Master Amatto Zaharia

FULL-CONTACT KEMPO (MIX-FIGHT KEMPO)

This powerful fighting method was developed during ‘80s by Master Amatto Zaharia, who created his organization underground at that time, as long as practicing martial arts during communism was illegal. Amatto Zaharia practiced boxing, judo, and karate, combining them in one fighting style being his best choice.

Amatto Zaharia is a multiple European and world champion but also a military expert, being one of the top instructors of the Romanian commando troops and an elite sniper also. In 2009, for his merits in promoting and developing the combat sport of Kempo worldwide, he was awarded by His Excellency Traian Basescu, the President of Romania.

But more than this, Amatto Zaharia was a visionary who pioneered the idea of bringing Kempo under the same umbrella for getting more and more recognition internationally as an official sport. At the end of the 20th century, based on long-time experience and connections in the world of Kempo, Amatto Zaharia started to contact different masters and Kempo styles/organizations, putting them at the same table, bringing to the same point the different rules of competition, uniformizing also the clothes of the referees and athletes. In this way, after many years of hard work and dedication, the International Kempo Federation appeared.

At present, Amatto Zaharia is an Executive-Member of the Romanian Olympic Committee and also the Executive-President of the International Kempo Federation.

http://olympickempo.com/about-ikf/kempo-history/