Quick Facts
Biography
Igor Dyachenko (born June 15, 1981 in Kiev) is a Ukrainian karateka.
When asked when he started learning karate, Igor has answered, "Since I remember myself." His father had decided to take karate classes to improve his spirits and physical condition one year after the explosion of the atomic reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant where he worked. When Igor was six years old, his father began to show him basic karate moves. Later, Igor was assigned to the local karate school.
During his athletic career, Igor Dyachenko has had many achievements, including world titles and both international and national competitions. He has practiced with coaches and athletes from Japan, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Hungary, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and of course Ukraine and United States. He also practices judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and muay thai as a supplement to his regular karate training in order to become a complete fighter and take his skills to an even higher level. He believes that knowledge of other martial arts techniques helps to achieve a new, modern approach to the teaching and practicing of karate.
Igor is a former member of the Ukrainian National Karate team and a former Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association (FSKA) World Champion in the kumite division.
In 2006, Igor Dyachenko established his own school, D-Dojo Karate, located in New York City. He is currently Sensei at D-Dojo Karate.
Appearance on The Colbert Report
On June 12, 2007 Igor Dyachenko appeared on The Colbert Report (Video) to help Colbert commemorate Ronald Reagan's historic Berlin Wall speech. To honor the event, Dyachenko broke an 1/8 inch plywood board symbolizing the Berlin Wall, broke a watermelon, and cut a piece of cake for Colbert. Colbert enjoyed Dyachenko's watermelon breaking feat so much that he repeatedly mentioned it in several subsequent episodes.
Awards and accomplishments
2007 - Received 4th Dan rank (level) of black belt (Yon-Dan) from Hirokazu Kanazawa.
2005 - 1st place at Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF-USA) National Open Karate Tournament; Mounds View, Minnesota; individual kumite.
2004 - 1st place at Ozawa Cup, Las Vegas, Nevada; individual kumite; awarded most outstanding tournament competitor from Kotaka Sensei from Honolulu, Hawaii.
2003 - 1st place at FSKA 5th World Karate Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada; individual kumite.
2003 - 1st place at USAKF National Championships; Akron, Ohio; individual kumite.
2002 - 2nd place at WTKO World Karate Championships; Staten Island, New York; senior individual kumite.
2001 - Received 3rd level of black belt (San-Dan) from Hirokazu Kanazawa.
2000 - 1st place at USA-NKF National Championships; Houston, Texas; senior team kumite.
2000 - 2nd place at the 19th Annual Traditional Karate Tournament International known as Ozawa Cup International Karate Tournament; Las Vegas, Nevada; senior team kumite.
1998 - 1st place at SKI-Ukraine National Championships; team kata.
1998 - 2nd place at WKO World Championships; Orlando, Florida; junior individual kata.
1997 - 1st place at the 6th SKIF World Championships; Milan, Italy; junior individual kata.
1997 - Received 2nd level of black belt (Ni-Dan) from Hirokazu Kanazawa.
1995 – 1998 - 1st place at the National Ukrainian Championships of Shotokan Karate-do; junior kata division.
1993 – 1997 - Eight 1st place medals at Kiev Championships in various divisions including adult divisions in kata and kumite.
1993 – 1996 - Four 1st place medals at Kiev Cup in various divisions including adult divisions in kata and kumite.