Yildiz Aras

Is Yildiz Aras The World’s Best Female Karate Kumite Competitor?

You all know by now that my life-long martial arts experience started with Shotokan karate and even though I haven’t taken official classes in a very long time, I don’t consider having stopped, I simply look at the hiatus as having taken a break.

But be assured or as Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger would say, “I’ll be baaack!”

All of that being said, you will appreciate my never-ending interest in Shotokan karate and who can blame me, right?

I have been thinking about Girl Power on the karate circuit and a female competitor who immediately got my attention is from Istanbul, Turkey.

Her name is Yıldız Aras and she is considered to be the world’s best in karate kumite open division.

She just recently celebrated her 32nd birthday (are we even allowed to mention a woman’s age here?).

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Yildiz began studying karate at the tender age of 10 under Yüksel Baltay, a former national karateka.

Yildiz was admitted to the national team in 1994. So let me think. At the age of seventeen!

Foreign sportspeople gave her the nickname the “Strong Girl”. She holds three world champion titles, seven European champion titles, and three Mediterranean Games champion titles.

Now get this:
Yildiz is the most successful Turkish athlete ever, but without any Olympic medal, because karate is not an official discipline at the Olympic Games.

I was researching her achievements in competition since 1997 and believe me when I tell you I almost fell off my chair.

So instead of listing all of them, because that would have made this post the longest in Internet history, I will just show you an excerpt of what Yildiz Aras has accomplished. I repeat: This is only an excerpt.

Are you ready to be amazed? Hajime!

World Championships
Gold 2006 Tampere Kumite open
Gold 2004 Monterrey Kumite team
Gold 2002 Madrid Kumite team
Gold 2000 Munich Kumite open
Bronze 1998 Rio de Janeiro Kumite open
Gold 1998 Rio de Janeiro Kumite team

World Games
Gold 2005 Duisburg Kumite open

World Cup
Bronze 1997 Manila Kumite open

European Championships
Gold 2009 Zagreb Kumite +68kg
Bronze 2008 Tallinn Kumite +60kg
Bronze 2008 Tallinn Kumite open
Gold 2007 Bratislava Kumite +60kg
Bronze 2007 Bratislava Kumite open
Silver 2006 Stavanger Kumite +60kg
Silver 2006 Stavanger Kumite open
Gold 2005 Tenerife Kumite +60kg
Bronze 2005 Tenerife Kumite open
Gold 2004 Moscow Kumite open
Gold 2004 Moscow Kumite team
Gold 2003 Bremen Kumite +60kg
Bronze 2003 Bremen Kumite open
Gold 2002 Tallinn Kumite open
Gold 2001 Sofia Kumite team
Gold 2000 Istanbul Kumite open
Bronze 2000 Istanbul Kumite team
Gold 1999 Euboea Kumite team
Bronze 1998 Belgrade Kumite team
Bronze 1997 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Kumite team
Bronze 1996 Paris Kumite open