WKA USA

promoted the WKA throughout many events in Canada, featuring many amateur and professional world title bouts. In 1993, WKA President Dale Floyd entered Mike Miles into the WKA Hall of Fame as the following: Coach of the Year, Gym of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award. In later years, he earned more disctinctions from WKA Canada: Trainer of the Year (1995), Gym of the Year (1996), and Promoter of the Year (1997). In 1998, the WKA appointed Edgerton ’’Edge“ Brown, former WKA world-ranked fighter as the WKA US Representative for the Professional Ring Sports Division. Brown, a former student and fighter in England with Master Toddy, moved to the US and began once again sanctioning kickboxing in the United States. In 2001, Brown recruited former PKA and WKA kickboxer Brian Crenshaw to set up the first WKA US Amateur National Championships and Team Trials. Finalists from the event comprised the first US Team, which traveled to Vienna, Austria (August 21-26th) and competed with eighty-three countries and a total of 2500 competitors, between ring and mat sports. Team USA, coached by Brian Crenshaw and Mike Moses, captured four gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals. During these World Championships, at a meeting of the WKA’s country representatives, Brian Crenshaw was appointed WKA US Representative for the Amateur Ring Sports division. On February 7, 2003, the General Council for the New York State Athletic Commission granted the WKA authorization to sanction martial arts/kickboxing events in the state of New York as prescribed under Section 8905-a of the Unconsolidated Laws of New York. This was an important breakthrough for the kickboxing community, as such events have been outlawed for several years preceding this ruling. In 2004, Brown resigned his position to Brian Crenshaw, who became the US representative for both Professional and Amateur Ring Sports. Also in 2004, the WKA Home Office allowed WKA USA to officially sanction Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events. Since 2001, WKA USA has successfully sent US Teams to Austria, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Spain, and Germany for world competition, and has also had US fighters compete for world titles on home ground in the US. In 2006, the WKA USA National Championships and Team Trials were expanded into the WKA North American Combat Sports Championships. The North American Championships consistently feature top amateur fighters from around the world, rivaling its sister competition, the European Championships. In addition, the North American Championships have expanded to include both Novice and Open divisions and to incorporate styles such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Full Contact, MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and No Gi Grappling. Most recently, in response to the overwhelming amount of youth talent in so many gyms, 2010's North American Championships will feature Junior (13-17 years old) divisions of MMA and K-1.