A quick recap of where international karate stands this week. We are in a transition moment of the 2026 season: A Coruña just wrapped, the Manila Youth League starts Thursday, and next weekend the EKF Senior Championships in Frankfurt will decide more than a few European narratives. Let’s get into it.
1. Top 3 moments of the week
Behije Mustafa’s 14-6 demolition in Spain
Behije Mustafa 🇽🇰 vs Jana Hazem 🇪🇬 · Karate One Series A A Coruña, female kumite -68 kg Kosovo doesn’t reach the top of a Series A podium very often. Mustafa made sure everyone noticed by opening fast and never letting Hazem find a rhythm. One of the most one-sided senior finals of the season so far.
Source: WKF News Center A Coruña
Hiroki Araki’s clinic in -75 kg
Hiroki Araki 🇯🇵 vs Timofei Leontev (WKF-1) · Karate One Series A A Coruña, male kumite -75 kg 4-2 doesn’t sound like much until you see how Araki controlled distance and timing. Textbook Japanese kumite under real pressure.
Razor-thin kata battle: Monoi vs Goktas
Sena Monoi 🇯🇵 vs Emre Vefa Goktas 🇹🇷 · Karate One Series A A Coruña, male kata final Decided 3-2 on a split judges’ decision. Both performances were technically immaculate. The difference came down to a few crisper executions. Worth watching twice.
🎬 This week’s top TikTok
The video that went hardest on TikTok this week:
Two legends in action 🔥 Who you got 🥋👀 … … #karate #kumite #kata #fight #martialarts
👉 Follow @the.karatedojo on TikTok for the full feed.
3. On the horizon. The next 2 to 4 weeks
The senior calendar gets crowded fast. Three reasons to set a reminder this month.
🇵🇭 Karate One Youth League, Manila (14 to 17 May, starts Thursday) The development circuit visits Asia. U14, Cadet, Junior and U21 categories. Watch for Japanese and Iranian junior depth. This is where the names you will hear at senior level in 2 to 3 years first appear. 📺 Livestream on WKF YouTube
🇩🇪 EKF Senior Championships, Frankfurt (20 to 24 May) The big one. Europe’s continental crown, historically the most stacked senior field outside Worlds. France, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Germany all bring full strength squads. Defending champions in several categories face their first real test of the year. 📺 Livestream on EKF channels
🇧🇷 PKF Senior & U21 Championships, Macaé-Rio de Janeiro (28 to 31 May) Pan-American crown. Brazil on home soil, Venezuela traditionally strong, and a Cuban team that has been quietly rebuilding. Different rhythm than European karate. Worth tuning in just for the contrast.
🇳🇿 OKF Senior Championships, Auckland (29 May to 1 June) Oceania is the smallest senior field but always entertaining. Australia usually leaves with the most gold.
4. Athlete spotlight
Anzhelika Terliuga 🇺🇦 · Kumite -55 kg
Olympic silver in Tokyo 2020, multiple EKF Senior titles, and one of the most consistent female kumite athletes of the last decade. Her 2025 ended on a frustrating note: she lost the World Games -55 kg final 3-1 to Mia Bitsch of Germany after looking dominant earlier in the bracket.
@anzhelika_terliuga on Instagram
Frankfurt next week is the rematch nobody booked but everyone wants. Bitsch is the rising name, Terliuga is the established champion. Both are entered. If you’re going to watch one weight class at EKF, this is the one.
What’s next
EKF Frankfurt opens next week and dominates everything ahead. Manila kicks off Thursday for the Youth League side of the calendar. Both will get full coverage as the week unfolds.
Train hard, fight smart, and see you on the mats.