Kyokushin Headlines - 2009

Rosza, Erokhin, Mitsaev & Gatashev take top prizes in groundbreaking event
The 2nd IFFK Kyokushinkan World Championships was held in Budapest over three days in what was a ground breaking event with the participation of many other organisations including the IFK led by Hanshi Arneil, Shinkyokushin, a Sewakai team from South America guided by Ademir Da Costa, Kyokushin Rengokai, and Ashihara to name just a few.


Rosza vs Khachapuridze

 The male lightweight section was arguabley the closest of all sections at the event, IFK Great Britain fighter Darren Stringer looked electric as he classily picked apart and overpowered his previous opponents before losing to the Georgian fighter Khachapuridze by a split decision after a gruelling quarter final. Reigning IFKK European Champion Khasuev had looked strong before losing Shinkyokushin Hungary's Peto in the last eight, as had former two time IFK Russian Champion Bitkash as he advanced easily before he lost out on the on a debatable decisions to Japan's Nakazawa who had looked extremely dangerous scoring ippons to reach the last eight. Home favourite Gabor Rosza had looked awesome as he reached the quarter final but there he was pushed to the wire in one of the fights of the tournament against IFKK Russian Champion Beslanaev before taking the decision. The semi finals saw Khachapuridze gain a decision over an injured Peto and Rosza step up the tempo in an awesome display of spectacular attacking techniques as he demolished Nakazawa who did well to stay in the fight and avoid being knocked out on a number of occasions. In the final the home crowd got their wish as Rosza was stepped up a further notch to slowly take apart a resilient Khachapuridze before finally scoring a wazari for an ushiro mawashi geri that would earn a much deserved title. Another category that was far too close to call was the men's middleweight section, fighters from the former Soviet Union completely dominated this section with all the big names living up to the hype. IFK Russian Champion Erokhin was clinically efficient powering through the draw before defeating Tsiteladze of Georgia in the last eight. Current IFK & IFKK World Champion Abdurashidov looked in blistering form with his style of relaxed powerful punches followed by spectacular rolling kicks, and ushiro geri's that had the crowd on their feet, he reached the quarter finals with ease before gaining a harder victory


Alexander Erokhin
against the unrelenting Ahmed Shah of Afghanistan. Another highly decorated fighter was reigning IFK & IFKK European Champion Hachatryan from IFK Russia who had advanced convincingly before losing on weight to the excellent Rafayelyan of Armenia who proved to be one of the surprise fighters of the tournament. The remaining last eight fight saw Russia's Dzhafarov come through against Georgia's Toloraia after a brutal fight, before facing Erokhin in the semi final and where Erokhin was just too strong for the lighter Dzhafarov and advanced to the final. The other semi final was another one of the stand out fights in the tournament as Abdurashidov took on Rafayelyan. This fight went two extensions and both fighters came close on a number of occasions to knocking each other out with high kicks, but every time Abdurashidov powered forward to try and use his extra power an unperturbed Rafayelyan would come back with combinations of his own. Abdurashidov did everything he could to get the decision but it came down to the scales with and Rafayelyan advanced. In the final Erokhin never gave Rafayelyan a second's peace as he stalked him constantly, Rafayelyan to his credit was defiant and kept coming back at his stronger opponent and came close on several occasions with high kicks, this pattern continued and the two fighters could not be separated and Erokhin deservedly took the middleweight title albeit on boards.


