10 of the Best Japanese Kickboxers You Should Be Watching – By Tai Terada

Japanese Kickboxing is going through an incredible period.

There are so many technically interesting fighters competing in Japan right now, across organisations including K-1, RISE, ONE Championship and GLORY, and I think the level and variety of styles is one of the things that makes Japanese Kickboxing so exciting.

When Stuart at Warrior Collective asked me to choose ten Japanese Kickboxers that I think people should be watching and studying, it wasn't easy.

 

 

This isn't supposed to be a pound-for-pound ranking.

I'm not saying these are the ten best Japanese fighters in an exact order.

These are ten fighters that I personally consider truly strong, technically interesting or important to Japanese Kickboxing.

Some I know personally.

Some I've trained alongside.

One is my younger brother.

Others are fighters I've watched closely because there are things in their style that I find particularly interesting as a coach.

And then there is Takeru, who has now retired, but who I couldn't possibly leave off a list like this because of what he represents to my generation of Japanese fighters.

My choices are:

Yuki Yoza
Takumi Terada
Masaaki Noiri
Meison Hide Usami
Shintaro Matsukura
Ryujin Nasukawa
Haruto Yasumoto
Kento Haraguchi
Rui Okubo
Takeru

What I find particularly interesting is that they don't all fight the same way.

People sometimes talk about “Japanese Kickboxing” as though it is one fixed style.

It isn't.

Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, traditional Kickboxing and different generations of K-1 have all influenced how Japanese fighters develop.

These ten fighters demonstrate that diversity very well.

Here is what I personally see when I watch them.

 

Yuki Yoza

The fighter I respect the most

Yuki is probably the fighter I respect the most, and in terms of his natural fighting ability, mentality and overall toughness, I personally consider him one of the strongest fighters I have ever been around.

What makes Yuki special is his ability to adapt.

You can see it in his fights. Regardless of the opponent or style in front of him, he finds a way to make adjustments.

 

 

Yuki came from a very high-level Kyokushin Karate background before transitioning into professional Kickboxing. He represented Japan in Kyokushin competition before making his professional Kickboxing debut in 2019, and eventually became K-1 Lightweight Champion before moving on to ONE Championship.

But what I like is that he successfully adapted those Kyokushin weapons to modern Kickboxing without losing what made his Karate style unique.

For me, he has become one of the fighters who represents what modern Japanese Kickboxing is today.

When people think about Japanese-style Kickboxing now, Yuki Yoza is one of the first names that comes to mind.

His distance management, timing, kicking arsenal and ability to change his approach depending on the opponent are all exceptional.

 

What people don't see in Yuki Yoza

My opinion of Yuki also comes from something people cannot necessarily see by watching his fights.

Yuki is one of my closest friends and is like an older brother to me.

I've trained alongside him and watched countless rounds of his sparring from very close range.

 

 

Every fighter has emotions.

When you're exhausted, hurt or under pressure, your natural instinct is sometimes to protect yourself, slow the fight down or take a moment to recover.

What impresses me about Yuki is his ability to remove his own feelings from the equation.

Even when his body is exhausted, he can still think about:

What does my opponent dislike?

What does this fight require from me?

What do I need to do to control the next exchange?

He prioritises winning the tactical battle over how he personally feels at that moment.

I connect this with the meaning I was taught behind “Osu” (押忍) in Karate – to endure, persevere and suppress your own ego or discomfort.

Yuki embodies that mentality for me.

Even in training, when he has already reached what most people would consider their limit, he has an extraordinary ability to keep pushing beyond it.

That combination of adaptability, intelligence, technique and mentality is why I respect him so much.

If you're a fighter, don't just watch Yuki's techniques.

Watch what happens when something doesn't work.

Watch how he changes.

That's where I think you can really understand how good he is.

 

Takumi Terada

Abnormal punching power for his weight

I want to say this completely separately from the fact that Takumi is my younger brother.

I've held pads for many fighters.

Takumi's punching power is completely abnormal for his weight.

The impact and heaviness of his punches can feel like something from a much heavier weight class.

 

 

Takumi became K-1 WORLD GP Featherweight Champion in 2024 and has also established himself internationally as an ISKA World Super-Featherweight Champion.

But titles don't really explain what I feel when I'm holding pads for him.

 

Takumi's left hook to the body

His left hook to the body is probably the weapon that stands out most to me.

At his weight, he doesn't always need to land it perfectly clean.

Even a partially connected body shot can seriously affect an opponent because of the combination of timing, speed and impact he generates.

