I ran the STAR System world kickboxing ratings in the 1980s. I noticed your history of early kickboxing and wanted to tell you I thought you provided a good, well-researched presentation. I would offer three small suggestions: 1) Japanese kick-boxing is spelled with a hyphen, US/international kickboxing without. 2) Count Dante (John Keehan), Ray Skarica and John Ryther are credited with pioneering full-contact efforts but are not credited with founding American kickboxing because their events were closed provincial affairs that did not attract major national champion competitors, large audiences or media coverage. 3) The WKA always considered itself part of the full-contact karate movement, even with leg kicks. It changed its name to World Kickboxing Association when the term "kickboxing" became popular parlance. (I was WKA ratings commissioner at the time, and I remember the name change.) International kickboxing distinguishes itself from muay Thai through its prohibition against striking-and-holding, and also its requirement that judges score rounds based on overall competitor effectiveness as opposed to classic "muay Thai" techniques. Knee and elbow strikes, leg kicks, footsweeps and throws are provincial techniques that may or may not be included in a kickboxing match.
Regards, Paul Maslak Paul@starsystemkickboxing.net
8th Degree Black Belt in taekwondo
Owner of Griffin Martial Arts
Martial arts instructor at Cristo rey high School, Martial arts instructor at Summitt early learning Center
mastrgrify@yahoo.com
Married & Father
1 comment:
Master Griffin,
I ran the STAR System world kickboxing ratings in the 1980s. I noticed your history of early kickboxing and wanted to tell you I thought you provided a good, well-researched presentation. I would offer three small suggestions: 1) Japanese kick-boxing is spelled with a hyphen, US/international kickboxing without. 2) Count Dante (John Keehan), Ray Skarica and John Ryther are credited with pioneering full-contact efforts but are not credited with founding American kickboxing because their events were closed provincial affairs that did not attract major national champion competitors, large audiences or media coverage. 3) The WKA always considered itself part of the full-contact karate movement, even with leg kicks. It changed its name to World Kickboxing Association when the term "kickboxing" became popular parlance. (I was WKA ratings commissioner at the time, and I remember the name change.) International kickboxing distinguishes itself from muay Thai through its prohibition against striking-and-holding, and also its requirement that judges score rounds based on overall competitor effectiveness as opposed to classic "muay Thai" techniques. Knee and elbow strikes, leg kicks, footsweeps and throws are provincial techniques that may or may not be included in a kickboxing match.
Regards,
Paul Maslak
Paul@starsystemkickboxing.net
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