As a part of The 11th Kyokushin Festival, on October 2, 2008 The 10th All Japan Kata Championships was organised in Kyoto Prefectural Gymnasium. European Kata Champion - Izabela Sularz, from Poland took a remarkable second place and became the first European finalist in the history of this championships. The winner was Miruyo Ito, current World Champion from Japan.
   The biggest Japanese Kyokushin event gathered 652 competitors from all over the country. Organiser was International Karate Organisation Kyokushinkaikan, led by Kancho Shokei Matsui. The official opening was done by Sensei Kyosuke Machida - the first student of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama.
   The Embassy of Poland in Tokyo wanted to congratulate the success personally to Izabela Sularz and her coach Sensei Jacek Czerniec and invited them for a courteous reception. The meeting with the Secretary of Culture Department, Mrs. Bozena Socha, was organised with the assistance of Andrzej Zacharski, who has recently started working for the Embassy.

   On September 20 in New York's Manhattan College, The 2008 All American Open Karate Championships tooke place. The honorary guest of the championships was Kancho Shokei Matsui. Official opening was done by Shihan Seiji Isobe.
   Organiser of the championships was IKO Kyokushinkaikan International Department lead by Shihan Katsuhito Gorai.
   Top european fighters including: Alejandro Navarro - European Champion from Spain, Krzysztof Habraszka - European Champion from Poland, Ewa Pawlikowska - World Champion from Poland, Danaila Cherneva - European Champion from Bulgaria, entered this tournament. Other european countries participating in this Championships were: France, Holland, Israel, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine. All together 140 karateka from all over the world came to join this event.

PHOTO GALLERY

    Record number of 350 participants entered The 35th East European Summer Camp, that was held in Cracow, Poland on July 16-20. This year's special instructors were Shihan Katsuhito Gorai (IKO General Secretary, from New York) and Sensei Artur Hovhannisian (2007 Karate World Championships bronze medalist, from Armenia). Sensei Hovhannisian is currently the instructor of Honbu Dojo in Tokyo. Guests were invited by the organiser - Shihan Andre Drewniak (EKKO General Secretary, from Poland).

GALLERY

   Assisting instructors were: Shihan Wlodzimierz Roj, Sensei Eugeniusz Dadzibug, Sensei Krzysztof Borowiec and Sensei Roman Keska from Poland. Guest assistant and japanese language interpreter was Senpai Andrzej Zacharski from Tokyo.
    There were participants from 16 european countries: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland. On the last day of the camp the examination took place. The event finished the Sayonara Party where students performed music and comedic skits to entertain the instructors.
   Organiser of the camp was Polish Kyokushin Karate Organisation, led by Shihan Andre Drewniak.
   Next year, the camp is planned on July 22-26, 2009.

 
official poster - souvenir of the camp

   On July 7 - 11 in Papendal (Holland) The 41th West European Summer Camp took place with participation of about 180 participants from Austria, Belgium, France, Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Poland and Romania. The camp program was prepared by Shihan Loek Hollander.Special guests were: Shihan Antonio Pinero (Spain), Shihan Andre Drewniak (Poland), Shihan Stuart Corrigal (Canada), Shihan Don Corrigal (Canada) and Sensei Brad Gillespie (Canada). Trainings included kihon, kata, kumite and everyday practice of three Bo kata, Bassai dai kata and self-defense.

   Only two months after his debut in K-1, current Kyokushin Karate World Champion Ewerton Teixeira, won his first title in this formula of fight. On June 29 in Fukuoka's K-1 Japan Grand Prix, Brazilian won with the following Japanese fighters: Tsutomu Takahagi, Tsuyoshi Nakasako and Keijiro Maeda. Winning this tournament Teixeira became the 3rd non-Japanese champion in the history of K-1 Japan. Before only Nicholas Pettas and Bob Sapp achieved that. 
   On the same day two world champion title fights took place. In superheavy weight Jerome Le Banner challenged Semmy Schilt, and in heavy weight Glaube Feitosa challenged Badr Hari. In both fights the champions (Schilt and Hari) defended their titles.
   Shihan Seiji Isobe and Shihan Francisco Filho, who were present in Fukuoka said many complimentary words about the brazilian World Champion. Ichigeki Academy coaches, Faii Falamoe and Jayson Vemoa said "this boy learns really fast".

   The next tournament - K-1 Asia Grand Prix will take place on July 13 in Taiwan, where Kyokushin will be represented by Alexandr Pichkunov.