Mickaël Serfati is a French champion who has not ceased, for several years to make headlines and to be talked about in the world of martial arts. His notoriety today is such that he is known and recognized internationally.
Born in Paris on February 28, 1989, this young athlete grew up in Bondy in the 93 like a certain Mbappé who is today a great star of French football.
Like the latter, Mickaël very quickly also became a great karate champion. But it must be said from the outset that nothing was fortuitous for him in this dazzling success because, from his childhood, he was promoted to achieve great performances in this combat sport.
Indeed, his destiny as a great champion was naturally traced since little Mickaël comes from a high-level sporting family, which amply helped and supported him in his career as an athlete.
His parents Daniel and Sylvie were also champions in this discipline. The father, a big name in French karate, even managed to win the title of European champion and the mother herself is a karateka and champion of France. The same is true of his brother Davy and his sister Sandy who are just as high level karatekas. His uncles Jacques and Serge Serfati are no strangers to this discipline either since they were also former members of the French team. This means that Mickaël was born on a tatami so to speak, a kimono and gloves in his hand. Moreover, the dad has always been his trainer and manager throughout his sporting career.
From the age of 15, Mickaël succeeded in winning his first title of champion of France during the French Juniors championships in Gravelines. This first consecration
encouraged and stimulated him to win other titles of champion of France, individual, team and university.
He won his first national Senior medal in 2010 in the French cup before he became, at the age of 21, European vice-champion in the 78 kg category at the European Karate Championships organized in Izmir, Turkey. He then followed up with another, more precious title, by winning the world university team championship.
In 2011, he once again climbed the podium by winning 3rd place in less than 84 kg at the 2011 Paris Open, a competition considered by specialists to be the most difficult in this combat sport. He did it again, during the same year, with another title of vice-champion of Europe by teams at the European Karate Championships.
During the years that followed, he multiplied his performances by winning several other titles, including the French Pro Championship in 2012 at Halle Carpentier in less than 84 kg in a category of a very high level. He achieved, that day an exceptional
performance since he did not collect any point on all his fights of the day. In November of the same year, he won the French cup in the same category, totaling a historic double.
In 2014, he left to conquer the USA. He stayed there for 3 months and won the title of the New York International Open. He eliminated, on this occasion, a tough Senegalese international as well as the reigning heavyweight champion but also Pan American champion. On his return, he regained his title of Champion of France in individual and team. Yet another double for this young Mickaël who definitely continues to surprise!
2015 return to the American continent but this time to Brazil where he participated in the Rio de Janeiro Open and finished third in this competition. The same year, he shines, once again, by obtaining the title of European champion of the regions with his sister Sandy Serfati who, in turn wins the women’s event.
These numerous titles have brought him to the fore, becoming fourth in the world rankings of the World Karate Federation (WKF) in less than 84 kg and signing, moreover, a partnership with Venum, making him a unique karateka in the world under contract with this sponsor.
But what commands admiration in Mickaël and the Serfati is not so much the titles won by the family, but it is above all, their ability to organize themselves and to reconcile sport and school. Mickaël for example, despite his passion for karate, did not neglect his school and university studies. He now holds a STAPS license, a management license from EMLV (Leonard de Vinci School of Management) in which he had high-level sports facilities worthy of the great American schools. He then obtained a master’s degree in e-business marketing.
This year, he is still remembered by this school as one of their greatest successes, especially since he was named «Godfather of Olympic Week» in January 2022 and even hosted a conference on the occasion.
All these physical and intellectual abilities obviously allowed him to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a trainer and karate coach. He also teaches in the mythical room of Maccabi Paris directed by Franck Attia but also and regularly in New York and Houston. His presence
in the USA to train American karatekas is due, according to specialists, to his know-how and especially to his French method which seems to be very appreciated in this country. He is also often called upon in France to introduce several celebrities known to the general public to karate (actors, directors, singers, comedians, etc.).
Alongside his coaching activities, Mickaël gives seminars on his discipline in many countries such as France, the USA, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel and even in Lebanon, Morocco and Russia via the internet.
He also uses his success and his notoriety to broadcast karate’s content on his Youtube channel which now has more than 8000 subscribers worldwide.
In 2015, he was spotted by fashion professionals who offered him to be a model. It must be said that Mickaël, with his captivating physique, is also a handsome man with a pleasant and ultra-resistant appearance. He thus began his artistic career by doing photographic collaborations and participating as a model for shootings of young brands. He also parades for several brands, notably for Pierre Talamon and Zacometi and even during Paris Fashion Week which was held in 2016.
Still 2015, he tried a great experience in cinema by joining the stunt team of the film “Raid dingue” by Dany Boon. Three years later, he was again asked to play in another film with Anna by Luc Besson, still under the aegis of Alain Figlarz.
He also made numerous appearances on television, notably on the French channel C8. He participated in it every evening live, for two months, in a program called «A take or leave» hosted by the dynamic Cyril Hanouna.
All these activities did not take him away from the tatami and sports tournaments. He also recently participated in the Maccabiah games organized in Israel last July, knowing that he is the reigning champion of this competition since he had won its last edition in 2017. Today, he joined the famous club Sarcelles Karate. He intends, he tells us, to «work hard to achieve another great season».
Mickaël Serfati, in view of all this fabulous career when he is barely 33 years old, is today a perfect model for all young people in the world wishing to succeed in the actions they undertake. Provided, of course, that they show like him, self-sacrifice, modesty and this ability to reconcile studies and high-level sport but also and above all to work hard and never give up.
