On the last weekend of September, we packed our jodo sets, weapons, good mood, and set off for the 23rd European Jodo Championships in Zielona Góra, Poland. Representing our dojo were Marek and Matúš in the mudan category, and Adriana and Marián in the godan category. A small team in numbers, but big in results.
After an 8-hour drive, we checked into a small hotel right in the city center. During a short evening stroll, we stumbled upon a hidden gem: a Czech pub called Kozlovna, serving perfectly chilled beer and burgers the size of your head. We made a pact then and there: if we do well on Saturday, we’re coming back here to celebrate! With motivation like that, we were already halfway to victory.
Friday’s technical seminar was smooth, fun, and full of inspiration. Although to be honest, our minds were already on Saturday’s matches.
After the rokudan category finished in the morning, our guys Matúš and Marek stepped onto the shiaijo in the mudan division. They fought like seasoned veterans, each winning their group and advancing from first place. Adriana and Marián mirrored their success, all four advanced to the next rounds. The Slovak flag was starting to pop up quite a lot on the scoreboard.
After a lunch break, the knockout rounds began. Marek and Matúš fought like their burgers depended on it, slicing through the competition like butter, meeting each other in the final, where Marek took gold. Marián, though stopped in the quarterfinals, defeated a multiple-time European champion, something you don’t see every day! Adriana also crushed her bracket and confidently claimed gold in the godan category.
We sealed our triple win in style:
Marek – 1st place (mudan)
Matúš – 2nd place (mudan)
Adriana – 1st place (godan)
Marián – awarded Best Uchidachi in godan category
Just as promised, Kozlovna welcomed us with open arms (and taps) after the tournament.
Big beers, personal pitchers (for Marek), burgers, laughter, and stories. The reward was sweet. And salty. And juicy. In short: well-deserved!
For the team event, we competed as a four-person squad, three of whom were from our dojo. Adriana and Marek stepped onto the shiaijo, while Marián took on the toughest role — team manager, responsible for building the lineup. Everything clicked perfectly, until Germany stopped us in the semifinals.
The result? 3rd place for Slovakia Team!
Our dojo proved that a small team can achieve big things. And we definitely showed that behind every success is hard work, sweat, and … a little motivation in the form of post-victory beer.
Special congratulations to Matúš, who not only won silver at the European Championships but also successfully passed his 1st dan exam! A huge thank you to all our members for proudly representing our dojo! We wish you continued success in future trainings and tournaments.
