The world of Kickboxing is in celebration on the 30th of November, it is the day of the provisional International Olympic Committee recognition of WAKO.
On this day, we want, with all the power and to the most, to promote values of our sport. Those values gather kickboxers from each club all over the world, to one WAKO family.
Unity, friendship and respect is needed today more than ever.
“It is our members federations’ positive reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself that determines how our sport will grow in the future and it will grow, of that I am sure. No matter how difficult the situation may appear, it does not entirely own us. It can’t take away our freedom to respond, our power to act, our passion and commitment for and to our sport. We will prevail, we are WAKO and WAKO is Kickboxing. I congratulate to all on the International Kickboxing Day” ,
Roy Baker, WAKO President
WAKO was kicking off 5 days of activism around the International Kickboxing Day on November 30th!
This is the time when we recognize our key values, which are guiding principles in our work.
MOTIVATED TO WIN
In WAKO, we have our WINNING MENTALITY.
It is demonstrated by personal efforts of our coaches that lead to positive outcome in overall development of our athletes.
“Coaches in WAKO are nurturing winning mentality of our athletes. We have passion for winning in our muscles, our bones and in our hearts. Kickboxers are motivated to win by the Fair play rules, which means respect, friendship, equality and solidarity”.
Dejan Pavić, the best WAKO coach in ring disciplines in the world.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OF WAKO MEMBERS
Differences among the various nations, races, religions among WAKO members, make individuals unique from one another and makes WAKO stronger.
“I have been working in WAKO administration office since the beginning, cooperating over the decade with WAKO members from all over the world. During that period I have learned so much about diversity and inclusion.
In WAKO we respect the traits and characteristics that make people unique and consistently respect social norms that ensure people feel welcome in our organization. Such working environment is extremely motivating. In WAKO you feel you can be yourself. It’s a natural human psychological need which leads to the greater results. We all somehow belong to the WAKO family.”
Barbara Falsoni, WAKO Administration Executive Secretary
WAKO FOR YOUTH: EMPOWER, ENCOURAGE, EDUCATE
The youth journey is a road map to the WAKO future.
“Taking care of young athletes in WAKO means not only how they are acquiring motor skills, developing positive self-image and realising strong social interactions, but also how they are developing over the long term, both in terms of their athletic abilities and their ability to move forward and make good decisions in life. Parents play an important role here, looking at their children to see what they are developmentally ready to do, and not pushing them too early into situations that will be frustrating. There is nothing more powerful than the joy and the tears of a 10 years old kid in the fighting area, after the match” .
Mikhail Gerasimov, Director of Russian Kickboxing Federation and the best tatami referee in the World.
RESPECT YOUR BODY AND ITS LIMITS-BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE
Para-sport movement.
We have to ensure that our sport and all our athletes are given the opportunity, visibility and awareness they deserve. The sports belong to the people. To all people. We still have much work to do.
“We in WAKO have a huge responsibility to influence a fragile world and increase accessibility to Para-sports and shift biases toward individuals with physical impairments. Training with kickboxing team in wheelchair and Parkison’s disease is a great pleasure and satisfaction. We exercise and do fights in parks and forests.This helps and improves their overall fitness. We encourage everyone to exercise together with us” .
Sebastian Górniak and Karol Wojcik (Polish national para-kickboxing team coaches) and Wojciech Wiertel (former WAKO Champion and a coach dealing with Parkinson trainings).
GENERATION Z BUILDS A FUTURE
We are here today, tomorrow will be generations to come.
“Generation Z is a generation of game changers. Born after 1996, they are the most powerful part of the global society. They are racially and ethnically more diverse than any previous generation, they are creating and interpreting trends, they have high standards for how they spend their time and probably they are the most well-educated generation yet. They are WAKO future”.
Paulo Zorello, former WAKO champion and President of Brazilian Confederation and WAKO Panam and Vice-President of WAKO.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL KICKBOXING DAY!
