In mid 2011, Judd Reid was invited by the World Kumite Organization (WKO) to attempt the 100 Man Kumite to be held in Japan on October 22nd at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.
The 100 Man Kumite is an intimate event steeped in tradition where a person attempts to fight 100 black belts consecutively for 1.5 minute rounds, taking almost 3.5 hours to complete. Very few people have ever attempted, let alone completed what must be the toughest mental and physical challenge in the world. It has been compared to doing the Hawaii Iron Man with competitors punching and kicking you throughout the entire event.
Judd is one of the most accomplished martial arts fighters of the past 20 years, being a former Kyokushin Karate Australian heavyweight champion and current WKO world heavyweight champion.
He is also the first foreigner to have completed the 1000 day "uchi deshi” live in student program in Tokyo, Japan under Kyokushin Karate Founder Sosai Mas Oyama from 1990-1993.
Sosai Oyama (1923-1994) pioneered the 100 man Kumite back in the 1950s. He was revered in the karate world as a martial arts legend with almost mythical powers and at the height of his following he had over 12 million students worldwide including the likes of Sean Connery, Sonny Chiba, Dolph Lundgren, Andy Hug and Francisco Filho, amongst many others.
Sosai Oyama used to tell his students that there are two things every great karate fighter should aspire to achieve in his lifetime:
1 to become a world champion and,
2 to complete the 100 Man Kumite.
Judd having achieved the first aim in 2010 and being the first fighter ever invited to do the kumite under WKO rules, decided to return to Japan after years of teaching and training in Thailand to attempt to fulfill his former master’s dream.
Journey to the 100 Man Fight tells Judd’s incredible story of life long dedication to martial arts and and his attempt at the 100 Man Kumite in the twilight of his fight career. It follows his training from the 5 storey WKO world headquarters in Thailand under current master Sifu Ian McInnes as he explains what lead him to decide to undertake such a difficult challenge. There are interviews with his teachers, colleagues, family, friends and training partners who paint a picture of just who Judd is and where he comes from.
