was a Japanese kickboxing promoter. He is often credited for creating the sport and the term

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

Biography

Osamu Noguchi family moved to

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

in 1938 at the invitation of

Yoshio Kodama was a Japanese right-wing Ultranationalism (Japan), ultranationalist and a prominent figure in the rise of organized crime in Japan. The most famous ''Fixer (person), kuromaku'', or behind-the-scenes power broker, of the 20th century, he was act ...

, Noguchi spent his childhood being entertained by Japanese jazz singer Dick Mine in nightclubs run by his father

Susumu Noguchi Susumu Noguchi (June 1, 1908May 1, 1961) was a Japanese professional boxer who was best known for winning the Japanese Welterweight title. In June 1931, Susumu Noguchi tried bombing Junnosuke Inoue's residence. Susumu Noguchi served a short pr ...

. When the Japanese were defeated in the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

, the Noguchi family were repatriated back to Japan. After Osamu Noguchi graduated Meiji University, he became the manager of Noguchi Boxing Gym which was owned by his father

, and worked as a boxing promoter. In 1961, Noguchi became the owner of Noguchi Gym after his father died, and also promoted his younger brother

Kyō Noguchi Kyō Noguchi (June 14, 1939January 1, 2009) was a Japanese former professional boxer who was best known for winning the Japanese flyweight title and fighting for the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title. Professional career On April 2 ...

's boxing matches on television with NET (Nihon Educational Television Co., Ltd, now

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

). However, Noguchi was arrested for matchfixing of world title fights, and was backlisted from the boxing promotion in Japan, including being cut off from his contract with NET. In 1964 Osamu Noguchi and Tatsuo Yamada organised a 3-on-3 competition of

Kyokushin Karate is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a Full contact karate, full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organizat ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

competition with Tadashi Nakamura, Kenji Kurosaki and

Tadashi Sawamura Lumpinee Boxing Stadium Lumpinee Boxing Stadium () is a arena, sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern Stadium, Lumpinee is run by the Royal Thai Army. It has become the symbol of modern Muay Thai. Only Rajadamnern Stadiu ...

in Thailand. This would be the basis of what would be popularly known as the sport of Kickboxing and established the Japan Kickboxing Association. Noguchi coined the term "kickboxing" in the 1960s as a Japanese anglicism for a

hybrid martial art Hybrid martial arts, also known as hybrid fighting systems or sometimes eclectic martial arts or freestyle martial arts, referred to as mixed martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several martial arts. Wh ...

combining Muay Thai and karate, which he had introduced in 1958. In 1970 under the guidance of Yoko Yamaguchi persuaded Noguchi to sign Hiroshi Itsuki as a singer with great success. In October 1972, Noguchi opened a Kickboxing gym on

Ratchadamri Road Ratchadamri Road (, , ; also spelled Rajdamri) is a road in Bangkok. It runs a distance of in a north–south direction from Pratu Nam Intersection, where it meets Phetchaburi and Ratchaprarop Roads, to Sala Daeng Intersection, where it meets ...

which sparked a backlash in Thailand. In 1976 Noguchi, founded the World Kickboxing Association. On 9 May 2016, Noguchi died.

Popular culture

Osamu Noguchi appears as character in ''

Kick no Oni , also known as ''The Demon of Kickboxing'', is a manga written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Kentaro Nakajou. It was based on the life of the kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura. History Written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Kentaro Nak ...

'' a Japanese anime based on the life of the kickboxer

Tadashi Sawamura 1934 births 2016 deaths People from Bunkyō Osamu Noguchi Kickboxing executives Boxing promoters Meiji University alumni Kickboxing promoters {{kickboxing-bio-stub