BIOGRAPHY
Precious Moments . In My Life
Number 1 in WKF Ranking - Junior Kata
In 2021 I proved that my training methods, constantly criticized by my opponents, are effective and lead to the highest level of performance. Petru Comănescu, coached by me for over 14 years, became the WORLD NUMBER 1 in the WKF Ranking, in the Junior Kata event. He is the first Romanian to reach the first place in the world in kata trial. He also became the Romanian with the most medals in the official WKF competitions: 3 x SILVER and 1 x GOLD. He also defeated, as a junior, all karate practitioners in Romania, regardless of category (juniors, U21 & seniors), winning the right to represent Romania at the Qualifying Tournament at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and at the WKF World Senior Championship. With all the critics silenced and the best ranking of a Romanian in the senior ranking (43rd place) we started our adventure in the senior category.
First Gold for a Romanian in WKF Karate - Kata
After one year in the Top Ten athletes in the official WKF Ranking, the karateka that I train, Petru Comănescu, managed to win the first gold for a Romanian in the Olympic Karate (WKF) - Kata discipline. He also became the best positioned Romanian in the official WKF ranking both in Junior category (15th place) and Senior category (75th place). As a result Petru won the right to participate in the Olympic Qualification Tournament that will be held in Paris before the Tokyo Olympic Games. This fulfillment is the result of 13 years of hard work and sacrifices both from Petru and me.
Married with Ruxandra
I was always a free man, the freest man that I know. Freedom is a religion to me and in anything that I do I follow my goal to achieve and maintain all my freedoms: from freedom of speech as a journalist to freedom of body as an athlete, freedom of spirit as an adventurer, or freedom of mind as an explorer. So, regarding marriage, I was a little skeptical in the beginning, but I managed to find a person who understands my need for freedom and give me balance and support. Ruxandra is now my partner in all my adventures and I think this is one of the most important aspects in the life of a man who is Born To Explore.
BMW Certified Driver Trainer
To become BMW Certified Driver Trainer at BMW Driving Academy in Maisach was an astonishing moment in my life. BMW Academy is the greatest driving academy in the world, the methods they use being developed with top tier rally pilots. In the same time it was for me, as a karate trainer, one of the best experiences regarding coaching methods: their trainers strive every day to be the best teachers in the world, continuously improving their pedagogics. The examination was very hard and thrilling, but I graduated.
3rd Dan Black Belt
I was always interested in martial arts and combat sports. After becoming WKF National Champion in Karate, I decided to retire and to offer the knowledge I have gathered in more than 20 years, so I opened my own dojo. In the same time I continued to train and to study. Because I like to learn from the best, I decided to follow the karate school of World Champion Luca Valdesi and his father, Andrea Valdesi. To be recognised as a 3 DAN Black Belt by them is a great honour and a reason for pride. In the same time, to have them as Sensei is a huge privilege for me and for my students.
Georgeous Fiodor
I know it looks strange to put the starting moment of the relationship with a dog into a biography, but for me it is definitely an important moment. Jinx (Georgeous Fiodor) is a funny and crazy Airedale Terrier with a free spirit. He is my best friend since 2012, also one of my partners for adventures. We enjoy together a lot of activities: traveling, climbing, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, paragliding, caravan life and a lot more. We have also participated in a lot of dog shows that he managed to win, so I can proudly say that my best friend is a great champion.
Nikon Award as a Filmmaker
In 2012 I decided that a great way to explore the world is through the life stories told by amazing people, so I started my first documentary, which is made entirely by myself. This first entrance into the world of journalism was awarded by Nikon România with a prize for the best video project, also received a great review from a great documentarist, the Emmy Award winner Thomas Diseth. I consider this project to be the best evaluation for me as a modern journalist, able to tell a story using words, photos and videos. In 2021, after I will graduate The Journalism University in Bucharest, I will resume the documentary, which can be viewed on FILMMAKER page on this website.
Successful winter ascent on Elbrus (5642m)
In January 2010 I made a successful winter ascent on the highest mountain peak in Europe, Elbrus (5642 meters). This was the final chapter of a 13.000 kilometers winter expedition made with a 20 years old BMW throughout 15 countries, which touched down the Arctic circle in Lapland, Rovaniemi, known as Santa Claus’s home. The story went viral not only in Romania, but also around the world. It is a perfect example of what I mean when I say ”born to explore attitude”. The full story is on ADVENTURER page on this website.
Successful winter ascent on Mont Blanc (4810m)
In January 2009 I made a successful winter ascent on the highest peak in Alps, Mont Blanc (4810 meters). This is a great achievement for a climber but I do not consider myself one. I am not motivated by the peak itself, but by the ”explorer feeling” that a winter ascent can give. This is the reason why I usually climb mountains in winter: there is nobody out there and being the first to make traces in the snow gave me an awesome feeling of exploration. The full story is on ADVENTURER page on this website.
WKF National Karate Champion
In 2008 I managed to become WKF National Champion, which is the greatest level that a karate athlete can achieve in Romania. At that time I was already National Universitary Champion. Competition is just a small part in the life of a martial arts practitioner, but for me it was an important one, because it gave me the motivation to explore the fascinating world of sports performance and I was also very successful as a coach. A lot of students became champions under my guidance. I still practice and train today.
Groll von Konigsstein
Groll was my best friend in my adolescence, which was one full of adventures. In front of the strangers Groll was strong, combative, determined, fearless, undefeated, impressive, gorgeous. I used to say that if we had met God in our journeys and if God had been against us, God would have been defeated. With me he was loyal, fair, sometimes forgiving and sometimes funny. With himself he was stoic. I have never met all these qualities in a human, he had a special hypnotism, it was always something magic, something new when I was watching him. Now I look at this old photo and there is something unfair in the the situation: he was one of the dogs in my life, I was his only friend. I still miss him a lot.