European Championships – Budapest, Hungary 2006, had some of the strongest profiles in the line up. We tough it would be great to look back at the women’s final(s) And in the heavyweight category we had Veronika Sovetes / Hungary vs Gergana Atanasova / Bulgaria. Both some of the very finest and high merited athletes.
We 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:
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.
Emi Shoguchi, Japan. World Champion of the 10th World Championship 2011 and winner of All Japan Open Tournament several times, and All Japan weight divisions championship. Second place World Weight Championship 2013, World Champion in 2017 in Weight Categories. Fighting larger opponents have not prevented success. In addition to the technical and tactical capacity, she holds tremendous fighter’s heart!
As in the previous article we will look at some of the finals held in 2018. This time it is directed against women classes and some of the athletes who have been prominent there. As in the men’s division, unfortunately we could not get as many we wish. World Championships and European Championships – just a little peak “top of the iceberg” after a very active year in every possible way. (Photos by Chalita ⇓ )
We have witnessed an incredibly strong year when it comes to athletic performance. A good mix of unexpected and expected results has been seen, and there is no doubt that developments in full contact Karate are moving on.
On general basis,the most of us have lost count of different kind of world championships,countless EC’s etc, and it continues to pop up. But no doubt that those who focus on the right things, in the right order with patience, keeps stability, develops and grows.
Looking forward into 2019, one can only wait with excitements to follow the further development of full contact Karate!
