2022 is history, and some great events and fights has been held. You will find: WKB, IKO, WKO, IFK, RENGOKAI, JKJO, JFKO, SOKYOKUSHIN – World Championship, European Championships, All Japan Opens and Polish Open-weight..
Trough the jungle of tournaments and championships, we have picked some to watch, its not necessary finding “the best fight” but see the variations etc. We take a look back in 2022 and that’s the point. Never before have we seen so many championships, and one learn more and more that the name and hype of the championship does not necessary fits the level or the quality. One must take a closer look into each tournament, participant, categories, size – qualified fighters or not etc. – to understand the level in total.
Patrik Lajtos / Hungary and David Mskhaladze – they met in EC Open-weight in Poland, and that fight would be for us perfect here – but not to find – yet. Pictures by Okiem Sportowca / Mateusz Golomb
Rankings, that we use to do are more or less impossible-at least to perform correctly. One thing is the situation of the World today with the factor as mention, that there are to many organizations to follow, and with significant level difference. Inside one and each could go, but not allover. This year’s tournaments and championships also got results we don’t usually see in some cases – as a direct result of the war i Ukraine. Russia has been completely dominant in some organisations, and with them out the space are open to new faces.
We try to dig up tournaments / championships and fights – and maybe some of them are new for you? If so, it would be great – more we know the greater the fun!
Fights of the year 2021 – 2020 – 2019 – 2018 – 2017 – 2016 –
NOTE: We miss fights from the 54th All Japan Open WKO, 54th All Japan Open IKO, EC Open-weight WKO/EKO we would like to share ,maybe they are available later…
Kyokushin Union European Championship 13th EC
A mixed strong start-field attended in the tournament and had a nice spread from all over Europe. The Eastern-Europe countries was strong as always, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania attended (and was visible at the podium) Semifinal Fight Senior Men -90kg: Kristiyan Doychev / Bulgaria vs ⇑Sacha Decoster / Switzerland. Both well known for many of us, since both has been active for several year across the Full-contact fighting field. Decoster do have a serious record being the most experienced – Doychev coming up with a lot of fights improving as we speak. Full Results (Want to see the finals you can find them here, brought to you by the eminent @solokyokushin)
14th JKJO All Japan Open
A high level tournament, mixed from All Over Japan and organisations. The tournament has expanded from three to four weight-categories (last two years) and the absolute top level here is to be found top 3/5, around in different championship, as JFKO as an example. When we mention the names – you will recognize them: Yuta Takahashi / Takahasi Dojo and Daisuke Tada / Byakuren Kaikakan. This is the final in the heaviest category – note that there are two videos (after a break) Since the video does not show who that will be the winner, we can revile it went Tada’s way.
The 5th WKB European Championship
World Kyokushin Budokai keep a steady course and delivers their 5th EC in weight categories. Next year they will expand their offer with holding their first World Championship Open-weight. We picked a lightweight fight, the final in -70 kg with – Mykhailo Drahan / Ukraine (Aka) vs Daniel Janzen / Germany. Drahan being the reign champion takes on Janzen – in a fight where its very interesting to see the different style and intensity.
51st All Japan Open So-Kyokushin
The final Naoto Kusakabe (Aka) vs Naoya Kusakabe. These two has been fighting each other several times, and not only on the Championship basis. The brothers have been training together since young age, in the Dojo and guidelines of great master Daigo Ohishi. Fighting someone can be hard – but fighting someone you know can be even harder!
European Karate Shinkyokushin Championship Tarnów 2022
In an action-packed event, we go for the lightest weight-category this time, and as before we take a look at the road to the top, not the top. This fight between Eltaj Humbatov / Germany vs Daniel Sternik / Poland was a very hard and demanding fight. This is the quarter-final, and this reminds us how tough the Cup system with a decent number of fighters actually are, no matter how hard the fight is, you got another one waiting – if not it is the final of course. This fight does also shows how well rounded one must be at a respectable level – one do have do master it all, technic, tactic, variation, be able to adapt, strength and the will to go the distance no matter how long time it will take.
