Category Archives: kickboxing

Arnold Sports Festival to Host 2025 WAKO USA National Championships Through Innovative Partnerships with Kumite Classic

The Arnold Sports Festival (ASF), the world’s premier sports and fitness exhibition, will host the 2025 WAKO USA National Championship and Team Trials in a strategic partnership with Kumite Classic February 28^th to March 1^st, 2025.

ASF is widely known as the largest multi-discipline sporting event in the world attracting over 100,000 attendees to Columbus, Ohio annually. The event, which pays homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, has transformed from a bodybuilding show in 1989 into the mecca of the fitness industry today. Kumite Classic, a Pittsburgh-based martial arts promotional company, is poised to present a new generation of martial arts competitions, highlighting USA Kickboxing as the anchor competition at the Ohio Expo Center. The weekend will include kickboxing, karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, kung fu and wide variety of combat sports.

Kumite Classic president, Bill Viola Jr., brokered the partnership between USA Kickboxing and the Arnold Sports Festival. Kumite Classic is notable for hosting the most prominent sport karate-centric expo in North America from 1999-2017. In 2023 Viola Jr. was appointed Chairman of WAKO USA tatami sports under USA Kickboxing. Since then, he has been leading a committee to expand infrastructure and strengthen affiliations for the organization. According to Viola Jr., “Every kid dreams about competing in the Olympics someday. WAKO gives them hope.” USA Kickboxing is the only U.S. organization in the sport of kickboxing to have IOC (International Olympic Committee) & AOC (American Olympic Committee) recognition. Viola Jr. continued, “Our committee is dedicated to giving athletes the very best opportunities to excel.” Along his side is Dawn Roffey, a 1993 WAKO World Champion. She explained, “We are ready to take our tatami vision to the next level. Bringing WAKO, Kumite Classic, and Arnold Sports together will give us the exposure to show the world what USA Kickboxing is all about. I’ve competed around the globe, and WAKO USA is the future of sport karate in America. Our 2023 nationals in Florida had some of the most talented juniors I’ve ever seen. I know this year will be better as we build this new bridge with the Arnold Sports Festival.”

kumite classic pittsburgh — 2017 Kumite Classic

“The Arnold Classic heavily influenced my life’s path,” said Viola Jr., “Since the late 1990’s I’ve been a competitor, coach, guest, consultant, and promoter at the event. The foundation for Kumite Classic was built in those early Arnold days. When I met Schwarzenegger in 1998, he inspired me to start my company and emulate his success in Pittsburgh. We connected again last year, and it felt like the right time to return.”

The Kumite Classic name has been synonymous with elite sport karate athletes for over twenty years; pushing the envelope in terms of exposure and opportunities for competitors. Viola Jr. shared, “My goal is to bring the level of prestige and professionalism that Kumite Classic has been famous for to Columbus. WAKO is a great representation and platform for this collaboration.” Troy Speakman is the liaison for combat sports, working with ASF for the past thirty years. Speakman said, “Bringing an established name like Kumite Classic to the event is a wonderful addition. I am extremely impressed with the WAKO organization and proud to welcome all the Olympic hopeful athletes.”

According to Viola Jr., “When the opportunity presented itself to synergize the Kumite Classic brand with WAKO and Arnold, I knew it could be special. I’ve been semi-retired, so only a mega event like this could pique my interest. Bringing these groups together for the common goal of recognition for the sport is what it’s all about. Our superstars like Bailey Murphy, Devon Hopper, Tyson Wray and Ty Saint have been making headlines overseas. Attending nationals is your chance to be a part of history and join the movers and shakers of our sport.” Murphy, arguably the best pound-for-pound point fighter in the world right now, has been advocating the WAKO movement as he described, “WAKO Worlds [2023] was my favorite event thus far in my career, and not just because we won the team event in Portugal. It was because I was able to win with some of my best friends.” That is saying a lot from someone who has won just about every major sport karate tournament on the planet. Murphy went on to say, “We know there will be plenty more [victories], but there will only be one ‘first time,’ on that type of stage.” His words resonated with the junior team who rode the momentum and captured a record setting number of medals at the 2024 WAKO Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Bailey Murphy (left) wins 2023 WAKO USA Nationals, WAKO USA head referee Chris Walker presides

