Montana Open Cup 2026: an international tournament under GKB rules
On 26 September 2026, SKK Montana, a GKB member club in Bulgaria, hosted the Montana Open Cup 2026 in Varshets, fought under the amateur rules of Global Kyokushin Budokai.
On 26 September 2026, Sports Karate Club Montana (SKK Montana), a member club of Global Kyokushin Budokai in Bulgaria, hosted the Montana Open Cup 2026, an international open tournament, at the Arena Varshets sports hall in Varshets. The club's founder, Shihan Petko Enchevski, is GKB's national representative for Bulgaria.
The tournament was organised together with the Bulgarian Kyokushin Kan Federation and GKB's Bulgarian chapter, and it was fought under GKB's rules for amateur competitions. These rules are very close to those of Kyokushin Kan, with small changes that mean fewer interruptions and a freer style of fighting. GKB's rules for professional fighters are quite different and were not part of this tournament.
The programme began the day before, on 25 September, with the medical check, the official weigh-in and a referee seminar. On the day of the tournament the referees met for another short seminar before the first fights, and the day ended with the finals of every category, the awards and the closing ceremony.
SKK Montana had promised that every new tournament would be better than the last. Judging by what guests, spectators and competitors said, it kept its word: the organisation was excellent, the refereeing fair and the atmosphere warm.
The Montana Open Cup 2026 was the fifth tournament the club has organised, and it was held for a special occasion: SKK Montana, founded in 1986, turned 40 this year. In the evening, at the Sayonara party, hundreds of friends and former students of the club celebrated the anniversary and spoke of their gratitude for being part of its big family; some of them had flown in from across the ocean for it.
In his letter of thanks, Shihan Petko Enchevski thanked everyone who came, as Budo requires, even those who trained with the club for a single session: with their effort they help to walk a hard, often thankless, but meaningful path, on which values far higher than material ones are built.
We congratulate SKK Montana on its 40 years and on a well-run tournament, and we thank the organisers, referees, coaches and competitors.
Osu!
GKB Webmaster
Photos
The teams at the opening ceremony. 
Close combat in a children's fight. 
The referees at the opening. 
The official opening. 
A speech at the opening. 
The referees greet the hall. 
Preparing the awards. 
At the awards table. 
A throw during a fight. 
Photos: SKK Montana