MONDAY, March 31st, 2003, AT 6:10 PM, PST

Surprise...
More EARTHLINK Problems...

IKF Headquarters: As if the e-mail problems last week (See below) didn't cause enough headaches around here, it got worse... Yesterday and most of today, Earthlink had our IKF site down due to technical errored problems...At about 5:45 PM today, the site was finally back on. Like the e-mail situation, although not our fault, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused anyone.

SATURDAY, March 29th, 2003, AT 6:00 PM, PST

IKF E-Mail Now WORKING

As of 10:PM Pacific Time Friday night, Earthlink finally got our e-mail working again. We are sure that we missed several e-mails from many of you so if you tried to e-mail the IKF since about 11 AM yesterday (Friday), using any of our e-mail addresses, your mail probably never reached us. Because of this, we ask you to please send your e-mails to us again. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused anyone.

FRIDAY, March 28th, 2003, AT 1:15 PM, PST

E-Mail Down...

If you have tried to e-mail the IKF Today since about 11 AM, using any of our e-mail addresses, your mail may not have reached us. For whatever reason, for the "SECOND" time this week (This happened Tuesday as well), our provider, Earthlink, has had some unknown problems with their main server. Although they have told us they are working on it we thought we would make an announcement here to any of you trying to mail us that it still is not working...We hope it will be back and working later today... Please send us your e-mails again if you tried to e-mail us from 11 AM Pacific Standard time forward today. So again, as of 1:15 PM today, our e-mail is down. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused anyone.

MORE NEWS OF 3-28-03

POSTED AT 11:20 AM, PST

Masters Gym In Germany Attains
TWO IKF World Champions
IKF MuayThai Champions Shakuta & Shish

With "MASTER" list of accomplished fighters from their Gym already, Master's Gym in Germany landed two more big names recently. Current IKF Pro MuayThai World Champions Dimitri Shakuta (Below Left) and Vasily Shish (Below Right) of Belarus have made to move to Germany to be trained and managed by Klaus Waschkewitz (Right) form Germany Masters Gym.

Waschkewitz is the former Trainer/Coach of K-1 star Stefan Leko. Promoters interested in booking Shakuta or Shish for bouts can reach Waschkewitz through e-mail at info@masters-gym.de or see their website at www.masters-gym.de. Other fighters from Hungary and other areas are still being considered to make the move to Master's Gym.

At only 20 years old, both these fighters have accomplished more than most fighters do in a lifetime. Along with their IKF Pro MuayThai World titles, the two fighters have a host of other titles to their name.

Shish won his IKF Pro MuayThai Super Lightweight World Title on January 14th, 2000 when he defeated Richard Kostuck of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA by TKO after Shish cut open Kostuck's forehead with an elbow shot at 38 seconds into round 1 in Minsk Belarus. Shish has had over 80 fights and has won 3 World Titles from the IKF of course and WAKO. He has also won European titles with IAMTF and WAKO.

Shakuta won his IKF Pro MuayThai Super Welterweight World Title on June 29th, 2000 when he defeated Pramuenrit Sithsaeng-a- run of Thailand by KO in Novosibirsk, Russia. Shakuta has over 100 fights in his history and has won 7 World Titles which include his IKF World Title, WAKO, and WAKO PRO. He has also won 2 European titles with IAMTF and WAKO.

Both fighters were formally trained by Belarus "SUPER TRAINER" Evgeny Kotelnikov. No reasons were given why they made the change in trainers but Kotelnikov is sure to still have a house full of super star athletes. He has been regarded as one of the best trainers in all of Europe and won the IKF Trainer of the year in 2000. That same year he also won the IKF Promoter Of The Year and was the co-winner of the IKF Prestige Award. The IKF Prestige Award is Awarded to the Individuals who have done the most for the IKF during the year. To read more on this award go to the bottom of this page link HERE!

THURSDAY, March 27th, 2003, AT 4:40 PM, PST

Finney & Donaker Bring On
IKF Team USA vs IKF Team CANADA!
Saturday Night, March 29th, 2003, Springfield, Illinois, USA

Springfield, Illinois, USA: 2002 Amateur Promoter of the Year Jesse Finney (Right) and Rob Donaker have once again teamed up with The Ansar Shrine Temple, to bring a night of kickboxing to them. Now in the third year of this relationship, Finney and Donaker have went outside the United States to bring in a team from Canada to show the Springfield crowd some of the best fighters around.

Ansar Shrine Temple has put together and incredible night for ticket buyers. The IKF Sanctioned event is this Saturday, March 29th. The night will start at 5:30 PM with cocktail and hors' dourves, 6:30 dinner (prime rib, salad, and twice baked potato), with the fights starting at 8:00. All this for $60.00. This also includes all drinks the whole night.

Since the first year, the crowd has grown to be almost too big for the facility. This event is slowing becoming a black tie affair. After spending 5 days in London, Ontario this past weekend, Finney and IKF Canada Associate Shawn Tompkins (Right) traded training ideas and have set up joint training sessions for their fighters. The two trainers, both under 30 years old, believe their gyms to be two of the top gyms in the World today. Fighters between the two gyms will be traveling back and forth training different things over the next year. With these two schools, a North American team is only a short time away.

Some things to look for in the coming year from these two gyms:

• Tompkins: More boxing skills to go long with his fighters awesome kicking skills.
• Finney's: Adoption of the Bas Rutten Fighting System Seminar's put on by Bas Rutten, Muay Thai fighting.

Here's the nights fight schedule in reverse order

1. Main Event: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario, Canada) 8-2 vs Dylon Leonard (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) 2-0.
2. Ralph Harr (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) 0-0 vs John Patterson (London, Ontario, Canada) 0-0.
3. Rob McDonald (London, Ontario, Canada) vs Brett Beamen (Belleville, Illinois, USA).
4. Dave Frick (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) 0-0 vs Mike Macanenie (London, Ontario, Canada) 0-0
5. Lorenzo Giancola (London, Ontario, Canada) vs Mike Winkler (Belleville, Illinois, USA).
6. James Joseph (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) 0-0 vs Adam Jones (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) 0-0 .
7. "Poison" Ivy Davis (Belleville, Illinois, USA) vs Nick "The Italian Stallion" Rondenelli (London, Ontario, Canada)

For more info please contact Mr. Jesse Finney at (314) 351-5226 or by e-mail by clicking: HERE or visit their website at www.FinneysKickboxing.com

MORE NEWS OF 3-27-03

More Hotels Support the
2003 IKF South East Regional

Valdosta, Georgia, USA: Several more local hotels have joined Mitch Ray of the Valdosta Best Western King of the Road Hotel (229) 244-7600, in supporting the 2003 IKF South East Regional. They include the following:

• The Clubhouse Inn whose rooms for competitors are only $70. Their rooms are normally $84 each. The Clubhouse can be contacted at (229) 247-7755.
• The Surburban Lodge has the lowest priced rooms of all our hotel supporters at only $43.99 each! The Surburban can be contacted at (229) 293-9111.
• The Fairfield Inn has rooms available for competitors at $69 each. The contact number for the Fairfield is (229) 253-9300.

2003 IKF South East Regional Promoter, James Corbett (Left) sees an overwhelming message when talking with Azalea City hoteliers regarding the weekend of the event. "All of the accommodations at the hotels are going FAST. For example, the Clubhouse Inn informed the 2003 IKF South East Regional Promotional team that they currently have only 40 rooms available for that weekend, which is 3 months away. Competitors, trainers, and fight fans should reserve their rooms ASAP. The 2003 IKF South East Regional Promotional team would hate for late arrivals to faced with NO ROOM AT THE INN. Competitors should also send their registrations ASAP to avoid late fees."

For more information on the 2003 IKF South East Regional, contact event promoter at (229) 245-8622, or go to the 2003 IKF South East Regional Web Page by clicking HERE! And for more information on the 2003 IKF South East Regional see www.valdostamac.com/newregional.html

MORE NEWS OF 3-27-03

IKF Welcomes Jean-Yves Theriault
& The ICEMAN Kickboxing Circuit!

Quebec, Canada: He won "23" Kickboxing World Titles and was truly one of the Greatest Kickboxers of all time! Now Jean-Yves Theriault (Left punching) runs a successful martial arts school (Therien Jiu-Jitsu & Kickboxing) and organizes events in his new "ICEMAN Kickboxing Circuit"

This coming June 14th in Montreal Canada, Theriault and his "ICEMAN Kickboxing Circuit" will begin sanctioning their events with the IKF. A full press release will be posted here next week... Keep watch for more on The "ICEMAN Kickboxing Circuit" around the world!

MORE NEWS OF 3-27-03

Cung Le Fights Again at K-1
FRIDAY, MAY 2nd, 2003, 7:00 PM Pacific (10:00 PM Eastern)

San Jose, CA, USA: Wake Up San Shou fight fans, Cung Le is soon to be back in the ring! At last, Cung Le, (Right), one of the most explosive competitors in the martial arts world returns to the ring. Watch Cung Le (IKF Pro San Shou World Champion ) drop some bombs at the K-1 Superfight on May 2, live from the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas on Pay Per View... Or...

