User:Frank Nezhadpournia

The Association

Actikarate is a Karate Association. Frank Nezhadpournia (Chief Instructor),is a 6th Degree Black belt. Born in Ahvaz, Iran. He moved to the UK in 1979 and was enrolled in Boarding school where he learnt the lesson of bullying and attack on daily basis. So his education had started.

Frank has been training for 30 years across Europe, USA and the Middle East. Teaching Shotokan Karate to school children and victims of attack everywhere. With over 1000 workshops completed for victims of violence in the UK!

Frank now spends his time teaching in lower, middle and upper schools and has written several books on the subject of Karate together with training films in his area of expertise too!

Accredited to Frank are:

Defending Against Attack 'The Shotokan Way'ISBN: 978-0955727405 - a basic training manual for students

Defending Against Attack For Women 2nd Edition-ISBN: 9780955727412) based on 1500 workshops.

The Advanced Shotokan Kata Manual ISBN: 978-0955727436- for senior Black belts and above!

'The Complete Guide DVD'(ASIN: 0955727421 teaching knife and multiple attack techniques to the public.

Frank's latest book is 'Advanced Shotokan' ISBN: 978-0955727443 and finishes his contribution to the world of Karate! He states: "There is nothing left for me to write about except pursue my own personal knowledge of this wonderful art"

He continues to fight for the inlusion of karate everywhere and is currently involved in rallying support for the inclusion of karate in the Olympics!

He states: ''"We missed for inclusion for the 2012 London games by 2 votes and it is time we pressured commitee members to realize that with over 80 countries and 50 million people practing worldwide - karate is a worldwide concept and should be included!

Personal Life

Frank Nezhadpournia born January 15th in Ahvaz, Iran. Moved to the UK in 1979 and attended boarding school - Rushmoor School For Boys. Frank has one sister and one twin brother and continues to teach and train all over the world. He attended University but dropped out in the first term to pursue a flying career and enrolled in flight school where he became a fully qualified Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor with ratings on single engine, multi-engine, and turbo prop aircraft. This helped him secure a career in the Airforce later flying as well.

Military Service Frank accepted an invitation from the President of the Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force to return for military service in 1992. In doing so he became the first Anglo-Iranian national to ever return to Iran for a compulsory military service! After accepting an invitation from President Rafsanjani (who was the President of Iran at the time). He continued his Karate training on his own during this time, until some other military personnel noticed his training and asked him to teach them! he then set up a 'on-the-spot' club and started teaching! The club became so successful it had 68 members at the time he finished his military service! He also flew a whole host of aircraft and finally made it to fighter jet that he always wanted to fly!

With military service over he returned to the UK and settled back into civilian life, training and running his own Karate Association."''

Life Changing Event On July 5th 2011 after receiving a call from Iran that his father was not well and admitted to hospital; Frank traveled the same day back to Iran and after 13 hours en-route arrived by his father's bedside!Forty minutes later his father passed. He settled his fathers affairs on his own. He attributes Karate to helping him stating: ''"My training got me through the tough times, which on arrival started immediately!

Charity Work

Frank also donates to Comic Relief through his website linked to his book sales. He quotes: "I do not believe in giving once a year, or when a TV commercial invites me to. I'd rather give on-going just like I train!This way it has meaning!"

Shotokan Karate

Shotokan (松濤館流 Shōtōkan-ryū?) is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa[1] and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.[2]

Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements (in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate) led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Motonobu Hironishi and Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single "Shotokan school", although they all bear Funakoshi's influence. Being one of the first and biggest styles, Shotokan is considered a traditional and influential form of karate.

Shotokan training is usually divided into three parts: kihon (basics), kata (forms or patterns of moves), and kumite (sparring). Techniques in kihon and kata are characterized by deep, long stances that provide stability, enable powerful movements, and strengthen the legs. Shotokan is often regarded as a 'hard' and 'external' martial art because it is taught that way to beginners and coloured belts to develop strong basic techniques and stances. Initially strength and power are demonstrated instead of slower, more flowing motions. Those who progress to brown and black belt level develop a much more fluid style that incorporates grappling and some aikido-like techniques, which can be found in the black belt katas. Kumite techniques mirror these stances and movements at a basic level, but are less structured, with a focus instead on speed and efficiency.

Notable Experiences
Frank has been attacked with a knife on 2 occassions. Experienced bullying first hand throughout boarding school in the UK! First Anglo - Iranian to return to Iran for military service after being invited back by the President! Written many books on the subject of karate specifically Shotokan.

