Karate: Kyokushikai |23 July 2025

The graduates with their shihans

Nathan Pierre, Samuel Fanny complete 30-man fight

Kyokushin karatekas, Sempai Nathan Pierre and Samuel Fanny, last Saturday joined the group of nine elite Seychellois to demonstrate the ‘Spirit of Osu’ when they both successfully completed their 30-man fight (San Ju Nin Kumite) at the Young Lions Dojo at Belonie in front of a large and vocal crowd who cheered them on throughout the fights.

A third karateka, Sensei Ah Loon Ho Sap who was also undertaking the test, had to withdraw due to injuries sustained. 

The last attempt for this test was in 2016.     

The three karatekas faced an array of the best Kyokushin fighters ranging from coloured grades up tofourth dan black belt and all the fights were fought under Kyokushin’s full contact rules.

The three karatekas had been advised to avoid getting injuries which would impede their fighting abilities.

Since late last year, all three karatekas had been undergoing special training sessions daily from Shihan Phillip Moustache in preparation for the event.

The first to undertake the test was Samuel Fanny who at 16 years of age is the youngest karateka to attempt the test. All his fights were hard but he used all the techniques that he had learned during the preparatory sessions and forged on.

His fellow karatekas were on hand to give him water and massage his thighs. By the half-way mark, the fights got harder as his opponents were still fresh but he aptly demonstrated the ‘Spirit of Osu’.

His last 10 fights were the hardest but the crowd as well as his parents who were present, cheered him on, and by the end of the 30th fight, he was still standing.   

Sempai Nathan Pierre was the second one to take the test.

Being of a small stature, he had to continually move and apply all the knowledge gained in the preparatory sessions to avoid being hit by his bigger opponents.

Some of his fights were like David versus Goliath fights, but with the support of the crowd and his mother who was also present, he was still standing at the end of the 30th fight.

Sensei Ah Loon was the last to undertake the test.

He started off well but by the 15th fight, referee Shihan Verghese had to stop the test due to the injuries sustained by Sensei Ah Loon.  

Both Sempai Nathan and Samuel Fanny were delighted when Shihan Moustache informed them that they had succeeded in their quest and presented each one with their 30-man kumite certificate.

They will also receive a heavy weight karate suit with their name embroidered on in Japanese. They will now be eligible to undertake the 40-man fight preferably in two years’ time.

It should be noted that this test is not compulsory for all Kyokushin members.

Those who wish to achieve this unique feat must be prepared to make sacrifices, train hard and face hard fights but they must first satisfy the necessary requirements for the test.

Congratulations to the two karatekas on competing this feat.

The following are local Kyokushin karatekas who have completed these unique feats since it was first introduced in 1996.

50-man fight: Phillip Moustache (1996)

40-man fight: Bernard Adeline ((1998), Flavien Alphonse (1998), Francis Françoise (1998), Steven Lallande (2004)

30-man fight: Bernard Adeline (1996), Denis Ernest (1996), Francis Françoise (1997), Flavien Alphonse (1998), Sonny Simeon (1998), Steven Lallande (2002), Darren Charles (2016).