Taiei Kin

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Kin Taiei (Korean: 김태영, romanized: Kim Taeyong; born July 8, 1970) is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM.

Before switching to MMA, Kin was a distinguished fighter in the K-1, praised by both Peter Aerts and Ernesto Hoost as the best fighter to come out of Asia.^[2]

Kin Taiei (金泰泳) was born as the eldest son in Amagasaki city of Hyogo prefecture, Japan on July 8, 1970. As he is the eldest son, he's got a younger brother. Both of his parents worked till late at night, he was sent to Karate dojo for combing the care with a nursery school. He took an interest in football (soccer) at 4th year of elementary school, and dropped out training karate at 6th year. He won the Japanese national championship for junior high schools at the 3rd year. When he was a student of Kobe Korean Senior High school, he tried to start practicing boxing because he had a longing for foreign boxers, but he joined karate team in his school because his parents objected strongly. For this reason, he also joined the karate team of Korea University in Tokyo when he became a university student. During his university life, he participated a full contact karate championship promoted by Sato juku, but he was beaten by Nobuaki Kakuda. Although he lost, he was evaluated highly by Kazuyoshi Ishii, and he was invited to Seidokaikan. Thus, Kin became a student of Seidokaikan in Osaka after graduation of university.

On January 31, 1993, Kin participated "The 2nd Towa Cup Karate Japan Open Tournament", but he was beaten by Masaaki Satake in the final.

On June 25, he fought against Changpuek Kiatsongrit from Thailand for the vacant title of UKF World Light heavyweight championship at the event of "Sanctuary III", but he lost by decision.

During the years 2006 and 2007, he trained Hong-man Choi in his K-1 career. Choi improved very much during the time Kin was in his corner. They worked together for almost two years in which Choi had nine fights. He won six of them and lost three, twice against Jérôme Le Banner and once against Mighty Mo (kickboxer). Among his six wins was a win over K-1 Dominator Semmy Schilt and a Rematch win over Mighty Mo, in which Kin changed Choi's fighting style from orthodox to southpaw to block Mo's devastating overhand right better.

• 2009 K-1 World Grand Prix in Seoul finalist
• 1996 WMTC World Junior middleweight champion
• 1995 Karate World Cup champion
• 1995 K-3 Grand Prix runner up
• 1994 UKF World Light heavyweight champion
• 1994 Karate Japan Open finalist
• 1993 Karate World Cup 3rd Place
• 1993 Karate Japan Open finalist
• 1992 Karate World Cup finalist (lost to Andy Hug)

Professional kickboxing record

33 Fights, 25 wins, 7 Losses, 1 Draw
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2014-08-10	Win	Niyama Makoto	Accelerator 28	Japan	TKO
2011-12-25	Win	Ryuji Goto	Accelerator 18	Japan	TKO (Corner stoppage)	2	3:00
2011-06-05	Win	Kuniyoshi	Heat 18	Osaka, Japan	Ext.R Decision (3-0)	4	3:00
2009-11-22	Win	Magnum Sakai	RISE 60	Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan	Ext.R Decision (3-0)	4	3:00
2009-09-26	Win	Cătălin Moroşanu	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul Final 16	Seoul, Korea	Disqualification	2	3:00
2009-08-02	Loss	Singh Jaideep	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul Final	Seoul, Korea	Decision (3-0)	3	3:00
The bout was for the title of K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul Asia Grand Prix Tournament.
2009-08-02	Win	Takumi Sato	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul Semi-Final	Seoul, Korea	Decision (2-1)	3	3:00
2009-08-02	Win	Sun Wu	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul Quarter-Final	Seoul, Korea	TKO (doctor stoppage)	2	2:00
2007-08-05	Win	Yusuke Fujimoto	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong Semi-Final	Hong Kong	TKO (Right high kick)	2	1:59
Despite win had to withdraw from tournament due to injury.
2007-08-05	Win	Sentoryu	K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hong Kong Quarter-Final	Seoul, Korea	TKO (Right high kick)	1	1:43
2000-07-30	Win	Stan Longinidis	K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Nagoya	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan	Decision (2-0)	3	3:00
1998-03-14	Win	Taro Minato	Battle of the strongest
1997-11-09	Win	Taro Minato	K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1997-06-07	Win	Orlando Wiet	K-1 Fight Night '97	Zurich, Switzerland	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1997	Loss	Kong Pathapee Sor Sumalee	Thailand	Thailand	Decision	5
1996-09-01	Win	Wanlop Sor.Sarthaphan	K-1 Revenge '96	Osaka, Osaka, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
Wins Wanlop's WMTC (currently WMC) World Junior middleweight Championship.
1996-03-30	Loss	Wanlop Sor.Sarthaphan	King's Assumption 50th Anniversary Event	Thailand	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
The bout was for the vacant title of WMTC (currently WMC) World Junior middleweight Championship.
1996-06-02	Win	Azem Maksutaj	K-1 Fight Night II	Zurich, Switzerland	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1995-12-09	Win	Peter Theijssen	K-1 Hercules	Nagoya, Japan	TKO (Corner stoppage)	2	3:00
1995-09-03	Win	Dale Westerman	K-1 Revenge II	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1995-07-16	Loss	Ivan Hippolyte	K-3 Grand Prix '95	Nagoya, Japan	Decision (2-0)	3	3:00
1995-07-16	Win	Orlando Wiet	K-3 Grand Prix '95	Nagoya, Japan	Ext.R Decision (2-0)	4	3:00
1995-07-16	Win	Gurkan Ozkan	K-3 Grand Prix '95	Nagoya, Japan	Decision (3-0)	3	3:00
1995-06-10	Win	Iwan Mewis	K-1 Fight Night	Zurich, Switzerland	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1995-03-25	Draw	Bayram Colak	K League		Decision Draw	5	3:00
1994-12-10	Win	Eugene Valerio	K-1 Legend	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1994-09-18	Win	Orlando Wiet	K-1 Revenge	Tokyo, Japan	KO (Right high kick)	4	0:08
1994-03-04	Win	Changpuek Kiatsongrit	K-1 Challenge	Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
Wins Changpuek's title of UKF World Light heavyweight Championship.
1993-12-05	Loss	Paul Briggs	Revenge	Melbourne, Australia	KO (Right knee)	1	2:55
1993-11-15	Win	Tommy Rhinehart	K-1 Andy's Glove	Tokyo, Japan	KO (Kick)	1	2:04
1993-09-04	Win	Phothai Chorwaikool	K-1 Illusion	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
1993-06-25	Loss	Changpuek Kiatsongrit	Sanctuary III	Osaka, Osaka, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
The bout was for the vacant title of UKF World Light heavyweight Championship.
1993-04-03	Win	Michael Thompson	K-1 Grand Prix '93	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (3-0)	5	3:00
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Professional karate record

9 Fights, 8 wins, 1 Loss
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
1993-10-03	Loss	Masaaki Satake	Karate World Cup '93	Japan
1993-10-03	Win	Michael Thompson	Karate World Cup '93	Japan
1993-10-03	Win	Atsushi Tamaki	Karate World Cup '93	Japan
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

• Seidokaikan
• List of K-1 events
• List of male kickboxers

• Official K-1 website Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine