by Senior Kyokushin karate instructor Sailas Piskaut has called for potential sponsors to return the once popular Open All Styles full-contact ‘last man standing’ challenge.
Piskaut and fellow senior fighter, Karl Guria have thrown their support behind the return of the full-contact last man standing challenge that was once a popular annual event.
Both said this was one way of maintaining the popularity of this once highly entertaining challenge that had all forms of martial artists looking forward to each year.
Both made the parting call yesterday on the morning of their travel to Perth, Western Australia to take part in the Oceania Black Belt Grading Conference from October 19-23.
Piskaut said the challenge always brings out the best of all styles and said it is a pity that it has died a natural death since the last challenge that was staged in Lae in 2005.
Piskaut said it was sponsored by the Lae Biscuit Company.
Guria chimed in to say that martial arts needs this event to keep the fire burning.
“There is too much politics in the sport, but when you get a chance to show what you are capable of…it gives hope,” he added.
In Perth, Piskaut will be officially receiving his Second Dan Black Belt, while Guria, a Brown senior belt holder will be taking part in a 40-man fight for his First Dan Black Belt.
Guria will be pushed to the limit to survive a challenge of endurance, when he takes on up to 40 black belt holders non-stop for over an hour.
The Duke of York Islander has been under intense training with Piskaut for just over three months.
“I’m ready for this.
“This is what I sacrifice my family time and work for,” Guria said yesterday.
Piskaut, a former South Pacific light-weight champion said the trip is a major highlight for both of them, who were some of the last members of the uchi-deshi (live-in program) under former World Champion and head of Kyokushin Karate PNG, Sensei Walter Schnaubelt.
The duo made special acknowledgement of major sponsor Ian Chow (Lae Biscuit Company), Sensei Schnaubelt, Sempai Bernard Soari and James ATL Wong.
