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Kensaku Maeda is a Japanese former professional Kickboxer, former K-1 WORLD GP Japan producer. He is also renowned as the founder and head trainer of the successful kickboxing gym Team Dragon.


Biography


Early Years

In his youth Maeda was fan of
Tiger Mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...
and Bruce Lee's movies which sparked his interest in martial arts, he later joined the Caesar Gym in Tokyo. The affiliation with Takeshi Caesar's gym led him to make his professional debut with the Shootboxing organization. Maeda made his Muay Thai debut in 1989 at the Nakhon Pathom Stadium where he won by decision, following the experience he decided to switch from Shootboxing rules to Japanese Kickboxing in Japan and joined the
All Japan Kickboxing Federation All Japan Kickboxing Federation ( ja: 全日本キックボクシング連盟, A.J.K.F.) was the Japan-based sanctioning and promoting body of professional kickboxing. It was established in 1987 and it was dissolved in 2009. The informal name was " ...
with the ambition to be ranked in the major Bangkok Stadiums.


Kickboxing career

in the late 1980s one of Maeda's main trainer, Singsak Muangsurin a former
Rajadamnern Stadium Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern m ...
Junior Welterweight Champion, decided to left Caesar Gym and create the Singsak Victory Gym (S.V.G).
Maeda followed Singsak but S.V.G didn't have a local and fighters had to train in dire conditions under a bridge in Setagaya.
Despite this situation Kensaku Maeda managed to won his first title on July 18, 1992, against his rival Atsushi Tateshima taking the AJKF Featherweight Championship belt by decision. Overcoming this situation and becoming champion attracted attention from the media and his popularity grew importantly. Maeda lost his AJKF Featherweight title in a rematch with Atsushi Tateshima on November 27, 1993. He rebounded by winning his first world title the next year on July 30, 1994, against the American Lawrence Miera by TKO for the WKA Muay Thai World Super Featherweight title.
His fighting success added to his good looks made him a popular figure in media. In 1994 The character Shinsaku Maekawa in the video game Battle K-Road was directly inspired from Maeda. In 1996 he played the main role in the movie adaptation of the popular manga
Rokudenashi Blues is a Japanese boxing-themed ''yankī'' manga series written and illustrated by Masanori Morita. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from May 1988 to February 1997, with its chapters colle ...
. On July 25, 1997, he defended his WKA Muay Thai World title against the Australian Craig Pace by second-round KO. Four months later he made his K-1 debut for the Japan Featherweight Grand Prix at the K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final event, he lost to Takehiro Murahama by decision. Following this loss Maeda went away from the rings for almost two years. During his time off he took back his role from the
Rokudenashi Blues is a Japanese boxing-themed ''yankī'' manga series written and illustrated by Masanori Morita. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from May 1988 to February 1997, with its chapters colle ...
movie in Rokudenashi Blues '98. He also appeared in the live-action adaptation of Abare Bunya. In 1999 Kensaku Maeda founded Team Dragon with Taishin Kohiruimaki and Charn a Thai trainer. Maeda made his return to the ring on August 22 at K-1 Spirits '99 where he stopped Karim Nassar by second-round TKO.
On December 5, 1999, Maeda faced Australia's Brad Hemming at K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round. He won by first-round knockout. On March 19, 2000, Maeda face Muay Thai legend
Chamuekpet Hapalang Chamuakpet Hapalang ( th, ฉมวกเพชร ห้าพลัง; born: August 10, 1962 in Amphoe Si Racha, Chonburi province, eastern Thailand) is a retired Thai Muay Thai fighter who won five different weight classes, was champion of ...
at the K-1 Burning 2000 event. He was defeated by unanimous decision after five rounds. On May 12, 2000, at K-1 King of the Ring 2000 Maeda won a double world title match beating Massimo Rizzoli by second-round TKO. He conserved the WKA Muay Thai World title and won the WAKO PRO Muay Thai World Super Featherweight title. Maeda's retirement fight happened on October 11, 2002, at K-1 World MAX 2002 Champions' Challenge. He won a three rounds unanimous decision against Miroslav Safra.