See Le fight in person! For tickets, call (408) 729-4468 or email patty@cungle.com today to reserve your seat in the special Cung Le section. Ask for great deals on travel packages that include airfare and accommodation.

Visit Cung Le's website: www.cungle.com

MONDAY, March 24th, 2003, AT 7:30 PM, PST

New Features To IKF WebSite!

OK Fight fans, today we added two new additions to the IKF website with more to come. The first one will help you if your looking for a certain fighter or event, promoter etc. within the IKF Web Site. It's a search page. Just click HERE to use it. The second addition is our own IKF Message Board Page. Anyone can post on it and you don't have to register either. Although there are tons of these on the internet already, we've had several requests to start our own, so here it is. Just clickHERE! Message Boards are a great way to post immediate news, debate certain issues of the sport, post ideas and more. We use many message boards on the internet ourselves because they are a great way to read about the sport around the world. Both of these links can be found on the top of the front page now.

Adding to this, we will soon be adding an Audio Program to the site as well. Coming soon will be either a monthly or possibly even a weekly IKF Radio Program that you can either listen to live or download and listen to at your own convenience. All this along with the upcoming IKF Kickboxing Magazine which should be out by the end of April or beginning of May are just more things we can offer the fans and participants of IKF Kickboxing! Keep watch here on the IKF News page for more details on how you can be a part of the IKF Radio Program, IKF Kickboxing Magazine and more.

POSTED AT 11:50 AM, PST

Dallas' FOX-4 News Covers IKF/NACSO Texas Event!

Richardson, Texas, USA: There always seems to be something extra going-on at the IKF/NACSO (North American Combative Sports Org.) TEXAS Fightatorium, and Saturday, March 22nd was no different. Local Dallas television anchor Heather Hays (Left) of Fox-4 sent a crew to do a 'human interest' piece on The Fightatorium (the segment is scheduled to air in the DFW area on April 13th).

So, with all of the 'normal' flurry of activity that regularly surrounds an event here as a back-drop, Fox-4 proceeded to interview promoters, trainers, spectators AND fighters in an effort to find out what all of the "buzz" is about that is fast surrounding Kingdom Kickboxing and The Fightatorium.

Local trainer Rick Sosa from Grand Prairie brought in 5 of his fighters to face several other local kickboxers, and once again NFL Hall-Of-Famer and former Dallas Cowboys Football star Randy White dropped-by to lend his support to amateur kickboxing in the state of Texas. In the end, local fans were treated to an exciting 7-bout card with results as follows:

1. EXHIBITION: Gregory "Bear" Liflyandsky defeated "Smokin" Adria McCorkle on points
2. John "The Greek" Vakidis (180 lbs) ran his record to 9-1 with a unanimous victory over Jamel Wordlaw (183 lbs, 1-1-1)
3. Levi "The Cobra" Best unanimously out-pointed a very game Jerry "Tiger" Romero in a battle of 12 year-old competitors. Best is now 2-0.
4. 15 year old Matt Puckett (135 lbs) unanimously beat 14 year old Chris Royer (140 lbs). Puckett traveled all the way from Arkansas to compete in his first ever FCR event.
5. In a contest of super heavyweights, Mike Howard (226 lbs, 0-0) defeated Sean Maldanado (270 lbs, 0-3).
6. Israel Gonzales (135 lbs, 0-0) made a successful debut versus a very tough David Oudthone (134 lbs, 0-2) in a "historic" first ever IKF/NACSO sanctioned International Rules (Leg Kick) match-up.
7. MAIN-EVENT: Undefeated John Sosa (4-0) faced 2002 IKF USA Tournament teen FCR lightweight runner-up Cody Smith (5-5). The match posed a bit of a different kind of challenge for Sosa, who had exclusively fought International Rules until his bout with Smith. In the end, Sosa's powerful legs proved to be the difference as he won a unanimous decision.

The Fightatorium will see action again here on April 5th as 2002 IKF Men's FCR Light Welterweight Tournament Champion, Doyle Gayler faces Calvin Pitts of Grand Prairie in a 5 round main event. For more info, contact promoters Chuck Best (Left) or Steve Goin (Right) at (972) 889-0129, or e-mail them at juno.com@sirkikman or visit

www.kingdomkickboxing.com or www.kingdomkickboxing.com/nacso.html.

SUNDAY, March 23rd, 2003, AT 7:30 PM, PST

Fight Night
Returns to Jacksonville, Florida, USA!

Jacksonville Florida, USA: After more than a year's hiatus, neophyte IKF Promoter Lee Barden (Right) was able to successfully bring back Fight Night to Jacksonville. A mixed card of boxing and IKF sanctioned FCR Kickboxing was enjoyed by a crowd of 300 spectators.

The Jacksonville City Council put Fight Night on hiatus over a year ago following a death in the ring. The City legalized IKF Sanctioned fight events, consistent with Florida State law, thanks to the efforts of Barden and Gene Maszy, former "Battle Jax" tournament promoter and now State of Florida certified fight judge; who were working with a member of the City Council.

Jacksonville City Council Member At-large, Faye Rustin (Right) was so concerned about fighter safety and that the event would be ran properly, that she was on hand backstage prior to the event to learn about IKF regulations concerning fighter safety, medical staff, event supervision, judging, and refereeing. Later during the show, IKF Event Representative and South East Regional Promoter, James Corbett, (Left) instructed the audience about her concern for the fighters and how she had worked to legalize the fight event for citizens of Jacksonville. A special Thank You goes out to Faye for her work and efforts to bring kickboxing back to Jacksonville.

During intermission, Barden, the master showman, and his crew of exhibitionists from his Jacksonville school "Karate Arts" wowed the crowd with a black light nunchuka performance.
Here are the nights results...

• IKF Sanctioned Amateur FCR Kickboxing
  1. Welterweight: Jeremy Rhea winner by TKO at 44 seconds of round 3 over Jim Carlson.
     In the first match of the evening both welterweight kickboxers held a great deal of intensity until the third round. In this fairly one-sided fight, both the fighters also used a great amount of kicks. The first round saw Rhea scoring a knockdown by a spinning backfist, which he also scored with in the second round. He also landed an advancing round kick to the head and several hooks. Rhea landed another spinning backfist and won by TKO with a right cross at 44 seconds of round 3 over the scrappy, brawling Carlson.
  2. Welterweight: Michael Broyles winner by TKO when Robert Ingram failed to answer the bell at the start of the 3rd round.
     The second kickboxing match featured a lot of strong punching from both welterweight competitors. Broyles came out slugging in the first round against Ingram's effective kicks. Broyles later dominated the second round, scoring hard with a straight right. Broyles was the winner by TKO when Ingram failed to answer the bell at the start of the 3rd round.
  3. Light Heavyweight: Russell Mercer won by TKO when Javid Sayer also failed to answer the 3rd round bell.
     The light heavyweight fighters demonstrated a bit more boxing skills than kickboxing in the third kickboxing match. Mercer, the more technical fighter, was nailed by a spinning backfist in the first round by the wild Sayer. Sayer came out wild again in the second round, but was dominated by Mercer's right cross and hooks to the head. Mercer won by TKO when Sayer did not answer the 3rd round bell.
  4. Heavyweight: Jason Haddock winner TKO at 26 seconds of the 3rd round over Rick Wilson.
     Another evenly matched fight was demonstrated in the fourth (heavyweight) kickboxing match. Haddock came out with some hard straight rights against Wilson good kicking and slipping skills in the first round. The second round saw more of the same with Wilson scoring several good jabs. However, Haddock won by TKO at 26 seconds of the 3rd round with a good straight right to Wilson.
  5. Heavyweight: Sheldon Brown winner by Unanimous Decision over Joshua Gillispie.
     The last fight of the night was a great heavyweight match and an exciting way to end the evening. This fight featured a very technical and excellent kicker, Brown, against Gillispie, a scrapper that would make Peewee McCall proud. The first round saw Brown beginning by switching sides, right and left leads, and then going on to some devastating side kicks and scoring with the only hook kick to the head of the evening! Not to be intimidated, the scrappy Gillispie kept it in Brown's face as much as possible. In the second round, Brown scored a nice round kick to the head but seemed to lack the gas of Gillispie who strove to keep it toe-to-toe. In the third round Gillispie pushed Brown against the ropes and unleashed a slugger's fury. Brown answered by delivering more of the well-aimed sidekicks. Brown was declared the winner by unanimous decision over Gillispie at the end of the match

• Amateur Boxing Quick Results:
  • Middleweight: Mac Wendel winner by majority decision over Julius Bilgera.
  • Middleweight: David Batton winner by unanimous decision over Rocky Osteen.
  • Super Heavyweight: Ricky Baxley winner by unanimous decision over Wade Haines.
  • Heavyweight: James Mason winner by unanimous decision over Glenn Baxley.

For information on upcoming Fight Night events in Jax, contact IKF Promoter Mr. Lee Barden at (904) 762-9365 e-mail at uvmaster@attbi.com.

FRIDAY, March 21st, 2003, AT 4:00 PM, PST

IKF or ISCF Sanctioning Will Save you A TON On Insurance!