Quotes
"If you need to stop, stop! But don't quit!"

"Every human is the author of his/her own health and disease!"

"Training has to be repetitive if gains are to be made! If you get bored find something that you love doing and stick to it".

"How can you devote yourself to study of anything, If you cannot study yourself!"

"See you on the mats...much better than saying Goodbye!"

Etymology


Shotokan was the name of the first official dojo built by Funakoshi, in 1936 at Mejiro, and destroyed in 1945 as a result. His pen name meaning "pine-waves" (the movement of pine needles when the wind blows through them), was Funakoshi's pen-name, which he used in his poetic and philosophical writings and messages to his students. The Japanese kan (館) means "house" or "hall". In honor of their sensei, Funakoshi's students created a sign reading shōtō-kan, which they placed above the entrance of the hall where Funakoshi taught.Gichin Funakoshi never gave his style a name, just calling it karate.

Free sparring (or free style) (jiyu kumite) is the last element of sparring learned. In this exercise, two training partners are free to use any karate technique or combination of attacks, and the defender at any given moment is free to avoid, block, counter, or attack with any karate technique. Training partners are encouraged to make controlled and focused contact with their opponent, but to withdraw their attack as soon as surface contact has been made.This allows attacking a full range of target areas (including punches and kicks to the face, head, throat, and body) with no padding or protective gloves, but maintains a degree of safety for the participants. Throwing one's partner and performing takedowns are permitted in free sparring, but it is unusual for competition matches to involve extended grappling or ground-wrestling, as Shotokan karateka are encouraged to end an encounter with a single attack (ippon), avoiding extended periods of conflict, or unnecessary contact in situations where there may be more than one attacker.

Kaishu ippon kumite is an additional sparring exercise that is usually introduced for higher grades. This starts in a similar manner to freestyle one-step sparring; the attacker names the attack he/she will execute, attacks with that technique, and the defender blocks and counters the attack. Unlike freestyle one-step sparring, however, the attacker may then be required to block the defender's counter-attack and strike back. This exercise is often considered more difficult than either freestyle one-step sparring or free sparring, as the defender typically cannot escape to a safe distance in time to avoid the counter to the counter-attack.

Kumite within the dojo often differs from competition kumite. In dojo kumite any and all techniques, within reason, are valid; punches, knife hand strikes, headbutt, locks, takedowns, kicks, etc. In competition certain regulations apply, certain techniques are valid, and certain target areas, such as the joints or throat, are forbidden. The purpose of competition is to score points through the application of kumite principles while creating an exciting and competitive atmosphere, whereas the purpose of training kumite in the dojo is to be prepared to kill or cripple an opponent in a realistic situation.

Kihon
Kihon basics is the practice of basic techniques in Shotokan Karate. Kihon Kata, or Taikyoku Shodan, was developed by Yoshitaka Funakoshi, the son of Gichin Funakoshi, as a basic introduction to karate kata. (Yoshitaka also developed Taikyoku Nidan and Sandan) The kata consists of successive restatements of the theme of gedan barai - oi tsuki.

Origins
Gichin Funakoshi had trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan karate of the time: Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū. After years of study in both styles, Funakoshi created a simpler style that combined the ideals of the two.He never named his style, however, always referring to it simply as "karate." Funakoshi's karate reflects the changes made in the art by Ankō Itosu, including the Heian/Pinan kata series. Funakoshi changed the names of some of the kata in an effort to make the Okinawan kata names easier to pronounce in the Japanese Honshū dialect.

In 1924, Funakoshi adopted the Kyū / Dan rank system and the uniform (keikogi) developed by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo.This system uses colored belts (obi) to indicate rank. Originally, karate had only three belt colors: white, brown, and black (with ranks within each). The original belt system, still used by many Shotokan schools, is:


 * 8th rising to 4th kyū: white
 * 3rd rising to 1st kyū: brown
 * 1st and higher dan: black

Funakoshi awarded the first 1st dan (初段; shodan) Shotokan karate ranks to Tokuda, Hironori Ōtsuka (Otsuka), Akiba, Shimizu, Hirose, Makoto Gima, and Shinyō Kasuya on 10 April 1924.

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Category:Karate Category:Martial arts Category:Shotokan practitioners Category:Shotokan Category:Traditional Japanese Karate Category:Frank Nezhadpournia Category:Advanced Publications Category:Iranian karateka Category:Bedfordshire