Kyokushin vs Muay Thai in 1964
Over five decades ago, before there was the likes of Glory Kickboxing, Lion Fights and K-1, the art of kickboxing was still in its infancy. Striking arts such as Muay Thai and Karate were the precursors and were still testing themselves against each other before they finally started to meld into what you see today as kickboxing.
In 1964, Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate had brought over three of his fighters to the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand to test themselves against three Muay Thai fighters. Two of the Karate fighters, Tadashi Nakamura and Akio Fujihira had won their bouts and both of them having come via Kos. But the third fighter, Kenji Kurosaki had unfortunately received a different outcome.
Kyokushin vs Muay Thai in 1964, one of them leaves on a stretcher
Paired up against Rawee Dechachai, the two had a back and forth battle that included techniques that you don’t really see in Muay Thai bouts these days. Kyokushin as an art had also added Judo as a part of their curriculum and you could see it in this fight. Kurosaki would attempted trips when catching legs and in the clinch had attempted and landed shoulder throws against the Thai. The rules were modified to allow head butts and throws.
But these additions to the rule didn’t deter the Thai. Getting up from the throws and engaging with vicious low leg kicks, Rawee Dechachai was eventually able to land a devastating strike that would put Kurosaki down for the count. When Kurosaki walked towards him, lazily with his hands down, Rawee Dechachai landed a perfectly timed left cross elbow.
The moment the devastating elbow landed, Kurosaki dropped and was unable to get back up. Although he tried, Kurosaki eventually had to be taken out on a stretcher.
