by Farkas BalintReport by Balint Farkas
The Iaido European Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden 8-10 November, 2024. The Japanese delegation consisted of two members: Ishida Sumio hanshi 8th dan and Oda Nobuaki kyoshi 8th dan. Two members of the Kiryoku Budapest Dojo participated in the event; Norbert Bota and myself (Balint Farkas) represented Hungary. Norbert competed in the 5th dan category, while I participated in the 4th dan category. Unfortunately, our luggage did not arrive on time during the journey, so we were unable to practice on the first half of the seminar day.
By the day of the competition, all our luggage had arrived, so it was no longer an obstacle. The Hungarian national team members gave their best. Everyone passed from the group stage, except in the 6th dan category, where every match and point is a life-and-death match.
The well-organized competition featured thrilling matches one after another, which we could follow on large screens at the venue, and there was also an online broadcast. In the end, Norbert was eliminated in the round of 16, while I won a bronze medal. We both performed well, and we can rightfully be proud of our achievements.
One particularly exciting match in the 4th dan category was between Gabriele Gerbino and me, with whom I share a strong mutual respect and a friendly relationship. In the shiai-jō, of course, we both fought with 200% focus, but we had a great conversation again after the match. For me, these moments are the most beautiful part of a taikai.
The team competition took place on Sunday, the 10th. Here, the Hungarian team first faced the Finnish team, followed by the Jordanian team. After advancing from the group stage, we faced the Italian national team. In a closely fought match, the Italian team prevailed and eventually secured 2nd place, so there is no shame in losing to them.
All in all, we can look back on a successful European Championship. A big thank you to all the national team members and to those who supported us from home while watching the video stream.
