Dominik Stanić, a member of the Kyokushin karate club Fortis Samobor, competed on November 29 and 30, 2025 in Japan at the 6th World Kyokushin Karate Championship of the I.K.O. Matsushima Kyokushinkaikan organization.
Dominik achieved this success by winning over representatives of Brazil and Ukraine, and in the quarterfinals, he lost from the representative of Iran, who took 2nd place in the senior category +85 kg, losing in the final from another representative of Iran in that category.
Congratulations to Dominik and to his coach Ivica Stanić on this exceptional success for both, the club Fortis and the Croatian I.K.O. Matsushima branch, as well as for the sports of the city of Samobor and for the Croatian kyokushin karate in total.
Let’s remember that Dominik’s father Ivica Stanić, at the World Championship in Japan in 1996, entered the top 32 in the then absolute category of 172 fighters, which was also an exceptional success.
Photo: delegation of the Croatian branch in company of president Kancho Yoshikazu Matsushima and members of the international committee, shihan Hiroshi Masuda and shihan Klaus Rex, after the Championship (from left to the right: sensei Tomo Fabekovec, Ivan Matec, Damir Zelenbrz, Hrvoje Bukovski, shihan Klaus Rex, Kancho Yoshikazu Matsushima, shihan Vladimir Sekelj, shihan Hiroshi Masuda, Dominik Stanić, sensei Ivica Stanić, Ivica Brajdić and Tihana Jagodić)
Photo: Dominik in the fight with the representative from Brazil
Photo: Dominik in the fight with the representative from Ukraine
Photo: Dominik in the fight with the representative from Iran
After the tournament, on Dec. 1, a seminar and exam for Dan grading was held, led by Kancho Yoshikazu Matsushima, at which Vladimir Sekelj passed the 5th Dan and gained the rank of shihan.
Photos: after the exam and Shihan Sekelj in company with kancho Matsushima
Our delegation took the opportunity to visit the grave of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate, in Tokyo, and trained with the national teams of Brazil, Chile and Mexico at the Honbu dojo, the hall where Sosai Oyama had taught since 1964.
Photo: Visit to the grave of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama
Photo: after training at Sosai Masutatus Oyama’s Honbu dojo
The day after, a training session was held with Sousi Tanaka Koshiro, an eminent instructor of martial arts with and without weapons who framed his long-term learning and experience in Hiko-Ryu Taijutsu, which he presented as a guest instructor at our summer training camp in Zadar last year.
Photo: after training with Sousi Tanaka Koshiro
More photos from this competition and all other events during our stay in Japan you may find on the FB pages of Karate Kyokushinkai Croatia and Croatian Kyokushinkai Association.