STAR System World Kickboxing Ratings

The Standardized Tournaments And Ratings System (STAR) was the premier rating service for international kickboxing, from 1980 through 1989, as syndicated in fifteen martial arts and sports magazines throughout the world. It was recognized as the official ratings source by two out of three major sanctioning bodies for professional kickboxing, World Kickboxing Association

World Kickboxing Association

The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....

(WKA) and Karate International Council of Kickboxing

Karate International Council of Kickboxing

The Karate International Council of Kickboxing is a sanctioning body that regulates kickboxing matches. It is considered among the more prestigious organizations that sanction professional kickboxing.-Early years:...

(KICK).

The STAR ratings helped internationalize the sport by encouraging transnational matchmaking, and by enabling free agent champions such as: Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez

Benny Urquidez

Benny Urquidez is an American kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor. Nicknamed, The Jet, Urquidez was a non-contact karate competitor who later pioneered full-contact fighting in the U.S. He made the transition from point to full-contact karate in 1974 – the year of its inception...

, Rob Kaman

Rob Kaman

Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman is a Dutch retired 9 time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion considered by many as the greatest kickboxer of all time. Often called "Mr. Low Kick" because of his feared low kicks which he used to set up his devastating offensive attacks.- Biography :In his early days...

, Stan "The Man" Longinidis

Stan Longinidis

Stan "The Man" Longinidis is a retired Australian Heavyweight kickboxer and 8 time Kickboxing World Champion. Born in Australia of Greek ethnicity, Longinidis is one of the few fighters to have won World titles in three different styles, International Rules Kickboxing, Full Contact and Muay Thai,...

, Dennis Alexio

Dennis Alexio

Dennis Raymond Alexio is an American former kickboxer. He was world champion as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight where, for a short time, he became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion...

, Maurice Smith, Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham

Pete Cunningham (kickboxer)

Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham is a Canadian kickboxer and martial arts actor.Peter, like many others, wanted to train in the martial arts after watching Bruce Lee movies. Now he is a living legend in the world of kickboxing. He is a 7-Times Undefeated World Kickboxing Champion and the first inductee...

, Fred Royers

Fred Royers

Fred Royers is an Dutch former kickboxer who competed in the middleweight division. He was known for his powerful low kicks, which is now a staple of Dutch kickboxing.-Biography and career:Royers began practicing karate at the age of 16...

, James Warring

James Warring

James Warring is an American boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He won world titles in both boxing and kickboxing.- Career :*Kickboxing**US kickboxing champion**KICK World Cruiserweight Champion...

, Yasuo Tabata, Graciela Casillas, Cheryl Wheeler

Cheryl Wheeler

Cheryl Wheeler is an American singer-songwriter of contemporary folk music, based in New England. To date, she has recorded several folk albums, and has toured extensively throughout the United States....

and Lucia Rijker

Lucia Rijker

Lucia Rijker is a Dutch professional female boxer, kickboxer, and actress.Rijker has been dubbed by the press and opponents "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World". She can speak four languages and is a Buddhist, dedicating time daily to meditation and chanting...

.

STAR relied on a statistical technique adapted from international tournament chess competition. Competitors were ranked according to actual fight outcomes from rated contender bouts as opposed to the traditional opinion-of-the-judges approach. Rated contenders were considered the “standard” for world class competition. An unrated competitor had to defeat a top contender to move into the top ten ratings.

STAR documented nearly a decade of major kickboxing fight outcomes, frequently archived the official WKA and KICK scorecards from important events, identified undisputed world champions, and reconstructed the complete ring records of major champions. More than 250 live ring observers – including sports reporters, officials, managers, trainers and competitors – reported fight outcomes to the STAR System from around the world. Double-sourced corroboration was required for fight results reported from unofficial ring observers.

Rated competition

Kickboxing contests included in the STAR ratings and kickboxing records featured paid professional competitors who fought for a knockout or multi-judge decision with kicks and punches, over timed rounds with rest periods, where strike-and-hold techniques were prohibited and round judging followed the international standard of overall effectiveness.

Muay Thai, point karate, boxing, wrestling and amateur kickboxing were regarded as separate sports. Mixed martial arts did not yet exist. Outcomes from these sports had no impact on the STAR ratings.

History

The STAR ratings began in early 1980 as part of a coordinated initiative by "Inside Kung-Fu" editor Paul Maslak, with newsstand rival "Karate Illustrated" editor Renardo Barden, to minimize injuries on the nation’s weekend tournament karate circuit. With the help of John Corcoran, a former PKA events coordinator and editor of "Inside Kung-Fu"’s sister magazine "KICK Illustrated", the STAR ratings expanded into professional kickboxing to pressure the sport’s major sanctioning bodies to rank world contenders fairly, rather than to protect favored champions or to punish less favored contenders.

STAR discontinued its tournament ratings at the end of 1981 and dissolved as an organization in 1989 before the start of the mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

movement.

Rated competition

History

See also