News-Current

NEWS 4-21-03

The Latest On Kickboxing In New York!
Daily News Runs Story About
New York State Athletic Commission Corruption and Abuses

New Your, USA: The Daily News ran a two page story on how the New York State (USA) Athletic Commission (NYSAC) is plagued with corruption and scandal, and has failed in it's #1 stated mission, to promote boxing in New York. For The full story "Athletic commission rope-a-dopes boxing" CLICK HERE!

For those not informed on this issue, recent changes in New York State law have made all but "1" Sanctioning Bodies for the sport of kickboxing, San Shou and all Chinese martial arts competitions which include any form of application event (point sparring, continuous sparring, Shuai Chiao, Chi Sau, push hands. Kuoshu Lei Tai and San Shou) Illegal in the State of New York. According to Hudo Spindola, General Counsel for the NYSAC, only organizations on the States "Approved List" can legally run events in NY State. Apparently the list has been around for years but has never been followed until Spindola decided to re-enact it last summer, 2002. Furthermore, the commission has not established any process by which other organizations can be added. If a promoter is not sanctioned by one of these "Approved List" organizations, the NYSAC will send police to shut the event down, something they have already done. With the newly enforced "LIST", it makes kickboxing and Chinese martial art competitions now illegal in the State of New York.

The amendment to the current law states that the only legal "martial arts" competition will be ones sanctioned by organizations on the NYSAC's (NYSAC) "Approved List". This list was created over 10 years ago and only has "KARATE" organizations on it. However a loop hole in the "World "KARATE" Association" has allowed them to be the only sanctioning body in New York to be allowed to sanction kickboxing. Those on the list include, U.S. Judo Association, U.S. Judo, Inc., U.S. Judo Federation, U.S. Tae Kwon Do Union, North American Sport Karate Association, U.S.A. Karate Foundation, U.S. Karate, Inc., World Karate Association, Professional Karate Association, Karate International, International Kenpo Association, or World Wide Kenpo Association.

The IKF does not sanction many events in New York so it has not been a major blow to us. However, several organizations do, which makes this a Major blow to the sport itself. One of the organizations that has been very active in New York was the USKBA - (www.uskba.com) (United States Kickboxing Association). The USKBA under the direction of Mr. Paul Rosner brought more credibility and recognition to Kickboxing in the North East that had previously seen over a dozen promoter only sanctioning bodies overseeing the sport. Their headquarters are in New Jersey and a majority of their events were in New York. Yet with their excellent background in sanctioning the sport in the North East USA, even they cannot get on the NYSAC Approved list along with other kickboxing sanctioning bodies.

The individual responsible for not allowing Kickboxing in New York, Hugo Spindola, their staff attorney sits pretty with a $90,000.00 a year salary but many are wondering what he actually does for his money. He certainly isn't serving those in his State. His job description says he reviews contracts and monitor disputes but he can't be too busy as this year. So far in 2003 then NYSAC has licensed only one event, a small-time boxing card attended by 600 people at a Bronx catering hall. Despite hundreds of letters, e-mails and several petitions asking how other organizations can be added to the "Approved List" Spindola has never even returned any phone calls to these organizations with any guidelines to work with and has yet to offer any light at the end of an endless tunnel.

Due to Spindola's actions or lack of action, kickboxers in New York are forced to leave the state to fight. Worse yet, great promoters like Tommy Battone, David Ross and Lou Neglia, just to name a few have been shut down as well. For many of them, promoting events is part of their living. But it's not just kickboxing that has suffered. Boxing has suffered as well in New York and many fingers point to corruption in the ranks of those appointed as leaders in the sport.

"Boxing is dead in New York, so why even have a commission?" asked trainer and commentator Teddy Atlas, who has worked with former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Michael Moorer. Since 1997, the athletic commission (the regulatory agency for professional boxing) has been marred by charges that it is a Republican patronage pit, sometimes for no-show jobs. Incompetent management and instances of sloppy regulation, even at prefight weigh-ins, are among the other hallmarks of the commission over the last six years, according to investigations by the Manhattan district attorney and the state inspector general. Questionable judging in the ring, "failure to inspect boxing gyms," "conflicts of interest" and "administrative lapses," right down to sacks of unopened mail, are other findings detailed in an inspector general's report on the commission, obtained by the Daily News.

Among the employees of the NYSAC, Scott Crockett, has no boxing background yet is in a position of power as the State Commissions executive assistant to the chairman. He sits pretty with a salary of $75,000 a year. This is nothing new to our sport. We've seen the same thing here in California where the California State Commission regulates Kickboxing yet no one on the commission has any kickboxing background. The commission offers NO Instructional courses for kickboxing officials either yet they have the control and the power to appoint officials to events. Although there are some good officials in the State there are still some being appointed today that have no clue how to judge or referee kickboxing especially MuayThai, let alone San Shou. A simple questions as to credibility comes to the head here, "How can you oversee a sport you have never been involved in on any level nor had any instruction in?"