Kickboxing is a modern contact fighting sport created on the basis of many traditional combat sports and martial arts. Kickboxing is a unique Western response to many Eastern martial arts. It can be practiced on competitive or recreational level depending on the aspirations of the kickboxer, but for sure it is a sport designed to improve your overall health, strength and endurance.
WAKO kickboxing has 7 competitive disciplines, three ring and four tatami disciplines.
Ring disciplines: Full contact, Low kick, K-1 Rules.
Fighting area is the ring. Each bout consists of three two minute rounds with a minute break between each round.
The intention of kickboxer is to defeat his opponent with legal techniques which must be delivered with full power.
Tatami disciplines: Point fighting, Light contact, Kick light and Musical forms (with and without weapons).
Fighting area is the tatami. The intention of kickboxer is to defeat his opponent with legal techniques which must be delivered with controlled power. Each round is two minutes with a minute break between the rounds but number of rounds is different and it depends of the discipline.
Today WAKO counts on 135 affiliated nations in the 5 continents, of which 106 are officially recognized by either National Olympic Committee or relevant National Government Sports Authority.
Nowadays there are more than 4.000.000 practitioners in more than 40.000 clubs all over the globe. WAKO is promoting Bi Annually Continental and World Championships (in all seven disciplines) and organizes World and Continental Cups and Open tournaments.
WAKO is officially recognized by:
IOC (International Olympic Committee) – since November 30th, 2018
GAISF – former SportAccord (Global Association of International Sports Federations),
IWGA (International World Games Association),
ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations)
FISU (International University Sports Federation),
WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency),
CIFP (International Fair Play Organization),
OCA (Olympic Council of Asia),
IWG (International Working Group of Women in Sport),
Peace and Sport.
As the World Kickboxing governing body responsible for creating, interpreting, managing, coordinating, improving, promoting and organizing activities in all the 5 Continents, WAKO has finally reached the goal of hundred thousand of kickboxers in the World, in fact November 30th, 2018, will remain in our sports history as one of the milestones, because the sport of Kickboxing was granted provisional recognition by the IOC Executive Board. The decision was taken by the IOC Executive Board in Tokyo Japan on 30th November 2018 upon the IOC Sports Department’s recommendation.
Moreover, on July 20th 2021 the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo granted full recognition to WAKO pursuant to Rule 25 of the Olympic Charter.
Kickboxing under the world governing body of WAKO applied for recognition as an IOC sport in 2016 and has underpinned its values alongside IOC by the WAKO to foster, develop and promote the Olympic values.
Here below a list of WAKO’s main achievements and recognition confirming its international status:
WAKO ensures development in-line with the Olympic Movement and its various Charters, whose principles are integrated into all documents and policies of WAKO organization.