There is a difference between somebody who can punch hard in training and somebody whose power remains dangerous while they are actually fighting.

Takumi has that.

But there's another quality I think is equally important.

 

 

He hates losing.

Like Yuki, he has an ability to put his emotions and physical discomfort aside when things become difficult.

Even when a fight becomes ugly or exhausting, he can keep finding a way to win.

That's something that is difficult to teach.

As his older brother, I've obviously watched his development from much closer than almost anyone else.

But as a coach, what interests me is the combination of his physical qualities with that competitive mentality.

Power is dangerous.

Power combined with somebody who refuses to mentally leave the fight is something different.

 

Masaaki Noiri

Relaxed power at the highest level

When I speak with elite Japanese fighters and the question comes up of who feels technically or physically different from everyone else, Masaaki Noiri's name comes up again and again.

Yuki, Takumi and Takeru have all experienced his level.

What stands out is the destructive quality behind every individual weapon.

 

 

Noiri has been competing at the top of Japanese Kickboxing for many years. He became a two-division K-1 champion before moving to ONE Championship, where in 2025 he stopped Tawanchai to become ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion.

That result showed an international audience something Japanese fighters have understood for a long time.

Noiri is extremely dangerous.

 

Relaxation creates power

For me, one of the most important skills in striking is relaxation.

You need to remain loose until the exact moment of impact.

If you're tense throughout the entire movement, you lose speed, fluidity and often power as well.

Noiri is one of the best examples of this.

His punches and kicks can look effortless.

Then you see the impact.

At close range especially, I personally don't think there is another Japanese Kickboxer quite like him.

His ability to remain relaxed in the pocket, generate power from short movements and connect combinations without unnecessary tension is something every fighter can learn from.

Watch how little he seems to force his techniques.

That is the interesting part.

A lot of fighters trying to hit harder actually become more tense.

Noiri shows you the opposite.

 

Meison Hide Usami

Explosive combination striking from long range

Meison is an explosive fighter.

What catches my attention most is his ability to produce damaging combinations from long range.

Normally, finishing somebody from distance is difficult.

 

 

The greater the distance, the more visual information the opponent receives and the more time they have to react, defend or move.

Meison can erase that space incredibly quickly.

His acceleration allows him to explode into range and overwhelm opponents before they can establish their defence.

At around 182cm and competing as a Welterweight, he also has physical dimensions that make that style particularly difficult to deal with.

He comes from a Karate background and has competed across both Kickboxing and MMA, but it is in RISE where he has really started to establish himself as one of Japan's most interesting bigger Kickboxers.

He is now the RISE Welterweight Champion and trains as part of team VASILEUS, alongside some of the other elite Japanese fighters mentioned in this article.

Watch the acceleration

If you're studying Meison, this is what I'd concentrate on.

Don't just look at the final punch.

Look at the distance before the combination starts.

Then watch how quickly he changes that distance.

That ability to accelerate into an exchange is a weapon by itself.

It means the opponent's normal understanding of safe distance can suddenly become unreliable.

That mixture of size, athleticism, speed and explosive combination work makes Meison a very exciting fighter for me to watch.

 

Shintaro Matsukura

One of Japan's most complete bigger Kickboxers

Shintaro is one of the most complete bigger Japanese Kickboxers for me.

He has a physical frame that you don't see as often among Japanese Middleweights, but he combines that size with genuine technical ability.

His achievements also show the level he has operated at.

 

 

He has been K-1 WORLD GP Middleweight Champion, KNOCK OUT-BLACK Super-Middleweight Champion and WPMF World Super-Middleweight Champion, as well as competing at a high level in Japan for many years.

But what interests me is how complete he is.

His calf kicks carry serious damage.

His punching is compact and sharp rather than unnecessarily wide.

He can fight in different phases.

And he has the mentality to remain composed through very difficult fights.

Technique at a bigger weight

Sometimes as fighters become bigger, you see more reliance on physical power.

That doesn't mean the technique is bad, but the fight can become more about who can impose their physicality.

Shintaro has size and physical strength, but there is a lot of detail in what he does.

His punches stay compact.

He can damage the legs.

He can work at different ranges.

And he can maintain his technique when the fight becomes difficult.

For me, when talking about Japanese fighters around the Middleweight divisions, Shintaro is one of the names that immediately stands out.

 

Ryujin Nasukawa

One of my favourite Japanese out-boxers

Ryujin naturally entered the sport with enormous expectations because his older brother is Tenshin Nasukawa.

