Professional Karate Association

The Professional Karate Association (PKA) is a United States-origin organization associated with the development, sanctioning, broadcasting, and promotion of professional full-contact karate and kickboxing. It was established in 1974 by Don and Judy Quine in association with Mike Anderson after the breakdown of the United States Kickboxing Association. The organization helped formalize a professional version of karate that combined boxing-style punching with above-the-waist kicking, boxing gloves, protective foot pads, and rules requiring fighters to demonstrate sustained kicking activity during each round. The PKA gained prominence through its inaugural world championships, held in September 1974 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and televised on ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. Joe Lewis, Jeff Smith, Bill Wallace, and Isaias Duenas won the first principal championship divisions, while Vernon Mason later became the association's first bantamweight champion. The event and the organization's subsequent activities helped popularize what had initially been called full-contact karate. As the sport developed, the term kickboxing became more widely used because of its combination of karate and boxing techniques. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the PKA became one of the most visible professional kickboxing organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and parts of continental Europe. Joe Corley joined the organization in 1977 and worked with Glenn Keeney, Jerry Piddington, John Therien, George Sfetas, and other regional administrators to build committees and operating structures around the sport. The PKA developed relationships with ESPN and also presented programs through CBS and NBC. At its peak, it sanctioned a substantial share of worldwide events and generated extensive television programming. Its roster included prominent fighters such as Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis, Benny Urquidez, Jean-Yves Thériault, Dennis Alexio, Rick Roufus, Jerry Trimble, Jeff Smith, and others. The PKA was identified particularly with full-contact rules, in which kicks were generally required to land above the waist. This distinguished its format from international rulesets used by rival organizations that permitted lower-leg attacks. The organization also used exclusive fighter contracts as part of its effort to develop a recognizable championship system and a strong promotional identity. Internal disputes contributed to the emergence of other bodies, including the Professional Karate Commission and the International Sport Karate Association. In 1989, Joe Corley obtained the PKA rights through an out-of-court settlement following a multiyear dispute with former partners, after which the PKA operated primarily as a promotion company rather than solely as a sanctioning association. The organization continued staging and televising fights into the 1990s, including programming connected with Showtime and a pay-per-view event featuring Jean-Yves Thériault, Rick Roufus, Dennis Alexio, Dick Kimber, Paul Vizzio, and Juan Torres. It subsequently entered a period of dormancy. Corley later described the interruption as the result of a sequence of broadcast-related decisions that weakened the momentum the PKA had built over two decades. During the hiatus, he focused on operating and developing Joe Corley American Karate studios in Atlanta. In March 2022, the organization announced a relaunch under the name PKA Worldwide. The revived operation repositioned the PKA as a modern professional striking-sports promotion and announced a search for elite kickboxers through auditions in North America, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions. Its stated concept included a redesigned competition environment called the Strikers Cage, together with broadcast and streaming arrangements and a new promotional phrase, "Punch. Kick. Repeat." The relaunch reflects the organization's attempt to reconnect its historical full-contact karate identity with contemporary interest in kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and televised combat sports. The PKA's current public status is best understood as an active promotional project with a long historical legacy, while the scale and regularity of its post-2022 event schedule remain subject to further verification.

The Professional Karate Association emerged in 1974 from the changing American martial arts landscape. Following the disintegration of the United States Kickboxing Association in 1972, Don and Judy Quine, working with Mike Anderson, created the PKA as a body capable of organizing and promoting professional full-contact karate. Its early rules combined boxing gloves and a roped ring with karate-style kicking requirements. Fighters generally had to kick above the waist and meet minimum kicking expectations during each round, creating a distinct ruleset that differed from both traditional point karate and international kickboxing formats. The organization's breakthrough came in September 1974, when it staged its first world championships at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The event received television exposure through ABC's Wide World of Entertainment and established the PKA as a national professional-sports property. Joe Lewis won the heavyweight division, Jeff Smith the light-heavyweight division, Bill Wallace the middleweight division, and Isaias Duenas the lightweight division. Vernon Mason subsequently became the first PKA bantamweight champion. These championships gave the emerging sport a recognizable title structure and helped replace the less consistent description of full-contact karate with the more widely understood term kickboxing. Joe Corley joined the PKA in 1977. Alongside Glenn Keeney, Jerry Piddington, John Therien in Canada, George Sfetas in England, and other administrators, he helped organize committees and regional structures across the United States and overseas. The PKA's prominence grew through fighter contracts, championship bouts, and extensive television distribution. ESPN maintained a long relationship with the organization through 1986, while CBS and NBC also carried selected fights. By the early 1980s, the PKA was among the most visible sanctioning and promotional bodies in American kickboxing and had substantial influence in the United Kingdom and Europe. It reportedly sanctioned a large share of worldwide events in 1982 and produced more than a thousand hours of television content. The PKA's identity was closely connected with full-contact rules. The association generally permitted kicks only above the waist, unlike rival organizations promoting international rules that allowed a broader range of leg attacks. It signed a number of fighters to exclusive agreements in an effort to preserve championship continuity and build a distinct brand. Those contracts also produced tension, as some athletes preferred to work with competing organizations. Internal disagreements within PKA leadership contributed to the creation of the Professional Karate Commission and the International Sport Karate Association, but the PKA remained active in the United States and parts of Europe. The organization expanded its media profile during the 1990s through fights associated with Showtime. It also staged a pay-per-view event featuring Jean-Yves Thériault against Rick Roufus, Dennis Alexio against Dick Kimber, and Paul Vizzio against Juan Torres. The PKA later became dormant. Joe Corley subsequently attributed the interruption to a series of broadcast-business decisions that damaged the momentum built over approximately two decades. During the inactive period, he concentrated on Joe Corley American Karate studios in Atlanta and on training instructors in the operation of professional martial arts schools. A new phase began in March 2022, when Corley announced the relaunch of the organization as PKA Worldwide. The revived project sought to connect the PKA's historical full-contact identity with contemporary interest in kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and televised striking sports. It established a global leadership structure and began a multiyear search for athletes through auditions in locations including New York, Fort Worth, Redlands, Arlington, South Hill, Vitoria, and Johannesburg. The new brand adopted the phrase "Punch. Kick. Repeat." and described plans for events staged in a purpose-built Strikers Cage rather than a conventional boxing ring. PKA Worldwide reported that it had recruited more than 50 athletes and was working toward new broadcast and streaming arrangements. The organization therefore retains both a historical sanctioning legacy and a current promotional ambition, although the extent of its regular event operations after the announced relaunch requires ongoing documentation.