Hey Promoters. We hope all of you carry fighter medical insurance for your fighters on your kickboxing and mixed martial arts events. If so, you know how expensive it can be. For example, in the state of California, promoters are required to carry a $20,000.00 medical policy. The company the State Athletic Commission refers promoters to will charge you $1,380.00 to insure up to "10" bouts. That is, if your not sanctioning your events with the IKF... or ISCF.

The IKF and ISCF have locked in a deal with the Nations Leading Sports Insurance company, F. L. Dean & Associates. If you have an event sanctioned by the IKF and or the ISCF you will save yourself $730.00 in California on that $20,000 medical policy. However, if you have more than 10 bouts, that above policy fee goes up to $2,760.00. Not so if your event is sanctioned by the IKF or ISCF. That same $20,000 policy for $730.00 will cover up to "20 Bouts" when you sanction with the IKF or ISCF. That would save a promoter well over $2,000.00. Oh, and did we mention our IKF or ISCF policy covers both PRO and Amateur fighters? Not so with that other policy. Pro insurance is a lot more...

These are the type of things a sanctioning body should be doing for it's promoters. Along with providing excellent press coverage for their events, up to date fighter rankings for matchmaking, quality championship belts, and of course, regulation of safe rules and regulations for the fighters and the sport, the IKF and ISCF also save promoters a lot of money... F. L. Dean & Associates. will also give IKF and or ISCF associated clubs, gyms or schools great rates on your gym insurance. For more info on insurance rates through IKF or ISCF sanctioning please click HERE!

MORE NEWS OF 3-21-03

This Weekends IKF Action!

"FIGHT NIGHT!"
Set For Jacksonville Florida, USA!

This Saturday night, March 22nd, first time IKF Promoter Lee Barden (Right) will host IKF Amateur Kickboxing and Amateur Boxing on his shoe entitled, "FIGHT NIGHT!" The event will be held at the Marquee Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The event doors open at 9:00 PM and the fights are scheduled to begin at 10:PM.

The Marquee Theatre is located at 1028 Park Street, Jacksonville, Florida. The IKF event Representative will be Mr. James Corbett (Left) of Valdosta, Georgia, USA.

For more info, please contact Mr. Lee Barden at (904) 762-9365 e-mail at uvmaster@attbi.com.

More IKF Action This Weekend

Woods Ready For
The Battle of Douglasville!
Saturday, March 22nd, Douglasville Georgia, USA

Douglasville Georgia, USA: First time IKF promoter, Mike Woods (Sorry, no photo on file) is all set to host IKF Amateur Kickboxing this Saturday night, March 22nd at TITAN Kickboxing located at 8380 Grady Street, Douglasville, Georgia, USA.

The IKF event representative will be Mr. Matthew Waller (Left) and the IKF Referee will be Mr. Gary Brown (Right) For more event info please contact Mr. Mike Wood at (678) 715-1194 or (678) 234-2629 or e-mail at Mike@titankickboxing.com

You can also see their website at www.titankickboxing.com

More IKF Action This Weekend

"LETS ROLL" In Texas!
This article was posted earlier this week but brought forward for todays news.

Richardson, Texas, USA: Continuing to roll forward, the Texas "arm" of The IKF prepares for yet another "LETS ROLL" event at The Fightatorium here this coming Saturday night (March 22nd) hosted by Chuck Best (Right). This week's show will mark the 15th consecutive month that at least one sanctioned event has been overseen by NACSO (North American Combative Sports Org.) since undertaking their promotion of kickboxing in The Lone Star State as of February, 2002. The fight card for March 22nd will feature the following bouts:

1. Gregory "The Bear" Liflyandsky (95 lbs) vs "Smokin" Adria McCorkle in a rematch of their January exhibition bout which was narrowly won by Liflyandsky (3 rounds-FCR)
2. John "The Greek" Vakidis (180 lbs, 17 yr old, 8-1/4 KO's) vs. Jamel Wordlaw (183 lbs, 1-1-1) Vakidis continues his impressive march towards the Texas Championships and the IKF USA National Tournament. Adult-"journeyman" Wordlaw carries a slight weight edge into the scheduled 3 round bout with "The Greek", who seems to improve significantly every time he competes. (3 rounds-FCR)
3. Levi "The Cobra" Best (90 lbs, 12 yr old, 1-0) vs. Jerry "The Tiger" Romero (87 lbs, 12 yr old, 0-0) Two boys' youth competitors battle it out in a scheduled 3 round FCR contest.
4. Mike Howard (243 lbs, 0-0) vs. Sean Maldanado (236 lbs, 0-2) These super-heavyweights will 'toe-the-line' in a scheduled 3 round FCR match. Maldanado looks to rebound from his 2nd-round stoppage at the hands of Corey Salter last December. Maldanado has trimmed about 20 lbs of body fat since the December bout and looks hungrily for his first win.
5. Chris "The Destroyer" Royer (130 lbs, 14 yrs old, 1-1) vs. Matt Puckett (126 lbs, 15 yrs. old, 0-0) Another boys' youth competition in a scheduled 3 round FCR contest
6. Israel Gonzales (132 lbs, 0-0) vs. David Oudthone (132 lbs, 0-2). Historic first-ever NACSO/IKF International Rules contest in Texas! Bout scheduled for 3 rounds.
7. MAIN EVENT: "Psycho" Cody Smith (135 lbs, 5-5) vs. John "El Zorro" Sosa (135 lbs, 4-0). Sosa puts his unbeaten record on the line and adjusts to FCR (from International Rules) to meet up Smith who was the 2002 IKF USA National Tournament runner-up in his boys' division last year.

For more info, call Chuck Best or Steve Goin at (972) 889-0129, or e-mail them at juno.com@sirkikman or visit www.kingdomkickboxing.com or www.kingdomkickboxing.com/nacso.html.

MORE NEWS OF 3-21-03

First Entrant Registered For
South East USA Regional!

Valdosta, Georgia, USA: Philip Petersen (Right) of Birmingham, Alabama, USA is the first competitor registered for the 2003 IKF South East Regional. He is 31 years of age, 5'7" tall, and weighs 146 lbs. Philip has studied many martial arts since he was a teenager including: Shotokan Karate, Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin Kung Fu, and is a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. He started fighting for real in 1996 after entering a Yoshukai Karate bare knuckle full contact karate tournament. Afterwards, he trained with Oyama Karate from 1996 - 2001 and continues to train for and fight in bare knuckle tournaments. He began amateur boxing in 2001.

Philip started seriously training for MuayThai in the Fall of last year. He says that he lost his first fight because he was not properly prepared for the MuayThai clinch. He won his last MuayThai fight in Ft. Lauderdale on January 31, 2003. Shortly afterwards he won his division at the Southeastern Senior Boxing Championships. Because of a total lack of MuayThai in Birmingham and a general lack of fight training opportunities, Philip transformed his garage into a training facility and built a ring in his backyard. He and his friends who train there are members of the Zanshinkai Martial Arts club.

His local coach is Terry Evans, who has given Philip a lot of attention. Philip also travels to train at Richard Trammell's gym in Atlanta twice monthly, and spars with the boxers at Round One Boxing here in Birmingham on occasion. The Zanshinkai club is small, but hopes to bring MuayThai to Birmingham, ensuring more fighters for the Southeastern fight scene. Philip's fight record includes the following: Bare Knuckle 4-7, Amateur Boxing 1-1, MuayThai 1-1. His stats and those of other fighters as they register can be found on the Fighter List. Check it often for updates. For more information on the 2003 IKF South East Regional see www.valdostamac.com/newregional.html.

MORE NEWS OF 3-21-03

Black Belt Magazine…
Offers Kickboxing Primer!

Black Belt Magazine, the number one selling martial arts magazine has done a great write up on the sport of Kickboxing due to hit stores nationwide this Tuesday, March 25th. The article is designed to give aspiring Kickboxers the basic tools needed to become more effective. Black Belt's Executive Editor Robert Young notes "Kickboxing has always been a reader favorite here. Martial artist seem to appreciate its no-nonsense approach to kicking, punching and moving because those skills can stand alone or be used to augment more traditional styles."

The Kickboxing Primer is a beginners guide to Kickboxing and the five page article focuses on the techniques used by former two time world champion and IKF Promoter Johnny Davis. The article notes that Davis started his Kickboxing career at the age of 15. Seven years later he would win two world championships and a United States title and now works with the IKF in areas of marketing.

Regarding the article, Davis replied, "I think Black Belt is a great magazine and I've read it since I was twelve years old. The Kickboxing Primer article is one that's good for the entire sport of Kickboxing and certainly does breathe new life into "stand up" American Style Kickboxing that millions of people continue to practice. I would like to say thanks to Black Belt Magazine for their support of the great sport of Kickboxing and also give special thanks to IKF World Middleweight Champion Dave "Madman" Marinoble and his brother Mike Marinoble for participating in the photo shoot. Special thanks also to Glenn Berg of Focal Point Photography (Official photographer of the IKF) for his artistic photography." The IKF would like to encourage you to support those who support the sport of Kickboxing. Pick up the May edition of Black Belt Magazine in stores this Tuesday March 25th.

THURSDAY, March 20th, 2003, AT 2:30 PM, PST

Looking For Super Heavyweight
Pro FCR Fighter From North East!

