Karate: Ho Sap, Segura, Mavunga promoted to black belt |31 October 2015

Four students of the Kyokushin Karate School – Dr Liban Segura, Ah-Loon Ho-Sap, Luciano Mavunga and Jean Yves Benstrong – have been promoted to higher ranks after taking part in a grading session three hours fifteen minutes.

A large crowd of people which included colleagues and parents, turned up to witness last Saturday’s grading session conducted by local Kyokushin branch chief shihan Phillip Moustache, 6th dan black, while shihan Phillip Verghese, 5th dan, presided as grading officer.

Dr Liban Segura and Ah-Loon Ho-Sap have been promoted to the rank of Nidan (2nd dan black belt) while Luciano Mavunga is a shodan (1st dan black belt). As for Jean Yves Benstrong, he has been promoted to the rank of 1st Kyu brown belt.

During the grading, the karatekas were required to demonstrate all the basic and advanced techniques of Kyokushin karate which include Ido Ieiko (moving basics), Renraku (combinations) and kata (forms).  Their physical ability was tested by means of numerous strength and endurance exercises. The students were required to perform katas up to the grade they were attempting.

Kumite (fighting) was undoubtedly the hardest part of the test with the number of opponents varying according to the grade being attempted. The two nidan candidates had to fight 31 opponents each, the shodan candidate fought 21 opponents while the 1st Kyu candidate had to fight 15 opponents. All the fights were conducted under the International Karate Organisation (IKO) full contact rules.

The spectators cheered them on loudly throughout all the fights as all their opponents included the school’s best knockdown fighters. The students also had to fight against the two shihans. All the students aptly demonstrated the ‘Spirit of Osu’ and were still standing by the last fight.

At the end, shihan Moustache informed them that they had succeeded in their grading and promoted Dr Liban Segura and Ah Loon Ho-Sap to the rank of 2nd dan black belt while Luciano Mavunga was promoted to 1st dan black belt. Jean Yves Benstrong was promoted to the rank of 1st Kyu brown belt and will be eligible to test for his shodan in one year’s time provided he continues to train.
The students were overcome with emotion on receiving the results as they had put in a lot of efforts and preparation for the grading.

With the recent gradings the number of Japanese registered black belts in Seychelles has risen to 66, the highest number of Kyokushin black belt holders in the Indian Ocean region. Gradings for the lower Kyu belts will take place this Saturday.