Today WAKO is solidified in 130 affiliated nations and 5 continents, of which 105 are officially recognized by either the National Olympic Committee or relevant National Government Sports Authority. Viola Jr. said, “The world is watching America, and new sponsors are breaking into market.” Century Martial Arts has joined the movement as a platinum sponsor of WAKO in 2024 and is currently powering the USA Kickboxing Team. Century President Michael Dillard shared, “Century is excited and proud to support WAKO USA at the Arnold Sports Festival in 2025. USA Kickboxing has a strong presence that continues to grow and provides opportunities for its athletes to compete worldwide. Since the Arnold Sports Festival is a worldwide leader in sports, it’s a natural fit for these organizations to come together.” WAKO Canada and WAKO USA are in the planning stages of a joint venture called the “Century Cup,” a pair of groundbreaking competitions scheduled for 2025. Century now offers official approved and tagged gear that can be used at every level of WAKO competition. Century currently sponsors top athletes from WAKO USA, Team Paul Mitchell, and Team Revolution, among others. Connell Loveless, founder of Team Revolution, is ready for new international opportunities. He added, “Team Revolution is ready to experience WAKO and everything that the Arnold has to offer. Having Century onboard will only open more doors and move the sport forward. I love seeing this event come full circle with so many great martial artists I’ve worked with over the years.” Team Revolution alum Sen Gao was recently named ambassador for Chinese martial arts. Gao said, “I always loved the energy of the Kumite Classic, and I want to bring that same power to my hometown of Columbus.”

Century is a 2024 Platinum Sponsor of WAKO

ASF draws over 15,000 athletes competing in a wide range of competitions, including combat sports. A confident USA Kickboxing President Rob Zbilski said, “We’re very excited to host our national qualifying event at the Arnold Sports Festival because it’s a golden opportunity to showcase the sport of kickboxing and our athletes alongside so many other prestigious champions. Said Zbilski, “By qualifying at the WAKO USA National Championships, athletes earn spots to compete internationally at the Pan-American Championships, World Games, World Combat Games, and World Championships.” The senior team members will represent the United States at the 2025 World Championships in Abu Dhabi, while junior team members earn a spot to compete in the Pan American Championships. WAKO International officials stay hopeful for a kickboxing debut at the 2032 Brisbane, Australia Olympic Games.

Next month the world will celebrate “International Kickboxing Day” on the 30^th of November, commemorating the provisional International Olympic Committee recognition of WAKO. This was a long and hard-fought road that began to gain traction when American athletes began competing abroad. Viola Jr. explained, “The impact of WAKO in the United States has been a process. Raymond Daniels and the ‘All-Stars’ really paved the way for our tatami champions when they took the initiative to seek out the top competition in the world. Ray became an icon over there. He won the legendary Irish Open title, an unprecedented ten times (2003-2015), over his career. No doubt, he is the most decorated sport karate athlete of our generation, and WAKO opened the door to larger opportunities.” Daniels, a former Kumite Classic Grand Champion, began looking for ways to expand the WAKO footprint in 2016. The result was the WAKO USA North American Open in collaboration with UFC fight week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event helped plant a flag for new things to come to the states. Daniels stated, “To be the best in world, you must compete against the best from all over the world. WAKO is the only organization that offers that.”

Raymond Daniels and the All-stars win the Kumite Classic 10K Team Challenge at the 2016 Kumite Classic.

Chris Walker, a member of the All-Stars, currently serves on the tatami committee as head referee. Walker expressed, “I’ve been on the competitive side of WAKO for many years, and now I sit as someone who can make an impact from the other side. It’s been a privilege to step into this role and develop the referee core. What sport karate competitors will appreciate is the professionalism and attention to detail WAKO USA brings. You can witness how the game is changing by checking out our affiliates like USA Sport Karate.”

The Florida-based USA Sport Karate organization is one such partnership that is helping to further WAKO growth by co-sanctioning all their tournaments with USA Kickboxing. Jeromy Roque, President of USA Sport Karate, expounded, “Both WAKO and USA Sport Karate are committed to elevate martial arts competition, increase awareness, and set new benchmarks for professionalism.” USA Sport Karate is slated to sanction approximately 30 premier events in collaboration with WAKO next year, including the new “State Games” portion of the Kumite Classic at the ASF. This portion of the weekend will emphasis under belt competition and building future champions.

