The Principality has ranked honourably at the Shorinji Kempo World Championships, which was held in San Mateo, California, and was among one of 22 nations represented by a team.
World meetings of Shorinji Kempo, a modern day Kung Fu, are traditionally dominated by Asian representatives, and this earlier this month was no exception: out of 24 categories, 18 were won by the Japanese and six by the Indonesians.
Unfortunately, Stéphane Gastaldy and Junichi Muraki, the defending vice-champions of France, lost their competition due to postoperative complications. In spite of this, the tandem scored 8.2/10, reaching 7th out of 14 behind three Japanese teams and the first Indonesians.
A man who knows the difference between the codified fights for competition and genuine self-defence is Frank Baldet. The Monegasque technical director remains committed to the primary goal of Shorinji Kempo: never lose a fight. In front of a jury of Japanese Masters gathered for the occasion, Frank Baldet obtained the rare level of 7th Dan (a post-black belt ranking).
It’s now official: the highest-ranking officer in Europe teaches Shorinji Kempo in Monaco.