1971

1971 THE FIRST MUAY THAI SCHOOL IN THE USA Acharn Tong Trithara is credited with opening the first Muay Thai school in Los Angeles (and America) in 1971. Even Joe Lewis, credits Acharn Tong as being the "Father of American Muay Thai". The land on which the instruction took place was donated by Mr. Paul Sorsatikoi. This is now the land in front of the Thai Buddha Temple in L.A. The main teacher was Acharn Niyom Prasertsom (who was experienced in both Muay Thai and International Boxing).

JOE LEWIS KICKBOXES ON On January 24th, Aaron Banks 2nd Annual United Nations Open Karate Championships featured Joe Lewis against a supposed powerhouse by the name of Ronnie Barkoot. Rumor had it that Barkoot had received some lethal secret instruction from a famous but secret instructor. The bout was to be 4 rounds of 2 minutes duration for each round. No blows were allowed below the belt. The bout started with Barkoot coming out strong. Barkoot attempted to land kicks that Lewis easily avoided and at about 20 seconds into the round, Lewis began his offensive, a charge that knocked his opponent to the canvas. It was power rather than technique and Barkoot bounced to his feet again. This time he was decked by a short sharp left. Barkoot got back up but it was obvious he had more courage and talent by this time. Barkoot swarmed in throwing punches which bounced ineffectively off of the Champ's arms. Lewis moved to the center of the ring and taunted Barkoot to punch him in the chin. It was an invitation that the challenger should not have taken because at 75 seconds into the 1st round, Barkoot took a bombing left hook that dropped him to the canvas for the count and beyond. 2000 spectators witnessed the bout and the following Kickboxing card. The judges used on the event had no idea on how to judge the fight event and like most other Kickboxing events of this period, they were hosted with a Karate tournament. Kickboxing with Karate tournaments caused a big dilemma at this time; 'Should Kickboxing be held with Karate tournaments or not?' The general opinion was not to.

TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS IS FOR SISSIES! Count Dante (John Keehan) is outspoken at this time stating that Karate is for sissies. "The effectiveness of the present-day fighting arts is too cramped because of the many unnatural controls the Orientals exercise over the politics of these arts." Dante is an outspoken proponent of Full Contact Karate (though not under the rules that Full Contact Karate eventually evolved into).

MUAY THAI BOOK: (Above photo) Muay Thai - Boxe Thailandaise by Krongsak: Interesting book on training, techniques, and tactics by Thai athlete Krongsak.

JOE LEWIS BATTLES ATLAS KING On June 23, 1971, Aaron Banks* promotes the 'World Championship Kickboxing Bouts' with Joe Lewis against 'Atlas' Jesse King. King hits the floor 2 times in the first round. At 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the second round, King went down 3 times but on the 3rd, did not make it back up. King looks so bad during this fight that the bout is universally panned. Lewis expresses frustration about the poor support from the Martial Arts media he is getting and the way his bouts are being played down (ie. fighting 'bums').

*AARON BANKS
Banks predicts that Kickboxing will displace Karate in the public's favor. Banks one Kickboxing event was a financial flop but he still has high hopes for the sport. In a few years during the resurgence of the sport, Banks becomes disgusted with Kickboxing and/or Full Contact Karate and decides to call it Ketsugo, a Japanese word meaning a combination of everything.

KICKBOXING IS TOO DANGEROUS Martial Arts Legend Ed Parker predicts at the time that if Kickboxing keeps going there will be 8 to 10 deaths a year. He refuses to have Kickboxing at any of his events.

KICKBOXING CHICAGO STYLE On November 12th, 1971, the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago was home to Ray Cooper's bi- monthly Kickboxing events under the banner of the International Kick-Boxing Association. This Americanized Muay Thai rules event had bouts fought over 3 rounds of 3 minutes with a 2 minute rest period. All weapons were allowed and during 2 of the 3 matches hosted, athletes went down from elbows to the neck (but the athletes got up and continued).

ORIENTAL WORLD OF SELF-DEFENSE Aaron Banks hosted his 2nd Annual Oriental World of Self Defense. In a featured demonstration of Muay Thai vs. Karate, Mr. Bunno of Thailand impressed the audience with his fine abilities as a practitioner of the art. The Thai's assistant was an American Karateka by the name of Mr. Caesar. The crowd went crazy over the knee barrages to the body and even to the head of the assistant.