The 2025 nationals in Columbus, Ohio will feature all standard ring and tatami divisions for both youth and adults. WAKO offers 7 different styles: Point Fighting, light-contact, full-contact, kick-light, low-kick, K1-style, and musical forms. The ASF event will also offer development level competition for under belts including other disciplines from everything to traditional kata to Chinese martial arts so everyone will have an opportunity to shine under the Kumite Classic umbrella. El Java Abdul-Qadir, head coach of tatami concludes, “I am always scouting for the next international champion. To be a true world champion, you need to bring the right combination of physical skill, mental determination, and strong work ethic to nationals. If you are talented, confident, coachable, and ready to represent the USA at the highest level, I hope to see you in Columbus.” Registration for the event will open in October. www.wakousa.org

WKC World Champions Karate & Kickboxing

November 21, 2019

Bill Viola Jr.

Allegheny Shotokan karate tournaments kickboxing news norwin ninjas pittsburgh karate pittsburgh karate champion pittsburgh karate school pittsburgh kickboxing Team Kumite team usa Viola Karate wkc No Comments

For Immediate Release: 11/21/19 Contact: Call/Text Bill Viola Jr. 724-640-2111

2019 WKC World Titles brought home to Western Pennsylvania

The World Karate and Kickboxing Council (WKC) hosted the World Championships November, 3^rd -9^th in Niagara Falls, New York. The world’s best from 22 countries converged to compete in WKC Tatami-style divisions. The competition was the largest WKC championships in history with over 2000 athletes.

Team USA was comprised of athletes from across the country who won the National Team trials in Detroit this past June. 13 members from Allegheny Shotokan “Viola” Karate Dojo earned positions to represent the United States at the World Championships. Of that group, 4 students advanced to the medal rounds and secured top honors. These medals are the first ever for the Pittsburgh region.

Sensei Bill Viola Jr. said, “I am proud of the way these kids represented our community and the United States. Win or lose, they demonstrated respect and determination. We they play our National Anthem for Gold, it makes all the sacrifice worthwhile.”

Medaling for the United States:

10-year-old Xander Eddy, Gold (male kickboxing team)
18-year-old, Cameron Klos, Silver (classical kata) Silver (traditional kata)
12-year-old Sammy Pietrzyk, Silver (female kickboxing team)
12-year-old Taylor Provence, Bronze (female kickboxing)
12-year-old Riley Evans, Bronze (female kickboxing)

The 2020 WKC World Championships will be held in Madrid, Spain. The team will be fundraising to send a team to Spain and to visit Tokyo, Japan for the 2020 Olympics.

For more information visit www.alleghenyshotokan.com

WAKO – IOC Olympic Membership Kickboxing / Sport Karate

November 30, 2018

Bill Viola Jr.

Bill Viola Jr. HomePage ioc kickboxing Olympics pittsburgh kickboxing pittsburgh mma Team Kumite Viola Karate wako No Comments

WAKO Kickboxing / Karate joins the IOC (International Olympic Committee)

I am proud to announce that WAKO has officially joined the Olympic Family! As director of WAKO Region 10 for the Untited States of America (which oversees Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virgina, and Washington, DC) we are dedicated to helping train and field athletes for Olympic level competition. We have already seen great success at the Pan American Championships and World Championships for Team USA. The future is bright for sport karate in America. –Bill Viola Jr.

IOC EB receives update on implementation of Athletes’ Declaration and other important issues

30 Nov 2018 -Olympic.org

The IOC Executive Board (EB) received updates on the endorsement of the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration and addressed key issues for International Federations and the Olympic Movement during the first day of its meeting in Tokyo.

An update on the implementation of the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration (Declaration) was given to the EB by Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. After the official adoption of the Declaration at the IOC Session in October 2018, the Declaration continues to be expressly adopted and supported by sports organisations throughout the Olympic Movement as each of their congresses or general assemblies has been held.

Over the past few weeks, both the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) endorsed the Declaration at their General Assembly and Council meetings respectively.

At a continental level, representatives from more than 80 NOC Athletes’ Commissions at the PanAm Sports Athletes’ Forum in October and the Asian Athletes’ Forum in November fully supported the formation of the initiative and included the adoption of the Declaration as one of their Forum recommendations. Other athlete organisations to fully support the Declaration include the ANOC Athletes’ Commission, all five Continental Associations’ Athletes’ Commissions and the World Olympians Association. Others, like the Canadian Athletes’ Commission, have publicly expressed support.

On an International Federation level, the international Ski Federation (FIS) fully endorsed the Declaration at its autumn Council meeting, whilst the New Zealand NOC will begin the process of embedding the Declaration in its formal policies and processes.

Update on International Federations

The International Sambo Federation (FIAS), the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL), and the World Associations of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO) were granted provisional IOC recognition for a period of three years by the EB. These three International Federations will now be able to receive funding from the IOC and can apply for development programmes, while full recognition has to be granted by the IOC Session.

