A young Senpai trained under his father’s wing

Krzysztof previously represented Great Britain across the world in countries such as Japan, Sweden, Ukraine, Hungary, Spain and many more. He trained in martial arts until the age of 17 and took a two-decade break, getting back to the sport only at the age of 37. He won English Open for the first time at the age of 41. 

During this year’s Kyokushin karate competition, Krzysztof had to face competitors much younger than himself. “The average competitor was 10 to 15 years younger”, according to Krzysztof. Fighting at his age poses a significant risk due to the full-contact nature of the knockout-based sport. 

When his son was born, Krzysztof hoped that they could bond over martial arts. The main aim was not learning to fight but rather character development. Training martial arts allow children to form friendships and expand their horizons. Krzysztof says that his son has a much stronger psyche than he does when it comes to sports and competitions due to Jakub’s mindful upbringing.

“When my son was born, I planned to have an active relationship built on playing sports together, as any father would like to. When he turned five, we started training together. It is unprecedented to be able to train your own child to a level where my teenage son is knocking out all his opponents, often fighting adults.”

Jakub’s martial arts training paid off 

Jakub has been training in various forms of martial arts since the age of five, resulting in three black belts achieved over the years. Although the journey wasn’t always easy, he was determined to succeed in martial arts. 

“I had my successes and failures. Sometimes I didn’t know whether to continue, but I didn’t give up,” says Jakub.

Jakub previously achieved consecutively second and third place in the British Open in 2018 and 2019, where he competed alongside his dad. The English Open Tournament, which brought him first place, was his first tournament since the start of the Covid19 pandemic. For the first time, he also participated in an adult category at such a noteworthy tournament.

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How do the martial arts champions prepare before a tournament?

Kyokushin, Jakub’s favourite karate style, is a full-contact martial art focused on knockdowns rather than points, making it more physically oriented than other martial arts. It’s a demanding style which requires hard training and discipline. Regular training a few times per week ahead of a tournament is required to be successful in this sport.

Jakub currently studies Philosophy and Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick, where he trains individually. Studying makes his training particularly challenging as he must also practice with a companion. As a result, he often travels home at the weekends to train with his dad. They also train together in a Birmingham Dojo on Fridays.

Polish family in Great Britain fosters patriotic traditions

Krzysztof moved with his family to Great Britain when Jakub was only four years old. According to Krzysztof, the Wasilewski family draws many positive benefits from living in the UK. Nevertheless, they also don’t forget to uphold Polish traditions. 

It was very important for them to speak Polish at home, which resulted in Jakub passing an exam in Polish with a grade A and achieving full proficiency. Jakub also learns about polish history from his family and often visits his family in Poland. In Worcester, where he lived, he attended a Polish Saturday School named after John Paul II. 

Jakub expects to continue his passion for martial arts in the future and has recently undertaken judo classes at university. This year both Jakub and Krzysztof want to participate in the British Open side by side. They hope that their story of building a bond between a father and a son through sport will inspire others to undertake a similar journey.

Pictures: IKO Matsushima Europe UK Branch, Twitter @KWasilewski

Author: Marta Kakol

Marta has recently graduated from Utrecht University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Thanks to her interdisciplinary education, she can apply multiple perspectives to complex political issues. She vocalizes her interest in public affairs in a multitude of ways, from journalistic writing to organising speaker events. She hopes to gain funding for her master’s at the University of Oxford in 2022.