Sensei Stefan Lacatus

Stefan Lacatus was born in Timisoara, on March 3rd 1970. He started studying Martial Arts at the age of 16, in a training group coordinated by Sensei Dan Marcu . After the departure of Sensei Dan Marcu for Germany, he restarted training at the Caruso-CFR Gym run by Master Harry Popovici, national authority in Martial Arts (teacher and coach of Judo and Karate). Here he studied Karate and Ju-Jitsu, in parallel, until Harry Popovici left Romania in 1990. In 1991 he performed his military in Bucuresti with the Constabulary, as a Training Inspector in Martial Arts for the soldiers within

After returning from the military he continued his training within the Timisoara University Club, lead by Master Dan Deac . Parallel with his studies within the University Club, he opens his very own training group in 1992 (on March 8). In 1994 he is advanced to the Instructor position within the Timisoara University Club. In 1996 he takes and passes the Black Belt exam with Master Daniel Deac. In 1997 he attends the courses of the National School for Trainers within the Bucharest National University of Physical Education and Sport and graduates the Karate Major. In 1999 he is active as a coach within CFR Timisoara Club, and from 2005 he is an Associate Trainer within Sports Club Stil Timisoara. Currently he is Coordinating Trainer and President of Fudoshin Martial Arts Timisoara, training 4 Black Belt instructors, approximately 30 children and 30 adult athletes, in several training groups.

He currently holds the Black Belt 5 Dan Karate ( 2011 ) and Black Belt 3 Dan Ju-Jitsu ( 2008 ), 3 DAN Godai-Ryu Karate ( 2011 ), 1 Dan Judo (2010) and is an Expert in Security and Defense – Postgraduate Masters Courses, Bucharest University.

Internships of Training/Advance

Between 1992 and 2010 he attended numerous training/improvement Stages with International Masters, from different Martial Arts, including:

• Hirokazu Kanazawa 10 Dan Karate  (Jap)
• Pham Xuan Tong 10 Dan Qwan Ki Do ( Viet )
• Takemasa Okuyama 9 Dan Karate (Jap)
• S.J. Nekoofar 8 Dan Karate (Ita)
• Masaru Miura 8 Dan Karate (Jap)
• Hideo Ochi 8 Dan Karate (Jap)
• Tetsuo Otake 7 Dan Karate (Jap)
• Werner Lind 8 Dan Karate (Ger)
• Giacomo S. Bertoletti 10 Dan Ju-Jitsu (Ita)
• Robert Manole 8 Dan Ju-Jitsu ( Ro )
• Zico Becanovici 8 Dan Karate ( Yu )
• Jozsef Borza 7 Dan Kyokushin Karate ( Hun )
• Santo Torres 7 Dan Karate (Ita)
• Claude Boucabeille 7 Dan Karate (Fra)
• Mirrio Mannini  7 Dan  Karate ( Ita)
• Gunter Painter 7 Dan Kobudo ( Austria )
• Zohner Szilard 5 Dan Karate ( Hun )
• Adrian Arsinevici 5 Dan Karate (Sue)
• Franck Anderson 5 Dan Karate (SUA)
• Livius Bunda 5 Dan Karate ( Yu )
• Otto Wayne 3 Dan Karate ( Eng )
• Alexandre Biamonti 3 Dan Karate (Fra)
• Ferdinand Mack 4 Dan Kick Boxing ( Ger )
• Royce Gracie 7 Dan BJJ ( Brazil )
• Patrick Bittan 3 Dan BJJ ( Fra )
• Ido Pariente 1 Dan BJJ ( Israel )
• Alexander Ermar 5 Dan Kali Eskrima Doce Pares ( Eng )
• Mihai Botez 9 DAN Judo
• Gheorghe Farcas 8 DAN Ju-Jitsu
• Rodolfo Bancone 6 DAN Karate ( Italia )
• Yutaka KOIKE 5 DAN Karate ( Japonia )

Specialty Papers

During this period, following extensive study and practice of Martial Arts, he organized and led numerous Martial Arts Stages– - Specific Self Defense For children, women, students and athletes and wrote various specialty papers, papers published in Romanian Martial Arts magazines that include:

• Numerous Technical Series –Applications and Methodology
• Ways of Improving the Psycho-Pedagogical Methods in Martial Arts
• Children and Martial Arts
• Kumite -Fight- The art of the attack - Types/Characteristics
• Christianity and Martial Arts– Plea for Coexistence
• Traditional and Modern in Martial Arts
• Tactics and Strategy. Introductory elements

Coaching Activity

Apart from his Coaching activity, he attended numerous Umpiring Stages and arbitrated the majority of competitions held in the western part of the country as well as abroad, including:

• Masaru Miura Cup Buziaş 1996
• Gemina Cup Alba-Iulia 1996
• National Championship, TM area. 1996-2000
• Videocolor Cup TM. 1997-2009
• Banzai Cup Arad 1997-2009
• Hamoni-Do Cup Arad 1997-2004
• University Cup Buziaş 1998
• National Championship - Bucharest 1998-2000
• IKA World Cup 1998-2008
• National Kick-Boxing Championship 1999-2000
• FRKAMA National Championship 2009
• IKA European Championship 2009
• WUK World Championship 2009

Between 1994 and 2009 the students trained by Stefan Lacatus obtained more than 100 gold medals, over 120 silver medals, and over 150 bronze medals, in internal and international competitions, national championships, international cups, European and world championships.