West Virginia, USA: Attention North East U.S.A. Trainers and Fighters! We are looking for a Pro, Full Contact Rules fighter from the North East Region of USA for an IKF North East Regional or Virginia State Title bout. Keep in mind that since this is a TITLE BOUT, that you must have a winning record that will qualify you for a title shot. The date of this event is April 25th, 2003 at the Glenville State College Gym in Glenville, West Virginia, USA. If you are a trainer that has a qualified fighter in this region of the USA and are interested in this bout, please contact IKF Promoter Leon Ramsey at (304) 462-5744 or by e-mail at ramseypetro@rtol.net to inquire about purse, opponent and other details.

MORE NEWS OF 3-20-03

Gayler To Defend
NACSO "Elite" Title On IKF Event!
"As a "Tune-Up" For Gayler's IKF Bout With John Grubel in South Carolina This May

Richardson, Texas, USA: IKF 2002 USA National Light Welterweight Tournament Champion and 2002 IKF North American Light Welterweight Champion Doyle Gayler, (Right with trainers) will defend his NACSO (North American Combative Sports Org) welterweight title on Saturday April 5th at The Fightatorium.

The scheduled 5-rounder will hopefully serve as a 'loss-correction' for Gayler, as he faces Calvin Pitts (145lbs, 5-1 kickboxing, 16-3 boxing) whom Gayler had lost a boxing match to back in 2000 on points. The under-card for the April match has yet to be announced, but promoters Chuck Best & Steve Goin promise that "while the under-card will feature several exciting bouts, we are realistic and know that Doyle's fight will be the real draw here on the 5th".

Gayler won his NACSO belt last May when he TKO'd Jorge Peralta of Mexico City, Mexico in round 4 of their scheduled 5 round bout. Gayler's trainer, Chuck Best, stated that, "Doyle is in the best shape I've seen him in over a year, and he's 'chomping at the bit' to fight. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing him in action again". For more info, call Chuck Best or Steve Goin at (972) 889-0129, or e-mail them at juno.com@sirkikman or visit www.kingdomkickboxing.com or www.kingdomkickboxing.com/nacso.html.

WEDNESDAY, March 19th, 2003, AT 2:30 PM, PST

IKF Fighters Turn Promoters!
Kevin Miller & Mike Nagy along with Friends of Friends Productions
Proudly Presents Kings of the Ring, Saturday May 17th, 2003

Illinois, USA: Professional number 2 IKF ranked Light Middleweight Fighter Mike Nagy (Left) and past IKF U.S. National Amateur Champion (1999 FCR Super Welterweight Champion) Kevin Miller, (Right) along with Friends of Friends Productions are proud to host: "KINGS OF THE RING", Saturday, May 17th at the Sportsplex, 1400 Foundry Street, St. Charles, Illinois, USA. Doors Open 6:30 PM. and the fights will start at 7:30 PM.

Miller and Nagy have turned the tables on the fight game! As the Promoters of this coming event they have combined their years of experience as fighters, trainers and coaches with the professional and unsurpassed talents of Friends of Friends Productions. Friends of Friends Productions is known in the Chicagoland area as the one and only Elite Party Promotions Firm. Spectators and Fans lucky enough to obtain tickets to this event will bear witness to an unforgettable night that will set the new standards for all future Fight Nights.

Fans of all ages are welcome to attend! Spectators will be treated to a FULL evening of entertainment that will include Interactive Inflatable Games, a Live Band and great matched bouts. Center Ring will explode when both Amateur and Professional fighters come together to showcase their skills before a primed audience.

The intensity of the night will heat up when former 2 time IKF National Amateur Champion (2000 FCR Welterweight Champion and 2001 FCR Welterweight Champion), now number 5 IKF ranked Welterweight full contact rules fighter, Kyle McElroy (Right, PK: 2-0/0, AK: 19-1-1/6 ) of Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA tagged "The Designated Hitter", faces off against number number 6 IKF ranked Light Welterweight full contact rules fighter Fernando Louvano of Chicago, Illinois, USA (36-4/12, AK: 16-4/10)

The evening will come to a boil when IKF's Professional FCR Light Cruiserweight World Champion, Mike "Tension" Nevitt (Left, 23-0/11, AKB: 27-2/17) of Sycamore, Illinois, USA enters the ring in a non title bout to face number 4 IKF ranked Light Cruiserweight full contact rules Fighter Jason Reeves, of Aberdeen, Mississippi (PKB: 10-1-1/5, AKB: 14-1/11)

Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting The Sports Plex at (630) 762-8100. General Admission (Advance Price $20) Door Price is $25, Ringisde (Advance Price $25) Door Price is $30. Table Seats are available by contacting The Sports Plex at (630) 762-8100. the fighter information line is (847) 494-7833.

MORE NEWS OF 3-19-03

SIX Weeks
To Better Stand Up Fighting

New York, NY, USA: As part of NYKK Gym continuing efforts to popularize San Shou and San Da fighting and introduce it as a valuable compliment to the MMA athlete's training regime, we are pleased to announce two new specialized programs. The first of these is "6 weeks to better stand up fighting" which is the perfect program for the MMA athlete who desires a quick improvement to their stand up skills and/or for those who want to try out San Shou/San Da for the first time on a trial basis.

"6 weeks to better stand up fighting" is an introductory course in San Shou/San Da as it skills directly relate to the MMA arena. Participants will learn both how to strike an opponent attempting to take them down and how to use striking to set up their own takedowns. They will learn San Shou/San Da's unique takedowns and kick catches, with awareness of how these techniques will create smooth transitions to ground fighting for the MMA arena.

In addition, the staff of NYKK Gym is now available to design specific short term preparation for both professional and amateur MMA athletes. If you'd like to sharpen your stand up skills before a major event, we'll design the appropriate program. You will have an opportunity to train with members of NYKK Gym's championship team, the #1 San Shou/San Da team in the country. Simply contact us with the details of how much time you have and what you are seeking to improve and we will tailor the appropriate program. We will also assist you with travel and lodging arrangements. For more information contact NYKK Gym (Midtown location) at 336 W 37th Street, NY, NY, e- mail: Davidross@nykkgym.com or go to our website at www.nykkgym.com

NYKK Gym, NY, NY

TUESDAY, March 18th, 2003, AT 4:00 PM, PST

Significant Number of Preliminary Commitments
To the South East USA Regional Tournament

Valdosta Georgia, USA: A number of fight camps have already committed to supporting the IKF South East Regional to be held in Valdosta, Georgia, on June 21. The IKF South East Regional Promoter, James Corbett, (Left) met with Georgia and South East area promoters at the March 1st 2003 Winter Wars Fight Event that was held in Augusta, Georgia.

Those expressing interest in the IKF South East Regional are almost a list of "Who's Who in Georgia Kickboxing." Those camps or trainers that expressed interest include but are not limited to:

• Augusta Martial Arts Academy
• Mike Wood
• Jenkins Martial Arts
• Dr. Ren Halverson
• Suua Khai
• Eagle Boxing and Kickboxing
• Kiker United Karate Studios
• LA Boxing
• Carol Ivie and others.

Fight camps from South Carolina including Hurricane Martial Arts and Upstate Karate have expressed interest also. The IKF South East Regional is a qualifier tournament for the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament. This event is like "The National Golden Gloves" of kickboxing in all three rules styles. For more information on the IKF South East Regional e-mail James Corbett at sensei@valdostamac or call (229) 245.8622 or go to Valdosta Martial Arts Center at www.valdostamac.com

SATURDAY, March 15th, 2003, AT 9:00 PM, PST

IKF Champion
Regan Wins Boxing Title!

Oroville, CA, USA: IKF Pro FCR North American Middleweight Champion Eric Regan (Right) has just added another Title Belt to his wall. With plenty of Kickboxing titles to his name, this time Regan adds one for Pro Boxing. Regan improved his pro boxing record to 20-0 with a 4th round TKO over Rito Ruvalcaba, 27-5 of Tijuana, Mexico last night at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville, California, USA. The event was promoter by Don Chargin and Telemundo.

Although unranked in the IBA (As of 3-15-03 - and the WBA but Ranked number 29 in the WBC - number 56 in the IBO and number 4 in the NABO) Regan fought for and won the vacant IBA - International Boxing Association Continental Middleweight Title. A cut right eye prompted ringside physician Stanley Ketchum to instruct referee Marty Sammon to halt the scheduled 12 round bout. This was Regan's 13th KO/TKO in his 20 Boxing wins. The only knockdown came by Regan with a right uppercut in the second round that dropped Ruvalcaba who was able to beat the count. Simply put, Ruvalcaba was hurt in every round. "The plan was to show him some power early to slow him down, and it worked," Regan said. "He's nearly as tall as I am and fights a lot like me. He has 24 knockouts, so I knew he could punch."

On March 11th of 2000, Regan defeated Scotland's Lex Easdon to win another organizations World Title. His last kickboxing fight was April 10, 2001 against Vsevolod "Steven" Berkoluyko of Brooklyn, New York, USA. He's been successful in Boxing and with better purses, we may never see him kickboxing again. This would be sad since Regan like other IKF Middleweights, is an exciting fighter to watch. Hopefully the money will be there to match him up against IKF World Champions Dave Marinoble or Anthony Bartanalli. Only time will tell... Regan won his IKF Pro FCR Middleweight North American Title back on May 1st, 1998 in Sacramento, California, USA over Hector Torres of South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA by TKO at the break after round 7. Although he's been inactive in kickboxing, Regan still holds the IKF Pro Full Contact Rules number 1 Middleweight ranking with a kickboxing record (Amateur & Pro) of 24 wins, no loses with 22 wins coming by KO/TKO.

