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CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE CYLINDERS: “THE SUPREME DISCIPLINE OF LOCKPICKING” + AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CURRENT CHAMPION Lockpicking of cylinders is probably the most prestigious discipline of the lockpicking championship, as it features some of the most difficult locks. The contestants bring their own cylinder which they need to open in 5 minutes before the start of the competition, otherwise they are eliminated. As can be expected, the range of difficulty of locks is very wide. The less experienced pickers usually bring simpler lock in order to minimize the chance of getting knocked-out before the competition starts. The seasoned [...]

CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE PADLOCKS: “5 MINUTES TO OPEN THE SHACKLE” Opening of padlocks is one of the traditional disciplines of lockpicking. It is suitable for lockpickers of all levels including beginners. The locks in the padlocks competition are usually simpler than in the discipline of opening of cylinders. LOCKPICKING OF PADLOCKS The art of opening of padlocks is very old, likely almost as old as the first padlocks which appeared more than 2000 years ago in ancient Rome and China. As the padlocks evolved, so did the opening methods. Nowadays, most padlocks use pin-tumbler mechanisms. There are two [...]

CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE SAFECRACKING: “OPENING OF SAFES LIKE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE MOVIES AND BEYOND” The term safecracking means nondestructive opening of safes and safe locks and usually involves either keyed locks or mechanical combination lock. Safecracking requires specialized tools such as safe lock decoders and “Hobbs’ hooks” (in English, these are usually known as 2-in-1 picks, as they function as both picks and tension tools). Such tools are specifically designed for each type of safe lock. Some tools are used to pick the lock, some to decode the lock which is followed by building the key [...]

CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE BLITZ: "HOW TO ELIMINATE ALL YOUR OPPONENTS IN ONE MINUTE" Blitz the fastest and most dynamic discipline of the championship; it is a fast elimination tournament. Competitors are standing forming a "circle" and holding their cylinder or padlock in their hands, having extra tools stuffed in their pockets. Each competitor has only one minute to open the lock to advance into the next round. If they fail to open they are, of course, eliminated. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST  Sometimes, interesting locks appear in the competitions. In 2017, in the championship held in Orlik Marina, an [...]

CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE FREESTYLE: "SPEED IS UNRIVALED" Another discipline we want to introduce to our readers, lockpickers, partners and sponsors is freestyle. This discipline has been a part of our championships right from the beginning. It this disciplines the locks can be opened by any tools as long as they are nondestructive. The most often used tools used by the contestants are elektropicks, pick-guns, standard picks or bump keys. MOST COMMON NONDESTRUCTIVE METHODS Lockpicking using picks Opening cylinders and padlocks with picks and tension tools is the main approach used by hobby lockpickers. The most common techniques include [...]

CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE IMPRESSIONING: “A CONTEST IN FILING THE KEYS” While preparing the anniversary Czech lockpicking championship, it occurred to us that we could write for our readers, lockpicker, partners and sponsors a closer look at the individual competition disciplines and perhaps also mention some interesting things from the past championships. THE DAY OUR HISTORY BEGAN The first official Czech Lockpicking Championship took place on Saturday, September 18, 2010, in a sports club Sokol in Prague Vršovice. It was an important day for lockpicking in our region. Many lockpickers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia entered the competition, [...]