1st April the European Champions fought their way up on a historical podium in Sweden. Immortals, veterans, established and up and coming fighters achieved their gold medals, we take a look at Kata and Kumite women’s division!

Partille arena, in Goteborg, Sweden – provided a great basis for a good completion of Sweden’s very first European Championships on home ground in Shinkyokushin Full-Contact Karate. (more about the tournament and organizing)

In advance, it was clear that there would be new European champions, this since the reigning champions were not registered this time. Fortunately, there is a significantly strong level that comes up from the U-21 classes, which makes that (if possible) even more interesting.

If we take a look at the Kata competition first. In the men’s division we got a new champion this time. No doubt that the upcoming World Championship in Kata mobilizes some extra, and that into a already high level. Nikolaj Lunn Jensen / Denmark has been climbing the podium for the last years. 3rd place in EC Georgia in 2021. One step up the year after reaching the final vs Ciril Bächli / Switzerland who became the champion. This year Nikolaj Lunn Jensen not only reached the final, he did win it also! Facing Matas Sasnauskas / Lithuaina.

Matas Sasnauskas did win the team Kata championship, but could not take the 1st place against the Dane. Matas Sasnauskas preformed a strong Sushiho in the final, versus a razor sharp Kanku preformed by Nikolaj Lunn Jensen – that gave him the 5-0 victory! We like to think that the present of Taishi Watanabe added some extra spice to it also. Watanabe (for many) known by demonstrating Kata on the WKO DVD’s, together with Emi Shoguchi – both present at the European Championship in Sweden.

Switzerland with multiply EC Champion An Polimeno has been a real factor in the Kata division. Ending third this time for An Polimeno, but once again Switzerland on the top in the women’s division: Carla Gallati, as last year. Raminta Makackaitė / Lithuania was in her fourth final (if we not are mistaken) that is really impressive, next time it might be the top spot awaiting. The crowd could watch Sushiho in the final from the practitioners – at the highest level!

Diana Mačiūtė / Lithuania will also be one to mention. One of the profiles in Kata, and being the “captain” of the Lithuanian Kata team – leading the team to victory in the European Championship!

Visit Okinava Dojo for the impressive full profile of Diana Mačiūtė Shihan

Kumite women’s category

In the kumite division, one can say that we got some categories that was quite  predictable at one side, and the opposite, when one saw new champions climbed on the podium top for the first time.In three of the women’s categories, some well known faces appeared. In the -50 kg, -60 kg and in the -65 kg did the favorites show themselves at their respectable level.

In the -65 kg category, Ivanka Popova / Bulgaria just continued where she left in the EC Open – Weight in December, and went trough the category to her 3rd EC title in weight category, fifth in total. Runner up Aneta Meškauskienė / Lithuania could not come up with a good enough answer for what Popova put on the table. For every technic Meškauskienė executed – she got three in return (if not more) and in the last sequence of the fight it was Popova all over. Meškauskienė close to be finished after a hard pressure to the body/ and stomach. Popova grind down her opponents – growing stronger into the fight. Anna Bojda / Poland and Berta Szalay / Hungary enter the podium for the second time, following up last year achievement. Do also prove to keep a high level over time.

-50 kg category – Brigita Svinkūnaitė / Lithuania continues to be the supreme fighter that we saw last year. Secured the first EC title last year, and did also impress in the Open – Weight EC in December. Of course one can predict a high paced fighter with a lot of movement in a lighter weight category, but Svinkūnaitė got some serious power to back it up – combined with sharp technic. Top 4 in the -50 kg category, contains the same four from last year. Brigita Svinkūnaitė on the top, Anastasia Mikhalova / Germany switched places with Natalia Chrzanowska / Poland and Rafaela Tsakiri / Greece kept the 3rd.

Photo ⇓ taken by the eminent Algimantas Barzdžius visit his photo gallery for more!

-60 kg category – same final as last year. Lili Mezo / Hungary wins against Marta Lubos / Poland. These two are “always” to find on the podium. Both qualified to the 13th World Open Karate Championship in japan this Autumn. The both have such good all round skills, and building more and more experience. It takes two rounds to declare a winner, and trough five minutes of fighting we see only quality. The flurries with high paced (clean) punches by Lubos, and the knee attempt and lowkicks by Mezo. It seems that the lowkicks stands out from the rest, leaving some damage.

3rd place to Solmaz Zeynalli / Azerbaijan and Mirjam Björklund / Sweden. Mezo a number to big for Zeynalli in the first semi-final. In the second between Björklund and Lubos, fought a even very good fight, that ended to Lubos favor in the 1st extension, due two warnings for high punches executed by Björklund. The Swede reaching the podium for the third time a row, plus 2nd in the EC Open Weight and 3rd in the World Championship in weight Categories last year.

A handful fights was decided by warnings in the semi-finals, with a result that some favorites did not reach the final.

This was the case in the -55 kg category, a category that had quite some changes in the top three comparing to last year. Reign champion Teona Gazdeliani / Georgia went out in the semi-finals vs Anna Izdebska / Ukraine. Anna Izdebska in the final – meant that the podium was about to change, and the next factor for that was Oliwia Kurzątkowska / Poland. This was a surprise for many, since Kurzątkowska came from a first round loss in 2021 and in 2022 EC. This time Kurzątkowska secured a win with intense aggressive fighting against the highly merited Alona Veresniak / Ukraine, before winning vs Timea Berencsi / Hungary. Kurzątkowska vs Izdebska in the final was a good action filled final. Very even and demanding, ending 3-2 in the favor of Izdebska.

+65 kg, the heaviest category did also get some changes on the podium comparing to last year. With the absent of reign EC champion Monika Zielińska / Poland, it was a question who would take the top place. No one in the category has been European Champions Shinkyokushin in previous, so this raised the excitements. The natural favorite would be Brigita Gustaitytė / Lithuania – the reign World Champion, followed by Csenge Tóth / Hungary – based on earlier results and merits. Both went out of the tournament in the semi-finals – Gustaitytė due to warnings vs  Katarzyna Jaśkowska / Poland. Csenge Tóth went out vs Marija Sekunda / Lithuania.

Gustaitytė vs Jaśkowska was their second meting, they did also fight last year with Jaśkowska as the winner. Tóth vs Sekunda did also happen last year, with the result in the favor of Tóth, tactically and technically outmaneuvered his opponent who has range and size in her favor. Glimpses of this were also seen this year, but the match came across in a physical style which benefited Sekunda better. The final between Jaśkowska and Sekunda was also was primarily a physical affair, much was taken and much was given, which ultimately resulted in victory for Sekunda.