Portions of this article were contributed by Mr. Jim Jenkins of the Sacramento Bee Newspaper and Ringtalk.

THURSDAY, March 13th, 2003, AT 5:00 PM, PST

IKF USA National Finals Location Photos
CLICK HERE!

WINTER WARS 2003 Photos!

CLICK HERE!

MORE NEWS OF 3-13-03

POSTED AT 1:40 PM, PST

Attorney Bo Hunter
Profile Of An Avid Supporter
IKF And ISCF Counsel In Georgia, USA, Provides Insights On Sanctioning, Politics And The Martial Sports...

Click HERE!

WEDNESDAY, March 12th, 2003, AT 10:10 PM, PST

"COWTOWN RUMBLE RESULTS!"
March 8th, Hilton Garden Inn, Independence, Missouri, USA

IKF / ISCF Independence, Missouri, USA: IKF/ ISCF promoters, Mr. Dan Tharp and Mr. Oren Gauteraux completed a second successful event at the Hilton Garden Inn ballroom in Independence, Missouri last Saturday night, March 8th. The event, the Cowtown Rumble was a sold out crowd of over 800 with standing room only, this show exceeded the expectation of fans and even the promoters. Hosting a total of 13 fights which included two TaeKwonDo matches, the action had the crowd standing on their feet for the better part of the evening. The fans that came were treated to outstanding amateur fights. One can only imagine what the talent will be in the future. The following are the evenings bouts:

1. IKF 135 Lb. Full Contact: This was a spirited bout by two first timers. Aaron Coy over Chris Sublette by unanimous decision - 3 rounds.
2. Junior TKD: Zak Zimmerman over Sam Parkison by unanimous decision - 3 Rounds.
3. ISCF 160 Lb. MMA: Both first time fighters, they showed no sign of timidness and began trading strikes. Ryan Bailey landed heavy punches and leg kicks and Joe Mabin scored some dramatic knees to Bailey's chin. Round 3 would prove to much for Bailey and Mabin achieved side mount and finished the fight with a scarf choke. Mabin over Bailey by submission. A true fight….Cowtown wants to see both fighters back.
4. IKF 200 Lb. Full Contact: On first impression this seemed like a mismatch but the shorter of the two - Scott Staney attacked Matt Baum tenaciously. After a flurry of punches and kicks. Baum had received a standing 8 count. The second one……Baum declined to continue. Staney over Baum TKO in round 1.
5. IKF 185 Lb. Muay Thai Exhibition: Although an exhibition, UFC veteran Curtis Stout entertained the audience with great boxing, leg kicks and knees. Steve Carr was a game competitor as well but Curtis showed why he has competed in top levels of the combat sports.
6. IKF 130 Lb. International Rules: This proved to be a tough match for the ladies. Kelly King being the more experienced of the two was caught early on with a spinning backfist by Sarah Schneider. King never seemed to fully recover though coming back in the third. Sarah Schneider by unanimous decision - 3 Rounds over Kelly King.
7. 130 Lb. TKD: Pinky Admire over Jadi Brown.
8. IKF 240 Lb. Full Contact: Although these two were from the same gym they went at it with all their might. Shane Rowe by unanimous decision - 3 Rounds over Mark Donahue.
9. ISCF 190 Lb. MMA: This match should have been labeled 'young guns'. Both winning their first matches in dramatic fashion and a solid wrestling background, it was full of fireworks. Hargis came out in the first with with strong knees and punches but Kimmons was game on his feet as well. Both scored blows that would fell an average man. Round 2 proved too much for Hargis as he tapped out from punches from the mount. Winner Rob Kimmons by way of tapout in round 2.
10. IKF 165 Lb. Muay Thai: This was a very well matched fight although both fighters were not fighting their original opponents due to drop outs at the last minute. Dan Edmonds from Iowa City Iowa came game , armed with great leg kicks and knees for a first timer. But Jason Self from Topeka Kansas , used his punches to fight his way to a victory , although it was a split decision. Winner Jason Self by split decision - 3 Rounds over Dan Edmonds
11. ISCF 175 Lb. MMA: This match had fans on their feet from the beginning. Bobby Volker, a local favorite took on a game fighter in Joseph Garza from Tulsa Oklahoma. It proved to be a technical match on the ground with heavy bombs standing. Garza could not answer the bell after round 2. Winner Bobby Volker.
12. IKF 175 Lb. Full Contact: This was a rematch of Johnny Burns a local favorite versus Tony Stumpf of Omaha Nebraska. Full of punches and kicks, many questioned the final verdict of a split decision for Burns. But he proved to be the victor. Winner Burns by split decision - 3 Rounds
13. ISCF 205 Lb. MMA: This was indeed the main event of the night. Fairn Otis faced off against Steve Schneider, both from the Kansas City area. This fight was a war with bombs being thrown on both sides. After a shaky first round Otis secured the final two rounds for a unanimous decision despite the protests from the crowd…….could there be a rematch?

All in all the night was a huge step forward for the combat sports in the Kansas City area. Any fighters seeking match ups for the next event please call (816) 229-6611 or email at muaythaimaniac@lycos.com

POSTED EARLIER AT 3:30 PM, PST

MORE NEWS OF 3-12-03

A Killer Program

North Vancouver, Canada: When he could not find the right business software, Champion martial artist Farid Dordar of Canada wrote his own.
Dordar is also the owner of the website

To read the full story which was on the cover of the Financial Post on Monday, March 10, 2003, click HERE!

TUESDAY, March 11th, 2003, AT 5:20 PM, PST

More News On The Proposed August 16th
IKF Amateur World Title Show!

Although we didn't receive a lot of them, the 2 e-mails we did receive moved us to better explain our selection process for the USA based fighters who would be selected to fight for the 6 IKF Amateur World Titles at the IKF USA Nationals Tournament this August. These 6 bouts would be billed as Amateur SUPER BOUTS!

We need to also remind you that this event is not confirmed yet. Why? Because several things will play into our decision. Two of those top reasons are "WHO" the opponents will be for the USA based fighters and "WHO" will pay for their expenses in getting to Iowa. If the challenging fighters cover their own expenses like in other World Tournaments as well as the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament it will bring us that much closer to a commitment for this event. All this would leave is finding "Credible" and "Qualified" contenders. However, if we are forced to cover other expenses such as the fighter and trainers hotel and and meals the cost may make it impossible to host. If fighters come in from a different continent, rule has it they need to be here 3 days before the event to acclimate to the location. That would mean a stay of 5 days which would give us a $500 hotel bill per fighter. If we have to pay to fly opponents in, this fee could go as high as $1,500 for a fighter and a trainer. Not mentioning the fact that the additional time for the venue would be at a cost of over $2,000.00 plus all the other expenses such as title belts $280 x 6 = $1,680.00 and more if we do more than 6 title bouts.

Now to the next part. In one e-mail the writer thought we said we would only use fighters from the Midwest USA. This is only partially true. Our comment below was "To do this, we would need to select the six USA fighters from the Midwest Region of the USA." Meaning, the USA based fighters would be from the USA. but where the qualified contenders come from can be anywhere as we noted in the second to last paragraph below;

"So with that being said, if you are a promoter in Europe, Asia, Australia or anywhere with a "TRUE" Amateur fight record and a fighter that is willing to enter the ring with any of the contenders above, we ask you to submit your challenge with a full bio of your fight background."

In the other e-mail, the writer thought that we were not considering MuayThai fighters claiming he knew of some other very qualified MuayThai fighters in the Midwest. Yes, there are, but we were not overlooking any of the MuayThai or leg kick fighters. If you read below each of the featured MuayThai or International Rules fighters you will see one important aspect, In 2002, we had no IKF North American Amateur MuayThai and International Rules Tournament. However, we DID have a Full Contact Rules North American Tournament. Which means, we did give an opportunity for fighters to fight for the next step up in full contact rules, the North American Title. However this opportunity did not happen for the MTR and IR Amateurs let alone Women and Junior fighters. This is why we focused on the FC Rules fighters with extensive records "AND" a winning IKF USA National Tournament background.

Of course there are many great MTR & IR fighters we did not list below. There are also a lot of Great FCR fighters not in the Midwest we left off as well. It's quite possible we may open this up to other FCR fighters that went to and won the IKF North American FCR Tournament last fall such as Brent Hess of Alexandria, VA, USA (5-0/2), Robert Elledge of Roseville, CA, USA (10-0/3), Adam Sylvia of Alexandria, VA, USA (11-0/8) all who won at the USA National Tournament as well as the North American Tournament. In fact, if they can pay their own way to Iowa and we can find opponents for them, were not saying they won't be on this show. But again, there are a lot of factors related to the organizing as well as the success of this event.

