International Sport Karate Association

International Sport Karate Association

Type	Private
Industry	Kickboxing promotion
Founded	1985 (1985)
Headquarters	United States
Website	http://www.iskaworldhq.com/

The International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) is one of the major international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United States. It was established in 1985 as a response to legal and revenue issues that sent the Professional Karate Association (PKA) into decline.^[1]

History[]

From 1974 until 1985, the PKA had been the most recognised worldwide kickboxing sanctioning group. It was instrumental in establishing public relay of the sport via ESPN, helping to introduce the burgeoning sport to a wider audience,^[2] and had also developed the first fighter's ratings systems. Five major U.S.-based promoters and resigning PKA executives created the new body, the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), with an official announcement on July 16, 1986. The first U.S. directors were Mike Sawyer, Karyn Turner, Tony Thompson, John Worley and Scott Coker. It currently runs the biggest martial arts tournament in the world, The U.S Open. Thousands of competitors from around the world participate every year.^[3]

Many of the major PKA promoters began sanctioning their events with the ISKA and several also joined its administration. ISKA also secured ESPN broadcasts of its major title bouts in 1986, thus helping bring quick credibility and recognition to the new association.

Since the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) was mostly active in Europe and the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) in Asia, ISKA was quick to expand through its own European Directors starting October 1986 with Olivier Muller, Jérome Canabate and Mohamed Hosseini. American Richard Mayor oversaw the establishment of this European wing as European President between 1986 and 1988.^[4]

By 1991, the worldwide control of the ISKA was shared by two co-chairmen: Mike Sawyer and Olivier Muller. International TV coverage was secured, and united separate organisations were formed worldwide to handle responsibility for international sanctioning and grading. ISKA has conducted its official activities under ISKA ASIA since 2008 with Dr. S. A. Moinshirazi the President of ISKA ASIA. Paul Zadro is the President of ISKA Australia, which is the biggest martial arts tournament circuit in Australia.^[5]

In the early 2000s ISKA began sanctioning K-1 events such as K1-MAX and K-1 USA, and for several years they also sanctioned both kickboxing and MMA events for Strikeforce.^[6] Starting from 2012, ISKA sanctioned events for the kickboxing promotion Glory.^[6]

Current activities[]

ISKA is a sport karate, all styles kickboxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) sanctioning body in the United States and over 50 countries worldwide.

ISKA's Martial Arts World Championships are held yearly at the US Open of Martial Arts in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The US Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championships celebrated its 40th anniversary the July 4 weekend, 2013. More than 4,000 competitors and 10,000 spectators attend the two-day event each year. The event closes with the Night of Champions featuring the ISKA World Martial Arts Championships. The Night of Champions airs live on ESPN3, while a highlights show airs later on ESPN2. The US Open is the longest continuously running martial arts event on ESPN. The US Open highlights continue to air throughout the year on CSI Sports networks, reaching approximately 85 million households.^[7]

World Champions[]

Men's divisions[]

