Slovenia’s ENBU Gold Brings Fresh Life to Sarajevo

A different rhythm hit the tatami in Sarajevo as ENBU Judo added precision, creativity and martial arts performance to the European Judo Championships Kata 2026. It was not a standard kata contest, and that was exactly the point. In a category built on interpretation as much as execution, every movement had to carry both technical value and the spirit of judo.

ENBU can only be held officially if at least three teams enter during the numerical inscription phase. In Sarajevo, that requirement was met by Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, allowing the category to go ahead as a championship event rather than a demonstration. That alone gave the competition a sense of momentum.

Unlike traditional kata formats, ENBU gives athletes room to shape their own combat simulation in performances lasting between two and three minutes. Teams combine judo and self-defence techniques in choreographed routines, and they may also use imitation traditional Japanese weapons or replica firearms, in a format similar to Kodokan Goshin-Jutsu. Even with that freedom, the rules stay strict: all competitors perform in traditional white judogi and remain under official competition regulations.

Judging is about far more than appearance. Teams are evaluated on technical execution, including efficiency, accuracy and difficulty, but also on choreography, variety and the overall structure of the routine. Originality, tradition and presentation matter too, which means transitions, reactions and timing can shape the final result just as much as the big moments.

That balance of discipline and expression was where Slovenia stood out. The six-athlete team of Kora Kojc, Keno Kojc, Kara Kojc, Kira Kojc, Tomo Mihaljević and Tito Karanjac Kroflič won the 2026 European title in ENBU with 183.0 points. Their routine blended elements from several kata and was performed to Skyrim by Tina Guo, creating a presentation that was described as synchronised, controlled and elegant.

Slovenia turned creativity into a championship-winning score.

The result was important, but the reaction around it may have said even more. Coach Robert Kojc spoke about ENBU as a discipline that had been close to disappearing before this recent return. For him, the biggest success was not only Slovenia’s gold medal, but the fact that three countries arrived with three different ideas of what ENBU could look like.

He also underlined why the format matters for the future of judo. By combining rhythm, teamwork, emotion and technical variety, ENBU can offer younger generations another way into kata. In his view, it opens space not just for experienced competitors, but also for children, mixed teams and adapted judoka.

Three nations, three styles, one strong message for ENBU.

Sarajevo therefore became more than a medal event. It was a reminder that kata can still evolve while staying connected to tradition. Slovenia left with the gold, but the wider story was the visible energy around a category that looked alive again.

When a discipline once seen as nearly forgotten produces this kind of response, it feels like more than a result sheet. In Sarajevo, ENBU did not just return. It made people pay attention.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union