The sport of kickboxing was not well organized or coordinated until 1989 when the National Kickboxing Council of Trinidad and Tobago (NKCTT) was founded. Before that, its followers were few and they operated on an almost top secret level. No tournaments were held, no budding talent acknowledged.

The NKCTT sought to provide a forum for local kickboxers, to, as its founder and president Brendon Burke said, "give martial artists a chance of becoming a professional in the true sense of the word." They took the local version of the sport international, becoming affiliated to the International Kickboxing Federation (IKBF), the World Kickboxing Council (WKC) and the World Kickboxing Organization (WKO).

The NKCTT is the governing body for kickboxing in the country, recognized and sanctioned by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. There are 14 registered gyms for senior kickboxers and 5 youth gyms, all operating under the jurisdiction of NKCTT. As members of the NKCTT, kickboxers have been given the opportunity to learn the art of full-contact, kickboxing, and Muay-Thai or Thai Boxing, and travel internationally to represent the country on national teams. A member can also be rated by the NKCTT amateur or professional top national ten ratings and by the various world-governing bodies for the sport that the NKCTT is affiliated to.

Since its inception, the NKCTT has been busy. Various local fighters have been rated by the IKBF top ten world ratings in various weight divisions.

The NKCTT has also sent national teams to represent the country in a number of foreign countries at international kickboxing tournaments like IKBF World Full Contact Championships Kunsan in Korea in 1996, IKBF sanctioned Mexico vs. T&T in 1997, Coca Cola Kickboxing Invitational in 1997 and IKBF sanctioned Barbados vs. T&T in 1998 in Barbados.

The NKCTT held their first official national kickboxing championships at Jean Pierre Complex on may 2/98 and crowned seven national champions in their various weight divisions.

Its work in competitive senior kickboxing running smoothly, the organization then set out to build the youth aspect of the sport. In December 1998 at the last annual general meeting of the NKCTT, Naresh Bhola was appointed Director of the Youth Kickboxing Programme. To start 1999 off Bhola organized T&T's First Youth Kickboxing Tournament on Saturday, 27^th March, at the Princes Town Senior Comprehensive School. The show proved to be a tremendous success and the organization is now working towards the T&T National Youth Championships tentative for next year and a Caribbean Youth Championships soon after.