Report and Expression of Gratitude
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in the IBMA Exchange Meeting held on September 22.
This event also served as a preparatory gathering and practical rehearsal for the IBMA Karate Friendship Tournament scheduled for November 23.
The meeting represented a new initiative in which three competitive categories were conducted on a single platform under one common framework:
- the “Kyokushin-do Style,” using protective equipment;
- the “Kickboxing Style,” using boxing gloves; and
- the “Kyokushin Style,” without punches to the face.
We hope to develop this framework into a new form of combat sport and introduce it internationally. By establishing a platform on which everyone can compete safely, we aim to enable practitioners from different martial arts and combat sports organizations not only to exchange techniques, but also to build solidarity as fellow competitors and as practitioners of Budo.
Despite the very short preparation period, Mr. Shinya Asuka, a longtime friend of Akira Masuda and a former All-Japan kickboxing champion, participated as a competitor at the age of 67. He supported the purpose of the HITTING SPORTS PROJECT: creating opportunities for everyone to improve their skills safely while learning from and refining one another.
We were also honored to welcome former K-1 champion Mr. Takayuki Kohiruimaki to our team. In addition to his distinguished career in K-1, Mr. Kohiruimaki originally trained in Kyokushin Karate. He has been appointed as an advisor to the kickboxing activities of IBMA and IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI.
The HITTING SPORTS PROJECT seeks to create an open competitive framework in which practitioners of Karate, kickboxing, Kenpo, and many other martial arts and combat sports can participate without organizational or stylistic barriers. Our long-term goal is participation in the Olympic Movement.
To achieve this goal, we must expand our network of supporters and participants from Japan to the rest of the world. First, however, we must present the framework in a visible and practical form, because its purpose and potential cannot be fully understood through words alone.
Although we had only a small staff and a short preparation period, the competitors, referees, and volunteer staff worked together as one and successfully completed the scheduled program. We extend our sincere appreciation to everyone involved.
We must also report that there were several issues, including the failure to record some of the matches held on Court B. Nevertheless, one of the strengths of this project is that its goal is clear, enabling us to identify and correct problems without hesitation. Discovering these points for improvement was itself an important result of this meeting. This was made possible by everyone who participated without fear of taking action or gaining experience.
Match videos will be uploaded gradually. Before publishing them, we need to clarify several points requiring improvement in the refereeing method and incorporate the necessary revisions into the competition regulations.
The revised points will first be explained to participants in the Tatsuno training camp beginning on October 12. We appreciate your patience while this work is completed.
Finally, we once again offer our heartfelt thanks to all the competitors, referees, and staff members for their cooperation.
Let us work together to create a new combat sport that incorporates valuable elements of Karate, other combat sports, and martial arts, making these disciplines safer and more accessible to a wider range of people.
Akira Masuda
Match Results