JOE LEWIS GETS HIS FIRST SHOT AT A WORLD KICKBOXING TITLE In 1971, Lee Faulkner tries to get US Heavyweight Champion Joe Lewis a fight for the World Heavyweight Title. He tries to find an opponent in Japan but the biggest fighters they can find at the time weigh in the high 160 lbs. range. There was the All Asian Champion and they were going to pay the Japanese athlete $3000 to fight in the US while Lewis was only going to get $1000 for the title. Lewis told Faulkner that he wanted $5500 plus $500 for training expenses. ABC's Wide World of Sports was interested in filming the bout (anywhere in the world). Faulkner never came back with a counter offer so Lewis retired.

TELEVISED U.S. KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION BOUTS Lee Faulkner changes his tune and now states that American Karateka wearing boxing gloves are not Kickboxers. He makes a deal with Japanese promoters and bring videotapes of Japanese Kickboxing fights to America dubbed with English play by play and run on weekly on KTLA, Channel 5 in Los Angeles. It enjoyed moderate popularity in the area. Faulkner attempts to negotiate with CBS to run a similar program featuring tapes from Thailand (of Muay Thai). A year later, the California State Athletic Commission altered the existing rules, and for reasons undisclosed, the weekly Kickboxing telecasts were discontinued soon afterward.

Faulkner attempts to promote live Oriental Kickboxing in October 1971, but the event is cancelled upon him learning that Kickboxing is now illegal in California. A startling revelation considering that Faulkner’s Lewis vs. Baines bout was staged in California in 1970.

MARTIAL ART MAGAZINE FROM THE 1990'S FEATURING KICKBOXING: (Above photo) WKA Magazine (1990's): WKA President Paul Ingram's highly successful glossy magazine reporting on all facets of WKA activity worldwide including the ring disciplines (Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Full Contact Karate) as well as Semi-Contact Fighting and traditional Martial Arts competitions.

U.S. KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION UNDERGOES CHANGE In late 1971, Lee Faulkner merges his organization internationally. Faulkner has gotten away from American Kickboxing and now subscribes to the same rules and regulations of the Japanese Kickboxing Federation and the Thai Kickboxing Association. The 2nd organization in Japan is Noguchi's World Kick-Boxing Association. The JKBF 2 largest promoters are Arashida and Okamura. Faulkner wants to work with the JKBA and the WKBA as well as the Thai’s to spread Kickboxing in the USA. All those involved must work under the banner of the United States Kick-Boxing Association (Faulkner's organization) in the USA. Faulkner, the first to put Joe Lewis on the map as a Kickboxer now claims the only real American Champion is Ray Elder* (fighting in Japan - more on him later). The merging garnered a few headlines in the Martial Arts media for Faulkner (major problems were to come in a few short years ahead for the WKBA in Japan. Rumors of links to the underground affected the way the Japanese public and media perceived the organization in the 1980's). Also, to someone's discredit misinformation on the history of 'Kickboxing' (more specifically 'Japanese Kickboxing') made its way into the North American Martial Arts media. Press statements included: "Kickboxing had it's inception in the early 1960's in Tokyo, Japan where it spread south on the island eventually making it's way to Thailand, Korea and the Phillipines". Claims were even made that Japanese Kickboxing had caused "a resurgence of interest and popularity of the sport in Thailand". The truth is Muay Thai was adopted by the Japanese, and they made changes to the art allowing techniques from Karate, Judo and Wrestling, and then they renamed the sport "Kickboxing". Faulkner's USAKBA and its merging with the WKBA organization was no luckier than Joe Lewis' attempts to popularize the sport in North America and the great things that Faulkner had predicted, were never to be.

AMERICAN 'JAPANESE KICKBOXING' PIONEER: (Above photo) Ray Elder : An American who became a respected Japanese Kickboxer in Japan. However, initially feelings were mixed on him in Thailand, but they have softened through the years and now his name is now given respect in that country.

