Аll you need to know about 2020 KWU International Professional League

Last year the SENSHI fight nights introduced the rules and regulations of the KWU International Professional League.

Shihan Ivo Kamenov (6 dan) – Chairman of the KWU International Professional League and Chairman of Bulgaria’s National marts arts association.

The main goal was not only a bigger attraction to the crowd but returning to the glorious past and the traditions of Kyokushin. There were full contact fights with blows to the head, takedowns, and elbows.

The idea started with the opening SENSHI fight night. There was one fight under those rules while the second fight night produced 4 full contact bouts.

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The crowd obviously loved it and the fans started to require more and more.

By the end of 2019, we witnessed SENSHI Cup – a two-day tournament that included fights conducted under the KWU SENSHI rules. There was also an exciting fight night in Varna that produced 5 fights conducted under the KWU Full Contact rules, 4 fights under the KWU SENSHI rules, and three clashes that were conducted under the K-1 rules.

The pinnacle of the return of Kyokushin full contact took place this year on February 22 in Varna. The fifth SENSHI fight night produced some glorious KWU International Professional League fights. There were a number of top-notch fighters from a lot of different countries that touched down in Varna in order to face Bulgaria’s finest fighters. The proof for the increased interest in SENSHI was the fact that the renowned FITE.TV was broadcasting the show.

The coronavirus pandemic postponed the sixth edition of SENSHI fight nights.

After a few hard months of isolation, the organizers announced that SENSHI 6 will be taking place amid the 14th annual International KWU Summer Camp in August. The event will be held from August 16-23 in Kamchiya, Bulgaria.

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The fight show will offer a total of 10 matches that will be conducted under the KWU SENSHI, KWU Full Contact, and K-1 rules. There will be fighters from 9 countries (Germany, England, France, Brasil, Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania and etc.)

The 2020 KWU Summer Camp will include KWU International Professional League training sessions conducted under the guidance of Shihan Aleksander Pichkunov (5 dan), Shihan Marin Mitev (6 dan) and Shihan Ivo Kamenov (6 dan) – Chairman of the KWU International Professional League and Chairman of Bulgaria’s National marts arts association. The sixth edition of SENSHI fight night will take place on Friday (21.08), while the degree promotion exams will take place the very next day from 8 to 12 a.m.

The remaining instructors that will be taking part in the 2020 KWU Summer Camp are Shihan Asen Asenov (6 dan), Shihan Ramil Gabbasov (5 dan), Sensei Zahari Damyanov (4 dan).

Once again, special guests of the KWU International Professional League seminar will be the kickboxing legends Semmy Schilt, Peter Aerts and Ernesto Hoost.

Here’s a quick reminder of what is prohibited and what is allowed under the regulations of the KWU International Professional League.

KWU SENSHI Full Contact:

What’s allowed: all kinds of boxing punches, spinning back fist, all kinds of kicks; one knee kick to the head after a two-handed grab; clinching up to 5 seconds; sweep kicks; leg grab and kick without pulling or pushing the opponent.

What’s forbidden: strikes to the groin, the back of the head, the spine, with the inside of the glove; strikes to the knee joint; headbutts; hitting fallen opponent; hitting while lying down, elbow strikes; throws; groundwork; choking; biting;

KWU SENSHI:

What’s allowed: all kinds of boxing punches, spinning back fist, all kinds of kicks; one knee kick to the head after a two-handed grab; clinching up to 5 seconds; sweep kicks; leg grab and a strike; elbow strikes, throws.

What’s forbidden: strikes to the groin, the back of the head, the spine, with the inside of the glove; strikes to the knee joint; headbutts; grabbing the head of the opponent with one hand and hitting it with the elbow of the other hand; hitting fallen opponent; hitting while lying down; groundwork; choking; biting;

KWU OPEN:

What’s allowed: all kinds of boxing punches, spinning back fist, all kinds of kicks; clinching up to 10 seconds; sweep kicks; leg grab and a strike; elbow strikes, throws; groundwork twice up to 30 seconds per round; choking on the ground; locks on the ground (of the leg only on the Achilles, without twisting the ankle or knee joint); strikes with arms or knees to the body only on the ground.

What’s forbidden: strikes to the groin, the back of the head, the spine, with the inside of the glove; strikes to the knee joint; headbutts; hitting a fallen opponent from a guard; attacking with elbows and knees in the head on the ground; biting; throws that cause the opponent to fall on his head and along the spine with falling on the opponent.

Open Balkan Championship 2019 successful

Competitors from Israel, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria participated.

358 athletes of all ages participated in the Kumite. 72 competitors of all ages participated in Kata, and Tameshivari a total of 9 competitors participated.


