One of the more amazing elements of the Fields Dynamite card was the finals and semifinals of the K-1 Koshien GP Tournament. This is basically a developmental program for high school kids, some of whom will ultimately turn pro. The first fight is the semifinal matchup between last year’s winner Hiroya and Masaaki Noiri. Noiri would upset the favored defending champion and go on to defeat Shota Shimada in the finals.

The most incredible thing about their performance wasn’t their fighting skill, which is pretty impressive for their experience level, but their poise. Hiroya is 17 years old, while the eventual champion Noiri is just 16 years old. Noiri had only two previous fights heading into the semifinals. So he’s 16 years old, fighting before 45,000 people at one of the most legendary arenas in fight sports (the Saitama Super Arena) with a nationwide audience watching on TV in Japan and millions more around the world. When I was 16 I was doing well to just *make* it to school on a daily basis.

Semi Final:

Final: