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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, San Da, Taekwondo, Kenpo, Boxing and Kickboxing, etc.

Ishii started his martial art career in Kyokushin karate where he became a well-respected bare-knuckle, knockdown karate tournament champion. When Hideyuki Ashihara left Kyokushin in 1979, Ishii followed, but left Ashihara's new karate organization after only a few months. In 1980, he 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.

There are reports indicating that Kazuyoshi Ishii has been released from a Shizuoka prison at 5:30 am JST on August 7 2008. Ishii had gone to jail on June 11, 2007 after exhausting the appeals process in his criminal court case in regards to charges of corporate tax evasion and destruction of evidence relating to the case. The report claims that Ishii was considered a ‘model citizen’ in prison and that he was released early on good behavior.

[edit] Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2009)

Along with the late K-1 fighter Andy Hug, Ishii supported the production of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, to make the fight scenes more realistic than the game.

[edit] External links

• Master Ishii's Message