Kyokushinkan's 2nd Korea Open International Karate Tournament
held August 13th, 2006 at Seoul

Kyokushinkan's 2nd Korea Open International Karate Tournament was held this August 13th, 2006 at Seoul and it was, once again, a spectacular success. In a certain sense it was a miniature world tournament which included competitors from Japan, Korea, Ukraine, Iran and America. It was a relatively small tournament with only two weight classes, divided at 75 kilograms, and 85 competitors which included a sideline junior tournament for ages 18 and under and a kata tournament for both men and women. Remarkable about the tournament was the size of the delegation of Japanese leadership of the Kyokushinkan organization that were in attendance, the unmatched strength of the fighters from Iran, and the fact that the young Korean fighters were the ones that came the closest to defeating them.

Above Kancho congratulates the heavy weight champion from Iran, a student of Iran's Kyokushinkan Country Representative, Shihan Davood Daneshfar. The Japanese brought two fighters to this competition, one per division, as did the Americans. The Iranians brought a full delegation of 12 fighters, 6 per division, leaving the much less experienced Korean fighters as their primary competition. Kyokushin in Korea is still relatively young, when compared to Japan, Russia, Iran and Europe, and whereas the Iranian fighters were their country's best fighters, Japan was not represented by its champions. That said, the Iranians were truly an awe-inspiring force, with the young Korean fighters putting forth a heroic effort.

Tournament Winners:

The tournament was hosted by Asia Chairman and Kyokushinkan International Committee member, Shihan Shin Tae Kyeun of Korea (above). Kyokushin karate is experiencing a boom of popularity in Korea and that expansion is being well supported by Shihan Shin and his students from his Daemang (Great Hope) Dojo who have branched out in the Seoul area to open multiple dojos. Shin, who comes from a background of Taekwon Do and Hapkido, has been a longtime enthusiast of Mas Oyama's Kyokushin and sent fighters to compete in Japan's world tournaments as early as 1995. The transformation that his Korean students have undergone since that time as they became so enthusiastic about Kyokushin's full-contact fighting style, has been nothing short of remarkable.

Here (above) Shihan Shin Tae Kyeun performs a tameshiwari demonstration between rounds breaking clay roofing tiles with a devastating straight punch and below with an ushiro-mawashi geri (back spinning kick).

A two hour seminar was held on the day prior to the tournament and over 100 Kyokushinkan members were in attendance. Kancho can be see here, below, introducing international instructors in attendance, and beginning his lecture on the importance of pursuing Budo karate rather than sports karate.

Vice Honbu Chief, Shihan Okasaki (below), was the seminar's primary instructor which focused on the importance of precision in Kihon and Kata training.

Below, Kancho works his way through the students, correcting technique.

Above, seminar participants gather so that they can hear explanation and, below, once again for a group photograph.

Shihan Okasaki (below) concentrates on the instruction of the Kata, Gekisai Sho (above), which is the basic, elimination-round kata used in Kyokushinkan Kata competition.

Kancho and Shihan Hiroshige are seen here watching the fights with Shihan Kinai from Japan to their right and Shihan Yokomiso from Japan on Kancho's left.

Above Shihan Okasaki performs in a Kata demonstration and Japan's Junior Kata Champion, below, performs Kanku to take the trophy.

Other memorable scenes from this weekend's tournament include Kancho's arrival with Vice Chairman Hiroshige and the rest of the Japanese delegation from Tokyo. Kancho is seen here greeted by Korean instructor, Um Chae Young at Incheon International Airport in Korea.

Kancho can be seen here (above) having dinner with Kyokushinkan members and friends. Shihan Hiroshige is on his left and Kancho's wife, Junko, and son, Masayoshi, are to his right. Below Kancho can be seen stepping into Korea with his youngest son.