In closing, we'd like to add that there are other MTR and IR fighters that we could still select from such as David Flury, a two time national MTR champion Dubuque, Iowa. Or Clint Zimmerman (No photo on file) of Waterloo, Iowa, USA, (7-0/6) the 2000 IKF USA National IR Champion. Zimmerman even has a great story behind his USA Nationals win. He's the ONLY fighter to win 2 IKF USA National Titles at the tournament. He won the Cruiserweight title when his opponent Quincy Morris of Stillwater, Oklahoma no showed at Nationals. Zimmerman being the warrior he was, choose to move to the Heavyweight Division and "FIGHT" for the title against opponents heavier than him. Not only did he do well... Not only did he end up winning the National Tournament Title but he won both his bouts by TKO! He won the Championship bout by TKO at 1:58 of round 1 over Steve Bass to win the 2000 Heavyweight Title also.

Yes in MuayThai and International Rules we have a lot of great past IKF USA National Tournament Champions from the Midwest that would make great contenders for an IKF Amateur MTR or IR World Title. They include but are not limited to, Josh Tarman and Neal Fox, all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rob Wiley and Paul Donelson of Omaha, Nebraska. Derek Yuen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a multi champion but now lives in California. These are just a few... And don't forget the Women and Juniors... The list goes on and on. But again, our goal was to have a IKF North American Tournament this year for MuayThai, International Rules and events for Juniors and Women as well to compete for the IKF Amateur North American Title.

There are a lot more great JUNIOR Champions (Boys and Girls In all 3 rule styles) we didn't mention here as well, not to mention the WOMEN! And don't forget the San Shou fighters that showed up in GREAT NUMBERS at the Arnold Classic this year only to be treated second class. (Read story HERE) We want to create a stage for them soon as well so they can feel like everyone else in the IKF, FIRST CLASS!

So as you can all read, we are at that fork in the road where we are trying to work hard to please everyone in time. As you can imagine, it's hard to please all the people all the time, but we do our best here at the IKF. Creating a stage for amateur fighters is something we work very hard at and we would like to hope that we have provided great opportunities for all amateurs kickboxers. Where would amateur kickboxers be today without the stage of the IKF USA National Amateur tournament to prove to the WORLD that they have what it takes to be a "REAL CHAMPION!" If only such an event were around when a lot of us older kids were fighting. The belts alone for the IKF USA Nationals are far better than most past World Title belts PRO fighters won back in the 80's and 90's. To us, it's all about finding who the REAL Amateur Champions are and to all of us, it seems clear that those who are the real champions "SHOW UP" to "WALK the WALK" at the yearly IKF USA National Amateur Championship... Where everyone who walks into the ring is a CHAMPION!

Your feedback would be appreciated here at main@ikfkickboxing.com. Thank you.

MORE NEWS OF 3-11-03

Martial Arts Superstar Jet Li To Be Honored In Las Vegas
And Some Other Names We Know Through The IKF & ISCF

March 11, 2003, Ewa, HI, Las Vegas, NV. It was announced today that Martial Arts Action movie superstar Jet Li will be honored by the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 12, 2003. He will be inducted into the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society's prestigious "International Martial Arts Hall Of Fame".

"Jet Li is an international martial arts movie star and he has accomplished great things in Hollywood, but he is being honored by our Society as a Martial Artist and for his contribution to the martial arts community as a whole, he is a legitimate martial arts champion capturing five gold medals in the National Wu Shu Championships at the age of eleven (11) and eventually became the National Coach. We are proud and honored to be able to have him as a part of the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society's family, he has earned this recognition and honor." Stated HMAIS Chairman Professor Jamie Abregana, Jr.

Jet Li has starred in such movies as "THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE", "KIDS FROM SHAOLIN", "MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN", "BORN TO DEFEND", "DRAGON FIGHT" , "THE MASTER" , "BLACK MASK" , "LETHAL WEAPON 4" , "ROMEO MUST DIE" , "KISS OF THE DRAGON" , "THE ONE" and his most recent project with Rap Music Mega Star "DMX" titled "CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE" which is out in theaters now. Li has broken box office records Internationally and has introduced a whole new generation to martial arts. He is a true martial artist and has been training since the age of seven(7). He was trained under Wu Ben. And at that early age he got the privilege to be part of the first ever Wu Shu team to tour the West, performing at White House when President Richard Nixon was in office. His achievements in martial arts include him winning the Championship in Chinese National Martial Arts Contest from 1974 to 1979, 5 consecutive years.

Other notables being inducted at this extravaganza include Martial Arts Movie Super Star Steven Seagal, Wrestling Legend "Hulk Hogan", UFC's Dan "The Beast" Severn, Martial Arts action star TJ Storm of "Mortal Kombat" fame, Martial Arts action star and Gold Medalist Stephanie Cheeva of "Martial Law" and "VIP", Sifu Andy Ching of Tiger Claw Magazine, Martial Arts Legends Grandmaster Ron Van Clief and Grandmaster Frank Sanchez, Steve Fossum Founder of the International Kickboxing Federation, "IKF", Sifu Larry Hartsell founder of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association, International Singer Katiuska Hanohano of Elvis Fame, Master Michael Matsuda of the "Martial Arts History Museum", Master Alan Goldberg founder of "Action Martial Arts Magazine", Louis "Falcon Coperis" Velazquez, former pro wrestling champion and creator of Karate Kidz Online and many others that will be honored at this extravaganza.

Also that evening they will be honoring great martial artist from around the world such as Grandmaster Dano Meadows, Great Grandmaster Ralph Castro, Grandmaster Leo Fong, Grandmaster Al Cunningham, Grandmaster Jim Arvanitis "Father of Modern Pankration", Professor Jody Perry, Professor Steven Dowd, Master Rio Altaie, Sifu Lamar Davis II, Grandmaster Daniel Verkerke and Master Carlos Velez.

This historic event will all take place at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada on Saturday July 12, 2003. "We are getting an overwhelming response so far and it keeps growing daily, our concern is that seating is limited and do ask that those that wish to attend please make sure to secure their tickets before making travel arrangements because tickets can not be purchased at the door" Statement from the HMAIS Event Committee. For more information email the HMAIS at the Hall of Fame Hotline, hmahalloffame@yahoo.com or see the website at www.hmais.com

MONDAY, March 10th, 2003, AT 10:00 PM, PST

WOW!
IKF Amateurs... Are we going To Have A Stage For YOU!

A Stage "AND" A SHOW Actually!

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA: This past weekend several IKF Associates met up in Cedar Rapids for a site tour of this years 2003 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament and all we have to say is WOW!

VENUE
The venue of the US Cellular Center will be the most spectacular stage amateur kickboxers have ever fought in! The 30,000 square feet stadium seating bowled arena is by far the BEST facility we have ever seen in the USA fight game. As far as sporting events, during the 90's it was home events such as the UFC, Taekwondo Nationals and many Wrestling Championships and even WWF wrestling (Now WWE). However, there will be nothing staged or fake for this August's 2003 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament.

HOTEL
For those of you looking to book your rooms at another hotel to save a little change, we'd like to inform you it would be a mistake! The $79.00 rate at the Crowne Plaze Hotel is more than worth it! The 9 story high hotel features 275 great rooms that are simply an elevator ride to the US Cellular Center But you better book your rooms now because we discovered several have already booked their rooms for the 2003 event.

SATURDAY NIGHT EVENT!
"SIX" IKF AMATEUR WORLD TITLES!

At last years 2002 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament we held a special Sunday night event. The event left mixed reactions from many who attended. Many wanted to be done with their bouts by Sunday afternoon/evening. The crowd was small which made for an empty sound in the 34,000 square foot River Center. However this year we are working on plans to have an event that ALL FIGHTERS can attend as special guests and spectators... Our idea? How about an event featuring "SIX" IKF Amateur World Titles!

Yes, that's the "Working Plan" as of today... The plan came into the works as a way to draw more of a local interest in this years 2002 Tournament. To do this, we would need to select the six USA fighters from the Midwest Region of the USA. The requirements would be many. To qualify, fighters from USA would need to meet some of the following requirements;

• A Fighter who won the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament in 2002 with 10 or more wins or a fighter who has won it 2 times or more with 6 wins or more.
• A Fighter who won the 2002 IKF North American FCR Championships and has more than 10 wins on his record.
• Fighter must live in the Midwest USA.

As of today we are making our bout selections from the Fighters below. Remember, these will be limited to 6, 5 round World Title bouts.