That isn't an easy position for any young fighter.

Early on, it was easy for people to look at him simply as “Tenshin's younger brother”.

 

 

I think he has now established his own identity.

Personally, among the current Japanese fighters who use an out-boxing style, he is one of my favourites to watch.

His objective is very clear:

Make the opponent miss.

Control the distance.

Score without taking unnecessary damage.

His Boxing technique, footwork and conditioning are at a very high level, and he can maintain that movement and concentration throughout a fight.

Despite only turning 20 in 2026, Ryujin has already become RISE World Super Flyweight Champion after previously holding RISE titles at Flyweight and Super Flyweight.

That's an impressive level of achievement at such a young age.

Fighting with a clear purpose

What I particularly like about Ryujin is that you can understand the purpose behind his movement.

Movement for its own sake isn't necessarily good footwork.

You need to know why you're moving.

Ryujin moves to control range, create scoring opportunities and make his opponent miss.

He doesn't want unnecessary exchanges.

For young fighters especially, I think he's a very interesting example of how defence, distance and scoring can become one connected system.

And because he is still so young, I'm very interested to see what his style looks like after another few years of development.

 

Haruto Yasumoto

Control, calmness and small details

Haruto is a fighter I have a lot of respect for technically.

Of course, I've watched him particularly closely because he has also fought and beaten Takumi.

What stands out to me is how calm he remains.

 

 

His distance management is exceptional and he uses many small technical details that casual viewers might not immediately notice.

His attacks are compact.

His positioning is disciplined.

And he is very good at preventing the opponent from establishing their preferred rhythm.

He doesn't need to make everything look dramatic.

He controls space, takes away options and gradually forces the opponent to fight his fight.

His results reflect that level.

Haruto is a former KNOCK OUT-RED Featherweight Champion, WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion and WPMF Interim World Champion. He went on to become RISE Featherweight Champion and then won the 2025 S-cup World Featherweight Tournament, winning three fights in a single night.

Look at what he takes away

This is one of those fighters where I think you learn more when you stop watching only the person attacking.

Instead, watch his opponent.

What are they trying to do?

And why are they struggling to do it?

Haruto is very good at controlling the conditions of a fight without making every moment look spectacular.

That's a very high-level skill.

Sometimes the best technique isn't the attack everyone remembers afterwards.

It's the positioning that prevented the opponent from ever getting comfortable enough to use their own best weapons.

 

Kento Haraguchi

Timing that is incredibly difficult to teach

Kento is another fighter who successfully took a Karate foundation and transformed it into a very individual form of Kickboxing.

His timing is something I believe you cannot completely teach.

You can improve timing.

 

 

You can create drills to develop it.

But some fighters seem to understand moments differently from everyone else.

Kento has that quality.

His attacks come from unusual rhythms and positions, which makes him extremely difficult to read.

His kicking is dangerous from both long and short range, so an opponent cannot simply solve him by changing distance.

And if you become too focused on defending his kicks, he has enough punching power to hurt you there as well.

That is why, despite having such an unconventional style, I actually consider him a very complete striker.

Finally defeating Petchpanomrung

One result in particular deserves mentioning.

Kento had fought longtime GLORY Featherweight World Champion Petchpanomrung Kiatmuu9 three times and lost all three.

Then, in June 2026, they met for a fourth time in the final of the GLORY × RISE Last Featherweight Standing Tournament.

This time Kento won.

After an extremely close fight went into an extra round, he finally defeated Petchpanomrung and won the tournament.

For me, that result says a lot about him.

It is difficult enough trying to solve a world-class fighter once.

It is something else to lose to that person repeatedly, continue developing and eventually find a way to beat him.

When you study Kento, watch his rhythm.

Try to identify exactly when you think an attack is coming.

Very often, you'll understand why opponents have the same problem.

 

Rui Okubo

One of the young Japanese fighters I'm watching closely

Rui is one of the young Japanese fighters I am particularly interested in for the future.

What I like is the sharpness across his whole striking game.

His techniques are clean and fast, and I think he still has a lot of room to develop, which makes his potential especially interesting.

 

 

Despite being born in 2004, Rui has already built an impressive résumé.

He started Kickboxing as a child and developed through K-1's amateur system, becoming K-1 Koshien champion before moving into the professional ranks.

He went on to become the inaugural Krush Flyweight Champion and has since become the eighth K-1 WORLD GP Featherweight Champion.

He was also runner-up in the 2024 K-1 WORLD MAX tournament.

