As we celebrate our 40th Anniversary serving the Martial Arts and Combat Sports community we are reminded how much has changed and the importance of the continuing need to grow and adapt as leaders in the industry. Recognizing that need, ISKA is changing our divisional title, Oriental Rules Kickboxing to Unified Rules of Kickboxing (Kickboxing: Unified Rules).

When we began, in the 1980’s, the term kickboxing often represented entirely different sports depending on the hemisphere of the world where the athletes were taking the ring. Oriental Rules Kickboxing was originally established here in the U.S. as a gateway for American Fighters to adapt to an international style more similar to kickboxing in Japan and Muay Thai.

Sports evolve and thrive best when they have a solid and universal identity. Addressing that goal, I petitioned the Association of Boxing and Combat Sports Commissions to enact a committee to author an ABC Unified Rules of Kickboxing, designed to establish a standard identity for the term “kickboxing” that would serve similar to how the Unified Rules of Boxing and the Unified Rules of MMA have for those sports. As a member of the committee, I surveyed international kickboxing federations as well as the world’s most successful promotions to ensure that the unified rules would reflect the global “state of the art” of kickboxing. After a year of comparison and development we were able to earn the support of nearly every major federation as well as national programs from more than 35 countries. I was privileged with presenting the proposed ABC Unified Rules of Kickboxing at the annual convention and it was passed by unanimous vote.

Beginning in 2026 ISKA will replace Oriental Rules Kickboxing with Unified Rules Kickboxing associated with our kickboxing divisions and the recognition of our champions. We will also continue to supervise events and recognize champions in other related sports like Muay Thai, Khun Khmer and K-1, each as their own well defined and unique brand of fighting sport.

Respectfully,

Cory Schafer

ISKA President