Toshio Fujiwara

Toshio Fujiwara (藤原 敏男 Fujiwara Toshio, born March 3, 1948) is a Japanese former kickboxer. Out of 141 professional fights before retiring at age 35, Fujiwara won 126, with a remarkable 99 by knockout; most notably, he was the first non-Thai to win a national Muay Thai title belt in Bangkok, a fact that many older Thais still remember and respect about him. Fujiwara became the first ever non-Thai stadium champion in 1978 when he won the lightweight title at Rajadamnern Stadium.

A graduate from the Chuo University, he started training kickboxing at the Mejiro Gym in July 1969, learning under Kenji Kurosaki. He soon won the All Japan Kickboxing Federation championship, and did his first travels to Thailand in 1971. In 1975, he had surgery to his left shin which left him hospitalised for 6 weeks. Three days after leaving hospital he ran at a long distance event.

Retired in 1983, he currently teaches at his own gym, Toshio Fujiwara Sports Gym, in Tokyo. His most famous student in recent years is Satoshi Kobayashi, but many other well-known kickboxers and martial artists have also trained with him, including Masahiro Yamamoto, Satoru Sayama, Sanshu Tsubakichi and Takaaki Nakamura.

In 2010, he was appointed Chairman of Japan Martial arts Directors (JMD), a commissioning group co-operating with the World Professional Muaythai Federation to oversee the development of the sport in Japan.