A genuine pioneer of the sport during the most difficult times of the association while it was divided into separate entities. Gerhard Tuschla of Vienna is better known as a fearless war reporter from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For decades he worked as a TV journalist for German, Austrian and Swiss television companies SRG, RTL and ORF. His hobby has always been karate and kickboxing.
When WAKO broke apart in 1984 he successfully established a new WAKO Austria together with Peter Kruckenhauser rivaling the established government-affiliated organization of co-founder Peter Land. Previously he helped establish kickboxing in Hungary and he has been one of the most accomplished referees and judges at World and European Championships. He retired from WAKO in 1993 after the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. On and off he directed broadcasts of martial arts events such as the Dortmund Budo Gala or the legendary PKO title fight between Ferdinand Mack and Don Wilson.