01.05.06 – By Vanessa McConnell, photos by CJ Cansler: Making its debut in the United States in 1998, K-1 tournaments have been turning heads and gaining fans since the early 80s. Kazuyoshi Ishii started the Sidokan Karate School in Osaka with dojos and university based karate clubs in the Kansai area. Ishii organized the first All Japan Karate-Do Tournaments in Osaka with Seido Kaikan to form the new body governing body for Seidokan Karate.
The sport is taken so serious, fighters from all walks or sports are signing up to be a part of K-1. Recently called “The Bob Sapp Circus,” the sport has its share of haters. K-1 recently gained a lot of exposure when Mike Tyson signed up, and is ridiculed for being a K-1 fighter “who has NEVER kicked a day in his life and has shown no class in his recent boxing bouts.”
Last weekend K-1 was in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel and Casino where the “Mayhem at Mirage II” Superfight fighters Semmy Schilt (36-15-5, 17 KOs) and Musashi (42-21-5, 1 NC 12 KO’s) went toe to toe. Schilt is a reigning K-1 World Grand Prix Champion who fought the herald Japanese champion Musahsi for a rematch of 2002’s match when Schilt won by judges’ decision over Musashi.
The Holland-based fight squad, the Team of Golden Glory, has been behind Schilt’s for the last six years and pride themselves on their principals and techniques of Seido Kaidan Karate. Musashi was depending on his track record and success as a four time eight-man K-1 Gran Prix Tournament winner and world kickboxing championships to carry him through this bout.
The K-1 “Mayhem at Mirage II” featured a “Superfight showdown” with Feitosa (63-15-1, 59 KOs) going up against Karaev (159-8, 125 KOs), Stefan Leko (24-12, 14 KOs) against American Dewey “The Black Kobra” Cooper (42-8-2, 26 KOs), and Carter Williams (37-12, 24 KOs) against Japan’s Yusuke Fujimoto (18-10, 9 KOs). The preliminary fights featured Maurice Jackson and Dan Green, John “The Panther” James and Imani Lee, Danny “Hard As” Steele and Fernando Calleros and between Michelle Ishio and La Tasha Marzolla.
Tournament fighters include Kengo Watanabe, “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge, Scott Lighty, Dewey “The Black Kobra” Cooper, Carter Williams, Yusuke Fujimoto, Sean O’ Haire and Chalid “Die Faust.” Tournament reserve fighters included Alexandre Pitchkounov and Patrick Barry. The Superfight Competitiors were Stephan “Blitz” Leko, Ruslan Karaev, Musashi, Semmy Schilt, Sylvester “The Predator” Terkay and Hong-Man Choi. For more information and fight cards for K-1 log on to www.k-1usa.net.
