MONDAY, April 26th, 2004, AT 11:50 PM, PT

Venting About California!
Quiet Too Long... It's Time to Speak Up & Make A Stand! For The Sport!
By Steve Fossum

I needed to vent about some things but i don't have all day and week and month to type it all out... In fact, the file on all this is so thick I could never write it all up here... So much that at times I am ashamed of the state of kickboxing here in my home state! Not the fighters or the trainers, because we have a lot of great fighters trainers and others involved in our sport here. My rage is directed at those "Select Few" holding the power stick who continue to Abuse it and Misuse it, at the cost of the sport itself. Why? Maybe its true that they could care less about Kickboxing. That boxing people have told them to keep us at a distance from the big dollar sponsors, who knows. Bottom line here, it exists and I am just tired of seeing no one do anything about it as we continue to be humiliated by this abusive power from those above who's positions of leadership are at best, questionable in the sport of kickboxing!

Say what you want to but the bottom line here is, the IKF cares about the fighters! In California we have to work with the State Commission because they over see both amateur and pro kickboxing. My question, as it often is, is WHY? Many involved in the commission do a great job and are passionate about our sport. They know who I am referring to so no need for them to be upset. However others, from the very top down to some of the officials are in question over and over again. Lack of training, off their game, whatever, no one is there to question their calls. WHY? Who polices them? no one. Oh wait, a "Boxing" official who has never been a kickboxer before, who mocks the kickboxers while they are in the ring is their boss...

Go on, HATE ME for what I am saying, but someone needs to "Make a Stand" for our sport and I am sick and tired of the BS! I have heard it time and time again from many in the State that the California Commission could care less about kickboxing, and from what we continue to see, maybe they are right. Since the starting of the IKF in 1992, there has NEVER been one single training seminar for Kickboxing Officials. NEVER! Yet they are the ones who step in to tell us how things are done. Seem strange? Oh it is far worse than you can imagine. When you follow the issues up to the top as we have, it will make you sick to hear, see and have knowledge of the politics and favoritism from those in leadership rolls of the Commission.

Last night I had the time to listen to Pedro Fernandez' "Ring Talk" program on the Radio. As a guest he had California Referee Jon Schorle (Right) on there because he just refereed the Vitali Klitschko Vs Corrie Sanders world title bout in Los Angeles California. Fernandez believes that Schorle is one of the best referees in Boxing. You know what, he's right and we agree, he is one of the best in the game! Schorle grew up with the IKF... Literally. His first kickboxing referee job was on the very first IKF event in Roseville, California. However, I also know a referee who was trained by Schorle who Schorle should be proud of, Dan Stell (Left). Many of you know Stell as the head of Officials in the IKF and to those who have witnessed him work, know why. His ability truly speaks volumes of greatness... Yes, I said Greatness!

Stell has taken it upon himself to learn "And be able to apply" ALL the rules of both boxing and kickboxing. I will even go as far as to say that "Overall" - counting all "4" kickboxing rule styles (Full Contact, International, MuayThai and San Shou) and boxing, Stell is the best the state has, and his skill level reaches far beyond the state of California. This is no disrespect to Schorle who is indeed a great boxing referee, but could, ( if he thought he needed to, which he doesn't, since he now focuses more on boxing) gain a bit more experience in styles like MuayThai and San Shou. This of course is just an observation from someone who sees about 400 bouts a year live and even more on film.

However, to the California State Commission, Stell's association with the IKF seem to be an issue. Maybe because we have been outspoken about some of the terrible officiating we have seen, or that there is no one in their office in leadership positions trying to HELP kickboxing, probably because no one in there KNOWS the sport as we do today. Yes, there are some long time veterans of this sport still active. But hey, know when to say when and if not time yet, LEARN more about what you are doing as an official. These bad calls may be no big deal to some officials but to these fighters, those bad calls could cause them harm both emotionally as well as the obvious, physically. THIS is what upsets me. I am not in a popularity contest here. Maybe this is why the commission here in California (a select few who know who they are) tends to not respect some of our issues or questions as they might someone else who is willing to kiss up to them! Dan Stell has never had to kiss up to me to earn my respect, but it appears things are different in the Commission. Stell is also one of the BEST in "BOTH" Boxing and "Kickboxing!" However, in California, being the best or one of them does not always get you the appointed big bouts and it doesn't take much knowledge to see this around here or realize the reasons why.

