Kakutougi Boom: Reports from the Glory Years of Combat Sports in Japan: Volume I

The mid-1990s to the mid-2000s saw the rise of mixed martial arts as a major sport in Japan, a time often referred to as the “kakutougi boom” or “fighting sports boom”. During that time, Japanese fight promotions like PRIDE and K-1 were running the biggest and most successful martial arts events the world has ever seen. This series of books takes you on a tour of those times through contemporary essays, profiles, interviews, and event reports. This book, Volume I, sets the stage for the series with essays about the the history and development of fighting sports in Japan and some profiles of both well-known and lesser known names in the fight game during the kakutougi boom. Volumes II and III will feature interviews and event reports from those times, and many pieces on the long aftermath of the most intriguing and exciting era in the history of combat sports.