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From Nagoya to Paris: an autumn of martial arts in three weeks

· 3 min read

Between late September and mid-October 2026, three of the most practised martial arts in the world had a crowded calendar. Karate, judo and taekwondo met at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and taekwondo then flew to Paris for a Grand Prix. One athlete links the two stages: a Chinese fighter who won in Japan and, nine days later, won again in France.

In taekwondo, a kick to the head scores more than one to the body.
In taekwondo, a kick to the head scores more than one to the body. WABUKAN illustration

Karate: 22 countries on the podium

Karate opened the martial arts programme, from 20 to 23 September at the Toyohashi Gymnasium, with athletes from 34 countries. The World Karate Federation highlighted one figure: 22 of those 34 countries won at least one medal. Iran topped the table with five medals, two of them gold, and Kazakhstan also won five. The hosts won four, including the two kata titles, for Kakeru Nishiyama and Maho Ono. Karate was born in Okinawa, in the south of Japan; at a home Games, its traditional form, the kata, again belonged to Japan.

Judo: Japan at home

From 30 September to 3 October the Aichi International Arena hosted judo: 199 judoka from 32 nations. Japan won eight individual titles, and on the last day it also won the mixed team event, beating Kazakhstan 4–0 in the final. It was Japan’s third Asian Games mixed team title in a row, since the event was introduced in Jakarta in 2018. Uzbekistan was the second nation, with two golds. The very next day, 4 October, the World Championships began in Baku.

Taekwondo: the double of Ma Jingyue

On 2 October, in the taekwondo tournament, China’s Ma Jingyue won the Asian Games gold. The same evening Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Jaysunov won his own Asian title. Both went straight to the next stop on the world circuit: the Paris Grand Prix, at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, just outside the French capital.

Today, taekwondo contests are decided over the best of three rounds.
Today, taekwondo contests are decided over the best of three rounds. WABUKAN illustration

In Paris, Ma won the women’s −49 kg, beating Korea’s Kim Hyang-gi by two rounds to one in the final. It was not easy: three of her five contests went to a deciding third round. Jaysunov reached the men’s −80 kg final but met the world champion, Brazil’s Henrique Marques, who won 2–0. For Marques it completed a full set in 2026: silver at the Rome Grand Prix, bronze in Muju, gold in Paris. Brazil and Iran finished the weekend level, with two golds each.

Timeline

  1. 20–23 setKarate at the Asian Games, Toyohashi Gymnasium: 34 countries.
  2. 30 set – 3 outJudo at the Aichi International Arena: 199 judoka from 32 nations.
  3. 2 outTaekwondo: Asian gold for Ma Jingyue and Jasurbek Jaysunov.
  4. 11 outParis Grand Prix: Ma wins again; Henrique Marques beats Jaysunov.

Why it matters

For fans, these three weeks show how connected the martial arts calendar has become: the same athletes move from continental Games to world events in a matter of days. For practitioners, they are also a reminder of what lies behind the results: deciding rounds, a final decided in a third round, a kata judged move by move. Judo and taekwondo are already on the road to Los Angeles 2028.

Related pages on Wabukan

taekwondo judo karate Profile: taekwondo Profile: judo Profile: karate The story of taekwondo

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. WKF — Karate at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games Highlights Unity and Reach of the Sport
  2. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 — Karate medal report (PDF)
  3. IJF — Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, competition page
  4. World Taekwondo TV — Marques draws Brazil level with Iran as Ma adds Paris gold