“The ring where Kickboxing was born”
The original Kickboxing · Japan, since 1964
The original Kickboxing · Japan, since 1964
Kickboxing is a martial art of Japanese origin, created by boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi in 1964, who also founded the first association in the world: WKBA, World Kick Boxing Association.
On his travels as a promoter, Mr. Noguchi discovered Muay Thai in Thailand. He promoted the event known there as “Japan vs Thailand”, featuring the Japanese fighters Osawa, Nakamura and Kurosaki (Osawa and Nakamura defeated the Thai fighters, and Kurosaki lost by knockout).
With this 2–1 victory, Mr. Noguchi returned to Japan with a new project which he named Kickboxing, without modifying any of the strikes permitted in Thailand, all of which are still allowed today: punches, elbows, kicks, knees and clinch.
In 2009, Mr. Noguchi named Kaicho Ihara as his sole successor, handing over the Presidency of WKBA and all its rights. Since then, WKBA has grown as the original and most important professional Kickboxing organization in Japan.
Today, more than 50 years after its creation, millions of people around the world practice Kickboxing and enjoy all its benefits as a martial art, self-defense, contact sport and fitness discipline, at both professional and amateur level, thanks to the conviction of great men who make history.
WKBA (World Kick Boxing Association) is one of the oldest contact-sports organizations in the world, directly linked to the very birth of Kickboxing as a discipline. It was originally founded in Japan in 1976 by Osamu Noguchi, the celebrated boxing promoter historically recognized for creating both the term and the sport of Kickboxing.
It is regarded as the first international kickboxing association in history devoted to the purely Japanese style. During the 1980s, 90s and 2000s, WKBA served as platform and springboard for legendary fighters, and under its direction unified official bouts were promoted with the most prestigious stadiums of Bangkok, validating the level of Japanese kickboxers under traditional rules.
Before his passing, Osamu Noguchi officially named the legendary master Shinichi Ihara — Ihara Kaicho — as his sole heir and successor at the head of the organization. Today Ihara Kaicho serves as global president of WKBA and of Shin Nihon Kick Boxing Association (SNKA), and the organization keeps the essence of Budo and traditional Japanese kickboxing alive through branches in Asia, Europe and South America, with a very active WKBA Argentina. The current board features international figures such as Yu Kawakubo, Chinto Mordillo and Diego Gonzalez La Volpe.
“Nobody wins a fight by retreating, or without showing a combative attitude that reflects the true spirit of Kickboxing.”
Ihara Kaicho
To spread Kickboxing around the world and to promote the healthy development of young people through sport.
The new vision under the presidency of Kaicho Ihara is to develop Kickboxing worldwide.
To bring the original Kickboxing founded by Mr. Osamu Noguchi to every country in the world, with its true rules of competition and training, with its legacy and its authentic spirit.
Japanese boxing promoter and creator of Kickboxing. On his travels he discovered Muay Thai in Thailand and returned to Japan with a new combat project to which he gave a name of its own: Kickboxing.
In 1966 he founded the first kickboxing association in the world, and in 1976 the World Kick Boxing Association. Under his leadership, Kickboxing went from being a challenge between schools to a sport with rules of its own and international reach.
In 2009 he named Ihara Kaicho as his sole successor, handing over the Presidency of WKBA and all its rights, so that the legacy of the original Kickboxing would remain in the hands that knew how to safeguard it.
“Mr. Osamu Noguchi is the creator of Kickboxing and also the creator of WKBA, with more than 50 years of history.
On 25 October 2009, upon the retirement of President Noguchi, I assumed the presidency of WKBA and ShinNihon Kickboxing Association. Today we have founded the WKBA INTERNATIONAL section to develop the finest Kickboxing and to organize WKBA activities in the different countries.
I am certain that WKBA will develop the highest level of Kickboxing around the world.
Shinichi Ihara — Ihara Kaicho — is one of the most respected and legendary figures in the history of Japanese Kickboxing: President of WKBA and of the Shin Nihon Kickboxing Association, founder of the prestigious Ihara Dojo in Tokyo, and direct heir to the legacy of Osamu Noguchi, the man who created Kickboxing and coined its name.
Five-time World Champion with 119 professional fights across four decades and five continents. For more than 30 years as a manager he has guided over 500 Hispanic fighters around the world, developing Spanish, European and World champions in Kickboxing, Muay Thai and MMA.
Direct disciple of Ihara Kaicho and Osamu Noguchi, transmitter of the legacy, training method and fighting style of Japanese Kickboxing. 5th-dan Kyokushinkai (Japan) and author of three books on the history and philosophy of the discipline.
Personal Secretary to Ihara Kaicho and International General Manager of WKBA.
Graduate in Physical Activity and Sports (UNDAV) and a direct disciple of Ihara Kaicho, she was the first foreign woman to compete in Japan's SNKA professional Kickboxing league. She trains at Ihara Dojo in both Japan and Argentina.