The IOC Executive Board noted the very positive steps taken by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to strengthen its anti-doping programme. The positive steps include the newly designed Tokyo 2020 qualification system, which links the number of quota places available per country to their history of doping and rewards clean sport; suspension and monitoring of nine national federations for up to one year each; the implementation of new strict anti-doping policies and procedures; the MoU between the IWF and ITA delegating remaining areas of its anti-doping programme throughout 2019; and no positive results to date from doping testing at the recent IWF World Championships.

At the same time, the IOC EB expressed its concern regarding the actions in allowing non-eligible athletes to participate in an exhibition at the recent IWF World Championships. The Board decided to continue to monitor the final report on the samples collected at the IWF World Championships as well as awaiting confirmation of a successful and smooth transition of key areas of the IWF anti-doping programme from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport to the ITA as of January 2019. These elements will be further reviewed at the next EB meeting, with a view to the option of lifting the conditional inclusion in the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Changes of Nationality

Changes of nationality for two athletes were also approved by the EB: Odile van AANHOLT (sailing) switched from Aruba to The Netherlands; and Brisa HENNESSY (surfing), from USA to Costa Rica.

Allocation of International Sports Events

The IOC EB decided to recommend to all IFs and other recognised sporting organisations that the allocation of international sports events to a country must include the necessary guarantees to ensure equal treatment for the participating athletes and sporting delegations. This is in accordance with the basic principles of autonomy and non-discrimination which govern the Olympic Movement.

Countries that will host international sporting events must guarantee these principles, and all international sports organisations concerned should not allocate any international sports event to a country that does not provide the necessary guarantees.

In this framework, the IOC EB took note with concern about the difficulties encountered by the Kosovan athletes to participate with full rights and without discrimination in some international sports competitions organised recently in Spain.

At the same time, the IOC EB welcomed the firm engagement from the Spanish Government to redress this situation, as expressed in a letter from the Foreign Minister to the Spanish NOC.
It guaranteed, in Spain, the participation of the athletes from Kosovo with all rights and no discrimination in relation to other athletes, in all competitions under IOC auspices – this means all competitions organised by sports organisations recognised by the IOC.

# # #

WAKO USA is the United States’ division of the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations and the governing body of Amateur kickboxing sport certified by Sport Accord and now as of 2018 a member of the IOC. WAKO holds a world championships every two years, with youth (18 and under) and adults (18–45) on separate years; only national teams are accepted. Each member country can present only one competitor in each weight class. Competitors are commonly the national champion of their weight class in that particular kickboxing style and many are also officially recognized by their National Olympic Committees or Ministry of Sports.

WAKO kickboxing was one of thirteen combat sports participating in the first ever World Combat Games which were held in Beijing, China under the patronage of the IOC and SportAccord in 2010. WAKO once again participated in the 2013 World Combat Games which were held in St. Petersburg Russia in October of 2013 under the patronage of the IOC and SportAccord. Three rule styles were involved at the Combat Games – Low Kick, Point Fighting, and Full Contact.

WAKO USA and WAKO PRO govern and sanction the sport of kickboxing in three rule styles that compete inside a boxing ring: Full Contact, Low Kick, and K-1. WAKO USA governs and supports martial arts competition which takes place on a matted floor in four styles: Point Fighting, Light Contact, Kick-Light, and Musical Forms. Every two years the WAKO World Championships brings together the best athletes from around the world to compete in each rule style. Each of WAKO’s 85 affiliated national federations can present only 1 competitor in each weight class and the WAKO World Championships determines who truly is the best of the best.

Post from Roy Baker:

WE DID IT: Today, one of our dreams have been realised. WAKO has been recognised by the IOC as a member provisionally, at the IOC Executive Committee meeting today in Tokyo. This is the biggest step in the history of our sport. Special thanks goes to Espen Lund, and the legal team Francesca Falsoni and Nikolaus Gstättner and of course Barbara Falsoni. I AM PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM. This was an extrodinary team alongside and supporting our past presidents, Georg F. Brückner, Ennio Falsoni and Borislav Pelevich who had the energy and vision. It has been a long and tough road and something positive that our sport deserves. Now we must move forward, stronger, united and with a single vision. I am so proud today, I feel i am going to burst. THANK YOU to everybody that supported us along the way. WE DID IT #WAKOIOC #ONEWAKO

Some highlights of Team USA Members from Region 10 representing at the PAN AM Championships in Mexico: Xander Eddy (Gold Medalist) 🥇🥋