Kumite

men up to 70 kg

1.Nikolay Zhotev - Kyokushin Khan Bulgaria

2.Cetin Mohammed - IFK Turkey

3.Sabo Florin IFK Romania

3.Kaloyan Georgiev - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

 

Kumite

men up to 80 kg

1.Atanas Lichev - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

2.Rusko Valchev - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

3.Veselin Buzin - IFK Bulgaria

3.Mahdi Esfandiarpour - IFK Iran

 

Kumite

men up to 90 kg

1.Jalayan Mahdi - IFK Iran

2.Genadi Stoev - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

3.Muharrem Furkan - IFK Turkey

3.Ivailo Ivanov - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

 

Kumite

men +90 kg

1.Aleksandar Komanov - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

2.Vasil Dimitrov - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

3.Krisrtiyan Kostadinov - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

  

Kumite

women up to 60 kg

1.Bekicheva  Anastasia - IFK Russia

2.Evalina Derevenska - Kyokushin kan Bulgaria

3.Merav Ziv - IFK Israel

 

Kumite

women + 60 kg

1.Filatova Maria- IFK Russia

2.Gyach Anastasia- IFK Russia

3. Iva Toshkova - IFK Bulgaria

3.Mariya- Eliza Mineva - IFK Bulgaria

 

KATA

veterans men

1. Georgi Geshev - IFK Bulgaria

2.Frants Slavinskii - IFK Russia

3.Soia peter Alexandru - IFK Romania

 

KATA

men

1.Konstantin Siranchiev- IFK Russia

2.Yakir Levi -IFK Israel

3.Nikita Tsiplakov - IFK Russia

 

KATA

women

1.Merav Ziv - IFK Israel

2.Stefania Gklara - WKB Greece

3.Frasie Andrea- IFK Romania

 

TAMESHIWARI 

men - 80 kg

1.Veselin Buzin - IFK Bulgaria - 12

2.Nikita Tsiplakov - IFK Russia - 8

  

TAMESHIWARI 

men + 80 kg

1.Frants Slavinskii - IFK Russia - 15

1.Mahsud Darvish - IFK Iran - 15

2.Dinko Farazov - IFK Bulgaria - 11

3.Bogdan Bonev - IFK Bulgaria - 10

3. Georgi Stankov - IFK Bulgaria - 10

Zahari Damyanov UK seminar

On the 23rd February 2019, Sensei Zahari Damyanov, the current absolute World Champion was in London to lead an open seminar hosted by the BKK’s Sensei Hristo Lyubenov at his Ichi Geki dojo in Bounds Green, alongside BKK Chairman and IFK Secretary General, Shihan Liam Keaveney.

The seminar was attended by a number of Kyokushin groups (BKK, IFK, Kyokushin-kan, Shinkyokushin,IKO1, KWU, EMAR) all with a common goal of knowledge sharing, developing Kyokushinkai, and building strong friendships old and new.

(L-R) Shihan Liam Keaveney, Sensei Zahari Damyanov, Sensei Hristo Lyubenov

(L-R) Shihan Liam Keaveney, Sensei Zahari Damyanov, Sensei Hristo Lyubenov

Sensei Zarahi Damyanov with BKK National Coaches Sensei Kenny Jarvis, and Sensei Wai Cheung

Sensei Zarahi Damyanov with BKK National Coaches Sensei Kenny Jarvis, and Sensei Wai Cheung

3rd KWU World Tournament, held in Ekaterinburg, Russia

WHAT A SHOW!

As the IFK reflect on the success of the 3rd KWU World Championships in Ekaterinburg we can only marvel at the work of the organisers.

This event has set the bar as to where we would aim to be if we achieved Olympic status and it shows we are more than capable of doing it. The opening ceremony was an extravaganza of colour and sound that brought the stadium to life and we thank both the organisers and the creative directors for their vision.

This 3rd edition of the championships showed the KWU is learning from their mistakes in the past.  Competitor check-in procedures were slicker, judging seminars focused on the main issues and as in so many events we didn't witness lots of long speeches by the dignitaries. The athletes were the stars and they rightly took centre stage.

242 competitors from 48 countries meant the majority of the weight categories had solid participation.

Of course the KWU could achieve much higher numbers by allowing more than one participant from a country in each division but this would defeat their aim. We all hold our own championships with our own rules, weights and participation levels. This must be different, the five kilogram categories are suitable for an Olympic programme and as with the other combat sports we follow the example of one athlete per country.

It is interesting to note that for Karate in the 2020 Olympics it is scheduled for each of the six weight categories to have a maximum of 10 athletes only. At the KWU Championships thirteen of fifteen categories achieved more than that number.

Focusing on the performance of the IFK once again we must be proud to have played a major role in its success. We had 52 fighters from 17 countries and topped the medal table with 6 different countries achieving prizes.

Of course our major contributor was the top team in the championships Russia, but we also gained medals from Great Britain, Ireland, Iran, Belarus and an amazing gold from Greece!

Emma Markwell - Silver medal winner

Emma Markwell - Silver medal winner

Maria Papadopoulou - Gold medal winner

Maria Papadopoulou - Gold medal winner

Time to be United!