Last month Dan Stell came to work an IKF North American title bout in Tustin, (Southern) California. In the bout, I sat ringside with California Chief Inspector Dean Lohuis. Dean is great with the boxing crowd but I am not sure what qualified him as an official for the sport of kickboxing. Not ragging on him, I'm just asking a simple question here. In the bout there was a knockdown from what appeared to be a glancing punch. Stell went to the downed fighter expecting him to just stand up. However, he stayed down on 1 knee. Stell, after waiting a required amount of time as noted in ANY and EVERY referee manual, started his count on the downed fighter. Stell counted to 10 and called the fight. I made the mistake of calling it a TKO since the fighter was up on one knee and clearly awake, not realizing Stell counted to 10. I gave the announcement slip to the ring announcer who announced it as a TKO win. Next thing I hear is the sky falling! Lohuis was "OUTRAGED" and started "Yelling" at me at ringside for giving the ring announcer a card that said TKO instead of KO, as if it changed the decision of the bout. I, not realizing the mistake, argued back and the yelling got louder and louder until Lohuis walked away in anger. As I sat there and thought about it, I realized my mistake, but our night was done as far as the kickboxing bouts went and I couldn't find Lohuis to apologize to. The next day I called and apologized to him which I thought was the respectable and right thing to do. Sadly to say, I heard later he made an issue about me admitting fault, instead of maybe apologizing himself for losing it at ringside. Like Peoples (See story posted on Monday, April 26th, 2004 - Headline: Morello Wins IKF Title Back! Lugo Retains His With TKO! April 24th, 2004 - Santa Barbara, California, USA - Some of the WORST officiating we have EVER seen...) WHY is it so hard for men to apologize? Why have I always found it so easy to "Do the right thing" and apologize when I know I am wrong when so many others like Peoples and Lohuis here in these examples hold their ego so high they feel they owe no respect back? But enough of me, there is more to this story...

I recently found out (Not originally from Stell, but from many others, and later confirmed by Stell) that after the bout above, when Lohuis left ringside after throwing a fit at me, he went back and started yelling at Stell about what a terrible job he had done in the bout. WHAT? Who are you yelling at Dean? Stell did an EXCELLENT job in that bout and those at ringside who KNOW Kickboxing also thought so! How does Lohuis have the nerve to go back stage and throw his power trip against Stell? However, to Lohuis' surprise, Stell had, had enough over the years, including when Lohuis set him up in a bout situation several years back, than failed to back him up for his lack of ring control - But thats yet another story... Stell made it clear to him he was tired of all the BS he has seen and from what "A LOT" of others have told me who saw all this, Lohuis right away realized he was at fault. Stell even told him not to hold his relationship with me and the IKF against him in which Lohuis admitted might be a reason for his issues. When they were nearly done Lohuis assure Stell he would get him more work as a boxing referee, but that was back in March and Lohuis hasn't booked Stell once in April, despite a ton of boxing shows throughout the state.

Now Lohuis will read this and probably use his power to keep Stell out of the boxing ring even longer here in California or be mad at me for being the "ONE" person standing up to him. Well Dean, I have always shown you respect in the past, but when things like this happen, I am not one to ignore when someone did wrong and would have thought you would have stood by your promise to Stell. However, as we both know, your promise meant zero and in the end it was yet another display of your abuse of power... I am not in any popularity contest here and according to several others I have spoke to these past few weeks, you have not been shy about the issues you have with me, so here are mine in public.

As a leader in our sport, I have always followed a major rule, "With great power comes great responsibility" NOT just the Abuse of such POWER just because you can... which is EASY to do! Too bad Lohuis has not followed this rule with some of us in Kickboxing. I could bring up "A LOT" of other issues surrounding the Tustin event which people like Ray Thompson and Raoul Doucet can confirm, but no need to. There will be a place and time to do so which I will. Anyone can overuse their power, but I have always listened to both sides of the story, heard everyone out so the best decision can be made. Personal reasons should never come into decision making, ESPECIALLY with a "STATE" employee. Maybe this has been the reason the IKF has grown tremendously over the years, because we are humble enough to listen to the opinions of others, even those who hate us and when need to, ADMIT when we are wrong and correct what we can. Our "Experienced" knowledge of this great sport often seems to exceed the "Taught" knowledge of those in charge as State employees.

Adding to this... The rules of MuayThai in California have continued to change over and over again and now, when we bring up these rules "For the verification of the fighters" (Because it doesn't benefit the IKF as far as HOW the State wants to rule -changing often-, so think about the reason WHY we question them instead of shutting us down) in a rules meeting, we are told, "This is how Dean wants it, so that is how it is!" which is a direct quote from the Santa Barbara event rules meeting. So that is how it is? Our sport is in the direct hands of Dean Lohuis?

This will come in handy in our upcoming meeting with the Governor of the State of California as we meet to discuss the state of kickboxing here in California "ALONG" with MMA in the coming weeks. Maybe only those who "Care" about the future of these sports (and not about the ego, the paycheck or having non responsibly power) are who should be given the opportunity to "Make Things Happen Here!"

Back To Main OPINION PAGE, Click HERE!