The training camp of the Professional League of the Kyokushin World Union (KWU), before SENSHI 14, offered great emotions and exhausting classes in a sports gem of Varna, Bulgaria – “SENSHI Gym”.
The classes were attended by more than 300 fighters from 24 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine) – martial artists, native and foreign fighters, as well as 14 instructors with legendary achievements in martial arts.
An inseparable part of the training camp was the 26 fighters who will measure their strength at SENSHI 14 on Saturday.
The fighters were trained by legends 3-times K-1 World Grand Prix champion, World Kickboxing champion, World Muay Thai champion Peter Aerts, 4-times K-1 World champion, World and European Muay Thai champion, European Kickboxing, and World Full contact champion, Mr. Perfect Ernesto Hoost, as well the first K-1 World MAX Champion in 2002 and also the first SUPERKOMBAT Middleweight champion, World champion in Kickboxing and Muay Thai Albert Kraus, Semmy Schilt – 4-times K-1 World Grand Prix champion and Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam champion, and Nicholas Pettas “Blue Eyed Samurai” is European and World Karate champion, last Uhi-deshi of Masutatsu Oyama, K-1 Japan Grand Prix winner.
The group of fighters touched and drew knowledge from the greats Shihan Francisco Filho 2 times K-1 World Grand Prix champion in 2000 and 2001, Absolute World Kyokushin champion in 1999, World champion in weight categories in 1997, 4-time Champion of the Brazilian Open, 3-time South American Champion, and completed 100 men Kumite challenge in 1995; Shihan Glaube Feitosa – K-1 World Grand Prix Las Vegas Champion 2005, 2-time Brazil Open Champion, South American Champion in 1997, 2nd place on the 1st World weight Championship in 1997. Shihan Alexander Pichkunov – World Absolute championship 1999, 3rd place, runner-
up at the K-1 World GP 2007 in Hawaii & K1 World GP 2008, who also partnered with Shihan Francisco Filho and Sensei Glaube Feitosa in training the young martial arts prodigies. And of course, the K1 Fighter, World champion, motivational speaker, and actor, 3 x WAKO World Kickboxing champion, World Full Contact Karate champion, and 6 x Australian
Full Contact champion Sensei Sam Greco gave a lot of guidance to all.
Absolute World champion 2015, 4-times American Absolute champion, 4-times European Champion Sensei Zahari Damyanov, and the European and World champion Sensei Petar Martinov actively participated in the training and gave useful advice as assistants to the instructors.
World Kyokushin champion 2005, All American Absolute champion, 2 times South American champion, won 4 from his 11 Professional matches with Knockouts Sensei Andrews Nakahara and Sensei Alex Alves 5 dan, from Brazil, led the intensive training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA techniques in ground fighting. Both were assisted by the “Czech Samurai” 2 nd place 9th Kyokushin World Open 2007, European champion, All Japan Tournament winner, Sensei Jan Soukup.
The first gold medalist from the European Kyokushin championship in Bulgaria (1988), and European kickboxing champion in 1994 Shihan Asen Asenov held a training Iaido.
The group of coaches was mentored by Semmy Schilt, with the legend dropping ideas to the coaches themselves on how to best impart their knowledge. The group was then taken over by Sam Greco and Peter Aerts.
Participants absorbed the experience and enthusiasm of their mentors, as well as applied techniques the coaches showed each other. The camp participants showed technique, and curiosity and trusted their instructors for the best techniques and their execution.
The special guests Takashi and Momo Ito also participated in the training process and admired the facilities of “SENSHI Gym”.
All 26 SENSHI 14 fighters and their coaches had a final training session before the big fights on Saturday. The session was open for media and combat sports fans. Everyone was in good spirits and ready to fight for the SENSHI 14 belt.
The intensive day ended with a lecture on “Optimal nutrition and supplementation for fighters” with Belcho Hristov and Tihomir Trifonov.
