An interview with sensei Szvetlana Ács

In 2008, sensei Szvetlana Ács traveled to Argentina to do research when learned that the World Martial Arts Championship was being held in Buenos Aires. She signed up as a competitor and won three medals for Hungary (two silvers and one bronze).

She talked about her experiences to Budomagazine.

What kind of reception have you received as a European competitor?

This event was mostly a South American spectacle, but everyone was incredibly welcoming. They were very curious about me, both when I trained and when competed.


What's your opinion about the technical level of the event?

We could see fantastic performances, both in the Kata and the Sparring categories. The tournament lasted three days and because of the high number of participants the competitions went on till midnight.


What previous achievement are you the most proud of?

In the World Kyokushin Tournament in Tokyo, I won bronze medal in Kata category.

What do you think about the fact that Hungarian fighters are top notch in Kata?


In Hungary, masters put great emphasis on the technical part of the training. In some other countries, they focus on sparring and as a result, they neglect those technical aspects that are parts of the Kata experiences. Also the Hungarian masters have fantastic technical knowledge and great pedagogical skills to hand down that knowledge.

How did you get in touch with karate?

My parents pushed me into the sport when I was 13 years old. Big thanks for them for that. I started out in kyokushin karate and still doing it. I travel a lot, as part of my work and I managed to get intimate with many other styles, like ashihara karate, goju-ryu, judo, kick-box, thai-box and taekwon-do. To see these styles, the differences and the similarities made me realize how special kyokushin karate is to me.

What does kyokushin karate mean to you?

This is the style, I grew into. This is that gives me strengths and energy to face life's challenges. If someone immerses herself in karate also understands the hard work; as a result, she might develop a lifestyle that last for the whole lifetime. This is why you never stop doing karate; what we implant into ourselves during the training that remains there for good.

What do you do for a living?

I am a researcher, in the University of Stirling, in Scotland. My area of research is Environment and Agriculture.


What are your future plans in karate?

Besides doing it, I would like to teach it, to pass over my experiences to future generations, for everyone who would like to experience that karate is not only about physical fitness but also about spiritual and mental development.

(budomagazin.hu - hungarianambiance.com)