Kazuyoshi Ishii, Founder of Seidokan Karate

1980
Kazuyoshi Ishii establishes the Seidokan Karate school in Osaka, with dojos and university-based karate clubs in the Kansai area.

1982
The first All Japan Karate-Do Tournament is held in Osaka, organized by Ishii and Seido Kaikan, the new governing body for Seidokan Karate. The full-contact competition fills the Furitsu Gymnasium and is broadcast on local television.

1983
Seido Kaikan fighters square off against a group of Kung fu experts at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Kansai and win the contest. Meanwhile, Ishii becomes the first Chairman of the newly formed “All Japan Budo (Martial Arts) Promotion Association,” an organization made up of Kansai-area karate and kenpo groups.

1985
Seido Kaikan opens an office in the United States with Tom Edwards as its manager.

1988
Two of Ishii’s students, Toshiyuki Yanagisawa and Masaaki Satake, finish 1st and 2nd in the Karate Real Champion Tournament, earning Ishii’s Seido Kaikan respect in the martial arts community.

1991
Following a series of successful tournaments, Seido Kaikan comes to Tokyo for a tournament against USA Oyama Karate, in which Satake beats the legendary Willie Williams.

1992
The first glove karate event in Japan, the “Karate Japan Open,” is held, and Satake wins it.

K-1’s eight-year history began with the revolutionary vision of Japan’s Kazuyoshi Ishii. A well-respected master of Seidokan Karate, Ishii had established the Seidokan Karate school in Osaka, Japan as well as a network of dojos and university-based karate clubs in the area of Kansai in 1980.

2002
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office will charge the Tokyo-based K-1 and its president, Kazuyoshi Ishii, 49, with violating the Corporate Tax Law. Ishii admitted during questioning that he kept a massive amount of the company’s funds off the books, the sources said. Ishii faked a large amount of expenses totaling more than 100 million yen and deducted them from the company’s taxable income, thereby evading tens of millions of yen in corporate taxes over a two-year period until September 1998, prosecutors allege. He is also suspected of consulting a certified tax accountant over the tax evasion.

2003
Black Belt Magazine (January 2003), awards Kazuyoshi Ishii by proclaiming him ‘Man of the Year.’

2003
Kazuyoshi Ishii, 49, former president of the Tokyo-based K-1, under indictment on charges of corporate tax evasion, is arrested on suspicion of concealing a further 530 million yen.

2004
Kazuyoshi Ishii, 50, is convicted and sentenced to 22 months in prison for tax evasion by the Tokyo District Court.

The K-1 was good. I still cant believe they arrested the guy. Still havnt got over it. Hey but K-1 still rules!

You can’t get over a white collar criminal getting what he deserves? It was a light sentence anyway.

Yep, K-1 is good, but it’s funny to watch what occurs when some fighters lose their cool and revert to Pride tactics. You end up seeing how these k-1 fighters would get their ass kicked in Pride.

Isnt Rickson in K-1? I doubt he get his ass kicked.

I trained with Ishii in Osaka in 1983-84.

Watching him was amazing.

Mirko’s done alright for himself.