The 3rd Belgian Knockdown – IFK Open Western European Championship was held on March 21, 2026 in Hoylaert, Belgium.
The tournament was organized for the third time by Ryo Dojo (first held in 2022) with the support of BFKK (IFK Belgium), as well as with the participation of Shinkyokushin Belgium and Rengokai Belgium.
A key feature of this championship is its inter-federation format: the tournament is held jointly with IFK Netherlands and takes place alternately — one year in Belgium, the next in the Netherlands.
The event was organized by Dave Geentjens, President of BFKK and head of Ryo Dojo. Thanks to his efforts and the support of a well-coordinated team, the tournament was delivered at a high organizational level.
Despite a relatively small number of participants, the fights were exciting and intense. Spectators witnessed many memorable moments, including impressive knockouts, fully reflecting the spirit of knockdown karate.
A total of 66 athletes took part in the championship, representing Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The Belgian Knockdown Championship is still a young tournament, but it is already showing strong potential for growth. With its current level of organization and continued expansion of participants, it has every chance to become a more prominent event on the European Kyokushin scene.
The 3rd Belgian Knockdown – IFK Open Western EU Championship Results 2026
Men -70Kg
1 Ian Couck (Belgium)
2 Ilyas Hadjem (France)
3 Dave Kientz (Netherland)
Men -80Kg
1 Callum Chapman (United Kingdom)
2 Steven Demanov (Germany)
3 Edis Acik (Belgium)
Men +80Kg
1 Nikita Bauer (Germany)
2 Thomas Ritter (Germany)
3 Sellam Akki (Belgium)
Women -65Kg
1 Myriam Lamarre (Canada)
2 Jessica Krause (Germany)
3 Anastasiia Mikhalova (Germany)
Women +65Kg
1 Julie Lamarre (Canada)
2 Melissa Schild (Netherlands)
3 Angela Felber (Switzerland)
U21 Women -65Kg
1 Niesje Koster (Netherlands)
2 Chelsea Rosenau (Netherlands)
3 Marie Boulanger (Belgium)
U21 Men -80Kg
1 Daan Richartz (Netherlands)
2 Éliott Massé (Canada)
3 Elegast Verhulst (Belgium)
Cadets – girls -65Kg
1 Imme Wijgerde (Belgium)
2 Lena Van Wesenbeeck (Belgium)
3 Anissa Boumedien (Netherlands)
Cadets – boys -70Kg
1 Bilal Malek (Belgium)
2 Maksym Batanov (Germany)
3 Anas Malek (Belgium)
Cadets – boys -80Kg
1 Michael Berghs (Netherlands)
2 Linus Eykens (Belgium)
3 Thias Kozlowski (Belgium)
U19 – girls +65Kg
1 Shayma Djelidi (Canada)
2 Ine De Keuster (Belgium)
3 Nour Gaaloul (Canada)
