Kazuyoshi Ishii
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Kazuyoshi Ishii (石井和義 Ishii Kazuyoshi?, born June 10, 1953 in Uwajima, Ehime) is a Japanese master of Seidokan Karate and the founder of the K-1 fighting circuit, a martial-arts event combining Muay Thai, Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, Boxing and Kick Boxing, etc. He is currently in jail for tax evasion.
In 1980, Ishii established the Seidokan Karate school in Osaka, with dojos and university-based karate clubs in the Kansai area. A few years later, the All Japan Karate-Do Tournament was held in Osaka, organized by Ishii and Seido Kaikan, the new governing body for Seidokan Karate.
In 1983, Ishii became the first Chairman of the newly formed All Japan Budo (Martial Arts) Promotion Association. Five years later, two of his students, Masaaki Satake and Toshiyuki Yanagisawa finished first and second in the Karate Real Champion Tournament, which increased his fame.
In 2003 Ishii was indicted on charges of corporate tax evasion and was arrested on suspicion of concealing a further 530 million yen. Despite all this, in January 2003 Black Belt Magazine honored Ishii as "Man of the Year". In 2004 he was convicted and sentenced to 22 months in prison for tax evasion by the Tokyo District Court.
[edit] Trivia
- He supported the production of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, to make the fight scenes more realistic than the game.
