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Following the success of Bulgaria's Emil Kostov in the One Match Fight against Japan's Hiroyuki Kidachi last month, another two top-ranked European fighters were invited to Japan.
Current Openweight and Superheavyweight Category European Champion - Tomasz Najduch challenged two-time Japanese Openweight Category Vice Champion - Yasuhiko Kimura, while Piotr Banasik - current Openweight Category European Vice Champion met Tadakuni Tokuda, 4th at the last year's Japanese Openweight Category Championships. Coach of the two Poles were shihan Andre Drewniak. The bouts were held during the Japanese Junior Championships at Tokyo's Yoyogi Dai-Ni-Taikukan on 13 April.
Additionaly Tomasz Najduch was chosen among the world's top 10 fighters to win the 8th World Openweight Category Championships in November this year. Najduch received the cup for best fighter of the Jubilee 30th Polish Weight Category Championships two weeks ago, winning the Polish Championships for the 9th time in his career. Piotr Banasik - currently European "number 2" is professional army officer. Thanks to a letter from Polish Karate Federation, he received a special pass to be able to go to Japan.
See the fighters' profiles and photo galleries here
Polish team was welcomed at Narita International Airport by sensei Andrzej Zacharski, who has been studying and training in Tokyo since January 2003. During the Polish team’s stay, he acted as interpreter and secretary. Thanks to the organisers, the fighters were able to come to Tokyo early enough to do some training at Honbu Dojo too.
Honbu Dojo: training before the fight
In the first One Match Fight Piotr Banasik, for whom his first fight in Japan was a big challenge, started without any inferiority complex. A couple of times he tried to surprise Tadakuni Tokuda with jodan ushiromawashigeri, but was unable to reach his opponent's head. In the next round Banasik allowed the Japanese to dictate the fight. Tokuda came in close repeatedly, in doing so stopping the Pole's legs - his strongest point. Due to the lack of wazari and visible advantage, after the 3rd round judges made their decisions. One of the five Japanese judges – sensei Ryu Narushima showed a draw, while the others declared Tokuda the winner.
Tomasz Najduch as an experienced fighter in the beginning tried to guess Kimura's preferences and adjust his style accordingly. He surprised everybody by fighting switch-stance - including Kancho Shokei Matsui, who was watching the Poles' fights closely. After the first round, two of the judges called a draw, and two others found in favour of the Japanese.
In the second round, after a powerful punch into his opponent's body, Najduch re-aggravated a hand injury, first incurred at the 30th Polish Championships, which he had won in Warsaw two weeks ealier. This affected him for the rest of the fight, and the judges took note. Despite the injury, the Pole did not give up and continued to fight for the next two minutes.
As in the previous match, Najduch's exhausting 7-minute contest against Kimura finished with the judges declaring the Japanese the winner.
Comment of Polish coach Shihan Andre Drewniak:
"In the second challenge of this kind in European Kyokushin history, both Tomasz Najduch and Piotr Banasik showed their potential. They fought equal battles, which lasted 7 minutes, and there was no point difference. Technically they gave nothing to their rivals, creating a couple of dangerus situations. Surely the fact, that they were participating in this type of challenge for the first time, in the birthplace of karate, was an additional burden. They may not have won, but they did themselves proud. Their first fights in Tokyo with contenders to the title of world champion are in my opinion a very precious learning experience. I am grateful to IKO Honbu for the invitation and hospitality."
During the farewell supper with shihan Katsuhito Gorai, on behalf of Kancho Shokei Matsui, he thanked the Polish fighters for participation and invited both of them to take part in the Americas Cup in NY and World Championships in Tokyo.
The Polish team's visit to Japan was also an occasion for many fruitful meetings. During the talks with Kancho Matsui and Shihan Gorai, information about the current Kyokushin situation in Europe and the world was exchanged. In order to improve the co-operation between IKO Honbu and EKKO, a new secretary of the International Office was introduced to EKKO General Secretary Shihan Andre Drewniak. Senpai Joji Hibino takes over this position from Takaaku Enami. Shihan Gorai i Sensei Ryu Narushima, during individual meetings, confirmed their participation in this year's East European Summer Camp in Cracow. Additionaly, co-operation with the World Karate magazine and karategi manufacturer ISAMI was strengthened .
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