Kumite Classic Entertainment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports, fitness, martial arts |
| Founded | 1999[1][2] |
| Founder | Bill Viola Jr[1][2] |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, PA[3] |
| Subsidiaries | Allegheny Shotokan Karate[4] |
| Website | kumiteclassic |
Kumite Classic Entertainment (KCE) is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based sports production company. It was established in 1999 by Bill Viola Jr. KCE specializes in fitness, martial arts, and multi-sport competitions.[1][2]
“Kumite” is a Japanese term meaning “fighting.”[5] The company's flagship event, the “Kumite Classic,” is an annual series of combat sports tournaments, widely recognized as a hub for martial arts in the Pittsburgh area.[2][6][7]
The Kumite Classic includes diverse competitions such as strongman, powerlifting, bodybuilding, fitness, figure, and model contests.[1][2] It also features traditional and open tournaments in karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, kung fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Grappling.[8][3]
Prominent figures from martial arts and sports, including Royce Gracie, Franco Harris, Antonio Brown, Lynn Swann, Ice-T, and Kurt Angle, have graced the Kumite Classic.[9][6][10][11] Angle’s “Ultimate Teen Challenge,” a strength competition, debuted at the 2005 Kumite Classic and later expanded to the Arnold Sports Festival.[12][13][14]
In 2016, Kumite Classic Entertainment acquired ownership of Allegheny Shotokan Karate.[15]
Pittsburgh Fitness Expo
Kumite Classic hosts the annual Pittsburgh Fitness Expo, a full scale consumer convention that promotes health and wellness in the Western Pennsylvania region. The expo is held at the Monroeville Convention Center over Memorial Day Weekend.[1][2][8][3][16]
Publishing
In 2013, the company established Kumite Classic Press and released Godfathers of MMA, a mixed martial arts non-fiction book inspired by the life of Bill Viola Sr. and the rise and fall of CV Productions and the Tough Guy Contest.[6][17] The book is the subject of the documentary film Tough Guys (2017) produced by MinusL Inc.[18][19][20]
Kumite Classic published a commemorative edition of Godfather's of MMA retitled Tough Guys (2017) which peaked at #1 on the Amazon best sellers list in the individual sports category. The launch was synchronized with the network television debut of Tough Guys on Showtime.[21][22][23][24]