IFK German Open 2026: A first competition that remains in memory Black belt
A white belt. His first tournament. A black belt as an opponent. And a fight that Victory Ogbonna did not give up on.
On 19 September 2026 took place in the Parthelandhalle in Naunhof near Leipzig die IFK German Open 2026 statt.
According to the organizer, there were around 250 participants from various countries there – among others from Germany, Poland, Belgium, Kuwait and Zimbabwe.
Also the Shinzen Dojo Berlin war bei diesem internationalen Kyokushin-Turnier vertreten.
For us, it was not a large team this time. Konrad had to cancel his participation at short notice due to illness or injury. Thus, in the end, only Victory Ogbonna remained as the only active Shinzen fighter.
For Victory, this competition day became a very special experience.
At 27 years of age, the white belt (0. Kyu) and almost a year of training at Shinzen Dojo, he stood on the competition mat for a karate tournament for the very first time.
And his first opponent was set to be a special challenge right away.
The journey from Berlin to Naunhof
The trip began on Friday afternoon.
Victory und Sensei Son machten sich gemeinsam with dem Auto von Berlin auf den Weg in Richtung Leipzig. Da der Check-in bereits am Freitag vorgesehen war, reisten beide einen Tag früher an and verbrachten die Nacht in einem Hotel in der Nähe von Leipzig.
The atmosphere was calm and focused. No unnecessary nervousness – rather, anticipation for the first competition.
On Saturday morning, they continued early to the Parthelandhalle in Naunhof.
Support from the Shinzen Dojo was also on site: Lennart and Sebastian accompanied Victory and cheered him on during the competition.
With that, although Victory was the only active fighter from Shinzen Dojo Berlin, he was by no means alone.
An international Kyokushin tournament
The IFK German Open 2026 brought karateka from various countries together.
In addition to German participants, fighters from the following were present in Naunhof, among others:
- Poland
- Belgium
- Kuwait
- Zimbabwe
in Naunhof.
However, for us, the tournament was not just interesting from a sporting perspective. Especially at such events, encounters arise beyond one's own training group.
On site, we met, among others, Saidokan Karate from Altenburg, with whom contact already existed via social media. Added to this were meetings with friendly Berlin dojos like Atrium Sports from the WKB.
That is exactly what makes such Kyokushin tournaments special for us: You compete against each other, but at the same time, you belong to a larger community.
Victory Ogbonna: 0. Kyu, 27 years old and the first tournament
Victory has been training at Shinzen Dojo Berlin for almost a year.
Before the German Open, he had never taken part in a karate competition.
His starting position:
- 27 years old
- 0. Kyu / white belt
- knapp one year of Kyokushin Karate
- first tournament
- category Men's Kumite +90 kg
In the quarter-finals, an experienced black belt awaited in the form of Nikita Akimov from Maximus Dojo an experienced black belt.
Akimov competed with the black belt 1st Dan an und verfügt bereits über internationale Wettkampferfahrung und dokumentierte Achievements bei Kyokushin-Wettkämpfen.
For Victory, this was therefore not an easy entry into competitive sports.
But that is exactly what he had come to Naunhof for.
The preparation: Movement instead of standing still
Even before the tournament, Sensei Son and Victory had analyzed the opponent's potential fighting style.
Especially Nikita Akimov's kicks were a topic.
The idea for Victory was therefore not to engage in an open exchange of blows, but rather:
- stay in motion
- recognize attacks early
- dodge kicks
- react quickly
- control the distance
An important part of the preparation took place on Thursday before the tournament statt.
Victory trained with Baris, a Shinzen member weighing over 100 kilograms. Baris is not a competitor himself, but was able to help Victory prepare physically and mentally for a tough opponent.
Three minutes of fighting – and then it goes into overtime
Then the moment arrived.
Then the time had come.
His opponent: a black belt with significantly more competition experience.
Nevertheless, Victory implemented the strategy we had discussed beforehand. He kept moving, tried to read the kicks, and dodged several attacks.
Nevertheless, Victory implemented the previously discussed strategy. He remained in motion, tried to read the kicks, and dodged several attacks.
The first round lasted about three minutes. After that, it went into
overtime For a fighter competing in his very first tournament, that was already an enormous strain..
