Donatas dominated this fight. He is consistent and solid. Consistently landing punches and kicks. Steady pressure. No dazzle. Pushing Norichika out of the ring and knocking him down again and again. Norichika's bouncing around neither striking nor defending. He seems to have good skills but you don't see them as he never stands his ground.
Donatas is a techniqueless brute who relies solely on his massive size. They once came both in a fighting camp in Bulgaria. Norichika was by far a greater Kyokushin master he had much more to teach and show. Osu!
6th World Tournament 1996 (IKO-2) - 1st/8th World Tournament 2003 (IKO-2) - 7th 8th World Tournament 2003 (IKO-2) - 7th/7th World Tournament 1999 (IKO-2) - Last 16 /1st World Cup 1997 (IKO-2) - 1st/34th All Japan Tournament 2002 (IKO-2) - 2nd
29th All Japan Tournament 1997 (IKO-2) - 1st/28th All Japan Tournament 1996 (IKO-2) - 1st/26th All Japan Tournament 1994 - 6th/17th All Japan Weight Tournament 2000 (IKO-2) - 1st/15th All Japan Weight Tournament 1998 (IKO-2) - 1st/11th All Japan Weight Tournament 1994 - 4th
Most of the people I've seen him fight are really blue or green belt level fighters, like I've said before. I don't know who gave them a free black belt, that's a joke. Imbras is the only guy I've seen so far, looking at these videos, that at least holds his guard right. Even he drops his guard more than he should, but at least he doesn't give up points or get pasted in the face by spin kicks and cartwheels like the jokes in the 2011 tournament.
Those are his Results through out his career so far. Bad mechanics or not he is an elite karate fighter who will go down in history. And as for you or anyone else thinkin you could have beat him, it allways looks easy till your in there.
Tsukamoto needs an honest, competent instructor to take him aside and simply tell him, "You're better than this. You're selling yourself short." In this match, he looked like the "know it all" show off who just walked into the dojo, and gets embarrassed by a real, fundamentally sound fighter. The sad thing is, the audience isn't even competent enough to know it. If he went to an Isshinryu dojo and sparred with "real" 3 to 5 night/week students, he'd get beat by the purple and brown belts.
The fact is most of the fighters I saw Tsukamoto beat on these videos have horrible stance and guard mechanics. It wasn't just me. On another one of these videos, a freaking world class Mua Tai kick boxing champion said the same thing. I'm out of shape because I quit full time Martial Arts like 11 years ago, but I'm telling you, this fight would be just another day at the dojo for the guys I was training with, and even me.
When he sticks to good fundamentals, front kicks, knee strikes, and roundhouses, I don't have a problem with it, but seeing him one-shot knock out a bunch of fakes with a spin kick or a cartwheel over and over doesn't say much, except they were fake black belts that couldn't hold guard. he won on points, but only because the referee is there to save him every time his spin kick misses or gets blocked and he falls on his behind.
Imbras is superiour. Norichika is escaping from the mat constantly and do not deliver anything. Imbras is pushing, kicking and are always forward. Yet he loses. This is why I don´t like World Open in Japan. The judges are so bias and corrupted.
In the finals of the 2011 tournament, Tsukamoto fought with more fundamentally sound style and overwhelm clearly inferior opponents who just flat out do not have good instructors, and even there he really won too many fights off a spin kick or cartwheel, because of incompetent opponents that couldn't even hold guard. If you can't see the fact Tsukamoto got his ass kicked in this match, then something's wrong with you.
If this was "kumite" rules or a cage match, etc, Tsukmoto lost the fight at 120, and then again at 200, and then again at 220! He'd get ground and pounded or leg locked and submitted right away, and wouldn't know what hit him, and this guy probably could have done that to him at any time too. To be honest, I think he should have lost on points too, but I wasn't there in person and this is film. Most of his strikes in this match seem to miss and are highly ineffective.
At least this guy can hold guard and a solid stance, and work some front kicks and leg checks of his own, unlike most of the jokes you see Tsukamoto fighting on the highlights of other videos. 750, what's the matter? Worthless spin kick missed...again...vs somebody that can at least hold a half decent guard and stance. He got too many free knockouts vs fake black belt jokes in those tournaments. And it shows too. Like I said, in a street fight, or Isshinryu dojo rules, Tsukamoto lost, bad.
You called Imbras a "Brawler" and that's BS. He's clearly had REAL instructor and real sparring partners that have good fundamentals. That's what "Real" Karate looks like, it's not flashy. These other guys throw entirely too many spin kicks and cartwheels, and drop their guard almost every time they throw a strike, and have poor stance. Think of it this way, every time you throw a spin kick or cartwheel, you give up your back and take your eyes off the opponent. How is that "Good" karate?
I'm 31 years old, 12 years out of practice, and 20 pounds over weight, and God is my witness, I could get up right now and go beat the living daylights out of most of the people in that 2011 tournament Tsukamoto fought in, even by their contact rules. I'd beat most of them on points even, and I definitely do more damage than them in terms of the "real" fight and contact. I'm not saying that to brag. I'm saying that because it's the truth and to open your eyes.
Valeri Dimitrov is far better fighter than Tsukamoto. He could beat Danatas and Tsukamoto several times and he was only 85 kg. The only problem of Valeri is that he isn’t a Japanese.
Tsukamoto is the legent for me! I like him, but hi is old already... I am make glad to see him on the final! Imbras is not a good fighter for me! I never like him... hi is only one... a mountain of a man... but nothing more i think.
Wrong. Imbras WON this fight on good fundamentals and REAL fighting skills that would save his life in a street self defense situation. Tsukamoto is arrogant and undisciplined, with his stupid high risk maneuvers, most of which missed. He did NOT deserve to win this fight. Spin kicks and cartwheels are NOT "good karate". They may get a lucky knockout against an unskilled fighter like he fought in 2011 tourney, and they may look good in the movies, but that's NOT good fighting skills.
Real black belts simply do NOT get face planted by cartwheels and spin kicks like these guys in these tournaments, I can assure you. your guard should never drop below chin level. Punches should be from the guard and out-back ASAP, not cocked or thrown from the hip. Kicks anywhere from about Kidney level or lower should ideally be blocked with a leg check, bringing knee and thigh up to elbow... or a forward angle kick or cross-heel kick of your own, and without dropping your guard.
How? Most of the people I've seen video of him fighting are incompetent. They can't even hold guard or keep a decent stance. If Tsukamoto had to fight this guy in a real street fight he'd get his ass kicked. His stupid spin kicks weren't exactly working for him even here, and in a real fight you try that crap and fall on your back and YOU are the one that gets knocked out. He has too many gay bad habits from fighting in this fake league to be considered the best fighter.
