • This has been a concern of several California kickboxing Promoters that want to add Submission style Fighting to their events. Many were concerned with this issue since the first set of Commission Drafted Rules had said the bouts could only take place in an "OCTAGON". To begin with, purchasing or renting a "REAL or LEGIT" OCTAGON ring is much more expensive than a boxing ring. In addition, if the event had both submission style bouts AND kickboxing bouts, than according to the State Rules, a promoter would be forced to have "2" separate rings for the entire event. A Boxing Ring and an Octagon... An expensive rental bill and a great loss of spectator seating income...
• Who decides what rules are allowed and what are not?
  • The issue here is simple. Credibility and knowledge of Submission Fighting are extremely important. Who are the people making the decisions on behalf of the California State Athletic Commission and do they have Submission Fighting Experience as fighters, trainers, promoters or officials? There are a few people on the State Commissions newly formed Martial Arts Advisory Council that have Submission Fighting knowledge. However, there are some that have NONE. So the question is, What value are they to the issues of the sport? Why are they involved in the decision making process? In ANY elected office or appointed office, as the California State Athletic Commission Board members are (Appointed by the Governor) wouldn't it be appropriate for these individuals to have the proper "JOB QUALIFICATIONS" as in EVERY other job in the world? Well, you would think so and you would hope so but the truth is not all of them do. In fact over half know nothing of the fight game other than being fans of it... Sad isn't it... We could elaborate as to who the Appointed Commissioners are and their so called "Job Qualifications" are but we'll save it for another article if necessary. Lets see how this submission deal turns out...

So where do you come in? Well, we need "WRITTEN" support from those of you who not only would like to see Submission Style Fighting made LEGAL in the State of California but also to those who would like to see MORE of it. We say More of it in reference to the Ring issue above. Having Submission fighting in a boxing ring has proven to be SAFE at events around the world. The Commission's reply is that fighters can get thrown out of the ring and hurt. Our reply is "Have you ever watched a San Shou match?" The SAME danger applies to San Shou as here. As we have done in the past, when fighters get too close to the ropes, the referee re-positions them to center ring. No problem here. More important is the expense to promoters to rent an octagon. More promoters would support Submission Style Fighting IF it were allowed in a boxing ring.

So once again, in closing, we need your "WRITTEN" Support if you all want to see Submission Style Fighting legalized in California. We ask that you please address the issues above in a letter and mail them to;

IKF/ISCF

P. O. Box 1205

Newcastle, CA, 95658

Address them to the California State Athletic Commission, Re: Mixed Martial Arts. We appreciate your support.

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