History Of K-1
''The history of K-1'' can be called the history of Seidokaikan, which is a school of Full contact karate that preceded K-1. Beginning (1993-1994) K-1's eight-year history began with the revolutionary vision of Japan's Kazuyoshi Ishii. Following a rapid climb through the ranks as martial arts mentor, promoter, and official, Ishii thought it was time to organize a major martial arts event. Its concept was to decide the strongest martial artist in a night, inspired from Akira Maeda's Fighting Network RINGS. Maeda himself liked Ishii's K-1 concept and helped him to establish it. Karate was closely resembling the style of kick boxing. Ishii organized the first ''K-1 Grand Prix'' at the Yoyogi Dai-Ichi Stadium in Tokyo on April 30, 1993. The event was held in a regulation-size boxing ring under the K-1 rules, which permit punches to accommodate both karate and kick boxing fighters. A crowd of 10,000 were on hand to witness history in the making as a young Ernesto Hoost and Peter Ae ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Seidokaikan
is a traditional full contact karate derived from Kyokushin by Kazuyoshi Ishii. Seidokaikan organized the first professional full contact karate tournament named the Karate World Cup. The Karate World Cup had special extension rounds; if the judge's decision was deadlocked after an extension round, the rules then allowed face strikes with fighters donning boxing gloves (kickboxing). History In 1981, Kazuyoshi Ishii established his own style of karate, forming the International Practical Karate Federation Seidokaikan, and became the Kancho (Grandmaster) of Seidokaikan based in Osaka. Kancho Ishii's top student at this time was Takeo Nakayama, who had achieved fame by taking second place in the 1977 Kyokushin All-Japan tournament as a green belt. In 1983, Kancho published a karate technical manual entitled "Full Contact Seido Karate". The following month the first of a four-part educational video series "Practical Seido Karate" (the first of its kind in Japan) was produced. In 1 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Mirko Filipović
Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro Cop fought in the UFC, K-1, RIZIN and Bellator. He is widely considered one of the greatest Heavyweight Kickboxers and MMA fighters of all time. Cro Cop is the 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, the 2012 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and the 2016 Rizin Openweight Grand Prix Champion becoming the second fighter in the world to win mixed martial arts and kickboxing championships and tournaments. He is also a former IGF Champion. His nickname, Cro Cop, short for "Croatian Cop", comes from his employment in the Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, Croatia's elite Police Special Forces tactical unit. Cro Cop's signature move was his lightning-quick left high roundhouse kick, once famously described as "right leg, hospital; left leg, cem ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo (born January 4, 1968), or simply Kimo, is an American retired mixed martial artist and actor. He made his MMA debut at ''UFC 3'' in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. A professional from 1994 until 2011, he also competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, and the World Fighting Alliance. He was credited with a black belt in taekwondo in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut at ''UFC 3''. Background Leopoldo was born in Munich to an American father of Irish and Polynesian descent and a German mother of Jewish descent. Four months after he was born his family moved to Hawaii. Leopoldo was a natural athlete growing up, playing football, wrestling, and he also had an interest in surfing. Leopoldo was a dominant wrestler at Waianae High School and played on the team that won the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Championship. Leopoldo was also a very talented middle linebacker in football, and attended the University of Washington on a par ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Dennis Lane (karate)
Dennis Lane (1881 – August 10, 1942) was an American labor union leader. Born in Chicago, Lane worked in the stockyards from an early age. He joined the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America's Local 87, for cattle butchers. He took part in the major strike of 1904, as a result of which, he was sacked and blacklisted. He found work in other occupations for a few years, before coming to work as full-time organizer for the Meat Cutters. In 1914, Lane was elected as vice-president of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters, and then in 1917, to the top position of secretary-treasurer. He led major organizing drives, which were successful during World War I, but foundered during the post-war depression. He led the union in a major strike in 1921, which was largely a failure. However, Lane remained in post, focusing on stabilizing the union, and promoting industrial unionism. Despite this position, he did not seek to affiliate the Meat Cutters to the Congress o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) also known as World Kickboxing and Karate Association, is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning body for kickboxing and Karate. History In 1976, the WKA was founded by Howard Hanson in the United States and originally named World Karate Association. The organization was the first non-profit governing body to use an independently controlled rating list and the first to establish a world championship division for women and the first to include countries from Asia. Corcoran, John and Farkas, Emil. Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. Gallery Books, New York (1983) p. 60. The organization secured network broadcast in the US and Japan and became a major sanctioning body for professional karate. Early stars of the WKA included Benny Urquidez, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Kevin Rosier and Graciela Casillas. According to martial arts author John Ritschel, "The WKA became successful by finding common ground between ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Patrick Smith (fighter)