That's a lot of experience for somebody who is still at a relatively early stage of his career.

Why I think Rui can become a major name

There isn't one unusual weapon that I would tell you defines Rui.

It's more the overall quality.

Everything looks sharp.

The technique is clean.

The speed is there.

And importantly, there is still time for his game to develop.

Sometimes you watch a young fighter and you're interested primarily in what they are already doing.

With Rui, I'm also interested in what he might become.

For me, he has the qualities to become one of the next major names in Japanese Kickboxing.

 

Takeru

A legendary Japanese fighter

Finally, Takeru is different for me because his importance goes far beyond technique or titles.

He is one of the reasons I continued pursuing combat sports.

And I know I'm not alone.

 

 

I think an entire generation of young Japanese fighters either started fighting, continued fighting or dreamed bigger because they watched Takeru and wanted to become someone like him.

Takeru became the first fighter to win K-1 championships across three weight divisions and developed into one of the biggest combat-sports stars in Japan.

But statistics don't really explain Takeru.

His fights created emotion.

They created drama.

To me, he wasn't simply a fighter.

He was almost like a superhero for Japanese Kickboxing.

The perfect ending against Rodtang

His final fight almost couldn't have been written any better.

Takeru first fought Rodtang in March 2025 and was stopped in the opening round.

For many fighters, that might have been the end of the story.

Instead, Takeru worked his way back to a rematch.

In April 2026, at ONE SAMURAI 1 in Tokyo, he fought Rodtang again – this time for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

And in the fifth round, Takeru stopped him.

He then retired.

For me, that was an incredible way for one of Japan's most important fighters to finish his career.

Don't just watch Takeru's counter

Casual viewers might focus on his counter punches or knockout power.

But there is much more behind those moments.

I always watch how he creates the opening before the counter.

Look at:

The feints.

The positioning.

The distance management.

The pressure.

Those things force an opponent into the reaction Takeru wants.

Then the counter appears.

That's an important distinction.

If you simply copy the final punch, you're missing most of what made the punch possible.

And when Takeru sensed an opportunity, his ability to raise his intensity and find another level was special.

That is what made Takeru unique to me.

He had the technique to create finishes.

He had the heart to produce unforgettable fights.

And he had the charisma to make people emotionally invested every time he stepped into the ring.

For me, he will always be one of the legendary figures of Japanese Kickboxing.

 

What These Fighters Tell Us About Modern Japanese Kickboxing

One reason I wanted to choose these ten fighters is because I think they demonstrate something important.

There isn't one Japanese Kickboxing style.

Look at Yuki Yoza and Kento Haraguchi.

Both have strong Karate foundations, but they don't fight identically.

Look at Noiri's relaxation and short-range power compared with Ryujin Nasukawa's movement and out-boxing.

Look at Takumi's punching power compared with Haruto's control of distance and rhythm.

Then you have Meison's explosive entries, Shintaro's completeness at a bigger weight and Rui developing as part of the next generation.

And Takeru represents something different again.

He represents what Japanese Kickboxing can become culturally when the right fighter connects with an audience.

What links all of them isn't a specific combination.

For me, it's the way Japanese fighters continue to adapt.

We take things from Karate.

We take things from Boxing.

We take things from Muay Thai and Kickboxing.

We look at what fighters in other countries are doing.

Then we adapt those ideas to the individual.

That is why I don't think Japanese Kickboxing should ever be reduced to:

“Japanese fighters use this technique.”

The interesting question is:

Why is this particular fighter using that technique, and what problem is he trying to solve with it?

That's how I like to study fighting.

And that's how I try to coach it.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Japanese Kickboxers

Who is the best Japanese Kickboxer?

I don't think there is one simple answer because fighters compete at different weights, under different rules and with very different styles.

From my own perspective, however, Yuki Yoza is probably the fighter I respect the most. I've trained alongside Yuki and watched him closely for many years, and what impresses me isn't only his technique. It's his adaptability, tactical intelligence, toughness and ability to continue making good decisions when he's exhausted or under pressure.

That combination is why I personally consider him one of the strongest fighters I have ever been around.

Who is Yuki Yoza?

Yuki Yoza is an elite Japanese Kickboxer who transitioned from a high-level Kyokushin Karate background into professional Kickboxing.

What makes Yuki particularly interesting to me is that he hasn't simply abandoned his Karate to become a conventional Kickboxer. He has adapted the distance, timing, movement and kicking weapons from his background to modern Kickboxing.

