Kazuyoshi Ishii

Kazuyoshi Ishii
Born (1953-06-10) June 10, 1953 (age 71)
Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
ResidenceJapan
StyleSeidokaikan karate
Teacher(s)Hideyuki Ashihara
Notable studentsMasaaki Satake, Nobuaki Kakuda

Kazuyoshi Ishii (石井 和義, Ishii Kazuyoshi, born June 10, 1953) is a Japanese master of Seidokaikan karate and founder of the K-1 fighting circuit, a widely televised international martial arts competition combining Muay Thai, karate, sanshou, taekwondo, kenpo, boxing, and kickboxing.[1][2] His karate training began with Kyokushin karate, but he formed his own karate organization in 1980, began promoting televised karate competitions, and started staging K-1 events in 1993.[3]


Ishii has a history of links to the yakuza and crimes including tax evasion, fraud, and intimidation of female TV talent on behalf of Yakuza-linked talent agencies Burning Productions, K-Dash and Peal Dash.[4]

  1. ^ Maylam, J. (2001): K-1 hits the spot: Ultimate fighters pack a punch The Japan Times (October 21, 2001). Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
  2. ^ Tashiro, H., & Tyrangiel, J. (2001): Turning the martial arts into mondo mayhem TIME (September 3, 2001). Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
  3. ^ "Former K-1 promoter gets prison for tax dodge". The Japan Times. 15 January 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  4. ^ Celebrity stands up to talent agency stalker Japan Times 11 December 2013