Between 21 and 22 April 2017 in the modern Metropolitan Hall in Astana, Kazakhstan, the KWF Asian Open Championship were held with the participation of nearly 550 competitors from 13 countries, including Japan, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. On April 20 an Open Leaders' Meeting was held as well as a Referee Course. Fighters under 18 competed on the first day, and fighters 18+ on the second day of the event. The opening of the Championship was made by KWF Secretary Andre Drewniak. Then the floor was taken by KWU Secretary Sergey Suvorov, KWU Director Ramil Gobbbasov and the President of Kazakhstan KWF Federation Irina Manzanova, who also represented Edem, the general sponsor of the Championship.

 Official observers were coaches of KWF National Team of Japan Noriyuki Tanaka, National Team of Russia Sergey Soldatov and National Team of Poland Robert Wajgelt. The main judge was shihan A. Drewniak and technical judge was shihan R. Gobbasov. Sayonara was organized in the Official Hotel. The Championship were organized by the Kazakh Kyokushinkai Federation led by shihan Muktar Juldasov in cooperation with the Ministry of the Sport and Culture of Kazakhstan.

     Opening ceremony                  Kumite                             Awards

                       Referee course and Sayonara            Sightseeing

The Open International Tournament KWF GRAND PRIX was organized in Tokyo on 26 March 2017 with 841 participants from 11 countries. Secretary General Andre Drewniak opened the tournament on behalf of the KWF. He congratulated the organizer Shihan Noriyuki Tanaka and also thanked all participants, coaches and judges representing many Kyokushin groups for coming from numerous distant countries. The popularity of the tournament is testimony to the idea of One World One Kyokushin. Shihan Andre Drewniak appealed on behalf of the former Uchi-deshi, namely President Loek Hollander, Vice President Antonio Pinero and his own to young fighters to cultivate Sosai Mas. Oyama's philosophy. He expressed his hope to meet next year in the same welcoming hall during the 2^nd KWF World Championship.

Then took the floor the Secretary KWU Sergei Suvorov which realizing the program Time To Be United - invited to alliance Kyokushin within the framework of KWU and th- en presented a Japanese mask, which is a mascot of the coming KWU World Championship. After that Gasprom's representative handed over a memorial gift to Shihan N. Tanaka. At the end of the tournament Shihan A. Drewniak, Secretary Suvorov, Shihan N. Hamai and KWF Board Member D. Trifu were invited to give awards to winners. The organizer of GRAND PRIX was KWF Japan led by its Country Representative N. Tanaka.

GALLERY

On March 18 2017 the KWU European Championships were held in Berlin with more than 500 competitors from 24 countries. The official opening of the European Championships was made by KWF Secretary Andre Drewniak who stressed validity of the championshipвЂTMs motto TIME TO BE UNITED and thanked all Kyokushin leaders of the united Kyokushin because thanks to them European and world Kyokushin events set new standards for the range and quality of events organization. Short speeches were also made by KWU Secretary Sergey Suvorov and KWU Director Ramil Gobbasov who emphasized positive aspects of unification and development prospects.

The main judge of the championship was Shihan Ramil Gobbasov from Russia who ran a seminar for more than 40 judges on Friday. The championships were held simultaneously on 6 mats in two combined twin Sports and Entertainment Halls. Medals were given by Shihan A. Drewniak and Secretary S. Suvorov. On Sunday, according to the program, participants visited Berlin and in the evening they attended a Sayonara Party. The organizer was the German Kyokushinkai Kan Organization led by sensei Alexei Demanov.

Sensei Ilie Ionescu, the Country Representative of Romania and the President of the Romanian Kyokushin Federation organised KAGAMI BIRAKI in three Romanian cities.           The sessions were held in Bucharest on the 12th January and Giurgiu on the 13th January. The special guest instructor for the sessions was Sensei Daniel Trifu, KWF board member and president of the Australian Kyokushin Federation. Senpai Lynne O'Brien from KWF Australia, board member of the Australian Kyokushin Federation, also attended the Bucharest and Giurgiu sessions. She enjoyed the enthusiasm and warmth of the Romanian Kyokushin community. Due to dangerous driving conditions caused by extreme weather Sensei Ilie Ionescu and Sensei Daniel Trifu could not make the 250 km trip from Bucharest to Galati. The session in Galati on the 14th January went ahead as planned and the students and instructors put on a great event.

Training sessions were immensely enjoyed by all involved. The Romanian Karateka showed great enthusiasm and fighting spirit during some of Sensei Trifu's training drills.Sensei Ionescu took this opportunity to announce the important events for 2017 and to present belts and certificates.The following Karatekas from the Romanian Kyokushin Federation were presented with their official KWF belts and certificates:

• George Radoi 3 dan (Giurgiu),
• Ana Cristina Stase 3 dan (Galati),
• Gabriel Stroe 2dan (Bucuresti),
• Catalin Mocanu 2 dan (Giurgiu),
• Dorel Aldea 2 dan (Galati),
• Marius Stan 1 dan (Giurgiu),
• Cristian Verdes 1 dan (Bucuresti),
• Daniel Ionita 1 dan (Bucuresti)

Here  pictures from training sessions with  Sensei Ilie Ionescu and  Sensei Daniel Trifu.

PS. For martial arts students today, the New Year's celebration of Kagami Biraki, continue the old samurai tradition of kicking off the new year. It is also a time when participants engage in a common endeavor and rededicate their spirit, effort and discipline toward goals, such as training.

GALLERY

On 3-4 December 2016 the 5^th Youth World Championships were held in a beautiful sports hall at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria, with the participation of 666 fighters from 33 countries in three age categories: 12-13, 14-15 and 16-17 years. Board and accommodation were provided in the four-star hotel Astera in Golden Sands, near Varna. 

The main judge and a teacher on 3-day the International judges course with the participation of 46 judges was Shihan Ramil Gobbasov (Russia).

Day before the event, about 500 competitors  participated in a united training conducted by Shihans: Hatsuo Royama, Andre Drewniak i David Pickthall.

Shihan Andre Drewniak (KWF) officially opened the World Championships emphasizing the event's motto TIME TO BE UNITED was up-to-date and also thanked Shihan Ivo Kamenov for making the championships so prominent. Shihan David Pickthall (IFK), Shihan Hatsuo Royama (Kan) and the Secretary of KWU Sergey Suvorov also made speeches and a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Shihan Juri Trutniev was read. The guests of honor were Shihan Henny Bosman (South Africa), Shihan Hristo Traikov (Bulgaria) and Sensei Daniel Trifu (Australia). The finals were dominated by Russian, Japanese and Bulgarian junior fighters. 

The organizer provided live Internet TV streaming of the championships and the Press conference during which they also discussed why Sosai Mas. Oyama's ideas are still so attractive in the modern world.

Sayonara combined with disco was held in the hotel. Accommodation, board and flights from Sofia to Varna for all 700 participants were covered by the organizer of the World Championships.

The organizers invited everyone to participate in the next summer camp in Varna in July 2017 and the 3^rd KWU World Championships in the Metropolitan Plaza in Tokyo in November 2017.