K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion, founded and based in Tokyo. It is owned and operated by M-1 Sports Media Co, Ltd. It was established in 1993 by martial artist Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. The organization was known for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. K-1 also promoted mixed martial arts events, with some events having both kickboxing and MMA matches on their cards (such as their Dynamite!! series). The promotion has
Key facts
- Company.name
- M-1 Sports Media Ltd.
- Company.logo
- File:K-1 Logo.png
- Company.type
- Private
- Company.predecessor
- Seidokaikan
- Company.foundation
- 1993
- Company.location_city
- Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Company.location_country
- Japan
- Company.founders
- Kazuyoshi Ishii
- Company.industry
- Martial-arts entertainment planning and promotion
- Company.owner
- M-1 Sports Media Co., Ltd
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
15 sectionsContents
- History
- Early years
- Acquisition and restructuring (2012–2023)
- K-1 World GP Japan
- 2023–present
- Rules
- List of K-1 events
- Tournament format
- K-1 Grand Prix
- K-1 World MAX and others
- Broadcast
- List of K-1 champions
- Current K-1 champions
- See also
- References
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion, founded and based in Tokyo. It is owned and operated by M-1 Sports Media Co, Ltd. It was established in 1993 by martial artist Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. The organization was known for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. K-1 also promoted mixed martial arts events, with some events having both kickboxing and MMA matches on their cards (such as their Dynamite!! series). The promotion has also held several tournaments under K-2 and K-3 banners from 1993 to 1995.
The letter K in K-1 is officially designated as a representation of words karate, kickboxing and kung fu. Nevertheless, some reports suggest that it represents the initial K found in competing disciplines such as karate, kickboxing, kung fu, kempo, kakutougi (the generic Japanese term for "combat sports"), and taekwondo. Another theory claims that the K simply comes from kakutougi and the "1" component pertains to the single weight division (in earlier competition) and the champion's unique position.