- George Chung
- Sep 30, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 5, 2024
The Arnold Sports Festival (ASF), the world’s premier sports and fitness exhibition, will host the 2025 WAKO USA National Championship and Team Trials in a strategic partnership with Kumite Classic February 28th to March 1st, 2025.
ASF is widely known as the largest multi-discipline sporting event in the world attracting over 100,000 attendees to Columbus, Ohio annually. The event, which pays homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, has transformed from a bodybuilding show in 1989 into the mecca of the fitness industry today. Kumite Classic, a Pittsburgh-based martial arts promotional company, is poised to present a new generation of martial arts competitions, highlighting USA Kickboxing as the anchor competition at the Ohio Expo Center. The weekend will include kickboxing, karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, kung fu and wide variety of combat sports.
Kumite Classic president, Bill Viola Jr., brokered the partnership between USA Kickboxing and the Arnold Sports Festival. Kumite Classic is notable for hosting the most prominent sport karate-centric expo in North America from 1999-2017. In 2023 Viola Jr. was appointed Chairman of WAKO USA tatami sports under USA Kickboxing. Since then, he has been leading a committee to expand infrastructure and strengthen affiliations for the organization. According to Viola Jr., “Every kid dreams about competing in the Olympics someday. WAKO gives them hope.” USA Kickboxing is the only U.S. organization in the sport of kickboxing to have IOC (International Olympic Committee) & AOC (American Olympic Committee) recognition.
Viola Jr. continued, “Our committee is dedicated to giving athletes the very best opportunities to excel.” Along his side is Dawn Roffey, a 1993 WAKO World Champion. She explained, “We are ready to take our tatami vision to the next level. Bringing WAKO, Kumite Classic, and Arnold Sports together will give us the exposure to show the world what USA Kickboxing is all about. I’ve competed around the globe, and WAKO USA is the future of sport karate in America. Our 2023 nationals in Florida had some of the most talented juniors I’ve ever seen. I know this year will be better as we build this new bridge with the Arnold Sports Festival.”
“The Arnold Classic heavily influenced my life’s path,” said Viola Jr., “Since the late 1990’s I’ve been a competitor, coach, guest, consultant, and promoter at the event. The foundation for Kumite Classic was built in those early Arnold days. When I met Schwarzenegger in 1998, he inspired me to start my company and emulate his success in Pittsburgh. We connected again last year, and it felt like the right time to return.”
The Kumite Classic name has been synonymous with elite sport karate athletes for over twenty years; pushing the envelope in terms of exposure and opportunities for competitors. Viola Jr. shared, “My goal is to bring the level of prestige and professionalism that Kumite Classic has been famous for to Columbus. WAKO is a great representation and platform for this collaboration.”
Troy Speakman is the liaison for combat sports, working with ASF for the past thirty years. Speakman said, “Bringing an established name like Kumite Classic to the event is a wonderful addition. I am extremely impressed with the WAKO organization and proud to welcome all the Olympic hopeful athletes.”
According to Viola Jr., “When the opportunity presented itself to synergize the Kumite Classic brand with WAKO and Arnold, I knew it could be special. I’ve been semi-retired, so only a mega event like this could pique my interest. Bringing these groups together for the common goal of recognition for the sport is what it’s all about. Our superstars like Bailey Murphy, Devon Hopper, Tyson Wray and Ty Saint have been making headlines overseas. Attending nationals is your chance to be a part of history and join the movers and shakers of our sport.”
Murphy, arguably the best pound-for-pound point fighter in the world right now, has been advocating the WAKO movement as he described, “WAKO Worlds [2023] was my favorite event thus far in my career, and not just because we won the team event in Portugal. It was because I was able to win with some of my best friends.”
That is saying a lot from someone who has won just about every major sport karate tournament on the planet. Murphy went on to say, “We know there will be plenty more [victories], but there will only be one ‘first time,’ on that type of stage.” His words resonated with the junior team who rode the momentum and captured a record setting number of medals at the 2024 WAKO Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Today WAKO is solidified in 130 affiliated nations and 5 continents, of which 105 are officially recognized by either the National Olympic Committee or relevant National Government Sports Authority. Viola Jr. said, “The world is watching America, and new sponsors are breaking into market.”
Century Martial Arts has joined the movement as a platinum sponsor of WAKO in 2024 and is currently powering the USA Kickboxing Team. Century President Michael Dillard shared, “Century is excited and proud to support WAKO USA at the Arnold Sports Festival in 2025. USA Kickboxing has a strong presence that continues to grow and provides opportunities for its athletes to compete worldwide.