Style	Flyweight	Bantamweight	Featherweight	Super Featherweight	Lightweight	Super Lightweight
Oriental Rules	Vacant	Tenshin Nasukawa	Franck Gross	Miguel Martinez	Adam Bouarourou	Benjamin Horvath
Full Contact Kickboxing	Mathieu Damiano	Vacant	Jerome Ardissone	Jonathan Pastorino	Yoann Portaller	Vladislav Melmik
Freestyle Kickboxing	Vacant	Martin Blanco	Tenshin Nasukawa	Vacant	Mohamed Karbal	Enzo Bonio
Muay Thai	Andrii Mezentsev	Vacant	Carlos Coello	Jonathan Haggerty	Vacant	Shunsuke Oishi
K-1 Rules	Akram Hamidi	Eisaku Ogasawara	Yanis Goucef	Ján Szajko	Koji	Yannick Reine
Style	Light Welterweight	Welterweight	Super Welterweight	Light Middleweight	Middleweight	Super Middleweight
Oriental Rules	Mo Abdurahman	Vacant	Armen Petrosyan	Mustapha Haida	Karim Ghajji	Karim Ghajji
Full Contact Kickboxing	Vladislav Melmik	Vacant	Gaetan Delacher	José Rodríguez	Mehdi Kada	Mondhor Yacoubi
Freestyle Kickboxing	Modibo Diarra	David Mejia	Sergio Sanchez	Edouard Bernadou	Cedric de Keirsmaeker	Lukasz Plawecki
Muay Thai	Khumsab	Malker Garcia	Fabio Pinca	Nauzet Trujillo	Youssef Boughanem	Patrick Madisse
K-1 Rules	Roberto Gheorghita	Malker Garcia	Giorgio Petrosyan	Youssef Assouik	Mickael Lopes De Veiga	Patrick Madisse
Style	Light Heavyweight	Light Cruiserweight	Cruiserweight	Super Cruiserweight	Heavyweight	Super Heavyweight
Oriental Rules	Cyril Benzaquen	Reda Ougdou	Alberto Tapia	Moises Baute	Vacant	Murat Aygün
Full Contact Kickboxing	Jon Durrant	Emmanuel Mahout	James Green	Riyadh Al-Azzawi	Vacant	Vacant
Freestyle Kickboxing	Frederic Kowatz	Luca Adreani	Florent Kaouachi	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant
Muay Thai	Atakan Arslan	Henry Bannert	Bejan Ahmedi	Emmanuel Payet	Randy Blake	Thomas Froschauer
K-1 Rules	Kevin Ward	Madani Rahmani	Francis Jorge	Turpal Tokaev	Mamoudou Keita	Frédéric Sinistra

As of July 14, 2020

Women's divisions[]

Style	Atomweight	Strawweight	Flyweight	Super Flyweight
Oriental Rules	Vacant	Michelle Newell	Gloria Peritore	Serin Murray
Full Contact Kickboxing	Emilie Machut	Djouarha Chafia	Gloria Peritore	Lizzie Largillière
Freestyle Kickboxing	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant
Muay Thai	Anna Shiratsuki	Amy Pirnie	Kim Townsend	Vacant
K-1 Rules	Cristina Morales	Ludivine Lasnier	Djouarha Chafia	Cynthia Gonzalez
Style	Bantamweight	Featherweight	Super Featherweight	Lightweight
Oriental Rules	Vacant	Mellony Geugjes	Lara Fernandez	Deniz Batinli
Full Contact Kickboxing	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant
Freestyle Kickboxing	Vacant	Chiara Vincis	Aurélie Froment	Nili Block
Muay Thai	Melillo Sveva	Vacant	Vacant	Vacant
K-1 Rules	Anissa Meksen	Martine Michieletto	Sabriye Şengül	Aurélie Froment
Style	Super Lightweight	Light Welterweight	Welterweight	Super Welterweight
Oriental Rules	Deniz Batinli	Anke Van Gestel	Vacant	Vacant
Full Contact Kickboxing	Irene Mertens	Vacant	Vacant	Cathy LeMee
Freestyle Kickboxing	Cindy Perros	Cindy Perros	Vacant	Vacant
Muay Thai	Veronica Vernocchi	Vacant	Vacant	Anna Rantanen
K-1 Rules	Anke Van Gestel	Johanna Kruse	Vacant	Vacant

As of August 31, 2020

See also[]

• World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
• World Kickboxing Network

References[]

External links[]

Web resources

• International Sport Karate Association (I.S.K.A. Head Office)
• International Sport Karate Association (I.S.K.A. ASIA)
• International Sport Karate Association (I.S.K.A. EUROPE)
• International Sport Kickboxing Association (I.S.K.A. CZECH REPUBLIC

Books and articles

• (in French) "A History of Full Contact Karate
• "A History of Kickboxing" – Mikes Miles
• "A History of kickboxing" – « black-belt »
• (in French) Delmas Alain, Callière Jean-Roger, Histoire du Kick-boxing, FKBDA, France, 1998
• (in French) Delmas Alain, Définition du Kick-boxing, FKBDA, France, 1999
• Miles Mikes, site An interview with Joe Lewis, 1998