About
WKA USA is the US national body of the World Kickboxing Association (WKA), founded in 1976 and billed as the oldest continuously operating private combat sports sanctioning body, with more than 100 member countries. From its home office in Richmond, Virginia, it sanctions amateur and professional kickboxing (K-1 and Unified rules), Muay Thai, MMA, boxing and submission grappling events across the country, keeps a national suspension list and develops referees and judges through officials seminars. It runs the WKA US National Championships and Team Trials, whose winners represent Team USA at the WKA World Championships; in the WKA's 50th anniversary year (2026) it held its first Light Contact Nationals in Richmond, the Full Contact Nationals in Bel Air, Maryland, and hosted the WKA World Championships in Maryland. It also runs the WKA Scrimmage League, controlled-contact events with no knockouts where novice and experienced fighters learn the K-1, Unified and Muay Thai rule sets.