After career

The day following his retirement fight Maeda officially opened his own Kickboxing gym called Team Dragon in Tokyo and would focus on being a Kickboxing instructor. His work showed impressive results quickly some of his students ( Taishin Kohiruimaki,
Ryuji Kajiwara Ryuji Kajiwara (born 9 December 1976) is a Japanese former professional kickboxer and boxer. He is the head trainer of K-1 Gym Headquarters Team Pegasus and member of the K-1 Japan Group executive committee. In 2012 he was ranked #7 lightweight i ...
, Junichiro Sawayashiki,
Keiji Ozaki is a Japanese taekwondo practitioner and a kickboxer. He won the tournament of R.I.S.E. at welterweight in 2006. As a martial artist, he practises the full-contact version of taekwondo, and has competed in numerous competitions. His rank is 2nd ...
) started to win titles in various organizations. On January 28, 2008 K-1 hired Maeda to supervise the youth development of future K-1 fighters leading to the creation of K-1 Koshien, a tournament to determine the best under 18 amateur kickboxers of the country. In 2010 Team Dragon and Maeda received the Best Dojo award for their success in the Shin Karate Grand Prix.
In the early 2010s Team Dragon emerged as one of the best kickboxing gym of Japan with fighters such as
Hirotaka Urabe Hirotaka Urabe is a retired Japanese kickboxer. He was the 2015 K-1 Super Featherweight Grand Prix winner, as well as the inaugural and two time Krush Super Featherweight champion. As of December 2020, he was the #10 ranked Super Flyweight, a ...
,
Koya Urabe is a Japanese kickboxer, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan. He is the inaugural and former two time K-1 World GP 2016 -60kg World Tournament Champion. As of December 2020, he is the #10 ranked Super Bantamweight according to Combat Press, first e ...
, Hideaki Yamazaki or Takeru. On May 25, 2014, Maeda was introduced as producer of the newly created K-1 WORLD GP JAPAN, he had to leave the head of Team Dragon rebranded K-1 Gym Dragon to one of his trainers Masakazu Watanabe. On September 9, 2016, for undisclosed reasons Maeda was forced to resign by the K-1 company and replaced by Mitsuru Miyata the former Krush producer. Team Dragon Gym was freed from the K-1 affiliation but the fighters attached to it stayed with K-1 and as a result over 20 of his fighters, including his best champions, transferred to the newly created K-1 Gym KREST with Masakazu Watanabe as the head trainer.


Titles and accomplishments

*
All Japan Kickboxing Federation All Japan Kickboxing Federation ( ja: 全日本キックボクシング連盟, A.J.K.F.) was the Japan-based sanctioning and promoting body of professional kickboxing. It was established in 1987 and it was dissolved in 2009. The informal name was " ...
** 1992 AJKF Featherweight Champion *
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 Ho ...
** 1994 WKA Muay Thai World Super Featherweight Champion (defended three times) *
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.K.O or WAKO) is an international kickboxing organization counting over 120 affiliated countries representing all five continents. WAKO is a major governing body of amateur kickboxing and is ...
** 2000 WAKO PRO Muay Thai World Super Featherweight Champion