Ihara Kaicho
7-8 Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0034, Japan
+81 3-3780-1338
Karla Benitez
Calle de la Mina 44
Guadalajara, Spain
+34 671 79 27 09
Diego Gonzalez La Volpe
Entre Ríos 350, Quilmes
Buenos Aires, Argentina
+54 11 6862-4829
Carlos Camacho
Rua Conselheiro Furtado 1114, apt. 112
São Paulo, Brazil
+55 51 98110-3663
Zejna Krantic
Luke C3, Ključ
Bosnia and Herzegovina
+34 641 92 26 20
Walter Miguel Loyola Caravajal
Guayaquil, Ecuador
+593 99 126 5931
Zhivko Ivanov Ivanov
Pere Toshev St. 50, 8th floor, apt. 24
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
+359 882 478 056
Eric La Rocca
Les Olympiades, 229 Avenue Sainte-Marguerite
06200 Nice, France
+33 6 62 13 18 21
Sergio Liempi Varas
Club Hípico 343, Barrio República
Santiago de Chile
+56 9 6641 7796
Albi Amadeu
Ciudad Deportiva Downtown
Dominican Republic
+1 829 790 4467
Rishat Saiapov
Novokhokhlovskaya
Moscow, Russia
+7 495 789-15-00
Ricardo Filipe Silva Gomes
Rua Augusta Cruz 2, r/c frente
Torre da Marinha, Seixal, Portugal
+351 962 531 746
Thom Richard Harinck
Van Hallstraat 52
The Netherlands
+31 6 53 16 90 79
Coming soon: India.
“The true history of world kickboxing is tied to names like Noguchi, Ihara and Harinck, among many others. It is a great source of pride for me to be part of this new project together with Japan. My friend Chinto Mordillo, a friendship of many, many years, is the perfect glue to unite us all.”
Kancho Thom Harinck · Netherlands Delegation
WKBA Kickboxing is the original one: the discipline created by Osamu Noguchi without modifying any of the strikes permitted in Thailand, all of which remain today — punches, elbows, kicks, knees and clinch.
Its fight nights are held at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, the historic stage of Japanese kickboxing.
The history and philosophy of Japanese Kickboxing, preserved in writing by Diego Gonzalez La Volpe, WKBA International Technical & Sports Director.
As a sports organization, from 2024 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, WKBA broadened its vision in the promotion of disciplines such as MMA, including Bare Knuckle Fighting and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ-NOGI.
Mixed Martial Arts, known worldwide as MMA, is a full-contact combat sport that allows the combination of techniques from a wide variety of traditional and modern martial disciplines. Fighters may use both stand-up strikes and grappling and submission techniques on the ground.
To be competitive, MMA athletes train three main facets of combat:
Stand-up fighting (Striking). Uses Boxing, Muay Thai and Kickboxing techniques to master punches, kicks, knees and elbows.
Takedowns and transitions (Clinch and Wrestling). Integrates disciplines such as Olympic Freestyle Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Sambo and Judo to take the opponent to the ground or defend against takedowns.
Ground fighting (Grappling). Relies heavily on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Luta Livre to execute joint locks, chokes and control positions.
Although the sport was born with very few restrictions under the «Vale Tudo» concept in Brazil, modern MMA is strongly regulated to protect the athletes' health. Bouts are generally held inside a cage or ring.
Weight divisions. Fighters are strictly grouped by category, from flyweight to heavyweight, to guarantee fair bouts.
Duration. Standard professional bouts last 3 rounds of 5 minutes; title or main-event bouts extend to 5 rounds.
Prohibited actions. Strikes to the back of the head or spine, eye gouging, kicks to the head of a downed opponent, biting and low blows are strictly forbidden.
Live the wonderful experience of the magic of Japanese Kickboxing and its true history, told by its protagonists, in the oldest Kickboxing dojo in Japan — with the possibility of fighting at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
With great pride, we open the Training Internship System and the Uchideshi System (live-in disciples) for foreign practitioners at WKBA Ihara Dojo headquarters in Daikanyama, Shibuya, Tokyo — led by Diego Gonzalez La Volpe, in the presence of the great Ihara Kaicho.
Both programs may be individual or for a full national team / dojo, and are open to beginners, amateurs, professionals and every lover of Japanese Kickboxing — with an official Japanese certificate diploma authenticated by Ihara Kaicho.
Ask via WhatsApp+54 9 11 2732-8255 · Lic. Nadia Bronn Balbis · WKBA International General Secretary
If you love Japanese Kickboxing and want to receive your certificate diploma as an Official Personal Member of WKBA.
Become a memberIf you want your brand to become a living part of the real history of Kickboxing.
Sponsor WKBA+54 9 11 2732-8255 · Lic. Nadia Bronn Balbis · WKBA International General Secretary
World Kick Boxing Association
7-8 Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0034, Japan
Headquarters (Japan): +81 3-3780-1338
International contact: +34 671 79 27 09