13th & 14th of October, The 50th All Japan Open Karate Championship will be held! A massive line up in this legendary tournament are set, and with tickets to the 12th World Championship at stake, we can only imagine how hard the preparations has been. top 4 men and top 2 women will represent Japan in the World Tournament next year..
When we are thinking of qualifying for the biggest tournament worldwide – the 12th World Championship, and then through the Karate Country Japan – yes, we have a clue that it will be hard. World Championship – this is Mas Oyama’s legacy, a fighter is the best, regardless of weight and size. Perhaps the very best example: Midori Kenji Shihan!
Continuing Kyokushin’s legacy through open-weight world championship is something that shows that one knows its history and, not least, has the capacity to handle this in every way – organizationally as well as fighters.
The men’s division have 104 fighters ready. And in this line up we have some of the absolute best fighters in the world. The tournament have also a strong support from fighters/organization, that we are used to see in the JFKO Japan Fullcontact Karate Organization includes Byakuren Kaikan, Bushokan, Kyokushin Rengokai, Ashihara Kaikan some examples. (⇐ This draw, we have tried to translate some of the key fighters name)
Official DRAW from WKO Shinkyokushinkai (In Japanese only)
Top world fighters from the last Shinkyokushin World Championship – Yuji Shimamoto and Kembu Iriki – these two have several battles against each others, All Japan Open, and The World Championship in weight categories as well. But if they will meet this time, they must reach the final.
Video from WKO Shinkyokushinkai official Youtube channel – Final World Karate Championship in weight category, Kazakhstan, 2017.
We mention also that the cooperation in Japan really are bringing in top fighters from several organizations and some om the most known maybe would be Yuto Fukuchi and Shota Yamaguchi, both from Byakuren Kaikan. Both do also have top sports in major tournaments. This spring Yuto Fukuchi manage to win the The 1st International Fullcontact Karate Championship, middleweight division. But as many remember, he was chosen to represent Japan Shinkyokushin all ready back in 2013, in The 5th World Cup (now called World Karate Championship in weight category) This was a very good gesture from the WKO, and a real prof of cooperation.
Yuto Fukuchi’s level are among the very very best, and for those who not have seen him up against European fighters, we will give you a almost new fight from 26th August. Up against one of the best lightweights from Europe,Spain, Daniel Redondo. World Champion 2015,5 Times European Champion, 3 British Open Champion, last one very convincing 6th October. Many was surprised how the Japanese fighter could be so effective and so calm at the same time. Both supreme technicians, but one ahead of the other. Video from РСБИ official Youtube channel
The other Byakuren Kaikan fighter we mention was Shota Yamaguchi. A really strong super heavyweight fighter, also he with strong merits. He is one of many very strong fighters from the Byakuren Kaikan, and we remember his victory in the KWF World Grand Prix 2017, as well as the JFKO 4th All Japan Weight Tournament – 2017. In the 3rd round a another merited fighter was ready: ⇐ Kazuya Yamamoto WKO, being double JFKO All Japan Weight Tournament champion from 2014/15 and runner up in 2016 – only losing to Kembu Iriki. Yamamoto are ready as well in this tournament!
Video from JFKO official site, visit to see more.
Two last we will mention: Shota Maeda (Shinkyokushin) and Daiki Kato (Shinkyokushin Yamamoto dojo) These two have much the same background as all the fighters above, and are to consider big names and favorites in the tournament. Both has been represented the national team of Japan several times, and will do anything in their power to repeat that! We bring you a meeting between those two in the 3rd JFKO
Video from JKFO Youtube Channel