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.
The Kumite Classic “Kumite” is a Japanese term meaning “fighting.”Schofield, Melissa (November 1, 2000). “Former karate champion makes transition to music video”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, p. E5. 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.Love, Mike (May 20, 2012). “Fitness and martial-arts enthusiasts pack Monroeville Convention Center for Kumite Classic”. Tribune-Review.Cloonan, Patrick (May 25, 2005). “North Huntingdon Twp. Promoter heads Pittsburgh Sports and Fitness Festival”. The Daily News, p. 11.
The Kumite Classic includes diverse competitions such as strongman, powerlifting, bodybuilding, fitness, figure, and model contests. It also features traditional and open tournaments in karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, kung fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Grappling.Love, Michael (May 19, 2015). “Pittsburgh Fitness Expo returning to Monroeville”. Tribune-Review.
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.Cartey, Richard (November 2012). “Tough guy Contest: The Real Beginnings of MMA in America”. Fighters Only.3: 72. Angle’s “Ultimate Teen Challenge,” a strength competition, debuted at the 2005 Kumite Classic and later expanded to the Arnold Sports Festival.
In 2016, Kumite Classic Entertainment acquired ownership of Allegheny Shotokan Karate.Bowen, Jessie (2017). Who’s Who in the Martial Arts. Elite Publication.
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.
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. The book is the subject of the documentary film Tough Guys (2017) produced by MinusL Inc.Pickels, Mary (February 8, 2015). “Martial arts are a family affair”. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, p. B3.
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.
Published works Viola Jr., Bill (2014). Godfathers of MMA: The Birth of an American Sport. Kumite Classic Entertainment. Viola Jr., Bill (2016). Go Ask Your Dad: Questions, Answers, and Stories about Fathers, Fatherhood, and Being a Parent (Volume 1). Kumite Classic Entertainment. Viola Jr., Bill (2017). Tough Guys. Kumite Classic Entertainment. Viola Jr., Bill (2020). CommonSensei: Sensei Says. Kumite Classic Entertainment. Viola Jr., Bill (2020). CommonSensei: Goal Pagoda. Kumite Classic Entertainment.
References
External links Official Website Pittsburgh Fitness Expo