WAKO GB MMA Dept - please read!

[fishface]

I posted a thread a few weeks back in the Pro MMA forum and sadly no one took it up, as I feel this is a serious issue for you guys in favour of a Governing Body for MMA.

In this month's Fighters magazine October 09, Page 36 is a piece about the 'All new WAKO GB Initiative', whereby WAKO have appointed John C Higo, UK Director of MMA, operating under the guidance of WAKO GB Ring Sports.

To summarise:-

1 - Chris has got the task of organising recognised WAKO certified courses to help MMA coaches deliver proper MMA classes and in order to qualify for the first course you must be a Dan Grade in a martial art, this is critical.

2 - it is not performance based certificate, it merely teaches you the correct procedures to follow whilst teaching and coaching, starting with basic and going to advanced level.

3 - referee's and judges courses will be organised and added to the WAKO GB database

4 - WAKO GB are looking to develop an official WAKO MMA syllabus, which they can follow if they require; if clubs already have their own it will be inspected by WAKO.

That's the main thrust of the article, grab yaself a copy and read it for yourselves.

I have posted this here so the guys involved in getting a GB set up for MMA what they will be up against, the British arm of a WORLD Governing Body for kickboxing, jumping on the MMA bandwagon. WAKO is a huge organisation and if they get there first (looks like they have already) then where will it end, how many GB's will there be for MMA and who's to say which is the best.

We all know on here that we are the UK's premier MMA practitioners and movers and shakers and here we see MMA being diluted and watered down for the masses.

Serious people reading this can PM me for an contact email for wako MMA dept.


F

[bjjchamp]

i've been trianing in martial arts for twenty years, started thai boxing 14 years ago, wrestled for ten years and bjj for twelve years purple belt , do i qualify to do your coarse?

Thanks

[Luke]

i've been trianing in martial arts for twenty years, started thai boxing 14 years ago, wrestled for ten years and bjj for twelve years purple belt , do i qualify to do your coarse?

Thanks

Apparently not, because you need to be a dan grade in Kung Fu/Karate, lol!

[Antonio Santorelli]

Lee Hasdell run the mma part of the ISKA and he is running courses for this. WAKO arent the 1st and wont be the last.

[Shaolin Exile]

I find the idea of a black belt beign compulsory quite laughable. We're talking about a combat sport which has no grades and where there are talented fighters who could probably coach as well who could easily have been training for 7 years or more and (because of the nature of competitive MMA) probably put in many times the number of training hours put in by most TMA black belts)

I got a black belt in kung fu after trainiing for about 4 years and I've done about 5 years of MMA training. I wouldn't consider myself fit to teach either. I would rate my ability in kung fu around the brown belt mark and IMHO should never have been given a black belt; and my MMA ability is much less than that. According to WAKO (well named, eh?) I could teach MMA but a fighter with no grades but a 10-0-0 fight record couldn't

[thaison]

Wako/Iska/Wka kickboxing organisations jumping on MMA to make money. Im not buying into th for the good of the sport shit, its people trying to make money which will probably leed to segregation and the sport suffering the same way kickboxing has. They will be quick to charge for coaching credentials, judging courses etc, sanctioning fee's for fights, insurance the list goes on. Im all for one unified governing body but in all likely hood thats not going to happen, more likely to end up with several groups set up bickering between themselves and offering titles to everyone.

I think we would be better the way it is where the show/promoter runs there show if they want titles its the show title.

[marc goddard]

James Doolan calls it correct.

[iandean]

Wako/Iska/Wka kickboxing organisations jumping on MMA to make money. Im not buying into th for the good of the sport shit, its people trying to make money which will probably leed to segregation and the sport suffering the same way kickboxing has. They will be quick to charge for coaching credentials, judging courses etc, sanctioning fee's for fights, insurance the list goes on. Im all for one unified governing body but in all likely hood thats not going to happen, more likely to end up with several groups set up bickering between themselves and offering titles to everyone.

I think we would be better the way it is where the show/promoter runs there show if they want titles its the show title.

QFT

I wish the kickboxing orgs would leave us alone

There is a reason why KB and MT in this country is seen as a joke !

Maybe the real MMA power players need to bury the hatchet and meet up (Although that won't happen)

[SSJ]

Please do not throw the ISKA into the pile, the ISKA are doing to many positive things for MMA worldwide to throw away.

[tanswell]

John higos WAKO thing is a joke.....period.