Tomasz Kucharzewski (August 13, 1968 – March 8,
2008) was a
Polish Canadian
martial artist. Kucharzewski
initially gained fame while competitively fighting in
Kyokushin kaikan and
Shidōkan styles of
karate. Even though he proved to be greatly
successful in karate, winning numerous national and international
titles, Kucharzewski's later career saw him become more involved
with
mixed martial arts and
kickboxing.
Biography and career
Born in
the city of Częstochowa
, Poland, Kucharzewski started training in karate at
the age of 14. He had won three Polish national titles in
Kyokushin kaikan style of karate
and one European international title by the time he was 20 years
old.
He
moved to Canada at age 23 in 1991 and settled in Windsor
, Ontario
from where
he fought in an estimated 300 fights including five K-1 competitions. Kucharzewski was known by his
contemporaries for his calm and friendly demeanor which led Albert
Mady, his coach of 16 years, to describe him as "happy-go-lucky".
During his run of five consecutive years from 1992 to 1996 of being
crowned the International Shidōkan Champion, Tomasz Kucharzewski
proved to be a dominating feature in the ring, enough so that the
35-year veteran karate teacher Roger Salick called him
"indestructible" during Kucharzewski's run for his fourth straight
title.
During the latter part of his life, Kucharzewski suffered a knee
injury and was not as active in training and fighting anymore. He
was found dead in his downtown Windsor apartment by family members
on March 8, 2008. Although an
autopsy was
performed on him, the cause of death was not immediately
known.According to Monika Kucharzewski, Tomasz' younger sister,
doctors said that his death could have been caused by
cardiac arrhythmia.
Titles won
| Year |
Title |
| 1988–1990 |
Polish National Champion - Kyokushin kaikan |
| 1988 |
OYAMA Cup European Champion |
| 1991 |
Canadian National Champion |
| 1992–1994 |
Sabaki Champion |
| 1992–1996 |
International Shidōkan Champion |
| 1993 |
Ontario heavy weight amateur boxing
champion |
| 1994 |
Shidōkan World Champion |
| 1999 |
World Kickboxing champion |
| 2000 |
K-1 USA Championships
2000 runner up |
References
- Late fighter was "Happy-go-lucky",
Windsor
Star, March 12, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2008.
- Windsor kickboxer fought at elite level,
Windsor
Star, March 13, 2008. Accessed December 31, 2008.
- Salick, Roger. Shidokan's Slugfests Impress Gracie, Shidokan.com.
Accessed December 23, 2008.
External links
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