• 2022

  Relaunch as PKA Worldwide

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The organization announces a relaunch under the PKA Worldwide identity and begins assembling a new international leadership and athlete-recruitment program.

• 1989

  Rights dispute concludes

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Corley gains the PKA rights through an out-of-court settlement after a three-year dispute with former partners.

• 1982

  Peak sanctioning and television influence

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The PKA reaches a high point of visibility, sanctioning a reported 43 percent of worldwide events and producing extensive television content.

• 1977

  Joe Corley joins the organization

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Corley joins the PKA and participates in the creation of regional committees and operating structures.

• 1974

  PKA is founded

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Don and Judy Quine, working with Mike Anderson, establish the Professional Karate Association after the collapse of the United States Kickboxing Association.

• 1974

  First world championships

  [1]Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The PKA holds its inaugural world championships at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, helping establish televised full-contact karate as a professional sport.

A historically influential full-contact karate and kickboxing organization positioned between a sanctioning body, championship system, television property, and professional combat-sports promoter.

• Professional combat-sports championships · 1974

  PKA World Championships

  The PKA's championship system formed the foundation of its original identity. The first tournament in 1974 introduced world titles across weight divisions and created a formal competitive framework for professional full-contact karate. The title structure later included divisions ranging from flyweight and bantamweight to heavyweight and super heavyweight. Champions associated with the system included Joe Lewis, Jeff Smith, Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez, Dennis Alexio, Jean-Yves Thériault, and other notable fighters.

• Competition ruleset · 1974

  PKA full-contact rules

  The PKA promoted a professional rules format combining boxing-style punches with karate-derived kicking. Competitors fought in a roped ring wearing boxing gloves and foot protection, with kicks generally restricted to targets above the waist. The format also required a minimum number of kicks in each two-minute round, distinguishing it from both traditional karate competition and rival international kickboxing rules.

• Kickboxing promotion · 2022

  PKA Worldwide events

  The relaunched PKA Worldwide project is intended to present professional striking events for a contemporary television, streaming, and live-event audience. The organization has described a format centered on a Strikers Cage, athlete auditions, international scouting, and a renewed emphasis on punching and kicking as the principal entertainment proposition.

• Athlete recruitment · 2022

  PKA fighter auditions

  As part of its relaunch, PKA Worldwide organized auditions and scouting activities intended to identify professional strikers. Reported locations included cities in the United States, Brazil, and South Africa. The program was presented as a way to build a new roster while retaining the PKA's historical focus on elite full-contact striking.

• 2022PKA Worldwide relaunch

  United States · Latin America · Africa · Asia

  The PKA relaunched under the PKA Worldwide name with a new leadership structure, international recruitment plan, and the slogan "Punch. Kick. Repeat."

  Outcome. The organization moved from dormancy toward a renewed professional kickboxing promotion model.

  Source
• 2022Greatest Strikers on the Planet search

  United States · Brazil · South Africa

  PKA Worldwide began a multiyear scouting and audition initiative to identify fighters for its planned relaunch events.

  Outcome. The organization reported auditions across multiple regions and recruitment of more than 50 athletes.

  Source
• 1974Inaugural World Championships

  United States

  The first PKA world championships introduced the organization's professional full-contact rules and gave the emerging sport national television exposure through ABC programming.

  Outcome. The event established the PKA as a significant American kickboxing and full-contact karate property.

  Source

• 2022

  Decision to relaunch as PKA WorldwideStrategy

  Background

  After a period of dormancy, the organization sought to take advantage of renewed public interest in kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and televised striking sports.

  Action taken

  Joe Corley announced a relaunch under the PKA Worldwide name, with an international leadership team, fighter auditions, and plans for new events.

  Aftermath

  The organization began rebuilding its athlete roster and international operating structure, with planned events intended to use a Strikers Cage format.

  Source

• 2022

  Introduction of the Strikers Cage conceptGeneration change

  Background

  The relaunched organization wanted to distinguish its event presentation from traditional boxing-ring promotions.

  Action taken

  PKA Worldwide announced plans to stage bouts in a purpose-designed Strikers Cage and to support them with broadcast and streaming distribution.

  Aftermath

  The cage became a central part of the proposed modern PKA Worldwide event format, although the long-term implementation requires further verification.

  Source

• 1989

  Settlement resolves PKA rights disputeOther

  Background

  A dispute among PKA partners continued for approximately three years while the organization faced internal leadership disagreements.

  Action taken

  Joe Corley obtained the rights to the PKA through an out-of-court settlement.

  Aftermath

  The PKA subsequently operated primarily as a promotion company. The period of internal conflict also coincided with the formation of competing organizations.

  Source

1. 1Professional Karate Associationen.wikipedia.org