Irish Open 2026: Two Medals for the Rebels in Dublin
On 12 and 13 September 2026, Edvin Kuric and Lorenz Hellmer of Rebels Karateclub competed at the Irish Open 2026 in the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, Dublin - and returned to Vienna with gold and silver. The road to the veteran kumite title: three bouts, 16:0 on points, not a single point conceded.
The Irish Open are one of the big open karate tournaments in Britain and Ireland. Hosted by the Irish federation ONAKAI, the weekend brought 444 athletes from 76 clubs and 18 nations to the tatami, with a total of 631 entries. Austria was represented at this tournament by a single club: Rebels Karateclub from Vienna.
Gold for Edvin Kuric in Veteran Kumite - Without Conceding a Point
The biggest success of the weekend: Edvin Kuric won the KU39 - Male Veteran Kumite category and with it the gold medal. In an internationally stacked event with eight entries, the chairman and head coach of the Rebels prevailed against opponents from Ireland, Scotland and Spain - and the most remarkable part: he did not concede a single point on the way to the title.
- Quarter-final:
Edvin Kuric - 
Brenden Finlay (Kaizen Ireland) 4:0 - Semi-final:
Edvin Kuric -
Mark Marshall (Sport Karate Sakai) 8:0 - Final:
Edvin Kuric -
Aitor Jiménez (Fujisan Karate Palencia) 4:0
Overall: 16:0 on points across three bouts.
The opening bout against Ireland’s Brenden Finlay set the tone: 4:0, without conceding a single score. In the semi-final against the Scot Mark Marshall the margin was wider still: 8:0 - in kumite an eight-point lead ends the contest. The final was reached.
Waiting there was
Aitor Jiménez (Fujisan Karate Palencia), who on his way to the final had beaten the eventual bronze medallist David O’Donnell 5:1. He too was kept off the scoreboard: 4:0 to the Viennese. Silver went to Jiménez, the bronze medals to
Mark Marshall and
David O’Donnell (Kells Karate Club).
Three bouts, three opponents from three nations - and in not one of them a single score for the other side. What the results list records simply as 16:0 is, across a whole tournament, the harder half of the job: not just landing your own techniques, but not getting hit yourself. That combination of attacking pressure and cover is exactly what gets worked on week after week in training.
It is the next international tournament win in a remarkable season - after gold at the 20th Cro Cup in Croatia and the team kumite title at the Vienna State Championship.
Fifth Place in Senior Kumite +84 kg
Edvin also entered the open senior class KU38 - Male Senior Kumite +84 kg (twelve entries), where he missed out on third place in the repechage by the narrowest of margins, 0:1 - finishing 5th.
Lorenz Hellmer in the Deepest Field of the Tournament
Lorenz Hellmer competed in KU36 - Male Senior Kumite -75 kg, with 13 entries the most densely contested senior men’s individual event of the tournament. After winning his opening bout he went out against the eventual bronze medallist and finished 7th.
For the reigning vice Austrian champion in Kumite -75 kg it was another hard test against a field drawn from seven nations.
Silver in Team Kumite: Zhao, Kuric, Hellmer
In the team event TKU12 - Team Kumite Male Senior, Rebels Karateclub lined up with Rui Ji Zhao, Edvin Kuric and Lorenz Hellmer - and fought their way through to the final.
- Semi-final:
Rebels Karateclub -
Os Kobudokan Karateklubb 2:1 - Final:
Rebels Karateclub -
WSKF Ireland 0:2
The semi-final against the Norwegians was exactly the thriller team kumite stands for: 2:1 on bouts - a single won bout separated the Rebels from elimination. Three athletes, three duels, and in the end only one thing counts: who gets the hand raised more often.
In the final the host team
WSKF Ireland proved too strong - a club that collected 13 medals across the weekend. The Viennese trio took the silver medal. Bronze went to
Os Kobudokan Karateklubb and 
Wado-Kai Karate Union.
Team kumite is the event in which club work shows most clearly: what counts is not individual brilliance but the line-up, the tactics between bouts and the trust that the next athlete will deliver. Three Rebels reaching the final in Dublin against teams from Ireland, Norway and Wales is a strong signal for the depth of our squad.
Austria’s Entire Medal Tally Comes From Vienna
In the nations ranking of the Irish Open 2026, Austria sits in 9th place of 18 nations with one gold and one silver - and both medals are down to Rebels Karateclub. In the club ranking that means 23rd place among 76 participating clubs, ahead of numerous far larger delegations from Ireland, Scotland, England and Denmark.
For context: the hosts from Ireland collected 157 medals, Scotland 51. A club that travels with three athletes and brings home two medals is working at a very good return per starter.
All Irish Open 2026 Results at a Glance
- 🥇 Edvin Kuric - 1st place, Kumite Male Veteran (KU39) - 4:0, 8:0, 4:0, no point conceded
- 🥈 Rebels Karateclub (Rui Ji Zhao / Edvin Kuric / Lorenz Hellmer) - 2nd place, Kumite Team Male Senior (TKU12)
- Edvin Kuric - 5th place, Kumite Male Senior +84 kg (KU38)
- Lorenz Hellmer - 7th place, Kumite Male Senior -75 kg (KU36)
Source: official results lists and bout protocols of the Irish Open 2026 on sportdata.org.
What Makes the Irish Open Special
The Irish Open are an open-style tournament: athletes compete across styles, from Shotokan through Wado-Ryu and Shito-Ryu to Goju-Ryu, in kata and kumite events from children to veterans. That is exactly what makes it attractive - you meet fighting styles and distances that rarely appear on the domestic competition calendar.
For a Viennese club, a tournament in Dublin also means travel, making weight, a tight schedule and several events across two days. Anyone standing on the podium here has delivered more than good technique.
The Rebels Way: From Vienna to Dublin
The Irish Open 2026 slot into a season that has already been exceptional for the Rebels - with medals at the Austrian National Championship, the Styrian Open in Graz, the Vienna State Championship and the Cro Cup in Croatia. Internationally, the club most recently made its mark with 5th place at the WSKA World Championship in Cádiz and the ESKA European Championship in Portimão.
Results like these are not created on competition day. They are the product of consistent training, targeted competition preparation by our coaching team and a group that pushes each other.
Train Karate in Vienna - With the Rebels
Do you want to learn Shotokan karate yourself - as a complete beginner, returning after a break, or with competition in mind? At Rebels Karateclub in Vienna you train at every level, from the beginners’ course to performance training. You will find an overview of times and locations on our training page, and students can start easily through the USI course.
Arrange your free trial training now and become part of the team.
Warm congratulations to Edvin Kuric, Lorenz Hellmer and Rui Ji Zhao on gold and silver at the Irish Open 2026 in Dublin - Oss! 🥋