Today Saturday 25th November – Sweden`s top fighter for many years Jimmie Collin enter his last tournament. Jimmie Collin enters the Sweden national tournament, and as always he is not afraid to challenge himself. Entering the heaviest weight category will for sure be a challenge – but this mindset describe just why Jimmie Collin has been one of the top fighter in Europe for many years.
⇐ Jimmie Collin, Sweden. Thank you for motivation and inspiration. Showing that it is possible to reach goals with hard work and dedication. Osu SH
As said today Jimmie Collin goes into the Swedish national – and that in the heaviest category. Inspired by his first Sensei Dan Larsson, who did the same think in the first Swedish national that ever was held. Sensei Dan Larsson was the man who founded BANZAI Karate Kai.
We have all seen Jimmie Collin through many years of top international fighting. And for the most of us it has been hard to realize hove much it takes to reach this level – and hold it there for so many years. Some of us remember back about ten-fifteen years ago, where Jimmie started to make his way in the Open tournaments around in Europe. Reaching the podium in tournaments as French Open, Welsh Open,Branko Memorial, Swedish Open,Swiss Open and Danish Open – reaching and also winning several of them. French Open 1st 2006, Danish Open 2003/04/06 and 07 champion, Swedish Open champion in 2006 (the first Swedish Open) This is just some handpicked results, there is a lot more..
The Swedish team at the time had several strong fighters, and names as Andreas Almen ⇓, Fredrik Månsson, Martin Aparicio ⇓, Jimmie Collin ⇓, Daniela Erkelenz ⇓, Viki Damjanovska, Fredrik Olsson was some of the fighters that was a part of that time. Transition to a higher level came after many tournaments and hard work. Some of the “old team” was also retiring, so it was no doubt that a change was a fact. Jimmie Collin had entered the world tournament in 2003 (advanced in to the 2nd round lost to Sotoshi Niiho, Japan), and dis so three more times – that alone is impressive. In the World Championship four year after, 2007, he made it to the last 32, and since the last World Championship this was a heads up! (picture from EC 2006, Andreas Almén photo)
Winning his first fight against Adriano Vieira Ferrreira (Brazil) was maybe what one could count in, but knocking out the Japanese fighter Ryutaro Hirayama in the 2nd fight was a surprise for many! Loosing against Valeri Dimitrov, Bulgaria, next – and that after extensions a was great achievement. The next year he made his first appearance on the podium in the European Championship. This middleweight category was very hard, and the Eastern Europe countries was very dominate. Some made it through – Danish Dynamite with Brian Jakobsen and Christian Christiansen – but the rest was Hungary, Lithuania and Bulgaria. Collin made it to the 3rd place, behind double Hungarian (Gergo Magna 1st and Sandor Bak 2nd) These two was well known names..
Home in Sweden had it also happens some things. The Swedish Open was first held in 2006, and the line up was impressive. Not only with Lithuania, Hungary, Georgia at the line up, but also fighters from Japan! and of course the northern European countries. Jimmie Collin won this, and with a strong victory over Proc from Lithuania in the final, this really meant something. Two years after, Collin came third, Christian Christiansen Denmark at 1st – EC Champion for 06 and 07 as he was.
In 2008 did Jimmie Collin compete in the British Open. Walk Over in the first fight, before he gets a victory over Cliff Van Tilburg from Belgium. The next fight, quarter final, He faced one of the heavy favorites Ruslan Fatekhov IFK Russia) After an even start did Collin dominate with heavy knees to the body and aggressive fighting. This drove the Russian fighter out of the mat several times, backing up more or less through the whole extra round. But this was a fight at “home soil” for Ruslan Fatekhov, an arena was shaking their head when the Russian fighter was awarded the victory be board breaking. (IFK rules, at the time the breaking was before the QF) The Russian fighter was later on champion in the category. Collin took later 3rd place in 2010 and 2012, and was together with Fredrik Olsson some of the few who could challenge the top IFK Russian fighters. (video)
European Championship in 2009 was without Collin on the podium, but he made it back in 2010. At that time a new star had arrived in the middleweight Marius Ilas, Romania. These two became friends, and developed their skills by working together. Behind these two fighters we had some extraordinary coaches: Magnus Hanssen and Harris Wallmen. But 2009 had the World Cup in Russia, at with his results Jimmie Could now enter this tournament that are very hard to enter, thinking of the qualifying through
the European region. Also here did Collin a strong impression. Knocking out Kenichro Nakagawa (North America) in the first fight brought him up against home fighter Andrey Shestakov. Also here did Collin earn a point (in the extension) and this was more than many expected. Third fight was against Marius Ilas, and this time it was stop for Collin after two extensions. But at the time he was among the top 8 fighters in the middleweight. Magnus Hanssen Sensei and the Keiko team would be a naturally part of this in the total. The work they have done, and the results they have made has been a important role in how the next fighters will take the step up.
The following season did Collin, under the leadership of Magnus Hanssen and accompanied by Fredrik Olsson,a heavy commitment. Towards European Championship 2010 was the first full-time training (about 2mnd). In Sweden you can not live on Kyokushin karate, and it tells us little about how sports have huge differences, regardless of seriousness. And such a serious and dedicated athlete should have been awarded to train Kyokushin in the full time. 3rd place was his reward at this tournament.That year the middleweight category had 27 fighters, and Collin (who was seeded and walk over in 1st round) defeated Gabor Buzas (HUN) Oleksandr Kravets (UKR) before once again Ilas stopped him. Olsson and Collin⇓
10th World Championship in Japan 2011. Also this time he made it to last 32, but lost to Japan`s superb fighter Yuki Maeda in their 4th fight in the tournament. After this the rumors was that this would be the end. But Jimmie Collin was not satisfied with his last feeling in the world Tournament. And just a couple of month later he was at the line up in a Russian Open weight tournament, known to be one of the hardest. All organizations attended with their best Russian fighters, and champions from Europe did also attend. Collin made it through the first round after a hard fight against Danish Heavyweight Kristoffer Breindal. Breindal was very tough, and wanted to revenge a loss – because Collin had stopped him in the World Championship just a couple of month earlier! Into the next round, Collin stood up against the Russian top fighter Artur Tilov. This time Collin lost after extension against a very strong Tilov. (see fighters here)
In 2012 – that became one of the best year for Collin, did he raise his level even more! Not only did he reach the final in the European Championship and took 2nd place, he did the same in European Open-weight! This was really good results – and loosing to Valeri Dimitrov in the Open Weight – well.. ! On top of that Collin entered the Swedish Open in the “12th hour” and this time in the heavyweight category – and he won the tournament! Knocking out several of his opponent and facing fighters almost with twenty kilos difference!
2013 was he out of the EC podium, but made it 3rd place in the Open-weight (got injured after a win in the quarterfinals) And again he was qualified to the World Cup in Lithuania. Made it through the first fight with a good impression, but lost the next one against Kazuya Yamamoto (Japan) Reaching with this top 16 middleweight in the world. This year was the last one that Jimmie Collin made it to the EC podiums and one could say that an era was over. He represented Sweden for his fourth time in the World Championship in 2015, and he has been the naturally choice in the EC up to now.
We should mention the team around, and also others members – but today it is Jimmie Collin, one last time!
All the best, see you at camps and training!
