Steve Fossum
IKF & ISCF World President

History Of IKF

Travel Schedule

History Of ISCF

Karate School


"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Does it really matter how many degrees of Black Belt one has attained,
or how many title belts and trophies one has won?
Does this make us any better or does it only mark a path along our life's journey?

"What we accomplished in our past has created who we are. But in no way should our past accomplishments soley define who we have become today. We are not what we were... We are not our accomplishments... However, we are who we have become from them and hopefully we have become something greater than our past accomplishments ever were..." Steve Fossum


How he got to here...

IKF and ISCF World President and Master Sensei Steve Fossum use to run one of the largest martial arts schools in the Nation. It was 3 levels and over 17,000 square feet in size with over 400 students. However, the growth of the IKF as well as eventually the ISCF forced him to make a decision as to his time and efforts.

The IKF experienced its main growth between 1997 and 1999 after the websites, www.IKFKickboxing.com and www.ISCFMMA.com were created. Because of this growth, Mr. Fossum has an intense travel schedule and is on the road a lot, traveling to IKF and ISCF events around the world. From this growth, Mr. Fossum was forced to make a decision as to where his time, energy and efforts would best be utilized. Lucky for all of us in the IKF and ISCF he choose the path of the IKF and the ISCF.

However, his choice was not because he didn't like teaching martial arts. Instead it was also due to the loss of desire to compete competitively with what many of us know as "The Black Belt Factory Schools" or McDojos. When he first opened his school in Newcastle it was his 12th martial arts school. His competition was with 4 good schools in a 10 mile radius. By the time he closed his commercial karate school 8 years later in 1998, 11 schools had opened up within that 10 mile radius of his offering free uniforms, quick belt promotions, easy black belts and many more marketing incentives for new students to sign-up. If he wanted to compete with them he had to face the facts. Offer quicker belt promotions, make the requirements much easier and make black belt a lot easier. It was a move he didn't want to make. So in December of 1998 he choose to close his commercially operated karate school and only teach a select few private students.

After several changes around the facility, he reopened in June of 1999 as a Private Club that was 11,000 square feet in size. The facility would be the new home for Ringside Gym, (www.ringsidegym.com) operated by former IKF Champion Greg Kirkpatrick teaching both Kickboxing & Boxing.

Also in the facility was Mr. Fossum's top ranking System 5 Student, Conrad Woodall who opened his own commercial school, Woodall's Self Defense & Fitness.

Also in the facility is a chiropractor office operated by one of Fossum's former students, Dr. Bill Gillispie. The facility is also the new home and offices for the IKF and ISCF. As far as the karate program went, Fossum still teaches a select few of his higher belts weekly.

His decision to focus on the IKF was one of the greatest decisions of his life. As World President of the IKF since 1992, he and his worldwide associates have built the IKF which sanctions the sport of kickboxing on every continent around the world. This includes overseeing fighters, trainers, promoters, officials and events.

As World President of the ISCF since 1999, with the help of former ISCF World Advisor Mike Carlson, they built the ISCF into the only non promoting sanctioning body for mixed martial arts in the world today.


TRAINING

Mr. Fossum started his martial arts training in 1976 in Tae Kwon Do. He later studied Shotokan, an American freestyle known as System 5 Combat Karate and a military system known as STIHC (Pronounced Sti-Hick, Special Training In Hand to Hand Combat.) Other styles he has trained in include Kenpo, JuJitsu and Aikido. Today he holds ranks in several martial art styles including Black Belt ranks in 4 different styles of martial arts. He has also won numerous titles in karate point fighting, full contact kickboxing and hand to hand combat competition. He's been operating a martial arts school since 1982.

9385 Old State Highway, Newcastle, CA USA
Mailing: P.O. Box 1205, Newcastle, CA, 95658, USA
PHONE: (916) 663-2467 - FAX: (916) 663-4510

IKF - INTERNATIONAL KICKBOXING FEDERATION

ISCF - INTERNATIONAL SPORT COMBAT FEDERATION

IKF NEWS - EVENTS - RANKINGS - SANCTIONING - JOINING - RULES & REGULATIONS - MERCHANDISE - ISCF