Patrick Smith (August 28, 1963 – June 18, 2019) was an American Kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events. He was a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and also held a black belt in Hapkido, American Kenpo, and Tang Soo Do. In 1993, Smith was ranked No. 1 as a Super Heavyweight Kickboxer in the United States and held a ranking of No. 5 internationally. He was the 1993 Enshin Karate Sabaki Challenge Heavyweight champion, an annual full contact karate tournament held in Denver which allows grabs, sweeps and throws, and competed in the 1993 Seidokaikan full contact Karate World Cup tournament in Japan. Kickboxing career Patrick Smith first rose to fame in the US for his kickboxing prowess. In 1994 he entered the K-1 Grand Prix '94 where he caused one of the biggest upsets in K-1 history by flooring three times and subsequently knocking out legendary karateka and future K-1 s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Branco Cikatic
Branco ("white" in Portuguese and Galician) may refer to: Places * Branco River (other), various rivers in Brazil * Cape Branco, on the coast of Paraíba, Brazil * Branco, Cape Verde, an island *Morro Branco, Cape Verde, a mountain on the island of São Vicente People *Branco, a white Brazilian *Branco (surname) *Branco (footballer), Brazilian international footballerCláudio Ibrahim Vaz Leal (born 1964) *Branco (rapper), Danish rapper Other uses *''Il branco'', a 1994 Italian drama film See also * * Castelo Branco (other) *Castello Branco (other) * Rio Branco (other) *Blanco (other) Blanco (''white'' or ''blank'' in Spanish) or Los Blancos may refer to: People *Blanco (surname) Fictional characters *Blanco, a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth *Blanco Webb, character in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge'' * El Blanco, albino ..., the Spanish equivalent * Branko, a South Slavic masculine given name {{disambiguation, geo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Xhavit Bajrami
Xhavit Bajrami (born October 30, 1975) is an Albanian-Swiss former Kickboxing, kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. A Seidokaikan, Seido karate practitioner and Andy Hug student, Bajrami built up an undefeated record domestically before he was recruited by K-1 where he won the ''K-1 Braves '99'' tournament and finished as runner-up in two other tournaments. He is also a two-time Muay Thai world champion, having won the International Sport Karate Association, ISKA World Super Heavyweight title in 2004 and the WKN World Super Heavyweight strap in 2010. Early life A Albanians in Kosovo, Kosovar Albanian, Bajrami was born in Dumosh, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo) in 1975. He relocated to Switzerland where he began practicing Seidokaikan, Seido karate and eventually kickboxing. Career K-1 career (1998–2004) Bajrami transitioned from full contact karate to kickboxing under the tutelage of fellow karateka-turned-kickboxers Andy Hug ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Lloyd Van Dams
Lloyd Daniël van Dams (5 March 1972 – 29 December 2021), also known as The Tornado, was a Surinamese-born Dutch heavyweight kickboxer. He was a Dutch, European, and World Muay Thai champion. Known for his durability, van Dams was never knocked out in 84 professional fights (though he was defeated once via TKO from exhaustion). He held notable wins over Remy Bonjasky, Brian Douwes, Alexander Ustinov, Bjorn Bregy, and Brecht Wallis. Van Dams also competed in mixed martial arts. Life and career Van Dams was born in Suriname on 5 March 1972, and moved to the Netherlands when he was seven years old. He began training kickboxing when he was 12 at SWSU, a Surinamese-Dutch gym in Utrecht. When he was good enough, his trainer decided to take him to Chakuriki. Van Dams had his first professional fight at the age of 18. When he was 20 he moved from Utrecht to Dordrecht and began training with Jan Vleesenbeek. This trainer was known for his hard training methods, which suited van Dams ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rick Roufus
Rick John Roufus (born June 3, 1966) is an American retired kickboxer. He is one of the most famous kickboxers in America, and has also competed professionally in boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ... and mixed martial arts. An accomplished professional fighter throughout his competitive career Roufus has won multiple world championships across the globe in several weight classes, he was world champion as a super middle weight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Roufus held titles for all the major kickboxing associations worldwide (Professional Karate Association, PKA, International Kickboxing Federation, IKF, ISKA, FFKA and KICK), and is known for his boxing skills and powerful kicks. He is the older brother of Duke Roufus who is also a kickboxer and a Muay Th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Matt Skelton
Matt Skelton (born 23 January 1967) is a British former professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist. In boxing he competed from 2002 to 2014. He challenged once for the WBA heavyweight title in 2008. At regional level, he held the British heavyweight title from 2004 to 2005; the Commonwealth heavyweight title twice between 2004 and 2009; and the EBU heavyweight title in 2008. In kickboxing he competed from 1998 to 2002, and held the IKF Pro Muay Thai super-heavyweight title from 2000 to 2001. Biography Skelton did not become a professional boxer until the age of 35. Prior to this he had been a professional kickboxer. Kickboxing Skelton has a kickboxing/muay thai record of 63-8/57. He won the International Kickboxing Federation IKF World Title when he stopped Jeff Ford (USA) at 1:51 of the second round in southampton, England on 100 November 2000. In his first defense of the IKF World Title on 18 November 2001, in Northampton, England, he defeated Peter Raja ( ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Ray Sefo
Ray Sefo (born 15 February 1971) is a New Zealand fight promoter and retired kickboxer, boxer, and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent. He was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Runner Up, is a six-time Muay Thai World Champion, and was an eight time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals tournament participant. He is the president of MMA promotion Professional Fighters League. In kickboxing, he defeated world champions Jerome Le Banner, Peter Aerts, Stefan Leko, Mike Bernardo, and Mark Hunt. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers to have never won the K-1 World Grand Prix. Background Training in Wing Chun as a youth, Sefo moved to Muay Thai under Thai fighting legend Kiosot, then continued training under Lollo Heimuli at the infamous Balmoral Lee Gar Gym. Career Early career Sefo had an impressive unbeaten record as an amateur and a professional in the Oceania kickboxing league. Early in his career, he trained at Balmoral Lee Gar gym alongside Jas ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |