K-1 facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Martial-arts entertainment planning and promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founders | Kazuyoshi Ishii |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | M-1 Sports Media Co., Ltd |
K-1 is a famous professional kickboxing organization. It was started in 1993 by a karate expert named Kazuyoshi Ishii.
For a long time, K-1 was owned by a group called Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG). It was known as the biggest kickboxing organization in the world. K-1 was especially famous for its fights between very strong, heavy fighters and its big tournaments. K-1 also held events that included mixed martial arts (MMA) fights. Sometimes, their events like "Dynamite!!" had both kickboxing and MMA matches.
FEG faced money problems in the 2010s and eventually closed down in 2012. Later that year, a company from Hong Kong, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, bought the rights to K-1. In 2023, M-1 Sports Media bought the worldwide rights to the K-1 brand.
The letter "K" in K-1 officially stands for karate, kickboxing, and kung fu. Some people also think it includes other fighting styles like kempo and taekwondo. The "1" part means it's about finding the number one champion.
K-1 has its own special rules that are different from other kickboxing styles. Because it's so popular, K-1 is sometimes even thought of as its own unique fighting style. Other kickboxing groups, like ISKA and WKN, also have champions who fight under "K-1 rules."
Contents
The Story of K-1
How K-1 Started
K-1 grew out of a karate style called Seidokaikan karate. This style was created in 1980 by Kazuyoshi Ishii. He wanted to find the best stand-up fighters. Seidokaikan held many successful events against other martial arts groups. They started with karate rules but slowly changed them to be more like kickboxing rules. In 1993, Mr. Ishii officially started K-1 as a kickboxing organization. It worked closely with Seidokaikan but was a separate group.
Around 2010, there were rumors that K-1 and its parent company, FEG, were having money troubles. Some fighters said they hadn't been paid for their matches. In early 2011, FEG announced they were facing financial issues and needed time to reorganize. Many fighters and their managers were upset about not being paid.
On July 28, 2011, a Japanese real estate company, Barbizon Corporation Limited, bought the K-1 brand and most of its trademarks. Some parts, like 'K-1 Koshien' and 'K-1 MAX', were not included in this sale.
New Owners and Changes (2012–2023)
On February 1, 2012, a company called EMCOM Entertainment Inc. bought K-1 from Barbizon. In March 2012, EMCOM Entertainment created a new company, K-1 Global Holdings Ltd., in Hong Kong. This new company became the official owner of the K-1 brand.
A big K-1 event, the K-1 World MAX Final 16, happened on May 27, 2012, in Spain. After this event, there were more rumors about fighters not being paid. The new chairman of K-1 Global solved these problems by paying the fighters what they were owed, plus a bonus.
In June 2012, another kickboxing group called It's Showtime was bought by Glory Sports International. It later joined their new organization, GLORY. K-1 also worked with a Romanian kickboxing group called SUPERKOMBAT for a while.
K-1 World GP Japan
On May 29, 2014, a new "K-1 World League" was started in Japan. This was a separate group from the K-1 Global Holdings. The "K-1 World League" got the rights to use the K-1 name only in Japan. It focused on fighters in different weight classes, from lighter fighters to heavyweights. This group also held professional events, amateur competitions, and opened K-1 gyms. M-1 Sports Media was in charge of planning these events. On September 24, 2014, the "K-1 World League" changed its name to K-1 World GP.
After it started, "K-1 World League" also included the Krush brand. Krush had started in 2009 and was seen as a stepping stone for K-1 fighters. Many future K-1 stars, like Takeru Segawa, came from Krush. K-1 later added the KHAOS brand, which helps amateur fighters move into professional competition. K-1 has many gyms across Japan, helping fighters train and grow their careers within the K-1 system.
From June 2017, "K-1 World GP" started holding events again at the Saitama Super Arena. It was also announced that fighters were now signing exclusive contracts with K-1.
K-1 Today (2023–Present)
On February 10, 2023, K-1 and another Japanese kickboxing group called RISE agreed to exchange fighters. This happened after they successfully worked together on a big event called "THE MATCH 2022".
On February 28, 2023, M-1 Sports Media bought the worldwide rights for the K-1 brand. From then on, K-1 International Federation (KIF) managed the brand.
On July 18, 2023, Carlos Kikuta, who used to be the General Manager for Glory Japan, was announced as the new K-1 producer. On the same day, K-1 announced a new event called ReBOOT, which was held on September 10, 2023. K-1 also said they would change their weight classes and hold a heavyweight World Grand Prix. They also started a new partnership with Kyokushinkaikan.
On January 19, 2024, Kazuyoshi Ishii, the founder of K-1, became an advisor to the organization.
K-1 Rules: How Fighters Compete
K-1 fights follow these rules:
- Fights happen in a ring that is at least six meters square and has four ropes around it.
- Only hitting techniques are allowed, like punches, sweeps, kicks, and knee strikes. Fighters can hold onto their opponent for a very short time (only 5 seconds).
- Throwing opponents, headbutts, grabbing, elbow strikes, spitting, biting, hitting below the belt, hitting the back of the head, hitting after the round ends, hitting after the referee calls a break, hitting a downed opponent, and holding too much are all against the rules.
- Most matches, including title fights, have three rounds, each lasting three minutes. If there's a tie, an extra round is fought.
- If a fighter is knocked down, the referee counts to eight. If the fighter can't get up by the count of eight, they lose by knockout. The referee can stop the count if they think the fighter can't continue.
- Judges score matches based on four things:
* How many times a fighter knocks down their opponent. Three knockdowns in one round means a technical knockout. * How much damage a fighter causes to their opponent. * The number of clear, strong hits. Hits meant to end the fight score more points. * How aggressive a fighter is.
K-1 Events Around the World
When FEG owned K-1, the main events were the K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments. These included smaller qualifying tournaments held all over the world.
Since 2014, under the "K-1 World GP" brand, most K-1 events have taken place in Japan. These events feature a mix of single fights and one-night tournaments to decide champions in different weight classes.
K-1 has held events in many countries over the years, including:
Japan (since 1993)
Netherlands (since 1994)
France (since 1995)
United States (since 1998)
Australia (since 2000)
England (since 2000)
Italy (since 2000)
Germany (since 2000)
Spain (since 2002)
Brazil (since 2002)
Russia (since 2003)
South Korea (since 2004)
Romania (since 2007)
China (since 2013)
Canada (since 2013)
Thailand (since 2014)
K-1 Tournament Styles
K-1 Grand Prix Tournaments
The original K-1 Grand Prix was a single event in Japan where invited fighters competed. By 1998, K-1 started the K-1 World Grand Prix format. This included regional tournaments that helped fighters qualify for the K-1 World Grand Prix Final.
The K-1 World Grand Prix Final Eliminator, also called "Final 16," is an event where 16 fighters compete for the last eight spots in the "Final 8." These eight fighters then meet at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final. From 1997 to 2006, the final was held at the famous Tokyo Dome.
K-1 World MAX and Other Divisions
In 2002, K-1 started the K-1 World MAX tournament. This was for a lighter weight division (70 kg or 154 lbs). It worked similarly to the K-1 World Grand Prix. In 2007, K-1 added two new championship belts: the Super Heavyweight World Title for fighters over 100 kg (220 lbs) and the Heavyweight World Title for fighters under 100 kg.
Watching K-1 Events
K-1 events used to be shown on TV channels like Tokyo Broadcasting System and Fuji TV when FEG owned the company. After K-1 changed owners and became "K-1 World League" and "K-1 World GP," events were shown on other broadcasters in Japan.
Today, K-1 events are mostly streamed online in Japan through streaming service Abema TV. K-1 also uploads full fights, press conferences, and other media to its global YouTube channel.
On August 30, 2023, it was announced that DAZN would start showing future K-1 events in 200 countries. This began with the ReBOOT event on September 10.
K-1 Champions
Current K-1 Champions
| Division | Champion | Since | Title defences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight (Unlimited) | Roel Mannaart |
2018 | 1 |
| Cruiserweight (-90 kg) | Thian de Vries |
2025 | 0 |
| Middleweight (-75 kg) | Shintaro Matsukura |
2023 | 0 |
| Super Welterweight (-70 kg) | Ouyang Feng |
2023 | 1 |
| Welterweight (-67.5 kg) |  Vacant |
0 | |
| Super Lightweight (-65 kg) | Vacant |
0 | |
| Lightweight (-62.5 kg) | Vacant |
0 | |
| Super Featherweight (-60 kg) | Rémi Parra |
2025 | 0 |
| Featherweight (-57.5 kg) | Takumi Terada |
2024 | 0 |
| Super Bantamweight (-55 kg) | Akihiro Kaneko |
2022 | 2 |
| Bantamweight (-53 kg) | Vacant |
||
| Women's Flyweight (-52 kg) | SAHO |
2024 | 0 |
| Minimumweight (-48 kg) | Vacant |
0 | |
| Atomweight (-45 kg) | Kira Matsutani |
2025 | 0 |
More About K-1
- List of K-1 events
- List of K-1 champions
- Krush
- List of male kickboxers
- List of Krush champions
See also
In Spanish: K-1 para niños