But Victory stayed in the fight.
The moment with the Jodan Mawashi Geri
Then came one of the moments that will particularly stay in Sensei Son's memory.
Nikita Akimov hit Victory with a
, a high Mawashi Geri to the head. , a high Mawashi Geri to the head.The strike was awarded a
by the judges. by the judges. bewertet.
Victory was dazed for a moment.
But he didn't stay down.
He got back up and continued the fight.
A further strike to the head was subsequently not scored.
For Sensei Son, this exact moment was particularly emotional.
Not because Victory had "won" – he hadn't.
But because he got back up after that strike and continued the fight.
“Never give up!”
During the fight, Sensei Son gave Victory instructions from the sidelines.
One of them was particularly special:
“Do the Baris!”
For Victory, it was immediately clear what was meant by that.
The training session on Thursday with Baris – a Shinzen member weighing over 100 kilograms – was intended to help him hold his own against a physically strong opponent.
Such small moments show how closely training and competition are connected.
What is prepared in the dojo can suddenly become decisive on the mat.
The decision after the extension
After the extension, the fight was decided.
Nikita Akimov won by unanimous decision.
The deciding advantage was the one previously scored by the judges..
With that, Victory's first competition was over.
There was no placement and no medal.
Victory received a participation certificate.
And yet, this first competition day for Shinzen Dojo Berlin was something we can be proud of.
Because the goal of his first tournament was not to make a story prettier than it was.
Victory lost.
But he fought.
More than a result
In Kyokushin Karate, it is also part of it to handle a result that does not meet one's own expectations.
Victory experienced exactly that at the IFK German Open 2026.
As a white belt, he stood on a large competition mat for the first time ever and faced an experienced black belt directly.
He went beyond the regular fight time.
He had to take a hard head shot.
He got back up.
And he fought until the end.
For Sensei Son, one thing was therefore most important:
“I was simply happy that Victory had survived the fight unscathed and had delivered a good performance at the German Open.”
Exactly such experiences make a karateka stronger – not just technically, but also in dealing with pressure, defeats and difficult situations.
Respect after the fight
After the fight, it was no longer just about the result.
Victory and Nikita Akimov met with respect. There was talking, congratulating and taking photos together.
Support also came from other participants and spectators.
Especially for a fighter at his first tournament, this is an important part of the experience.
“Never Give Up” – this thought fitted better on this day than any medal.
And alongside the competition, new contacts and encounters with other karateka and dojos were made.
A first step for Victory – and now it continues
A first tournament does not have to go perfectly.
It is about gaining experience.
For Victory, the IFK German Open 2026 therefore means above all:
- gained first competition experience
- fought Kumite under tournament conditions for the first time
- learned how to deal with an experienced opponent
- learned to carry on even after a hard hit
- gained experience with extra time and competition pressure
- gained new motivation for further training
Now it is back to the Dojo.
Keep on with Kihon.
Keep on with Kumite.
Keep working on movement.
Keep working on technique, fitness and timing.
And then at some point the next competition will come.
Thanks to IFK Germany and everyone involved
Such a tournament does not just happen by itself.
Therefore we would like to sincerely thank IFK Germany and everyone who made the IFK German Open 2026 possible.
Our thanks go in particular to:
- the organisers
- the referees
- the coaches
- the helpers
- all participating Dojos
- all fighters
- the people behind the scenes
Many thanks for the organisation, the work and the commitment to this Kyokushin Karate tournament in Naunhof.
We also thank Lennart and Sebastian for the on-site support and Saidokan Karate from Altenburg, Atrium Sports from Hamburg, as well as those from Berlin and Maccabi Bonn for the lovely encounters.
Days like these show that Kyokushin Karate is more than just the duel on the mat.
Osu!
Kyokushin Karate in Berlin – dein nächster Schritt
Victory's story also shows: It is never too late for the first step.
In Shinzen Dojo Berlin children, teenagers and adults train here – beginners as well as experienced karateka.
Training focuses on Kihon, Kata and Kumite, but also on developing step by step and embracing challenges.
Would you like to Kyokushin Karate in Berlin get to know us?
Dann komm zu einem Trial training ins Shinzen Dojo Berlin.
Your first step begins at the dojo.
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