Heavweight podium positions with Hanshi Arneil & Kancho Royama

 In the heavyweight section the two stand out fighters reached the final, IFK Russian legend Gorokhov had hard fights against two Iranians before scoring an ippon with a spectacular over the top mawashi geri jodan against another Russian Sokhachev in the last eight before scything down Hungary's Paksi for ippon with a chudan mawshi geriin the semi's. In the final he met IFKK Russian Champion Mitsaev who had gradually improved throughout the event culminating in a commanding performances against Hungary's Balogh in the last eight and in the semi final against IFKK European Champion Saveylev of IFK Russia; who had previously scored a wazari in the quarter finals against former All Japan Champion Fuji with an ushiro mawashi geri. The final was an extremely close fight that ebbed and flowed with both fighters constantly coming at each other and showing great spirit in the titanic battle. The fight went two extensions and Mitsaev was awarded two flags before and the referee's decision crowned him a worthy champion. The Super Heavyweight category saw some exciting fights before pre tournament favourite and current IFK World Champion Timur Gatashev was crowned champion. IFK Great Britain's Silver showed great character and guile as overcame an extremely tough and sizable opponent from Zimbabwe before defeating a Hungarian fighter, unfortunately his next fight was against another IFK fighter in Ibragimov of Russia, this was an even fight with Silver evading the more powerful Russian who had a substantial weight advantage before losing by decision. Ibragimov who had previously had podium finishes in Rengokai & IKO 3 World Championships powered on in the draw before
facing Gatashev in the semi final, Ibragimov constantly stalked and closed down Gatashev in a very close fight before Gatashev took the questionable early decision via two flags. Sewakai's Correa Ramo of Uruguay had looked very powerful as he quietly advance through the draw before being dropped by the power of Gatashev's body punches in the quarter final. IFK Russia's Tilov looked in devastating form as he steamrollered opponents and scored ippons for body punches and a jodan mawashi geri as he reached the last four where he met Vidyulin also of Russia. This match saw both fighters dish out and take a lot of punishment, Vidyulin took a questionable victory by decision but such was the brutality of this fight Tilov could not fight for third place and Vidyulin had to withdraw from the final leaving Gatashev as the last man standing. The ladies divisions caused a lot of drama and excitement in three keenly contested divisions, IFK Great Britain's Emma Markwell fought superbly and with the experience of a fighter well beyond her years as she claimed third place in the lightweight section that saw an all Belarus final with Busheva defeating Seliukova. In the middleweight section IFK Russia's Sorokhina scored an ippon with a spectacular rolling kick against the section favourite Abraham of Hungary but was defeated in a excellent final by another Hungarian in Szepesi. IFK fighters again stole the headlines in the heavyweight division to further please IFK coaches Pickthall and Bura as Afanasyeva and Panova squared off in all Russian final, no love was lost between the two team mates as another devastating roll kick saw Panov knock out Afanasyeva who fell to the mat cold to give Panova the title.

Dimitrov & Nesterenko the main men as Moiseev causes the shocks

Kozlov finally achieves his world title dream as same old story in Japan


Tsukamoto vs Dimitrov

 The fourth Shinkyokushin World Cup was held in St. Petersburg, Russia with results going largely to form. Former champion Tsukamoto fought in his inimitable fashion to reach the final defeating Imbras & surprise package Gilbert of Australia who took fourth. Unsurprisingly Bulgarian favourite Dimitrov advance to the final defeating Russia's Shevchenko in the semi final. The final was a game of cat and mouse with Tsukamoto constantly on the move and Dimitrov stalking. After two extensions Tsukamoto eventually took the decision too add the heavyweight title to the middleweight title he won four years ago. In the middleweight section the pre event money was on a Nesterenko versus Yamada final. Yamada however was defeated in a hard fight by European Champion Ilas of Romania, Ilas then defeated Sweden's Collin in another hard fight after The fourth World Weight Tournament (IKO1) in Chiba, Japan, was scaled down to just eight fighters in each category. Japan's Suzuki took the lightweight title over Matsuoka with the excellent Pole Moczydlowski third and Brazil's Isobe coming out of the wilderness for to take fourth place. An uneventful middleweight section again yielded Japanese success with Mori defeating the veteran Kidachi and the excellent young American Yamamoto third and defending champion Nakahara of Brazil fourth. The heavyweight section proved most exciting with the charismatic Navarro of Spain taking centre stage. Navarro defeated Brazil's Eduardo Tanaka to reach the final where he took on Japan's Kentaro Tanaka who advanced past the dangerous but injured Kapandze of Russia.


Tanaka, Suzuki, Mori & Kozlov
the Swede had previously defeated Russia's Shestakov. Shimamoto and Hungary's Bak had a brawl with the Japanese fighter going through before losing to favourite Nesterenko in the semi's. Ilas reached the final after defeating Kazakhstan's Leonov who was again on the podium but his title aspirations were halted as he was no match for Nesterenko who took the title on home soil. The lightweight section saw the shocks as pre event favourites Karasyuk, Khudiakov & Rosza all failed to reach the last four. The stage was left for surprise package Moiseev of Kazakhstan to take the title when he dispatched defeating Japan's Kikuhara in the final. In the final, Navarro overpowered Tanaka for three rounds but continually did not get the decision before Tanaka scandalously took the title on boards. Russia's Kozlov and the man of the moment in Bulgaria's Damyanov contest the Super heavyweight title with the pressure and unrelenting style of Kozlov powering the Russian to the title. Third place went to Japanese fighter Akaishi who defeated Russian beast Stepin and Polish fighter Habrazka took the remaining podium position.