The 6th IFK World Championship
-was held this summer, one year later than planed due to the Covid situation. The 5th edition in 2017, held in Romania was a championship at top level on the tatami as well as the professional organizing, promoting and streaming the event. This edition could not reach the same level, and of course one must admit that it became very visible how large impact Russia usually have i this setting. But, lets focus on good fights that was happening: Ilya Yakovlev / Kazakhstan vs Kevin Cid / Spain – Heavy hitters in the heavyweight final! This final should be on a lifted tatami – in the spotlight. For Yakovlev this was the last test before attending in the 7th World Championship in weight WKO, as for Kevin Cid – up and coming starting to establish himself among the top. Both very solid, hard and can take and deliver heavy.
35th European Championship IKO
35th IKO EC, Final -90 Alejandro Navarro /Spain – Maxime Demeautis /France. The legend Navarro takes two EC tittles this year, and we picked the EC final in weight-category, where his opponent Maxime Demeautis also made his best result – up to now. It is noticed that France did their best EC ever with several fighters on the top 4 – and not least two gold, one in the men and one in the women division. Just for the record, Navarro got 9 Open-Weight and 6 Weight-category EC tittles (and a ton of podium places of course!) Many was skeptical when the new rules came into play in IKO – but Navarro adapted and continued his amazing journey.
7th Japan Fullcontact Karate Organization JFKO All Japan Open
This All Japan Open edition gave us some really highlights. This tournament acts as a melting pot when it comes to Full Contact karate. Great variety in practitioners, styles and organizations contributes to a strong development for Full Contact Karate.
With so many athletes and matches being held, we enter two pieces: one in the lightest class – which is the final, and one in the heaviest class which is the quarter-final. First out is the lightweight: Syonoshin Uomoto vs Tenshin Sawai, really top fighters, Uomoto with the heaviest record. The speed and pace in the lighter divisions are predictable – but have you seen the power they possesses? ..don’t blink!’
In the heaviest category we had so many strong fighters attending – but we fell (again) for Kembu Iriki. In the quarterfinal he faced a very decent fighter: Sho Shigematsu – recently winning the 51st All Japan Open (Union) and qualifying to the 5th Kyokushin Union World Championship in may 2023. For Iriki one could maybe say that we have a quite similar pattern. This tournament was held in May, September Iriki came 3rd in the World Championship in weight – stopped by Maciej Mazur. December Iriki was again on the top, claiming the tittle of the 54th All japan Open Shinkyokushin. Sho Shigematsu vs Kembu Iriki – we picked it to learn about damage..
Polish Open-Weight
Szymon Olpiński / Poland achieved a very successful year: 2nd in the WKB EC, winning the IOC Nakamura Polish Open, Polish Open (All org.) weight category winner. Captured the World Title in the 6th IFK World Championship. But that is not enough, Polish Open-weight category winner, and the one fight that we picked out that really crowns it: vs top fighter of the world Patryk Sypień! the semifinal in the Polish Open-weight Szymon Olpiński vs Patryk Sypień!
38th All Japan Open Kyokushin Union
Final between Yuhei Ashitaka (Aka) vs Rai Hayakawa. Both has been fighting across Japan in several tournaments, Ashitaka being (up to now) the slightly more successful – but both been on the JKJO All Japan Podium. Yuhei Ashitaka made it to top 8 in the 52nd All Japan Open Shinkyokushin as well. In this tournament, 38th All japan Open Kyokushin Union, Ashitaka was awarded the price for best Technic. That said, if we take a step some years back, and look to the World Championships Rengokai, this gentleman has been top 4 (2012) and top 8 (2017) Nothing strange that he has been one of the strongest challengers to Sho Shigematsu.
7th World Karate Championship In Weight Categories Shinkyokushinkai