CHILDREN, CADETS and JUNIORS WAKO Youth European Championship JESOLO LIDO (VE) – ITALY From 12th to 21st SEPTEMBER 2025

Clean sport education is a cornerstone for clean sport. As a strategy measure, education aims to empower athletes and others to play clean, and to encourage behaviours in line with the principles and values of clean sport. As part of the ITA-ARISF clean sport education collaboration, we are pleased to provide WAKO members with access to a series of clean sport education webinars taking place at 14:00 – 15:00 CEST on Wednesday 24 September, Wednesday 1 October and Wednesday 8 October. These interactive one-hour sessions for athletes and Athlete Support Personnel have been designed to cover key anti-doping topics, and anti-doping rights and responsibilities. The webinars will be delivered in English, with simultaneous translation into Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish. Register now and share the registration link with your community: Click here to register Don’t miss this opportunity for kickboxers and support personnel to enhance their understanding of anti-doping and access to valuable tools and resources.

WAKO President Roy Baker and WAKO Pan Am President Paulo Zorello, together with delegation members Ruben Lara, Miguel Sarria and Edilberto Lara, met with the President of the Peru NOC to discuss the growth and development of kickboxing in Peru and the wider region. Both delegations successfully agreed on important initiatives to further support the sport’s development.

Discover WAKO’s rich history, from the first kickboxing fight in 1970 to becoming the global governing body for the sport. Learn how legends shaped the journey. The Story of WAKO WAKO's history is deeply intertwined with the evolution of kickboxing in the Western world. It all began in 1970 when the legendary Joe Lewis had what is now recognized as the first "kickboxing fight" against Greg Baines in the USA. This was a groundbreaking event—the first time boxing gloves were used, and the term "kickboxing" was mentioned. The sport gained further momentum in 1974 with the inaugural "World Championship in Full Contact" held in Los Angeles. Organized by pioneers Joe Lewis and Mike Anderson, it was a landmark moment for the sport. Kickboxing legends Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith, and Joe Lewis emerged as the first Full Contact World Champions. Building a strong and lasting world organization for kickboxing was a challenging task amidst the dynamic martial arts scene of the time. George Brueckner and Mike Anderson had the vision to create a global platform for the sport, leading to the formation of the "World All-Style Karate Organization," soon to be known as WAKO. WAKO's journey in Europe began in 1976, and the organization was officially founded in Berlin, Germany, on February 26th, 1977, by Mr. Georg Brueckner. The first-ever World Championships in semi and full-contact karate, as it was then called, took place in 1978, featuring 110 competitors from 18 countries. WAKO quickly established official rules and regulations, incorporating hand and leg techniques for amateur fights with a focus on safety. This marked the official adoption of the term "kickboxing," with WAKO positioning itself as the world’s authentic Kickboxing Federation. From 1984 to 2013, WAKO was led by Mr. Ennio Falsoni of Italy. Under his leadership, WAKO solidified its reputation as a respected international sports organization, hosting World Championships every two years across different continents. After decades of dedication, Mr. Falsoni now serves as WAKO’s Honorary President. For those interested in a deeper dive into WAKO's history, his book, "KICKBOXING: The Phenomenology of a SPORT," provides a comprehensive account. (To obtain a copy, contact WAKO HQ at administration@wako.sport or call +39 345 0135521.) Following an acting presidency from 2013 to 2015, Prof. Borislav Pelević of Serbia was elected WAKO President in November 2015 in Dublin, Ireland. Sadly, Prof. Pelević passed away in October 2018. The WAKO Board of Directors then appointed Mrs. Francesca Falsoni, Chairwoman of the WAKO Legal Committee, as Interim President in November 2018. Her leadership guided WAKO through an Extraordinary General Assembly, culminating in the election of Mr. Roy Baker of Ireland as WAKO President on February 2nd, 2019, in Milan, Italy. WAKO Kickboxing Today Kickboxing is a modern combat sport rooted in various traditional martial arts. As a distinct Western response to Eastern martial arts, kickboxing can be practiced both competitively and recreationally, promoting health, strength, and endurance. Today, WAKO proudly represents 130 affiliated nations across five continents, with 105 of these nations officially recognized by their National Olympic Committees or relevant government sports authorities.

Discover WAKO’s GameChangers program, empowering young leaders with skills, innovation, and opportunities to shape the future of kickboxing. GameChangers WHAT IS WAKO GAMECHANGERS? WAKO GameChangers (WGC) is a development concept in WAKO. It is established under the Athlete Corner umbrella, WAKOs learn and share concept and it is built on the pillar to educate and develop future leaders in our sport. In addition, the concept are meant to improve the culture, to trigger the pride and curiosity among the WAKO youth and to act preventive. The future generation are the asset to secure a sustainable development of WAKO as a whole. The WGC are designed as a management development program to learn about WAKO and international sport and the Olympic movement. It is also meant to strengthen good governance, transparency, integrity, involvement and communication. To support potential and future leaders in Sport. 2 editions of this program have been organized GameChangers.Lausanne.Report.6.12.24.pdf (3.6MB) WAKO.GC.REPORT.28.10.2022.pdf (3.7 MB) GameChangers.Lausanne.Report.6.12.24 (1).pdf (3.6 MB) GameChanger.Report.Budapest.24.2.24.pdf (2.8 MB) Report GameChangers meeting Budapest 2021..pdf (2.7 MB)

Stay informed with messages and updates from the WAKO President, highlighting key initiatives and the future of global kickboxing. Presidents Corner nov 2024