1. FCR:2002 IKF US Light Welterweight Champion Doyle Gayler of Kaufman, Texas, USA (36-5/25) Vs TBA
   • This of course IF Gayler can hold off from turning Pro until after the August event. He had planned on turning Pro after May this year.
2. FCR:2002 IKF US Super Welterweight Champion Marc Mayfield of St Louis, Missouri, USA (32-5-1/9)
   • It would make logical sense to match Mayfield up in a rematch against IKF North American Champion Mark Hominick of London, Ontario, Canada (11-0/4). The two fought one of the greatest bouts in Amateur history this last year with Hominick taking a close decision.
3. FCR:2002 IKF US Light Middleweight Champion and 2002 IKF North American Champion Anthony McGaughey, of Norman, Oklahoma, USA (21-1-1/15) Vs TBA.
   • McGaughey's only loss was to Kevin Engle last year at a higher weight. At Light Middleweight McGaughey is undefeated in 22 bouts! Would anyone fight him?
4. FCR:2002 IKF US Middleweight Champion and 2002 IKF North American Champion Peyton Russell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (28-4/6) Vs TBA.
   • Russell has traveled around the world and fought on the WAKO circuit under amateur rules but against pro fighters... That's how they do it in WAKO and in Europe. At his own weight against other "AMATEURS" Russell has had little trouble...
5. FCR:2002 IKF US Super Middleweight Champion Kevin Engle of St Louis, Missouri, USA (15-3/8) vs TBA.
   • Problem? Finding ANY amateur fighter willing to enter the ring with Engle at his weight. Engle's excellent at cutting the weight but like Roy Jones in boxing, a master at putting it back on the right way before fight time. Finding him an opponent will be tough, although McGaughey was able to hang with him, who else can?
6. FCR:2002 IKF US Light Heavyweight Champion and 2002 IKF Light Cruiserweight North American Champion Stephen Thompson of Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA (26-0/16) Vs TBA.
   • No offense to any of the other fighters in any way, but in this selection, there are two fighters here that look like they could never be beat. It's without saying that holding a 26 -"0" record with 16 wins coming by KO or TKO, Stephen Thompson is one of them. No, he's not from the midwest as the requirements for these titles suggest, however, his record speaks for itself. 26-0 with 16 wins by KO or TKO... And he's only "19"! As he matures he's moved up in weight and seems even stronger. Jardine (Number 8 on this list) and Thompson are scheduled for a rematch of their IKF North American Bout on May 17th in Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA. Thompson won by TKO last time but a different Jardine will come to the ring this May, who's vows to be more prepared for Thompson. Promoter Ray Thompson has expressed interest that if Stephen had an opportunity to fight for an IKF Amateur World title that he would like to promote the bout in Simpsonville South Carolina. However, a NEUTRAL Venue for BOTH Fighters in a WORLD Title bout makes for an even and neutral playing field and does not come along often, if at all... Which makes the Iowa match-up better for both contenders whoever they may be.
7. FCR: 2002 IKF US Light Cruiserweight Champion Bill Jardine of Mondovi, Wisconsin, USA (10-1/0) Vs TBA.
   • We told you about Jardine above. His only loss has been to Thompson and their bout result in May could weigh big on his selection for a World Title shot in August. A win will get him in and a loss will bring up questions. If for some reason the fight falls through, he's out for sure... He'll need the battle with Thompson to prove he's improved enough for a World Title shot.
8. FCR: IKF North American Super Heavyweight Champion and 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Champion, Trent Tompkins of Waterloo, Iowa, USA (14-0/8) Vs TBA.
   • Tompkins is the other fighter that looks like he cannot be beat. Winning his last two bouts by spinning hook kick this former Taekwondo National Champion has outstanding speed for a super heavyweight... SHOCKING actually. North America looks dried up as far as contenders who could meet him in the ring so we wonder... "Where on EARTH is there a TRUE AMATEUR that will enter the ring to face him?
9. IR: 2002 IKF US Lightweight Champion Matt Bentley of Omaha, Nebraska, USA (7-1-1/0) Vs TBA.
   • Bentley has proved himself as a Junior MuayThai fighter in 2000 and as an adult International Rules fighter in 2002. His only loss was in the 2001 US Nationals when he was forced to fight full contact rules, losing to eventual champion Robert Elledge. Although he's an outside shot for the World Title among this group, it's clear he's a top contender for the 2003 IKF North American Title. With a North American MuayThai and International Rules Tournament coming up this fall, 2003, he may be past by here to see his contender status there.
10. MTR: 2000, 2001 and 2002 IKF US Super Lightweight Champion Casey Garza of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (12-1/2) Vs TBA.
    • With 3 IKF USA National Amateur titles to his credit, no one can doubt Garza has "The Right Stuff!" Question is, how will the title board view all the MuayThai and International Rules fighters? We ask this because this year will be the first time we host a MuayThai and International Rules Tournament to qualify fighters for an IKF Amateur World Title shot. Saying this, we need to warn everyone that we may not see any MuayThai and International Rules fighters on this World Title show. However, if someone has qualified for it and the board feel he's a go, Garza has proved he's ready to Bring It ON!
11. MTR: North American Champion Jason Strout, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (11-2-2/4)
    • Although Strout holds a North American Title, he has never won the National Tournament, losing twice in the final. So how did he get the North American Title shot? Good question... However he proved he has the power as he stopped his challenger Mark Durant of Winnipeg, Canada by TKO at 42 seconds of the second round. But this was his second quest for the title. The first was against Joe Zychoka of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who later turned pro. Their bout ended in a majority draw, 47-47, 48-46 Strout 47-47 even.
12. MTR: 2001 IKF USA National Heavyweight Champion & 2002IKF USA National Cruiserweight Champion Dan Pemble, Marquette, Michigan, USA (5-0/2)
    • Although his record may not look explosive, Dan is a two time US National Champion. If he doesn't make the cut for this show it will be exciting to see him at the North American MuayThai and International Rules Tournament this fall.
13. WOMAN's IR: 2001 & 2002IKF USA National Flyweight Champion Katie Meehan of Denver, Colorado, USA (7-2-1/2) Vs TBA
    • Katie is one of ONLY two women to win "2" National Tournament titles. Like Dan above, if she doesn't make the cut for this show it will be exciting to see her at the North American MuayThai and International Rules Tournament this fall.
14. WOMAN's FCR: 1999 and 2001 USA National Champion Jennifer Thyssen of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA (16-3-1/4).
    • If not for a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) loss in one of the closest bouts of the 2000 tournament over Rebecca Preacher of Simpsonville, South Carolina and the fact that the Woman's National Amateur boxing Championships fell on the same weekend of last years Nationals, Thyssen may have 4 IKF National Title Belts on her wall. However as the saying goes, "$%#$ happens... If a woman's bout is picked, look to see her in the ring on Saturday night...
15. JUNIOR BOYS FCR: 2000, 2001 & 2002IKF USA National Junior Light Cruiserweight (85.1-90 lbs.) Champion Justin Lawerence of Pacific, Missouri, USA (17-0/9) Vs TBA.
    • "It's HAMMERTIME!"
      If you've seen Justin fight, you know what we mean. This boy is EXCITING to watch and EXPLOSIVE at his age and his record speaks for itself! He can fight any rule style winning the 2000 Nationals in MuayThai and the last two in full contact rules. If a Junior bout is picked, we know he will be the one!
      But as in Thompkins and Thompson above... "Who will enter the ring with him?"

OTHER FIGHTERS
NOT MENTIONED ABOVE...
Now don't get us wrong, there are other Amateurs from the West and East Coast but remember, we are looking to match, at least for this event, fighters from the Midwest Region. Why? To bring in the local fans to see all the bouts at this years 2003 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament! As far as the Amateurs from the West and East... Don't worry, we have plans for you as well.

So with that being said, if you are a promoter in Europe, Asia, Australia or anywhere with a "TRUE" Amateur fight record and a fighter that is willing to enter the ring with any of the contenders above, we ask you to submit your challenge with a full bio of your fight background. Over the next few weeks, the IKF Title board will determine who of the above fighters will be given the opportunity to fight for an IKF Amateur World Title in their division.

the IKF Title board will research your fight background to assure it is true and that you have never fought pro, a problem we have with a lot of Amateur Fighters in Europe that have fought on the WAKO circuit, a sanctioning body that allows amateurs to fight pros. You do not have to be from outside North America to submit a challenge either, but if your in North America, make sure you can justify why (If from USA) you have missed the USA National Tournament or if a Full Contact Rules fighter, why did you miss the 2002 IKF North American Tournament? Tell us about yourself. If your willing to make the sacrafice of the trip to come and "Walk The Walk," we are willing to assist you with your hotel and some of the other expenses. So if you truly want to be an IKF Amateur World Champion, like in other World Tournaments, we ask you to "Walk The Walk" to get to Cedar Rapids Iowa for the weekend of August 15th, 16th and 17th! We got your IKF Amateur World Title belt waiting for the winner! To apply for this challenge, e-mail us at main@ikfkickboxing.com


MORE NEWS OF 3-10-03

For Scheduling Georgia Promotions..."Just Say Shush"
IKF And ISCF. Assistant State Director Matthew Waller To Take On Scheduling Role in Georgia, USA for IKF & ISCF.

Successful IKF and ISCF promoter and World Team Member, Matthew "Shush" Waller, (Right) who also serves as IKF/ISCF's assistant state director in the Peach State, will handle the task of coordinating upcoming events in Georgia, USA. "We have a very active fight community here," said Waller, "I would put us up against any state in the country in terms of making opportunities available to competitors. That is a credit to the IKF and ISCF teams that we have here."

Waller adds that his biggest challenge will be to balance all of the competing interests for the benefit of all involved, "We want more events, but we want them to be credible and safe. We want to make sure that we have a situation where all of the promoters on our team have a shot at being successful, all over the state, and not just one location. We also want to protect the integrity of the martial sports, and avoid anything that would give IKF, ISCF, their team or supporters a bad name."

