The 1st WKA (WORLD KARATE-DO ALLIANCE) European Karate Championships were held in Liege, Belgium on 03.11.2023, with around 500 competitors from 14 countries. Sport Karate Coalition was represented by 26 competitors. We participated in both individual and team categories in both kata and kumite winning a total of 18 gold medals, 17 silver and 14 bronze.
Gold Medals:
Male Seniors Kumite Team (shobu ippon) Jacek Lipinski, Kamil Hejmanowski, Michał Lesiak
Male Veterans Kumite (shobu sanbon) Jacek Lipinski
Female Kumite (shobu ippon) 18 yrs over under 70kgs Calypso Simonian
Male Kumite (shobu ippon) 16-17yrs open weight Jakub W
Female Kumite (shobu ippon) 14-15yrs open weight Oliwia T
Female Kumite (shobu ippon) 16-17yrs open weight Izabella H
Female Individual Kata all grades 18-20yrs all styles Calypso Simonian
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) 11 years over 40kg Julian D
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) 11 years under 40kgs Oliver B
Male Team Kumite (shobu ippon) 14-15yrs Evan H, Andrzej W, Mateusz W
Male Individual Kata 3rd kyu-dan grades 11yrs mix styles Julian D
Female Kumite Team Rotation (shobu sanbon) 14-15yrs Maja W, Nikola W, Alicja Z
Male Individual Kata 6th-4th kyu under 8yrs mix styles Theo N
Female Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades 11-12yrs over 45kgs Nikola W
Female Kumite Team Rotation (shobu ippon) 14-15yrs Maja W, Nikola W, Alicja Z
Male Team Kumite (shobu sanbon) 14-15yrs Evan H, Andrzej W, Mateusz W
Female Individual Kata all grades 18-20yrs Shotokan Calypso Simonian
Female Team Kumite (shobu sanbon) all grades 13-15yrs Maja W, Nikola W, Alicja Z
Silver Medals:
Male Veterans individual kata all grades all styles Jacek Lipinski
Mala individual kata 3rd kyu-dan grades 11yrs mix styles Oliver B
Female Kumite Rotation (shobu sanbon) 14-15yrs Antonina Z, Oliwia T, Cleopatra S
Male Pairs Kata all grades seniors all styles Jacek Lipinski, Michał Lesiak
Female Individual Kata 3rd kyu- dan (8-9yrs) mix styles Julia B
Female Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual 14-15yrs under 55kgs Antonina Z
Female Pairs Kata all grades (14-17yrs) all styles Oliwia T, Ottilie V
Male kumite (shobu sanbon) individual all grades 14-15yrs 65-75kgs Andrzej W
Female Pairs Kata all grades 10-13yrs all styles Alicja Z,Maja W
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades 11 years over 40kgs Ksawery K
Female Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual all grades 13 years 45-55kgs Maja W
Female Team Kumite (shobu sanbon) 13-15yrs Antonina Z, Oliwia T, Cleopatra S
Female Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual 13 years 55kgs over Cleopatra S
Female Kumite (shobu ippon) individual all grades 14-15yrs open weight Ottilie V
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades 8-9yrs open weight Aron M
Female Kumite Team Rotation (shobu ippon) 14-15yrs Ottilie V, Oliwia T, Antonina Z
Male kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades 8-9yrs open weight Aron M
Bronze Medals:
Female Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual all grades 13 years 45-55kgs Alicja Z
Male Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual all grades 14-15yrs under 55kgs Mateusz W
Male Individual Kata Novices-7th kyu 7yrs mix styles Hugo D
Female Individual Kata 3rd kyu-dan grades 11-12yrs mix styles Nikola W
Male Veterans Kumite (shobu ippon) individual open weight Michał Lesiak
Male Veterans Team Kumite (shobu ippon) all grades Jacek Lipinski, Adam Zietalewicz, Michał Lesiak
Male Individual Kata all grades 16-17yrs Shotokan Jakub W
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades under 7yrs open weight Hugo D
Male Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades under 7yrs open weight Theo N
Female Kumite (shobu nihon) individual all grades 8yrs open weight Julia B
Male Kumite (shobu sanbon) individual all grades 13yrs 55-65kgs Evan H
Male Veterans Team Kumite (shobu sanbon) all grades 36yrs and over Michał Lesiak, Tomek Stellmach, Michel Niski
Male Kumite Veterans (shobu ippon) individual all grades (36-40yrs) open weight Adam Zietalewicz
Awarded from the SKC team for great effort Alexandru C
Our first day consisted of our journey by car from London to Belgium. On our journey we were met with lots of strong winds and rain due to the storm that followed us. The weather reminded me a bit of post apocalyptic films, but nevertheless we arrived to our destination safely. We firstly travelled to the sports hall to complete our athlete check in: weight and documents were checked, we spoke to a few coaches and athletes. We then made our way to have a quick meal before we drove to the hotel for a well deserved rest.On the next day we woke up early morning, had a quick breakfast, checked the equipment and made our way to the sports hall. All the categories took place on one day therefore everything had to be perfectly planned. The European Championships were held across 4 tatamis, we had a coach responsible per tatami. I would like to thank the coaches: Michel Niski, Adam Zietalewicz and Tomasz Stellmach. Thank you to Agnieszce Woronicz for you help during the competition and being art of our squad. The competiton was held from the morning to late evening, for lunch we ate pizza in the hall. After the competition had ended we made our way for dinner and then back to the hotel.
The last day of our trip in Belgium consisted of a breakfast in the hotel and then we made our way to Plopsqua, an aqua park which consisted of various pools, slides and many other things. After a few hours of active recovery we ate at a restaurant before making our way to the ferry. In the late hours of the evening we returned to London.
Conclusions:
We returned home with a huge number of medals, 49, this wouldn’t be possible without hard work in the dojo and at home. After a large competition like this all our students has new knowledge and have gained experience. This trip was held without students parents, which I believe was a very good choice. Our students were very focused on their categories. Without parents, the communication between athlete and coach is far easier and effective which then means our students are at a higher chance of winning a medal. Thank you to Krzysztof Chałupka from International Karate Association Poland for making our starts in this competition possible. The next championships are the World Championships which will be held in Malta. I hope we will compete at this championship and give our all.
This was first European Championship, and I was very impressed with the competition since it was organised really well and met some lovely people! Thank you to SKC for making me a part of your team😊
I didn’t come to this competition but i’ve heard it was amazing. I wish i came. It looks like a lot of fun. I hope to come to the next competition like this. Congratulations on all the medals.
it was very fun going to another place for a EUROPERIAN tournament!
it has given me the chance to look at what i have to improve on and i cant forget the experience that was given to me. it was a great pleasure going there and i hope there will be another time for me and everyone else to go to a place where we can compete and most importantly to have fun. OSS.
I will never forget this competition. It was truly difficult to get there during stormy weather when our ferry was cancelled. It was my first WKA competition. Great experience to all my students and myself. World and European competitions are always difficult but very rewarding. Great opportunity to see different karate styles following the same rules. United karate playing fair play game it’s always memorable.
This competition was my first serious tournament giving me a wide insight into karate on a bigger stage. I not only learnt from my personal performance but greatly from the skills displayed by all other participants.I loved how it was not only a tournament but a journey to grow and develop confidence ,experience and transcend karate from practise in the dojo to competition.
Loved it, can’t wait to do it all again!