This past weekend, Jordan, Girish and I traveled to Washington State for the 7th Annual Kyokushin Challenge and dan grading.  Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Girish was unable to compete in the tournament but was able to successfully make shodan. 

The tournament had a decent turnout, drawing about 65 to 70 fighters.  Jordan fought in the lightweight division, winning his first fight via ippon in less than 1.5 minutes.  The second fight versus a Japanese black belt was very difficult for both fighters, but Jordan was able to secure a win via decision following the first overtime extension.  Both Jordan and his opponent showed excellent Kyokushin spirit, but Jordan’s cardio and technique prevailed in the end.  In the championship round, Jordan fought a Brazilian Kyokushin black belt who claimed 20 years of experience.  Jordan was clearly the superior fighter, but the Brazilian used less then honorable tactics to secure a win by forcing Jordan’s disqualification.  Everyone at the tournament complemented Jordan’s fighting skill and wished him luck in his future Kyokushin endeavors.

After the tournament we attended the after party at the local Moose Lodge.  We had a great time catching up and getting to know new and old members of our NW Kyokushin community.

The dan grading took place the day after the tournament at the local middle school.  Kancho Matsushima used this opportunity to go over the Japanese black belt testing methods and get everyone on the same page as to Kata, Kihons and Kumite.  Girish was the only person testing for shodan, the others testing for godan and yondan.  Girish was the youngest person testing and it showed during the test.  His strength and cardio were a testament to the hard training he had undergone in preparation for the tournament.  Following an hour of ‘power testing’ and 3.5 hours of Kata and Kihon, Girish successfully fought 40 one minute rounds.  While he was only required to fight 12 fights, he was doing so well that Shihan Adams and Kancho decided to have him continue to the end.  Great job to Senpai Girish!

Pictures of the tournament are here, and pictures of the dan grading are here.

Stay tuned for video from both events.