Off to Japan!

It is well known that the fighters from the German Top Team HQ in Reutlingen regularly compete in international tournaments in Japan. The land of the rising sun is considered the cradle of martial arts and to compete and prove oneself here is the dream of every fighter. The Japanese fighters are known for their high technical level and their incredible fighting spirit. Whoever passes here against the best, has made it.

At the end of September, the time has come again. A whole "army" of the GTT is on its way to Nippon to compete with the strongest fighters at three major championships in Odawara and Tokyo.

Shooto European Champion Christina Brauchle of Team Luiz Palhares has qualified for participation in the biggest Shooto tournament in the world, the annual All Japan Amateur Shooto Championships on September 29 in Odawara, with a victory over MMA World Champion Charlotte Crochet (France). The Kemptnerin is currently preparing for this enormous challenge in her home team in Kempten, as well as in the German Top Team in Reutlingen. A medal finish at this prestigious tournament would bring her a big step closer to a professional career in MMA, as the winners of this tournament are known to receive lucrative offers from Professional Shooto Japan and the global market leader ONE FC, as well as additional sponsorships with Evolve MMA in Singapore.

On the same day the second Odawara Open BJJ Championship will take place and since they are already in Japan, Amin Aichele and Peter Angerer, who both start one week later at the All Japan Shidokan Championships in Tokyo, have also registered for this tournament. Both are among the outstanding ground fighters of the GTT and so they do not want to miss the opportunity for good fights in Odawara.

Only one week later it will be really serious. The All Japan Shidokan Open Championships are for over 30 years simply THE tournament to fight in Shidokan. In the last 15 years athletes from the GTT fought again and again at this great event and one could see with Thorsten Kronz, Kristin Angerer, Daniel Tempera, Selvin Ramcilovic, Grigori Winizki and Peter Angerer already several times German fighters on the podium in Japan. Especially Kristin and Peter could already convince internationally with their first places in this tournament. So it is no wonder that four fighters will compete in this event this year. Michael Ettlen will compete in Knockdown Karate as well as in Kickboxing in the class -75 kg. Amin Aichele, one of the team's standout MMA fighters, will step into the ring in the infamous Shidokan Triathlon in the -75 kg class, while his teammate Sven Fortenbacher will look to stand his ground in both Triathlon and Kickboxing. Given the fact that Sven became the world champion in Shidokan Triathlon last year in Ukraine, he probably goes into the field as one of the absolute favorites.

Headcoach Peter Angerer will compete in Tokyo not only in the kata class but also in a superfight in grappling against the Japanese "Hulk" Kentaro Ishikawa. Only half a year after a serious heart attack, the 51-year-old will face a much younger and heavier Japanese opponent.

The team will be accompanied by our "Oyabun" Bruno Rico, who will take care of the team as always.