Notable Students


Kickboxing record

, - style="background:#cfc;" , 2002-10-11, , Win , , align=left, Miroslav Safra , , K-1 World MAX 2002 Champions' Challenge , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3, , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2000-07-26, , Win , , align=left, Ben Smullen , , WOLF REVOLUTION 〜First Wave〜 , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO (Left Knee) , , 2 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2000-05-12, , Win , , align=left, Massimo Rizzoli , , K-1 King of the Ring 2000 , ,
Bologna, Italy Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
, , TKO , , 2 , , 2:35 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2000-03-19, , Loss , , align=left,
Chamuakpetch Haphalung Chamuakpet Hapalang ( th, ฉมวกเพชร ห้าพลัง; born: August 10, 1962 in Amphoe Si Racha, Chonburi province, eastern Thailand) is a retired Thai Muay Thai fighter who won five different weight classes, was champion of ...
, , K-1 Burning 2000 , ,
Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1999-12-05, , Win , , align=left, Brad Hemming , , K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO (Left Kick) , , 1 , , 1:33 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1999-08-22, , Win , , align=left, Karim Nassar , , K-1 Spirits '99 , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , TKO (Corner Stoppage) , , 2 , , 0:27 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1997-11-09, , Loss, , align=left, Takehiro Murahama , , K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final Japan Featherweight Tournament Semi Finals , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1997-09-28, , Win , , align=left, James Burgess , , AJKF KICK OVER-IX , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , TKO (Corner Stoppage) , , 2 , , 0:27 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1997-07-25, , Win , , align=left, Craig Pace , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO , , 2 , , 0:56 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1997-04-29, , Win , , align=left, Souleymane Suleimani , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO , , 2 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1997-01-31, , Win , , align=left, Arnee Sor.Suwanpakdee , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO , , 2 , , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1996-03-24, , Loss , , align=left, Riki Onodera , , AJKF , ,
Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
, , Decision , , 5 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1996-02-02, , Loss , , align=left, Tongsak Bor.Kor.Sor , , Lumpinee Stadium , ,
Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, , Decision , , 5 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1995-07-30, , Win , , align=left, Khaled Ebieb , , AJKF CHALLENGER-IX～ALL OR NOTHING , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#;" , 1995-01-07, , , , align=left, Marcel Karus , , AJKF HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1994-11-26, , Win , , align=left, Maikel Lieuwfat , , AJKF DESTINY X , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO (Spinning back fist) , , 5 , , 1:52 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1994-07-30, , Win , , align=left, Lawrence Miera , , AJKF DESTINY VII, ,
Nagoya, Japan is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
, , TKO (Corner Stoppage) , , 2 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1994-05-20, , Win , , align=left, John Ford , , AJKF DESTINY V, ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO (Knees to the Body) , , 2 , , 1:32 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1993-11-27, , Loss, , align=left, Atsushi Tateshima , , AJKF EVOLUTION step-8, ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO (Right Elbow) , , 3 , , 0:49 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#;" , 1993-09-25, , , , align=left, Hayashi (林成根), , AJKF Evolution STEP 6, ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1993-05-22, , Loss , , align=left, Peemai Or.Yuttanakorn , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , TKO (Corner Stoppage) , , 4 , , , - style="background:#;" , 1993-04-11, , , , align=left, Fapikart Luktabfar , , Channel 7 Stadium , ,
Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1992-11-14, , Win , , align=left, Billy Bowen , , AJKF in Las Vegas, ,
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, , KO (Right Middle Kick) , , 4 , , 1:21 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1992-07-18, , Win , , align=left, Atsushi Tateshima , , AJKF EVOLUTION One Truth 5th, ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , Decision (Majority) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1992-05-30, , Win , , align=left, Takashi Nakajima , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#;" , 1992-01-, , , , align=left, Tadayuki Sugawara , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#;" , 1990-07-14, , , , align=left, , , AJKF , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , , , , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1989, , Win , , align=left, , , Nakhon Pathom Stadium, ,
Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom ( th, นครปฐม, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, , Decision , , 5 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1989-02-17, , Win , , align=left, Hidekazu Miyake , , Shoot Boxing - Handicap Match 60 kg vs 65 kg , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , 2nd Ext.R Decision (Unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1988-09-17, , Win , , align=left, Shinji Koshino , , Shoot Boxing , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , Ext.R Decision (Unanimous) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#fbb" , 1988-04-03, , Loss, , align=left, Li Sogi , , Shoot Boxing World Revolution Sengen , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO , , 1 , , 1:13 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1988-01-31, , Loss , , align=left, Hidekazu Miyake , , Shoot Boxing '88 First Match , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1987-10-10, , Win, , align=left, Hidekazu Miyake , , Shoot Boxing vs Okinawa Karate , ,
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, , KO , , 4 (Ext.R) , , 2:23 , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':


Acting Work

* Rokudenashi Blues (1996) * Jigoku-do Reikai Tsushin (1996) * Rokudenashi Blues'98 (1998) * Abare Bunya (1998) * Shin Shonan Bosozoku Arakure Knight 4


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maeda, Kensaku Living people 1968 births Japanese male kickboxers