Since the Arnold Sports Festival is a worldwide leader in sports, it’s a natural fit for these organizations to come together.” WAKO Canada and WAKO USA are in the planning stages of a joint venture called the “Century Cup,” a pair of groundbreaking competitions scheduled for 2025. Century now offers official approved and tagged gear that can be used at every level of WAKO competition.
Century currently sponsors top athletes from WAKO USA, Team Paul Mitchell, and Team Revolution, among others. Connell Loveless, founder of Team Revolution, is ready for new international opportunities. He added, “Team Revolution is ready to experience WAKO and everything that the Arnold has to offer. Having Century onboard will only open more doors and move the sport forward.
I love seeing this event come full circle with so many great martial artists I’ve worked with over the years.” Team Revolution alum Sen Gao was recently named ambassador for Chinese martial arts. Gao said, “I always loved the energy of the Kumite Classic, and I want to bring that same power to my hometown of Columbus.”
ASF draws over 15,000 athletes competing in a wide range of competitions, including combat sports. A confident USA Kickboxing President Rob Zbilski said, “We’re very excited to host our national qualifying event at the Arnold Sports Festival because it’s a golden opportunity to showcase the sport of kickboxing and our athletes alongside so many other prestigious champions. Said Zbilski, “By qualifying at the WAKO USA National Championships, athletes earn spots to compete internationally at the Pan-American Championships, World Games, World Combat Games, and World Championships.”
The senior team members will represent the United States at the 2025 World Championships in Abu Dhabi, while junior team members earn a spot to compete in the Pan American Championships.
WAKO International officials stay hopeful for a kickboxing debut at the 2032 Brisbane, Australia Olympic Games.
Next month the world will celebrate “International Kickboxing Day” on the 30th of November, commemorating the provisional International Olympic Committee recognition of WAKO. This was a long and hard-fought road that began to gain traction when American athletes began competing abroad.
Viola Jr. explained, “The impact of WAKO in the United States has been a process. Raymond Daniels and the ‘All-Stars’ really paved the way for our tatami champions when they took the initiative to seek out the top competition in the world. Ray became an icon over there.
He won the legendary Irish Open title, an unprecedented ten times (2003-2015), over his career. No doubt, he is the most decorated sport karate athlete of our generation, and WAKO opened the door to larger opportunities.” Daniels, a former Kumite Classic Grand Champion, began looking for ways to expand the WAKO footprint in 2016.
The result was the WAKO USA North American Open in collaboration with UFC fight week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event helped plant a flag for new things to come to the states. Daniels stated, “To be the best in world, you must compete against the best from all over the world. WAKO is the only organization that offers that.”
Chris Walker, a member of the All-Stars, currently serves on the tatami committee as head referee. Walker expressed, “I’ve been on the competitive side of WAKO for many years, and now I sit as someone who can make an impact from the other side. It’s been a privilege to step into this role and develop the referee core. What sport karate competitors will appreciate is the professionalism and attention to detail WAKO USA brings. You can witness how the game is changing by checking out our affiliates like USA Sport Karate.”
The Florida-based USA Sport Karate organization is one such partnership that is helping to further WAKO growth by co-sanctioning all their tournaments with USA Kickboxing. Jeromy Roque, President of USA Sport Karate, expounded, “Both WAKO and USA Sport Karate are committed to elevate martial arts competition, increase awareness, and set new benchmarks for professionalism.” USA Sport Karate is slated to sanction approximately 30 premier events in collaboration with WAKO next year, including the new “State Games” portion of the Kumite Classic at the ASF. This portion of the weekend will emphasis under belt competition and building future champions.
The 2025 nationals in Columbus, Ohio will feature all standard ring and tatami divisions for both youth and adults. WAKO offers 7 different styles: Point Fighting, light-contact, full-contact, kick-light, low-kick, K1-style, and musical forms. The ASF event will also offer development level competition for under belts including other disciplines from everything to traditional kata to Chinese martial arts so everyone will have an opportunity to shine under the Kumite Classic umbrella. El Java Abdul-Qadir, head coach of tatami concludes, “I am always scouting for the next international champion. To be a true world champion, you need to bring the right combination of physical skill, mental determination, and strong work ethic to nationals. If you are talented, confident, coachable, and ready to represent the USA at the highest level, I hope to see you in Columbus.”
Registration for the event will open in October on www.wakousa.org