*RAY ELDER
On November 5th, 1971, American Ray Elder defeated Toshiya Furuya to become the first non-Oriental to win the Japanese Middleweight Kick-Boxing crown. The bout was at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in front of 9000 cheering spectators. Elder was from Pasco, Washington. In March 1970, Elder was sent to Thailand to train at the Sri Sothorn Camp and in May 1970 fought at Radgdamnern Stadium. Elder fought 5th ranked middleweight Mahahchai Tacharom. Elder won the bout. Returning to Japan the over confident Elder did poorly winning 5 and losing 3 until his next fight in Thailand. In November 1970 he returned to Thailand and met the no.1 ranked Thai middleweight Daenthai Ittichit who was the former Radgdamnern Stadium Middleweight Champion. Elder lost by decision. After that bout Elder had 15 straight bouts (winning them all - 12 of them by KO). On the 26th of April 1972 Elder defended his title against Abe Oka in Korakuen Hall. On the 13th of August 1972 Elder lost in his bid to win the Orient 'World Middleweight Kickboxing Title' against Thailand's Songket. Elder was KO'ed in the 4th by a series of high kicks to the back of the ear and the neck. According to newspaper sources, Elder was winning the fight up until the point of the KO. Elder blocked the strong Thai kicks for 2 rounds and then started punching dropping his hands like an international boxer and he paid the price. Elder was known for being superior at using his left jab, having a good ability to block kicks and being proficient on the inside with the use of the knees. Elder could beef up to 193 lbs. at times still looking in shape and there was talk of bringing him over to fight Joe Lewis (who had been criticized for fighting athletes who did not know how to Kickbox). Needless to say, the financial rewards that both Lewis and Elder could have seen from such a match never happened.

WHO OWNS KICKBOXING? Leo Fong promoted the Weber Days Karate Championships and the All-Star Karate and Kickboxing Championships in Stockton California in July 1970 and again in July '71. The event features Kickboxing in the program. Aaron Banks staged 3 Kickboxing events in 1971 (New York) and Sam Allred staged an event in New Mexico. Banks up to this point had no problems with the New York Athletic Commission while Allred approached the New Mexico Commission before his next event to avoid the problems that Faulkner has had in Los Angeles. Banks uses 2 organizations on the east coast, the American Kickboxing Organization and the Professional Kick-boxing Organization. Banks spouts off that winners between Japan and Thailand can not call themselves World Champions. Banks states, "They (Oriental athletes) are victorious over other (Oriental) countries but not the world". In a similar feeling of insecurity, Leo Fong states that no 2 countries (Japan and Thailand) can monopolize the sport (even though they are better organized and have been promoting bouts for a longer period of time).

THE KICKBOXING BOOM IN JAPAN Thai Kickboxing and the enthusiasm for it grows by leaps and bounds in Japan. The current idol is Tadashi Sawamura 28, a 130 lbs. ex-Karateka who is knocking out all comers by powerful knee kicks. Sawamura was introduced to Kickboxing 5 years earlier. Kickboxing commands such an audience in Japan that it is now shown weekly over 3 television channels in Tokyo. There are two distinct styles of the art. The first (practised by Sawamura and 1200 other boxers) involves a combination of Karate, Boxing, Judo, Wrestling and head butts. The second style prohibits head butts and Judo throws and is the classical Thai style. This group is organized under the title of the All-Japan Kick-boxing Commission and they issue rankings in 9 weight categories like boxing.

KICKBOXING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST Sam Allred's attempt to introduce Kickboxing to Albuquerque and the southwest is reviewed favorably but questions arise like, how does Kickboxing compare to Boxing or Karate? Or which is the most devastating? In a bout, 'Kickboxer' David Errigo smashes his left knee into Boxer Chuck Shields chest for a third round KO.

AMERICAN KICKBOXER IN JAPAN ISSUES CHALLENGE TO AMERICAN KICKBOXERS At this time most Martial Artists in North America state Kickboxing is phony, and just like Professional Wrestling. Another opinion is that Japanese and Thai athletes lack technique. They are viewed as boxing retreads who could never make it in Boxing or Karate. Curiously, few who level these charges step forward to verify their opinions. An American living and fighting in Japan, Ray Elder and several Japanese Champions issue a standing challenge to the best of the American Kickboxers, but no one takes them up on the challenge.

Continued on the Next Page! - 1972 -