日時：2014年1月19日
場所：アントワープ・ベルギー
主催：ベルギー支部 コーン・スピテールス支部長
1月19日に、第1回ダイヤモンドカップ・Ｉ‐カラテが、ベルギー・アントワープで開催されました。ベルギー国内には「プロジェクト・レニー」という、障害者にも空手に親しんでもらおうというプロジェクトがあり、I‐カラテ（Intergrated Karate=差別のない、平等な空手）は障害者で空手を稽古している人を意味します。今回の大会は、障害者空手大会として初めて開催されました。
今大会開催に先立ち、自閉症部門、知的障害部門、身体的障害部門、車椅子部門、視覚障害部門が設けられ、型と組手（護身術）の試合に多くの選手が参加しました。
スピテールス支部長から新極真会初の障害者空手大会が開催されたことが述べられました。大会参加者は、本物の空手家として勇気を出して大会に臨めたことに、喜びを隠せませんでした。
ベルギーでは、障害者空手大会が盛んに開催されています。ベルギー支部でも、障害者に空手を親しんでもらおうという取り組みを、積極的に行っております。普段の稽古でも、健常者と障害者が一緒に稽古に取り組む機会を持ち、護身術や障害者大会に向けての稽古を行っています。こういった機会を通し、お互いを尊重しあう気持ちが自然と生まれてきています。
空手を通して、障害者も人生の目的に向かって、前進出来る強い心と自信を得られることを、体験しています。ベルギー支部にとって、障害者の空手家と共に稽古出来ることは大きな意味をもたらしています。この取り組みはベルギー国内だけでなく外国からも関心が寄せられているので、今後は障害者空手の国際大会への発展もあるでしょう。Ｉ‐カラテが将来的に、パラリンピックの種目として取り入れられることを目標にしています。
このプロジェクトを通して、新極真会が大きなハートを持った、素晴らしい競技だと証明できました！
コーン・スピテールス五段
ベルギー支部長
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The 1st Diamond Cup I-Karate
Date: January 19, 2014
Place: Antwerp, Beligum
Organizer: Branch Chief Koen Spitaels, WKO Belgium Branch
Shinkyokushin, a sport for everyone!
On Sunday, January 19th in Antwerp, Belgium the “1st Diamond Cup I-Karate” (Integrated Karate) has been held and organized by Karate School Niji Yama of Belgium Shinkyokushin Branch led by Shihan Koen Spitaels. I-karate is for people with disabilities who do karate. This contest is part of a new project that is still in its infancy. The “Project Lenny “, a Belgian initiative, is the intention to offer karate lessons for people with disabilities.
We have created a system for different types of disabilities and for each there is a way of doing Kata and kumite (self defense style).
In this tournament, people from all provinces of Flanders participated in the following categories : People with autism, people with mild mental disabilities, people with physical disabilities, people in wheelchairs, and finally a blind karateka. Shihan Koen Spitaels indicates that it was the first time in the history of Shinkyokushin that there was a competition for I-karatekas, and the results where great and gave everyone a heartwarming feeling. The sparkles and happiness in the eyes of our 50 participants spoke for themselves. The I-karatekas where so happy to show what they can and they have proved that they are real karateka with a lot of courage and spirit. In both parts Kata and kumite, they have shown that they have the same drive and mentality like ordinary karatekas, maybe even more. Our Antwerp participants, Lenny Lootens Jensen Van Geyt, Stijn Van den Berg, Jorrit Goetmaekers, and Frank Van Geyt received several medals and trophies. The coaches, Wesley Lootens and Shihan Koen Spitaels were therefore extremely pleased and proud of their courageous pupils.
We’re going to hear a lot about “Project Lenny ” and “I-Karate”, which has already put down a quite successful competition. We seek to prove that karate is a sport for everyone regardless of their disability, and that Shinkyokushin is a big family where everyone is welcome. Integration means that we want take these karatekas with disabilities in our karate world. Therefore, we work together sometimes with the ordinary karatekas, who we call a buddy. So we teach our buddies to work with the I-karatekas together to help them during training but also for the self defense exercises and tournaments. The respect they have for each other is a tremendous value and great friendships arise. The twinkling in the eyes of these I-karatekas when they do karate is so great and the happiness they have, being part of the big karate family is fantastic.
The fact that these I-karateka’s belong somewhere and can move towards planned goals gives them wings. Karate offers them some weapons that makes them stronger, gives them self-confidence and ensures that they can carry their handicap better.
Karate is not directly the sport that you would think of when it comes, but the games and all the happy faces showed everyone that this project is a hit. Everybody was convinced of the fact that the I-karate is a tremendous value for Shinkyokushin karate.
The world is watching with great wonder at what is happening in Belgium, with the result that there is a lot of interest from abroad. The fact that other countries are interested includes that in the future we also can come to international tournaments for Karatekas with disabilities. Eventually, the ultimate goal in the future is to introduce I-karate to the Paralympics.
The performance of our I-karatekas left no one untouched and let the hearts beat faster for everyone.
You can find all info of this new project on the website www.projectlenny.be and the FB page Project Lenny
With this project we prove that Shihnkyokushin is a very hard sport but with a very big heart. Osu!
Koen Spitaels Shihan