IKF and ISCF World President, Steve Fossum, believes that Waller is the right man for the job, "Georgia is a state that has an unprecedented number of events and fighters. This is because of the great leadership that we have had there over the years. Even though there are a lot of events down there, our Team is very dedicated towards working together and making sure that everyone can benefit."
Waller took the time to describe the basics of how the application process will work, "Promoters should send a Georgia promotional application to me, with a copy to IKF/ISCF counsel in Georgia, Robert "Bo" Hunter, III. From there, we will coordinate with IKF and ISCF headquarters, as well as our team here, and try to assist qualified promoters as much as we can through the application process."
Fossum adds that the protocols in Georgia are important for IKF and ISCF's overall goals, "Mr. Hunter is a respected member of the bar in Georgia and has been an avid supporter of the positive development of the martial sports in that state. Involving him as our counsel in the application process will assist all involved."
Fossum admonishes that new promoters, in particular, should get an application package to Hunter at least 90 days prior to a planned event, "We want to make sure that all involved can unequivocally trust any promoter carrying the IKF and ISCF letters. We already like to receive applications at least 60 days out, getting them to Mr. Waller and Mr. Hunter sooner will help things go much more smoothly for prospective promoters." More information on the application process will be posted soon, until then, Waller says, to contact him directly, "I will do all that I can to move things along. But if people wait too long to get the process started, then they will have done themselves a disservice. Also, we have always met down here, around every six months to try to map things out as much as we can. It is probably time for me to schedule another one soon" Matthew Waller can be reached at gauntletprods@cox.net or call (478) 475-1092.

MORE NEWS OF 3-10-03

May 3rd IKF Point Kickboxing©
Moves to May 10th!

Rocklin, CA, USA: Due to a scheduling conflict with the facility for the May 3rd edition of IKF Point Kickboxing©, PKB Promoter Johnny Davis has moved the event back one week to May 10th, 2003. Davis has also moved the pre-registration deadline to April 26th, which will give participants more time to save the $10 on the registration fee.
The May 10th, event will be held at the Commerce Professional Business Park at Marinoble's Kickboxing, 600 Commerce Dr. Roseville, CA. "Its going to be a great event the promoters look forward to seeing each of you there!" says Davis "IKF Point Kickboxing© is a fighters first step out of the gym!" For the registration form and more information go to www.IKFKickboxing.com/PKB.htm or contact PKB Promoter Johnny Davis at JD@IKFKickboxing.com or at (916) 780-7483 or (916) 205-4762

FOOTNOTE - CLICK HERE

MORE NEWS OF 3-10-03

Fighters Known To The IKF ROCK THE HOUSE!
Non IKF Event Results
Reported by TEAM VOODOO USA

Feb 28, 2003, San Jose ,California, USA: IKF West Coast Muay Thai Champion Maurice Hooks (Right, Modesto, California, USA, 8-1, trained by Gene Fields) won a unanimous decision over former 2 Time IKF National Champion (2000 and 2001) Derek Yuen (15-3-1) in three grueling rounds of Muay Thai. The two were toe to toe through out with no let up with the decision going to Hooks who kept the pressure on.

The fans were totality excited while on the same show IKF Pro "Full Contact Rules" Middleweight World Champion Dave Marinoble (Right - Roseville, CA, USA, 17-1-2 with 8 wins by KO/TKO) faced off for a rematch with IKF Pro "San Shou" Middleweight World Champion Rudy Ott (Left - San Jose, CA, USA, 20-3 with 5 wins by KO/TKO) of their August 31st event in Redding California, USA. In Redding, Ott won the IKF Pro San Shou Middleweight World Title by unanimous decision, 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.

This time, Marinoble revenged his loss in this Pro San Shou bout. Marinoble changed his game plan focusing more on scoring with kicks and punches instead of throws. Stamina which seemed to be what Marinoble was lacking before proved to be a key factor in this bout. Ott was overwhelmed by the different approach Marinoble took which came from several factors. Keeping the pressure on through the entire 5 rounds, using more balance, control and not getting thrown made the difference in the end.

This bout was fought with sheer blood, guts and determination of both fighters who both continued to again be Champions both in and out of the ring! In the end, Marinoble prevailed with a unanimous decision. With a win each now, do we hear the cry for a "Rematch" and the title on the line this time? Who knows, but regardless, these two are TRUE IKF CHAMPIONS! Here are the other results of this event below;

• Victor Sanchez defeated Ruben Rivera by TKO round 3.
• Guadalupe Mejia defeated Ann Kinder by split decision.
• Layla Baird defeated Erin Reep by unanimous decision.
• Brian Banda defeated Raymond Doxie by TKO in round 1.
• Jennifer Nguyen defeated Kirby Macinnes by TKO in round 3.
• Dave Velasquez defeated Mark Tabuso by majority decision.
• Bebe Etzler defeated Sam McFarland by TKO in round 3.
• Luke Spicer defeated Ronnie Wells by unanimous decision.
• Brian Schwartz defeated Slavic Martinuyk by unanimous decision.
• Kirk Floyd defeated Art Emr by unanimous decision.
• Glen Haley defeated Derrick Burnsed by unanimous decision.

HELL OF A NIGHT KIDS!
Sincerely Gene & Cat Fields
TEAM VOODOO USA
Modesto, California, USA

SATURDAY, March 8th, 2003, AT 6:00 PM, PST

Promoter Announces Ninth Installment Of
The Submission Fighting Open

Macon, Georgia, USA: IKF & ISCF Promoter Mr. Matthew Waller (Right) of Georgia USA has announced that his officials of Gauntlet Productions are now taking applications for The Submission Fighting Open 9 to be held on Apr. 26th, 2003 in Macon, Georgia, USA at the Sports Towne Recreational Park. There will be single fights and tournaments on the card in both the professional and amateur categories based on participant entry. If you are interested in obtaining a slot on this card please contact Mr. Waller and his staff at gauntletprods@cox.net or call (478) 475-1092.
Amateur tourney slots are filled on a "first come, first served" basis so send requests ASAP, or fill out an application and send it in. The applications for the Amateur ISCF bouts can be found HERE! The rules for the Amateur ISCF bouts can be found HERE! The Submission Fighting Open is Georgia's longest running mixed martial arts promotion and has been in effect since 1997. Owned and operated by Gauntlet Productions, the same company that brings you The Gauntlet Trials Southeastern Regional MMA qualifiers, the SFO is the premier showcase for up and coming talent in the southeastern region of the U.S. This event is sanctioned by the ISCF and the IKF. Visit our homepage for more information SFO/ GAUNTLET TRIALS or email Mr. Matthew Waller at gauntletprods@cox.net or call (478) 475-1092.

MORE NEWS OF 3-8-03

Same Location - Different Building
For 2003 IKF South East Regional

Valdosta, Georgia, USA: IKF South East United States Regional Promoter Mr. James Corbett (Right) has announced that his 2003 IKF South East U. S. Regional will be held again in Valdosta, Georgia. The location will again be the Lowndes County Civic Center and Fairgrounds, however, the event will be held in Building D, which is adjacent to Building A. Click HERE to see a diagram of the location. A map to the Civic Center can be found

The IKF sponsors an Amateur National Tournament every year that can be liken to "The National Golden Gloves" of kickboxing. This is a truly national tournament for bona fide titles in kickboxing. Three rules styles are featured in this event: Muay Thai, International, and Full Contact (or American rules). Almost 300 competitors fought in last year's national tournament. In order to attend the national tournament, all competitors must go through their local regional (if available).

The 2002 South East Regional in Valdosta had almost 100 entrants and featured an amazing 57 matches. This year's regional promises to be as well attended and more. The kickboxing tournament will commence about 9:00 AM on June 21st. An evening fight card will feature selected finals and ISCF mixed martial arts and no holds barred action. Valdosta's own world champion fighter Jonathan Wiezorek, will be looking to defend his ISCF U.S. Super Heavyweight Title on the evening fight card.

For more information click HERE or go to www.valdostamac.com

MONDAY, March 3rd, 2003, AT 11:00 PM, PST

"COWTOWN RUMBLE"
March 8th, Hilton Garden Inn, Independence, Missouri, USA

IKF Independence, Missouri, USA: This Saturday, March 8th, IKF/ ISCF promoters, Mr. Dan Tharp and Mr. Oren Gauteraux are set to host their second installment of the midwests newest fight promotion. In the tradition of Kansas City's notoriety as a 'cowtown' they have named the show 'Cowtown Rumble'. The event will be hosted at the Hilton Garden Inn ballroom making it a first class event in a new and spacious facility. There is no smoking at this venue, something most fighters and fans can truly appreciate.

Following on the success of the Nov. 16th, 2002 show which featured standing room only crowds, this show is likely to be sold out. Mr. Dan Tharp is very excited to have put together a 15 fight card featuring MMA, Full Contact, International Rules and Muay Thai. Mr. Tharp says of this, "Amateur kickboxing has all but died out in the Kansas City area until recently. I'm very thrilled to be actively building up a base of amateurs that will make this sport grow in size and quality. I'm also absolutely thrilled that the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has been approved in the state of Missouri thru the guidance and sanctioning of the ISCF. The sky is the limit for the combat sports in this area and I'm thrilled that Cowtown Fight Promotions, Inc. was able to partner with the IKF/ ISCF to get things moving."