IKO1 US Weight Category 2007

[smoothsake]

IKO1 US Weight Category 2007 January 28th

You can find ticket information and fighter registration on this website: www.karateuswc.com

[Kurisu]

Is Sensei Taku running this tournament?

[smoothsake]

Yes, this is Sensei Taku's event.

[Kurisu]

It should be a great event. Are you participating, Smoothsake?

[smoothsake]

Unfortunately I won't be ready by January. I'm training for our Freshman Tournament in March and other events in 2007; then hopefully fight in the 2008 USWC. I will be there as STAFF though. Please come by and visit.

Outside of the Americas Cup in NYC, this is the 2nd largest IKO1 event in North America.

[Deaken]

Bigger than the North American weight category championship in Montreal? How many competitors usually participate?

[sokaiya]

Originally Posted by Deaken

Bigger than the North American weight category championship in Montreal? How many competitors usually participate?

The competitors in both tournaments are going to be the same and I haven't seen any Brazlians or anybody else for that matter really pay much attention to these. One is not much bigger than the other, it's almost moot but I think there'd be less people to travel to Canada then Los Angeles. Anyways not much diff.

[sokaiya]

Results anyone?

[smoothsake]

It was a great event! We had participants from NY, Chicago, Tampa, Oceanside (San Diego), Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Canada, Japan, and of course large constituents from L.A. and Manhattan Beach.

Here are the official results:

Junior Kata Intermediate
1st Place: Karen Fukuhara (West Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Eisuke Fujita (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Shusuke Fujita (New York, NY)

Junior Kata Advanced
1st Place: Rina Akimoto (Japan)
2nd Place: Showta Moriyama (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Hikaru Yokoyama (New York)

Adult Kata
1st Place: Gergana Kostova (Bulgaria)
2nd Place: Miruyo Ito (Japan)
3rd Place: Kiyoshi Nishii (Japan)

Junior Boys Kumite 5-6 Years
1st Place: Shusuke Fujita (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Mason Izumikawa (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Jamie Robinson (Oceanside, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 7 Years
1st Place: Noy Synakorn (Tampa, FL)
2nd Place: Nicholas Lee (Manhattan Beach, CA)
3rd Place: Soichiro Sasaki (Los Angeles, CA)

Junior Boys & Girls Kumite 8 Years
1st Place: Alexis Normis (Manhattan Beach, CA)
2nd Place: Travis Garcias (Manhattan Beach, CA)
3rd Place: Eisuke Fujita (New York, NY)

Junior Boys Kumite 9 Years
1st Place: Hayato Kojima (Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Michael Nakamura (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Mark Misao Loera (Los Angeles, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 10 Years
1st Place: Shota Moriyama (Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Daiki Igarashi (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Ato Makio (Los Angeles, CA)

Junior Girls Kumite 10 Years
1st Place: Elizabeth Kuc (Chicago, IL)
2nd Place: Ilana Granow (Manhattan, CA)
3rd Place: Yahayra Cervantes (Oceanside, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 11 Years
1st Place: Anthony Monette (Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Simeon Ramirez (Oceanside, CA)
3rd Place: Jin Kato (Los Angeles, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 12 Years
1st Place: Hikaru Yokoyama (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Justin Naito (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Jack Rendler (Manhattan Beach, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 13 Years
1st Place: Trey Tamura (Manhattan Beach, NY)
2nd Place: Jake Quattlebaum (Manhattan Beach, CA)
3rd Place: Roman Zadorozhnyy (Chicago, IL)

Junior Girls Kumite 14 Years
1st Place: Rina Akimoto (Japan)
2nd Place: Maya Igarashi (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Mari Kato (Los Angeles, CA)

Junior Boys Kumite 16-17 Years
1st Place: Pavel Panchev (Bulgaria)
2nd Place: N/A
3rd Place: Rodrigo Volio (Costa Rica)

Senior Kumite
1st Place: Habib Karami (Manhattan Beach, CA)
2nd Place: Ignacio Vieto (Costa Rica)
3rd Place: Alberto Chica (Tampa, FL)

Women Light & Middleweight Kumite
1st Place: Miruyo Ito (Japan)
2nd Place: Ewelina Czeremuga (Chicago, IL)
3rd Place: Anna Lach (Chicago, IL)

Men Lightweight Kumite
1st Place: Julio Del Calle (Costa Rica)
2nd Place: Michiaki Motegi (Japan)
3rd Place: Piotr Jasica (Chicago, IL)

Men Middleweight Kumite
1st Place: Damian Kolano (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Tomasz Pelczar (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Arnold Koh (Los Angeles, CA)

Men Heavyweight Kumite
1st Place: Zahari Damyanov (Bulgaria)
2nd Place: Shohei Yamamoto (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Carlos Castro (Costa Rica)

Men Super Heavyweight Kumite
1st Place: Slawek Was (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Luis Diego Giralt (Costa Rica)
3rd Place: Daymon Miller (Canada)

Best Technique: Miruyo Ito (Japan)

Best Spirit: Julio Del Valle (Costa Rica)

Shihan Bobby Lowe and Shihan Gorai from NY presided.

Osu!

[Kurisu]

Congrats to all the Socal area fighters. Osu!

[oiram48]

I see the results, but I want to know how the fights were. Reviews, knockouts, techniques etc. if you don't mind.

[oiram48]

bump (if anyone can reach this thread)

[smoothsake]

I'm probably the only K4L member in attendance at this event, but unfortunately I don't have really too many recollections except maybe the fights by some of the more memorable fighters out of the LA dojo.

For example, Senpai Shohei, who won 1st at last year's Int'l Youth Friendship within his division competed in the heavyweight adults this year and did his magic to get to the finals. Shohei has a very strong ushiro mawashi and ushiro geri. He eventually lost in the Finals to a Bulgarian because in my opinion he tried to go toe-to-toe with the guy. The Bulgarian was considerably larger and stronger. In the first round the Bulgarian took out Senpai Shohei's legs with some heavy gedan geris and the match was over. Although it was a loss for Senpai Shohei we will see more of him at this year's Int'l Youth Friendship in Chiba, and then the Americas Cup in NYC. This will be his last year fighting as a junior -- he's only 17.

Senpai Arnold has had fight experience both locally and in Vancouver. He came in at the top end of the middleweight division and as such fought in the most crowded, and possibly the most competitive, division. Losing in the semis he went to the 3rd place match and won. Senpai Arnold has very good cardio and moves comfortably around the mat. I am particularly a fan of his combinations.

Senpai Miruyo Ito from Japan also did quite well in the woman's division. She fought against a representative from the Chicago dojo and after a number of extensions, was given the title after going to the battle of the weights... she was lighter of the two. Senapi Miruyo showed excelled composure and technique. Her Dad, Sensei Ito, was also in attendance.

The event was filmed by a professional crew and all fights will be on the soon to be released DVD. If you're interested I can reserve you a copy.

Osu!

[oiram48]

OSU! Thank You!