The 2022 SENSHI summer training camp is a massive international event, held under the guidance of the Bulgarian karate kyokushin federation in Kamchia, near Varna (Bulgaria).
This edition of the master classes gives amazing opportunity to the fighters to meet and train under the guidance of 8 martial arts legends. In this article we take a look at each of the greats.
Ernesto Hoost – A four-time K-1 World Champion, he is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Hoost holds notable victories over Peter Aerts (4x), Branko Cikatić, Mirko Cro Cop (3x), Jérôme Le Banner (3x), Andy Hug (3x), Ray Sefo (3x), Musashi (2x), Mike Bernardo, Francisco Filho (2x), Sam Greco, Stefan Leko (3x), Mark Hunt, Cyril Abidi, and Glaube Feitosa.
Semmy Schilt is a Dutch kickboxer, Ashihara karateka, and mixed martial artist. He is a four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and one-time Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Champion. He is the only fighter in K-1 history to win the world championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most Grand Prix won, with four.
Peter Aerts – Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname “The Dutch Lumberjack”, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time. A three-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. He won his first Grand Prix in 1994 by knocking out Rob van Esdonk and Patrick Smith.
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX Tournament Champion in 2002 and also the first SUPERKOMBAT Middleweight Champion. Kraus has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Sam Greco is an Australian full-contact karateka, heavyweight K-1 kickboxer, and mixed martial artist. He was the 1994 Karate World Cup champion and holds notable kickboxing victories over Branko Cikatic, Ernesto Hoost, Mike Bernardo, Stefan Leko, and Ray Sefo, as well as MMA victories over Heath Herring and Shungo Oyama.
Nicholas Pettas is a Danish karateka, and heavyweight kickboxer, who fought out of Team Spirit AE in Tokyo, Japan. Pettas mainly competed in the promotion K-1 between 1998 and 2007 and was the winner of the K-1 Japan Grand Prix 2001.
At the age of twenty-one, he completed a vigorous training course to become the second non-Japanese ever to finalize the program. He was the last Uchi-deshi of Master Oyama, who died soon after Pettas’ graduation. Although an undersized heavyweight, Pettas is known for his powerful low kicks and holds notable victories over Yusuke Fujimoto, Nobu Hayashi, Musashi, Gökhan Saki, and Péter Varga.
Alexandr Pichkunov is a heavyweight kickboxer and Kyokushin karateka (5th Dan) competing in K-1. He was the runner-up at the K-1 World GP 2007 in Hawaii and K-1 World GP 2008 tournament in Taipei.
Jan Soukup “Czech Samurai” – his first noteworthy accomplishment was a third-place finish at the European Kyokushin Championships in 2003 and he followed this by winning the All-Japan Kyokushin Championships the next year. After finishing as runner-up in the European Championships and in third place in the European Open in 2005, Soukup had his most successful year in 2007 when he won the European Championships and lost to Ewerton Teixeira in the final of the 9th Kyokushin World Open.
During the summer camp all 8 legends of martial arts will be special guests at the SENSHI 12 international professional fight night. They will be referees, commentators and will give awards to the winners of the bouts.
Tickets for the 12th edition of the gala are already on sale at Eventim.bg.
The fight night will be broadcast live on Bulgaria ON AIR and Max Sport 1 for Bulgaria, as well as in real time worldwide on American television FITE, Fight Box, Senshi.com, Boec.bg, Boec.com and Kyokushin Karate News.
SENSHI is organized with the special support of Armeec Insurance Company, MAX Sport, Bulgaria Air and M Car Group – BMW dealer.
SENSHI’s media partners are Boec.BG and Boec.COM, the national television Bulgaria ON AIR, the American online martial arts television FITE, Gol.bg, Topsport.bg, the information portal Kyokushin Karate News, Fighto.News and Novinata.bg.
