On October 14 to 19, the Ukrainian Kyokushin Karate Camp, took place in Kiev. 235 karateka from all over the country, as well as karateka from Russia, Kaliningrad region, Armenia, USA and Japan, gathered to train together for five days. Trainings were lead by Shihan Katsuhito Gorai (IKO International Department Director), Shihan-dai Ryu Narushima and Sensei Artur Hovhannisian - Honbu Dojo instructors.
   Camp was organised by Shihan Stanislav Blizniuk , who has been the president of Ukrainian Kyokushin Karate Organisation for the last 20 years. UKKO will be the organiser of European Weight Category Championships 2009, that will take place in Kiev on May 23.

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   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.

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    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).

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   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