K-1 World Grand Prix

K-1 is a kickboxing combat sport that combines standup techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Kickboxing and traditional Boxing, among others. The name is a play off the abbreviation of Formula 1, which is F-1. The sport was first formed by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a former Kyokushin karate competition fighter who had formed his own organization, Seidokaikan Karate, in 1980. Seidokaikan arranged several successful organization challenge events against other martial sport organizations, originally using rules based on the Kyokushin Knockdown karate rules, but gradually adapting and changing closer to kickboxing rules. In 1993 Mr. Ichii founded the K-1 organization exclusively as a kickboxing sport organizations, closely cooperating with, but independent from, Seidokaikan.

K-1 World Grand Prix

Throughout the year K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments to determine the top 16 fighters who will compete in the K-1 World GP. K-1 events most commonly take place in Japan, but they have hosted shows in the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, France, South Korea, Australia, Sweden, Russia, Croatia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Hungary, Spain, Brazil and the USA, etc.

Match-Ups

Usually combatants of the quarter-finals of a 16-man 8-match tournament are paired by drawing. In case of the Final in the Tokyo Dome it is widely different. The whole event is combined with a ceremony and a press conference. The process looks like a lottery show in the beginning with all the fighters pulling a ball from a glass bowl. The balls represent numbers 1 to 8, which determines the fighters' order in choosing a position from a giant tournament tree figure by standing in front a drawn bracket (from A to H) on the poster, which represents the fighter's corner-color and the line-number of the match. Next fighter do the same, but he can now choose between challenging the one on the stage or an "empty" section. This procedure goes on until one fighter remains who has no choice just to fill to one slot left next to the one lone fighter. This system gives a freedom of choice and tactics to the fighters with the help of a little luck.

K-1 World Grand Prix dates and venues

K-1 World Grand Prix champions to date

ee also

* K-1
* List of K-1 events
* K-1 Premium Dynamite!!

* PRIDE Fighting Championships
* List of PRIDE events
* Kickboxing
* List of male kickboxers

External links

* [http://www.k-1.co.jp/ K-1 Official website]

* [http://www.k-1usa.net/docs/k1_info/k1_rules.asp K-1 Rules]
* [http://www.k-1usa.net/docs/fighters/fightfinder.asp?organization_id=1 K-1usa.net - K-1 event listings]
* [http://www.k-1fans.com/ K-1FANS]
* [http://www.k-1sport.de/en/ K-1sport.de - biggest K-1 database, articles, profiles, statistics]
* [http://www.k-1usa.net K-1 USA]

* [http://www.k-1.se K-1 Scandinavia]
* [http://k-1newzealand.co.nz/ K-1 Newzealand]
* [http://www.k-1spain.com/index-e.asp K-1 Spain]
* [http://kakutougi.info/content/view/221/2/ Match-Up System]
* [http://www.garygoodridge.com/ K-1 News @ garygoodridge.com]