USA IFK Summer Camp / 17-19 July 2026
/USA-IFK Summer Camp 2026: A Weekend to Remember
Over the weekend of July 17-19, Shihan Karl Biedlingmaier and his dojo, Gray Wolf Kyokushin Martial Arts in Holley, NY, hosted the 2026 USA-IFK Summer Camp, featuring an unforgettable seminar with Sensei Wesley Jansen. It's the kind of weekend that reminds you why we do this in the first place.
Over 70 students showed up ready to work, and Sensei Wesley didn't hold back. Fighting training and combinations, kata, renraku, and some genuinely exciting conditioning methods filled the weekend. Anyone who was in the room knows the energy was different. This was training in the true Kyokushin spirit — demanding, honest, and built to bring out more than what students walked in with.
Thirty black belts turned out in support, representing USA-IFK alongside other Kyokushin organizations. That kind of turnout doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people still believe in showing up for each other.
A few people carried extra weight this weekend and deserve real credit. Sensei Matt Zahand, out of Ohio, served as uke for Sensei Wesley — a tough job under any circumstances, and he handled it without complaint. Sensei’s Jenna Grant and Audrey Bartholomay from S&S Fitness, along with Shihan Scott Haug, jumped into the fight sessions and added to what made this weekend special. And on Thursday, July 16, Shihan Sean Schenker and Fighting Spirit Karate in Gardiner, NY hosted a training session that helped fund the seminar, support that made the whole weekend possible.
Grading commenced on Sunday, July 19, and every candidate passed. That's a credit to the preparation these students put in long before they ever stepped on the mat this weekend.
Congratulations to all the black belts who earned their next rank:
Alexa Johnson — Shodan, FSK Gardiner, NY
Leilani Nieves — Shodan, Kyokushin Academy of Martial Arts, NC
Bhodan Wolosivk — Shodan, IFK New Jersey
Brian Walsh — Nidan, FSK Gardiner, NY
Aliaksandr Tsybulkin — Yondan, Elite Kyokushin Budo Karate Union, NJ
Becoming a black belt is not the finish line — it's where the true journey begins. As Shihan Monaco always reminds us, "A trip has an end. A journey continues." May each of these students' journeys be filled with humility, perseverance, and a lifelong commitment to learning. Osu!
Thank you to our USA-IFK dojo leaders — Shihan’s Greg Stokelin, Dave Sheets, Sean Schenker, Bill Schrader, Karl Biedlingmaier, Artur Kuzio, Sensei Alex Tsybulkin, and Senpais Greg Johnson and Akram Rustamov — for their attendance and support, and to our Strategy Team for everything that happens behind the scenes to make a weekend like this run right.
Osu.
Submitted by: Sensei Bill Stewart (3rd Dan)
USA-IFK Media Committee Chairman
