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Adrian Nanty

Adrian Nanty has helped build Seychelles’ martial arts structures and brought BJJ groups together through shared training.

Biography

Adrian Nanty helped develop a common framework for Seychelles’ martial arts clubs. IMMAF’s January 2014 account names him as the board member handling the Seychelles MMA association’s membership application. Months of preparation included a constitution intended to let individual clubs develop under one governing body. The association had registered in July 2013; IMMAF then accepted it as an observer member. He also competed. At the first National Submission Grappling Championship, held at Roche Caïman on June 28, 2014, Nanty took the over-80kg heavyweight title. Spectators, officials and athletes also voted him the winner of the submission award, according to Seychelles Nation. By January 2015, the former swimmer was chairing the association and describing a change in priorities. Raising awareness and recruiting members had provided a start; he now wanted more training opportunities for athletes, coaches and competition officials. Sessions at Roche Caïman ran five days a week. Practitioners could concentrate on grappling, striking, or both, and take part recreationally or work toward competition. Inviting outside instructors was one way to widen that experience. In 2016, Nanty encouraged newcomers and established practitioners to attend Morné Swanepoel’s proposed workshops. The schedule included a March 2 BJJ session alongside MMA and women’s self-defense classes. His invitation emphasized meeting practitioners as well as learning the sports. Regional competition offered another kind of exchange. After Jean-Paul Labonté and Tesarina Gomme’s Mauritius trip in 2016, Nanty said the contact with other federations mattered. He promised continued support for their training and competition, while thanking the people and organizations behind their preparation and travel. At that year’s second national grappling championships, he welcomed entrants from Elite Judo Team and Steven’s Extreme Insanity Cardio. He singled out the judokas’ willingness to try unfamiliar no-gi rules—grappling without the jacket—and hoped more people would enter future events. That work also required money and equipment. Nanty represented the association in its February 2017 agreement with TechnoGuard, which envisaged regular support for training equipment, events and day-to-day costs. He described a reciprocal arrangement: the sponsor could receive branding opportunities and reduced training rates, while the association sought more opportunities for its athletes. A more direct teaching exchange followed in 2022. A report contributed by the Traditional and Combat Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Seychelles described two weeks of shared training and sparring before a Mauritius competition. Nanty and Vivian Hoareau brought BJJ experience to a group that had practiced Japanese jiu-jitsu separately. Working together let the groups explore where their approaches overlapped and differed. In December 2023, Nanty tested himself in an exhibition against Jean-Paul Labonte, winning after the match went to overtime without a submission in regulation. As a club co-founder, he was kept outside the medal and prize divisions. He hoped the bout might encourage others to enter. Hoareau was separately identified as the club’s head coach and fellow co-founder. By 2025, Nanty was identified as a co-founder and coach of Mahe Martial Arts Academy. Its account of a February 28–March 3 camp at NEST in Abu Dhabi described eight juniors learning from Amadu Jorge for up to three hours daily. Nanty praised their commitment and closeness; Elana Cupidon and Mohammed Robert emphasized enjoyment and teamwork. Sponsors financed the trip, parents supported it, and fellow co-founder Vivian presented the camp as preparation for later competitions. Mahe Martial Arts’ public club listing names Nanty as a contact administrator, with Hoareau as person in charge at Roche Caïman. IMMAF’s directory also lists Nanty as the Seychelles federation’s contact, while naming Rennick Charlette as president.

Sources for this profile

  • IMMAF, January 20, 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • In January 2014, IMMAF identified Adrian Nanty as the Seychelles MMA association’s board member coordinating its membership application. He described months of constitutional preparation before observer membership was granted. The association, registered in July 2013, sought a common governing framework through which separate clubs could develop.

      Where in the source: Formation and Nanty’s application account.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, July 5, 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • Seychelles Nation reported that Nanty won the over-80kg heavyweight division and the audience/officials/athletes’ submission award at the association’s first National Submission Grappling Championship, held at Roche Caïman on June 28, 2014.

      Where in the source: Whole heavyweight podium and awards.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, January 16, 2015.(opens in a new tab)

    • In January 2015, Nation described Nanty as a former swimmer and MMA association chairman. He explained a shift from recruiting members toward developing athletes, coaches and officials through outside training. The association trained five days weekly at Roche Caïman; people could study grappling, striking or both, with recreational and competitive aims.

      Where in the source: Nanty’s aims and training setting.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, February 20, 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • As chairman, Nanty encouraged both newcomers and experienced practitioners to attend the association’s announced 2016 workshops with Morné Swanepoel. A March 2 Brazilian jiu-jitsu session at Roche Caïman was planned alongside MMA and women’s self-defence classes; he valued opportunities to learn and meet established practitioners.

      Where in the source: Workshop schedule and invitation.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, June 1, 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • After the 2016 Mauritius Ultimate Submission trip, federation chairman Nanty said regional competition helped build relationships with other federations. He pledged continued support for Jean-Paul Labonté and Tesarina Gomme to train and compete, thanking those who had helped their preparation and travel.

      Where in the source: Final regional-support paragraphs.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, August 31, 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the second national submission-grappling championships in August 2016, chairman Nanty welcomed entries from Elite Judo Team and Steven’s Extreme Insanity Cardio. He praised judokas’ willingness to compete under unfamiliar no-gi rules and wanted more participants in future events.

      Where in the source: Chairman’s closing assessment.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, February 15, 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • Nanty represented the MMA and submission-grappling association in a February 2017 agreement with TechnoGuard. Planned recurring support would fund equipment, competitions and operating costs. He proposed reciprocal branding opportunities and discounted training, explaining how the partnership could support athletes’ access to training and competition.

      Where in the source: Agreement and Nanty’s response.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, TCJJFS, November 5, 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • A November 2022 account by Seychelles’ traditional/combat jiu-jitsu federation credited Nanty and Vivian Hoareau with sharing Brazilian jiu-jitsu knowledge before a Mauritius trip. Their groups had trained and sparred together for two weeks, replacing previously separate practice with exchanges about the similarities and differences between Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Training with MMASGA section.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, December 28, 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • Nation’s December 2023 report described club co-founder Nanty winning an exhibition against Jean-Paul Labonte in overtime after neither submitted the other in regulation. Nanty wanted to test himself and encourage others to enter. Organisers kept him outside the medal/prize divisions because he co-founded the club.

      Where in the source: Exhibition and reasons; Hoareau’s role.

      Accessed:

  • Seychelles Nation, March 14, 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • A contributed March 2025 report named Nanty as Mahe Martial Arts Academy’s co-founder and coach. Eight juniors attended its February 28–March 3 camp at NEST in Abu Dhabi, training up to three hours daily with Amadu Jorge. Nanty stressed their dedication and cohesion; students Elana Cupidon and Mohammed Robert described enjoyment and teamwork. Sponsors covered travel and camp costs, while fellow co-founder Vivian presented the camp as preparation for later competition.

      Where in the source: Camp, students and support.

      Accessed:

  • Smoothcomp, Mahe Martial Arts club.(opens in a new tab)

    • Mahe Martial Arts’ open Smoothcomp club page lists Adrian Nanty among its contact administrators, with Vivian Hoareau as person in charge, at Roche Caïman in Victoria.

      Where in the source: Visible Contact panel.

      Accessed:

  • IMMAF, National Federations directory.(opens in a new tab)

    • IMMAF’s open Seychelles directory names Nanty as federation contact person and Rennick Charlette as president.

      Where in the source: Africa → The Seychelles entry.

      Accessed:

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