Two bronze medals - E.I.K.O. European Karate Championships 2004

280 participants, several mats, fights spread across the morning to the evening. E.I.K.O European Karate Championships (Europäische-Internationale-Kampfsport-Organization) Germany-Frankfurt am Main 11.07 2004.

It was one of the most important sporting events for us in 2004. Two individuals represented our club Michał Lesiak and myself. We started our journey by plane, which lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. After landing at the airport in Frankfurt, my friend Sebastian Zaremba was waiting for us, whose help I could always count on when I was in Germany. Sebastian, who permanently lives in Germany, was also part of the Polish national team. Sebastian drove us to Offenbach am Main, which had a Dojo and an office where we could undergo the pre-start procedure (document check and weigh in). Other national teams were passing through the main office, which caused the adrenaline to start pumping, even though the competition did not start until the next day. The dojo where we were located was not only a training room, it was a special place, there were pictures on the walls, pictures showing E.I.K.O stories, here you could feel a family atmosphere. At the same time the Dojo was dedicated to those who spent their time training hard in it, where everyone shaped their body and overcame fatigue.

On the second day in the morning, after reaching the sports hall, we joined the other Polish representatives. After the team managers were brief and the official opening of the competition took place, we only had to wait for the start of our competition. Michał won the bronze medal in the senior team kumite together with the rest of the team. I won the third place in the individual kumite of seniors. On my way to the medal, I had to defeat two competitors (German and Italian) to finally lose in the fight to enter the finals with a competitor from Kosovo.

The hardest part was in the first fight - because you have to set the pace, catch the right rhythm, feel the spirit of competition. It turned out, however, that despite a three-year break in competitions of this rank, some things are not forgotten. It can be compared to riding a bike, something that you will never forget. The first fight was won clearly on points, the second fight was finished ahead of time,  and I lost in extra time in the fight to enter the final.

The impulse to come back after such a long break in starts was the desire to show my pupils that nothing is impossible. A sporty lifestyle, commitment to training and the pursuit of goals brings results. It is worth adding that the Polish National Team also won the Fair Play Cup. The championship of the old continent was completed at a high level of sports and organization. The organization of sports competitions at the highest level requires an enormous effort and this role was fully fulfilled by the main organizer of the competition, Wolfgang Siebel, who is also the president of E.I.K.O.

Frankfurt am Main, the financial capital of Germany, is a place that will appeal primarily to lovers of modern cities, although the old town, completely destroyed after the war, is beautifully restored. In 1944, as a result of the Allied bombing, over 70% of Frankfurt was destroyed and the degree of destruction of the Old Town exceeded 90%. Frankfurt is a city of skyscrapers and an airport. In Europe, Frankfurt airport is second only to London Heathrow and Paris de Gaulle, and serves 150,000 passengers a day.

One of the most important financial districts in the world, known as Manhattan, is located in Frankfurt. One of the biggest attractions is the ability to reach the top of one of the tallest buildings, Main Tower, 220m.

RIVER MEN. There is a promenade by the river which is a popular place for walks, and there are also many restaurants and bars. An additional attraction is the opportunity to take a tourist cruise on the river and see Manhattan from a different perspective.  

The most touristic point of Frankfurt is the Römer Berg square in the center of the old town. It is worth planning a walk around the Old Town, during which you must see the Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Town Hall Square and Goethe House.

Do you know that:

1. The name of the city comes from the Emperor Charlemagne, who in 794, built a royal council, referring to the settlement as "Franconovud".  
2. Each of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in Germany, apart from the Post Tower in Bonn, is located in Frankfurt. The highest of them is the 260-meter-high Commerzbank tower. The tower was built in 1997 and is still one of the tallest office buildings in Europe.  
3. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is huge. The building was built in 1843 and is the 10th largest stock exchange building in the world. Outside, there are bronze statues of a bull and a bear, symbols of a bull and bear market.  
4. During World War II, animals escaped from the zoo and wandered the streets. In 1944, 27 bombs destroyed nearly all of the zoo's buildings, allowing the animals to escape and roam the streets.  
5. Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, lived in Frankfurt.  
6. The city is divided into 46 districts, numbered from 1 to 47. Number 23 does not exist.  
7. Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world's largest book fair.