Video: Karate Black Belt Fights 100 Men During Insane Trial

Ever heard of one guy fighting against 100 different opponents? This video shows a martial artist with incredible will and endurance…

Trials of endurance are commonplace in the modern world and have been a method of proving one’s will and inner strength for centuries. One well-known method is long-distance running, a lot less dangerous than any kind of combat-based endurance though.

When you add martial arts into the equation, the level of risk rises dramatically, making the few that achieve these insane targets all the more revered. ‘The 100 Man Kumite’ is one of the lesser-known trials the world over, unless you are involved in martial arts.

100-man kumite (hyakunin kumite in Japanese) is an extreme test of physical and mental endurance in Kyokushin karate. The 100-man Kumite consists of 100 rounds of Kumite, each between one-and-a-half and two minutes in length. Normally, the karate practitioner undergoing the test will have to face similarly or higher-ranked opponents and may face an opponent a few times in the course of the test.

The challenge was devised by Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin and the first person to complete the test. He completed the 100-man Kumite three times over three consecutive days. The second man to complete the test was Steve Arneil in 1965. In July 2004, Naomi Ali (née Woods) became the first woman to complete the 100-man Kumite. Variations using 20-man and 50-man challenges have also been employed.

The subject of today’s article is K-1 veteran and Karate black belt Francisco Filho. Most known in the kickboxing world for his victories over Sam Greco, Andy Hug, Remy Bonjasky, Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts, and Stefan Leko, Filho is also a 100-man Kumite veteran.

Skip to page 2 for the full video of Filho’s 100-man fight…

Perhaps what’s even more impressive about Filho is that he has completed the 30 and 50 man variations of the Kumite too. Having fought in K-1 also boosts his profile massively in the martial arts world.

Here are some of his best Karate highlights:

Skip to the final page for a roundup video of Filho’s greatest K-1 knockouts…

Career

Francisco Filho started Kyokushin Kaikan around the age of 10 and received a black belt six and a half years later. He made his professional K-1 fighting debut on July 20, 1997, at the K-1 Dream ’97 tournament against Kyokushin and Seidokaikan fighter Andy Hug. This was their second encounter, the first being at the 5th Kyokushin World Tournament in 1991 that resulted in a controversial knockout victory for Filho with a technique that connected after the bell rang. The second fight was also won by Filho quickly earning the Brazilian a large fan base in Japan as well as making him one of the then top contenders for the K-1 World GP Championship title.

Filho has since held championship titles in both K-1 as well as in IKO-Kyokushin Kaikan. He has not taken part in any major competition since 2004 but remains active in developing young fighters and overseeing Brazil’s Kyokushin national team.^[2]

In 2012, he appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil coaching with Vitor Belfort.

Titles and accomplishments

Kickboxing

2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Runner Up

2001 K-1 World Grand Prix in Fukuoka Repechage A Champion

2000 K-1 World GP in Yokohama Champion

Kyokushin

1999 7th Kyokushin World Open Karate Tournament IKO 1 (defeated Hajime Kazumi)

1997 1st Kyokushin World Weight Tournament Heavyweight

1995 6th Kyokushin World Open Karate Tournament IKO 1 (lost to Hajime Kazumi)

1995 Brazilian Open

1994 Mundialito Open

1994 7th South American Championships

1993 Brazilian Open

1992 6th South American Championships

1992 Brazilian Open

1991 5th Kyokushin World Open Karate Tournament final 16 (lost to Kenji Yamaki)

1991 Uruguayan Open Karate Championships

1990 Paulista Championships

1990 Brazilian Open

1989 5th South American Championships

1989 Paulista Championships

1988 Paulista Championships Juniors

1988 Brazilian Open 6th place

1987 Brazilian Open 7th place

1987 Paulista Championships Juniors

1986 Paulista Championships Juniors

1985 Paulista Championships Juniors

In 1995 Francisco Filho completed 100 men Kumite in Brazil and in Japan.