News Kickboxing receives recognition by IOC

[brucelee]

Similar to Muay Thai in 2016 kickboxing has been accepted by the IOC to the family of Olympic sports. The recognition is provisional for the duration of three years. The IOC picked WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) as the federation to represent kickboxing.
https://wako.org/ioc-recognition

WAKO represents 7 different styles of kickboxing from K-1 to point fighting, fullcontact and continuous light contact. It is not known which of the styles might become eligible to participate at the Olympics and when. Time will tell. It's good news nevertheless.

 

[Snubnoze707]

The IOC picked WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) as the federation to represent kickboxing.

Not sure that is a good thing. They've been responsible for some of the most horrendous judging in recent memory...

 

[Shadess]

Can't wait to explain to people, no, this isn't the thing I like.

Don't really care to watch any swordplay to music, but one would assume there'd be a ring sports version if it ever made it to the Olympics. Maybe even just a ring sport or that and some tatami things.

Not entirely sure what to think of this. The governing tards, WAKO included, are the worst thing in kickboxing as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps they'd have an incentive to work together more now?

Would probably mean a second kickboxing boom in China if it was an Olympic thing though.

 

[Tayski]

Somehow I have a feeling that the ruleset for the Olympics would most likely be above-the-waist kickboxing / American style Kickboxing and most likely point-scoring too, rather than our dear K-1 ruleset.

 

[ArtemV]

I hope it isn't the American kickboxing style.. that would be unfortunate. K1/light contact will be most likely I think.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Olympics has boxing, and TKD. Dont need KB in there.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Olympics has boxing, and TKD. Dont need KB in there.

I don't follow your logic. The Olympics also have Judo, so maybe we should remove Boxing?

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I don't follow your logic. The Olympics also have Judo, so maybe we should remove Boxing?

Because we have judo, greco, and freestyle, we dont need sambo. And honestly I dont know why they have freestyle and greco. You can do everything you do in greco whilst doing freestyle.

 

[Mafanofe]

Olympics have Tennis, why should they have Table Tennis?

 

[Snubnoze707]

Because we have judo, greco, and freestyle, we dont need sambo. And honestly I dont know why they have freestyle and greco. You can do everything you do in greco whilst doing freestyle.

What if it was Kickboxing with a minimum punch count?

 

[Monte Moku]

Because we have judo, greco, and freestyle, we dont need sambo. And honestly I dont know why they have freestyle and greco. You can do everything you do in greco whilst doing freestyle.

By that logic, Muay Thai should replace TKD and Boxing, since you can do all the techniques from both under that ruleset. Who needed Boxing anyway?

 

[Hellcat93]

I’m pretty sure it will be the K-1 ruleset

 

[MadSquabbles500]

What if it was Kickboxing with a minimum punch count?

Nah, they may as well do TKD with minimum punch then.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

By that logic, Muay Thai should replace TKD and Boxing, since you can do all the techniques from both under that ruleset. Who needed Boxing anyway?

Well, if you want to do away with boxing, and TKD, sure put in KB. I just think its either or, and not all three.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Nah, they may as well do TKD with minimum punch then.

You realize Olympic TKD is nothing like Kickboxing without punching don't you? It's not even remotely close to being the same sport.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Well, if you want to do away with boxing, and TKD, sure put in KB. I just think its either or, and not all three.

Bro you've been here since 2011 why are you having white belt opinions?

 

[Kanka]

not sure if this is good news

 

[Tayski]

not sure if this is good news

If you consider what the Olympics have done to Tae Kwon Do and even Judo, you know it's not good news.

 

[Kanka]

If you consider what the Olympics have done to Tae Kwon Do and even Judo, you know it's not good news.

I’m quite ignorant in this subject. What happened?

 

[Tayski]

I’m quite ignorant in this subject. What happened?

There is a lot to it but essentially they transformed 2 arts into limited sports to the point where most Judo and Tae Kwon Do clubs now only focus on the Olympic sport rather than the full art. Basically a big part of the techniques have been taken out to fit within the Olympic rules which are more restrictive.

For instance in Judo the wrestling-type moves such as kata guruma (shoulder wheel) and morote gari (two-hand leg reap) are now illegal, so most clubs don't even practice them as they're not legal techniques under the Olympic ruleset. The real reason behind those techniques being illegal in the Olympics is because there is already greco-roman and freestyle wrestling so they don't want Judo to look too similar.

This also means that kata and self-defence aspects of the art of Judo are not really focused on anymore, only the competition aspect.

Same thing happened to Tae Kwon Do where now most dojangs focus on the Olympic sport rather than the art, and the art is actually by far a lot more efficient than the limited Olympic sport with its many rules. For instance hand techniques have diminished because of the Olympics. Another one is how Tae Kwon Do used to be more full contact and techniques scored if they landed and did damage, but the Olympics didn't like full-contact and preferred implementing electronic-scoring where it's about touching to score rather than throwing an effective technique with impact. Basically now it's a watered down version of sport Karate.

I can only imagine that if Kickboxing got to the Olympics it would be with a limited ruleset and more likely than not point-scoring rather than full-contact. This basically means that a lot of gyms would then adopt the new Olympic ruleset and train specifically for it in order to have state sponsored competitors within their gym and therefore having their gym state sponsored. Then this means more and more gyms focusing on the new Olympic ruleset, and before you know it there are heaps more competitions and competitors for Olympic Kickboxing rather than real full-contact Kickboxing.