Great News from Holland as our Ashihara and AIKO Brothers showed excellent progress in the NFCKO Open Full Contact Karate Championship.
This body has been set up to promote co-operation and interaction between the different Knockdown styles in The Netherlands.
Ashihara Karate was represented by Frank Mulder under Semmy Schilt Shihan, and AIKO Fighters Mitchell Grebe and Marc de Roodt from Sportschool Kihon with Ruben Laats as coach for the day.
Both Frank and Mitchell progressed past the opening rounds, with Mitchell losing to the eventual winner in a hard fought bout. I fought Mitchell for a couple of rounds in his Shodan examination and he really is a name for the future, and losing to the eventual winner, especially in his first year in Senior Competition (he has just turned 18). This really is a jump in contact and intensity, and he should be proud of himself.
Finally, Sensei Marc de Roodt competed in the +95 category winning the section. A great achievement considering that he is running a club and teaching students, working and raising a family while also being a member of the AIKO Technical committee. (Not to mention he has just finished running an international training camp).
Frequently in Martial Arts, we come across good fighters, and good administrators/organisers, Marc is proving to be the rareity that can do both.
What makes me proud, is that since this dojo affiliated with AIKO 3 years ago, we have seen a complete technical system with the well organised structure allowing an unforeseen level of autonomy under Shihan Dave Jonkers.
In Ireland our children fight wearing the Kanji of Ashihara in all available levels of competition and our Adults fight similarly, and it is really refreshing to see our AIKO brothers do well in a new open Knockdown format.
AIKO does not claim that we will win at everything, but what seems to be happening, and is something I am proud to be part of, is that AIKO is producing a solid fighting style, capable of more than holding its own across a range of Full Contact Karate and Kickboxing disciplines as shown by Mitchell and Marc today.
…proving yet again, my encapsulation of AIKO and Ashihara Karate…
” We can fight under any rule set, few can fight under ours”
Congratulations to all, especially Sensei Marc.
Finally I want to wish the very best to Sensei Henk and Roy Nispeling in the running of the Kodo Cup tomorrow, a childrens competition we hope to enter next year.
OSU!
Darren Motonari Budokai. Ireland.