The annual East European Summer School was held in Cracow, Poland on the week of July 23-27. Approximately 180 participants took part in the event that is conducted annually by Shihan Andre Drewniak and invited Instructors from around the world. Apart from Poland, the quest participants were from: Czech, Slovakia, Belarus and Germany.
     For the second year in a row Shihan Katsuhito Gorai and Sensei Ryu Narushima of IKO Honbu were guest Instructors for this years event that covered Kihon, Ido Geiko, Kata and Kumite strategy for all levels. On the last day of the camp there was a promotion test and over 70 students challenged for their new grade. The event finished with a Sayonara party where students performed music and comedic skits to entertain the Instructors.
     All the instructors said that each year they see a big progress in the technical level amongst the participating karateka.
     " Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and benefit others. " - words of Sosai Mas Oyama remained shihan Gorai, encouraging the students to hard training before this year's 8th World Open Category Championships.

photos 

     On July 9 - 13, the West European Summer Camp 2003 was held at the National Sport Center Papendal, Arnhem, Holland. Nearly 130 Kyokushin students from Holland, Poland, Ukraine, France, Denmark, Austria, attended this event which was organized by the Dutch Kyokushin Karate Organisation lead by Shihan Loek Hollander and assisted by Shihan Ton van Rijn, Sensei Henk Gerhards and others.

     The seminar was also strongly supported by Branch Chiefs and Instructors from Holland and by visiting international Instructors, Shihan Pinero from Spain, Shihan Drewniak from Poland, Shihan Wakiuchi from Italy and Shihan Blizniuk from Ukraine.  

     The Seminar conducted extensive basics through advanced techniques and included a much-anticipated Tameshiwari clinic. At the end of the camp a promotion test was conducted for nearly fifty people that included Kumite for all levels. At the conclusion, Shihan Hollander and Shihan van Rijn presented all participants with a certificate and souvenir to commemorate their attendance and great weekend of training at the camp.

     During the camp an unofficial EKKO Board meeting was held with participation of President A. Pinero, General Secretary A. Drewniak, Treasurer Ch. Fischer, Member S. Blizniuk, Advisors: L. Hollander and T. Van Rijn. Many important points for the development of european kyokushin were discussed, including: Re-registering of EKKO from Swiss law to the EU law in Brussels; Money Saving Plan; Final acceptation of new EKKO Website; preparations to the 3rd European Open Weight Category Championships Baja '03 and the 18th European Weight Category Championships Papendal '04.

     In many Country Representatives' opinion, this summer camp was historical event, as it gathered the most important kyokushin leaders in Europe and thanks to this many new ideas were born. It seems like the new era of European Kyokushin Karate Organisation has started.

All American Open Championships:

Block A & B   Block C & D 

Final match: Sergey Osipov (Russia) vs Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil)
winner: Teixeira
After the second extension still there was no result. Difference of fighters' weight was not big enough. Number of broken boards was the same. After the last extension Teixeira won by 4:1 decision.

results & photos

Women's World Championships: 

Lightweight   
Final match: Ewa Pawlikowska (Poland) vs Elena Vorobyeva (Russia)
winner: Pawlikowska

Middleweight   
Final match: Adrianna Bienkowska (Poland) vs Zmeeva Natalia (Russia)
winner: Zmeeva

Heavyweight 
Final match: Rudenok Olga (Russia) vs Murakami Mellisa (Canada)
winner: Rudenok

results & photos

Special One Match Fight:

Atsushi Kadoi (Japan) vs Glaube Feitosa (Brazil)
winner: Feitosa
(1st round: draw, 2nd round: Feitosa, 3rd round: Feitosa)

European fighters:

Men: Tomasz Najduch (Poland), Piotr Banasik (Poland), Sylwester Sypien (Poland), Marek Kosowski (Poland), Pablo Estensoro (Spain), Fabrice Fourment (France), Milos Stankovic (Serbia), Eduard Wallmen (Germany), Raul De La Sen (Spain), Lucian Gogomel (Romania), Jacob Martin Josephat (Denmark), Alexandre Rodriguez (France), Terrence Birkett (UK)
Women: Ewa Pawlikowska (Poland), Adrianna Bienkowska (Poland), Agnieszka Sypien (Poland), Judit Suran (Hungary), , Eniko Balogh (Hungary), Dorottya Molnar (Hungary), Iren Illes (Hungary), Gyorgyi Roka (Hungary), Hajnalka Silman (Hungary), Adriana Gogomel (Romania), Zurine Eciolaza (Spain), Carole Fontaine (France), Stephanie Koldin (Denmark)
Kata Men: Remigiusz Karpinski (Poland), Dorel Bulearca (Romania) , Marian Schultz (Germany), Terrence Birkett (UK), Mac Robertson (UK) 
Kata Women: Raluca Jianu (Romania), Izabela Sularz (Poland), Zurine Lomas (Spain), Nellie Oeland (Denmark)

     The 20th Japan Weight Category Championships took place on June 7-8 in Osaka. 280 fighters took part in the event organised by IKO Kyokushinkaikan. Kancho Shokei Matsui opened officially the championships, which gathered couple thousands of spectators.

results