Lyudmila Ustyugova, one of Kazakhstan’s many good fighters. World Champion in 2018, KWF. World Champion in 2019 this time in KWU. Improving her her result from 2017 when she came in on 3rd place. 2017 was a very noticeable year, reaching the final in the 6th World Championship weight categories WKO. The only non Japanese entering the podium. A real statement knocking down 3 time All Japan Champion Kikukawa in the semifinal and entering the upper level of lightweight fighters of the world.
Brigita Gustaitytė, Lithuania. The 7th World Champion in weight categories 2022. Winner of many Open tournaments as Swedish Open, Caucasus Open,Memorial Branko Bošnjak and more – and almost always reaching the podium, Shin European Championship podium as well. 2nd in the EC 2019/21. Later in 2019 she went all the way in the KWU World Championship, and became the world champion. Earlier in KWU she also made it to the final inn 2015 – and became the vice champion in the 2nd KWU World Championship. EFKO champion 2020
During this year’s World Championship we saw another fight between two incredible athletes. It was as known, not the first time they met on the mat. And it was no coincidence that they would meet at this point in the tournament. We all know from previous matches how hard they have been and how much they cost to the athletes. We’ve gathered Dimitrov vs Mazur fights – do you know how many times they’ve met?
Bursting into the 11th World Championship final being only 16 years – Juri Minamihara becomes a Fullcontact karate star over the night. Being the runner up at this WT was only the start. Minamihara showed then several top results on the international stage – and of course top spots in All Japan Open, JFKO championships as well. Incredible spirit, and with 154 high 52-54 kg weight – one do also understand her technical aspect and her ability to protect and fight against much bigger opponents. World Champion in 2017 middleweight category, and champion in the 12th World Championship 2019
Continue readingWe continue to look at the previous World Champions – as an “warm up” to the upcoming 12th World Open Karate Championship this Autumn in Japan. A World Championship that will be the main event this year in the full contact Karate World. We pick up the champions, and time we will give you some videos from when these champions met each other in different tournaments..
We continue to look at the World Championships finals, and we are picking up the women division. With the European selections tournaments still going in replay in our heads, there are no doubt that the level in total has been lifted up significant higher. But looking at the previous finals – there are no doubt that the level has been high for many years – but what we believe, is that not only top 4 are good – but you must be really good to reach top 8! And reaching the top eight, it won’t be easy either. We’v said it before, it’s time to expand the women division into competitors from all nations, not only select from the regions. Video time…!
We are getting closer to the next World Championship, and as we like to do – a little rewind of previous finals. Some of the are seen many times, some has been given less attention – as always. In many tournaments the final it self becomes a little of a anticlimax – even so it is the World Championship final! Sometimes it can be a factor that the finalist maybe not are the one that the big crowd expected to be there. And the road to the final can also be a factor. Anyway a World Championship final is a final with a big F in our dictionary! We give six World Championship finals:
Last weekend gave us six more fighters from the European region to represent Europe in the 12th World Championship Shinkyokushin in November. We witness a very tough qualifying tournament in Prague (we will come back to that) and in a 33 fighters line up, more was added to the all ready eight..
Three weeks ago champions of The 5th All Japan Open Fullcontact organisation where crowned. And in the same time top fighters that will represent Japan in the 12th World Open Karate Championship later this year. In other words these top fighters will be facing the best fighters from all over the world – and when we look at the settings for the 5th All Japan Open – the tournament remind us just like the World Championship will be – thinking of the two days of fighting and the number of fights one have to fight – aiming for the top spot.
Benno Rasmussen, Denmark
If you look up “kyokushin veteran” in the dictionary, you most likely will see the same picture as we use here. Far as we know, took his 3rd place EC medal back in 1993 and being on the podium several times after that. Top 16 in the 6th World Championship. Became the EC champion in 2018, +40 cat. (Kyokushin Union) “Open” wins trough the years as Wales Open, French Open, Danish Open and more. Also being active in other tournaments within full-contact , winner of the 18th Challenge Spirit World Championship i 2012 as one of them. Coach for the Danish national team.
