August 28 – September 4, 2010 Beijing (China) hosted the first World Games martial arts (SportAccord Combat Games 2010 Beijing).
The official organizer of the Games is an international nonprofit organization SportAccord (former name – GAISF), that includes nearly 90 international sports federations.
The event was supported by the International Olympic Committee, which treated it like a step of effective promotion of sport.
These Games were attended by 13 international federations – aikido, boxing, judo, jujutsu, karate, kendo, kickboxing, Thai boxing Muay Thai, sambo, sumo, tae kwon Do, wrestling and wushu.
It is significant that among martial arts there are the Olympic sports, and those that do not belong to the Olympic .
Also worth saying is that this is actually the first international competition of high level, which was attended by the International Kendo Federation (FIK) since its entry into SportAccord.
Almost a thousand strongest athletes have gained the license to participate in these competitions.
Each International Federation has identified 80 participants on the top of its ratings.
The Kendo competitions took place on 3d and 4th September, which were held in the frames of the World Games.
Competitions were held in the following categories:
– Individual men’s superiority among the selected participants (Men `s Individual Matches by selected players):
20 worldwide strongest kendokas .
Duels in this group lasted 5 min according to the sanbon shobu rules.
Victory was achieved by the champion of Japan Ryuichi UCHIMURA. Silver is also gained by the representative of Japan, current champion of the world – Shoji Teramoto. Third place is shared between the representatives of Korea (Kim Min Gyu) and Japan (Daisuke WAKO).
– Individual Women’s Championship among the selected participants (Women `s Individual Matches by selected players):
16 participants.
The representatives of Japan gain the victory. Yuka KOZUNO ranked first. The second place was taken by Ka XII ZHEON. The third place was shared by Lee Grace Hina (USA) and Takami Yukiko (Japan).
– Individual men’s superiority among the specially invited participants – owners of the 8th dan kendo (Men `s Special Invitation Individual Matches by high dan rank players):
8 participants competed.
Gold is traditionally won by the representative of Japan Kazuo Furukawa. The silver medal went to Japanese FUNATSU Shinji. Bronze is divided between Korea (Park Hak Female) and Taiwan (Shang Tsung VU).
– Team competition between geographically distributed teams – World East (Eurasian countries: Korea, China, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany) and the World West (Pacific Rim: Taiwan, Japan, USA, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Mexico):
A total of 15 players per team.
World West achieves the victory with a convincing score 9:1, gaining 16 points. World East team won just once and scored 3 points.
Ukraine did not participate in these competitions, as well as many other countries. Nevertheless, the Secretary General of the Kendo, Iaido and Jodo Federation of Ukraine R. Prylypko paid a visit.
In order to strengthen relations with the International Kendo Federation (IKF) R. Prylypko 04/03/2010 held a meeting with President IKF Yoshimitsu TAKEYASU. During the meeting on behalf of the Ukrainian kendoks he thanked TAKEYASU sensei for armor (bogu), that were transferred to the International Kendo Federation in the KKF in 2008, and that enhanced the development of kendo in Ukraine.
R. Prylypko met with the current world champion in kendo TERAMOTO Shoji sensei, After the competition to share the impressions.
R. Prylypko spoke about the modern development of kendo in Ukraine and invited TERAMOTO sensei to visit Ukraine. TERAMOTO Sensei thanked for the invitation and expressed his assurance in the support of the Federation and wished the members of the Federation much of inspiration and success in the practice of kendo.
Also R. Prylypko met with Michael Komoto sensei, the President of Kendo World.
M. Komoto sensei was happy to see the Ukrainians, and listened attentively about the kendo development in Ukraine.
We are very grateful to M. Komoto for his important advises on organizing seminars and the list of sensei able to hold such seminars on the invitation of the Federation.
At the end the sides exchanged souvenirs.
The Kendo, Iaido and Jodo Federation of Ukraine thanks sensei for the meeting with Secretary General of Federation, for their wishes and support, as well as for the sincere assurances of future cooperation.
