February 27, 2026
Kombat National Presidents Meeting Advances Strategic Global Expansion
On February 22, 2026, Kombat convened its National Presidents Meeting via Zoom, assembling 52 senior officials, National Presidents, and executive representatives from across the globe.
The meeting opened with strategic remarks from President Rick W. Shin, who reflected on Kombat's rapid global ascent since its inaugural championships were held in Bogota, Colombia, 23 months ago.
In less than three years since its founding, including 23 months since its first professional championship event, Kombat has expanded memberships into 124 countries, built a global infrastructure of 1,250 plus Licensed Clubs, and certified more than 3,000 Licensed Kombat Referees.
President Shin emphasized that the first 23 months represented a deliberate foundation building phase rather than rapid expansion.
"It has been an intensive build phase. There are many professional combat leagues in the marketplace today. However, very few achieve long term sustainability because they lack foundational infrastructure."
"From the beginning, Kombat made a conscious decision not to follow that path. We built Kombat from the ground up, establishing our own governance model, licensing systems, referee infrastructure, and international framework."
Originally launched through Kombat Taekwondo, the organization is now expanding into additional professional combat sports divisions: Kombat Jiu Jitsu, Kombat Kun Khmer (Muay Thai), Kombat Kickboxing, Kombat MMA
An official announcement was made regarding important rule refinements within Kombat Taekwondo. Professional bouts will now consist of three rounds of three minutes each, replacing the previous single five minute round format. A one minute rest period will separate each round. The ground fighting allowance has been reduced from ten seconds to five seconds. All fighters will wear full traditional Taekwondo uniforms representing their respective styles.
With its foundational phase complete, Kombat is now transitioning into accelerated championship execution and structured expansion, reinforcing its position as a leading force in the global professional combat sports landscape.