I also know Yuki personally. He's one of my closest friends and is like an older brother to me, so I've been able to see qualities in his training and mentality that aren't always visible when you only watch his fights.

What makes Japanese Kickboxing different?

I don't believe Japanese Kickboxing should be viewed as one fixed style.

Modern Japanese fighters have been influenced by Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, traditional Kickboxing and different generations of K-1, and individual fighters combine those influences differently.

Yuki Yoza and Kento Haraguchi, for example, both have strong Karate influences but express them in very different ways. Masaaki Noiri's relaxed power looks completely different from Ryujin Nasukawa's movement-based out-boxing.

That's one of the things I find most interesting about Japanese Kickboxing: the willingness to adapt techniques and ideas to the individual fighter rather than forcing everybody to fight exactly the same way.

Which Japanese Kickboxers have a Karate background?

Karate has had an enormous influence on Japanese Kickboxing, and several fighters in my selection demonstrate how Karate techniques can be adapted for modern competition.

Yuki Yoza is perhaps one of the clearest examples because of his high-level Kyokushin background. Kento Haraguchi has also successfully incorporated his Karate foundations into a highly individual Kickboxing style.

Rather than simply looking for obvious Karate techniques, though, I recommend watching their distance, timing, rhythm, entries and choice of kicks. The influence is often much deeper than a single technique.

Who are some of the best young Japanese Kickboxers to watch?

There are several younger fighters in Japan that I think are particularly interesting.

Ryujin Nasukawa has already developed a very sophisticated out-boxing style based around distance, movement and making opponents miss. Rui Okubo is another fighter I'm watching closely because of the speed and sharpness throughout his striking game.

Both are already highly accomplished, but what makes them especially interesting is how much further their styles could still develop.

Is Takeru still fighting?

Takeru retired from professional competition following his rematch with Rodtang Jitmuangnon in April 2026, finishing his career by stopping Rodtang in the fifth round and becoming ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion.

I still included him in this article because I don't think you can properly discuss this generation of Japanese Kickboxing without acknowledging his influence.

For me personally, Takeru was one of the fighters who inspired me to continue pursuing combat sports. His influence extends far beyond his techniques, victories or championships.

Who is Tai Terada?

I'm a Japanese Kickboxing coach and former fighter based at Maji Art of Fight in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

My own approach to coaching has been shaped by Japanese Kickboxing, Kyokushin Karate and the different striking systems I've experienced throughout my career.

I've also worked with Warrior Collective to create full-length instructionals explaining the technical principles and training methods behind modern Japanese Kickboxing.

Can I learn Japanese-style Kickboxing?

Yes, but I don't think the goal should be simply to copy the techniques of Yuki Yoza, Takeru, Masaaki Noiri or another Japanese fighter.

You first need to understand why a fighter uses a particular technique, how they create the opportunity for it and how it connects with the rest of their game.

That's the approach I take in my Warrior Collective instructionals. Rather than giving you isolated Japanese Kickboxing techniques to imitate, I explain the principles behind the range, movement, kicks, Boxing, knees, combinations and training methods so that fighters and coaches can adapt them to their own game.

 

Learn Modern Japanese Kickboxing

If watching fighters such as Yuki Yoza, Takeru, Kento Haraguchi and Takumi Terada has made you curious about why modern Japanese Kickboxing looks different from many Western striking systems, I've worked with Warrior Collective to explain those ideas in much greater depth.

My first full-length instructional, Japanese Kickboxing – Learning the Art of Fighting, looks at the technical foundations of the system.

I break down range, Japanese calf kicks, Yoza-style kicking techniques, the Mikazuki kick, unorthodox low kicks, Japanese knees, Kyokushin-influenced punching, spinning attacks, defence and Japanese combination work.

The objective isn't to make you copy one Japanese fighter.

It's to help you understand the principles behind the techniques so that you can adapt them to your own style.

My second instructional, Japanese Kickboxing – Pad Work for Modern Fighters, moves from understanding the system into learning how to train it.

For that volume I'm joined by my younger brother Takumi Terada, and together we show how we develop Boxing, kicks, knees, calf kicks, combinations, reactions and fight-specific decision making through structured Japanese pad work.

I think of the two volumes very simply:

Volume One teaches you the system.

Volume Two teaches you how to train the system.

If you're a fighter or coach who wants to understand modern Japanese Kickboxing beyond simply copying techniques you've seen in K-1 or RISE, these instructionals are where I would start.

Tai Terada
European K-1 Champion
Founder & Head Coach – Maji Art of Fight