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Sham Aktar at the Japan Karate Association (JKA) Head quarters  2005.

Sham Aktar - 6th Dan:
His lifetime of dedication to martial arts & training with the world's leading martial arts masters in his younger days below:

Sham Aktar as a  teenager training in martia arts with Bruce Lee's Student Sifu Danny Inosanto

Sham Aktar sensei Training in Bruce Lee style Jeet Kune-Do with Bruce Lee's best & top student
Sifu Danny Inosanto in his younger days. ( Sifu Danny Inosanto starred in Bruce Lee's film " The game of Death " - Circa 1974  )

photo of Sham Aktar with Master Kanazawa of Shotokan Karate after training.

 With the Legendary master Hirokazu Kanazawa Shihan 10th Dan

Photo of Sensei Tanaka and Sham Aktar after training
Photo of Abe sensei and Sham Aktar after training.

With Abe sensei 8th Dan
A true Samurai ..

 With Tanaka sensei 8th Dan one of JKA's best kumite champion .

Sham Aktar 6th Dan - Chief Club Instructor/Examiner

Sham Aktar - 6th Dan is the club's chief instructor & examiner. Originally a fan of Bruce Lee as a Child, he got his early inspiration in wanting to learn martial arts watching  Bruce Lee and Samurai films as a young child. Since early childhood, he grew up in challenging times, his high School had a reputation in  of having some of the roughest, toughest bullies in the neighbourhood, so naturally he had to put up with a lot of tough competition every day of his school life & often ended up always trying to prove himself in front of the 'Big Lads' in order to survive his School days. He never backed away from a fight or any challenge, even though many times he got beaten severely.Thus he was determined to learn Martial arts to become physically strong, and to keep him very physically active,preparing for the many situational challenges that occured, and so he tried learning many combat sports & martial arts such as boxing, Judo, Traditional & Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, and others,following in the footsteps of his mentor Bruce Lee.  Over decades of training, including many trips to the far east in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan to train with the world's best , top masters of martial arts, he has been able to fulfill his ambition in life. Sham Aktar sensei now passionately desires to pass on his many decades of martial arts learning to his dedicated & committed karate students, as he feels its his contribution towards the positive human development through martial arts in society. In particular, Sensei Aktar never forgets the principles and teachings of JKA Shotokan and other martial arts, in life, that he learned from all the top legendary masters. His task now is to simplify all that he learned for all his students, in a step-by-step Black Belt course. So what took many years of practise by trial and error, is simplified and taught in a systematised way at world class level by Sham Aktar to ensure  his students' martial arts learning journey is the best that it can possibly be. For those that know of the famous legendary Masters of JKA Karate, he has been personally taught by the world's very best masters such as :
Master Kase 10th Dan, Nishiyama 10th Dan, Asai 9th Dan, Kanazawa 9th Dan,Shirai 8th Dan,Enoeda 8th Dan,Tanaka 8th Dan, Yahara 8th Dan,Kawasoe 8th Dan,and others, some of whom sadly are no longer alive today. Each of these masters was so good & unique in the skills of Shotokan JKA Karate which Sham Aktar has spent many years trying to capture the essence of each of their technique/s,& teachings and to be able to simplify & relate these in his own unique way to his dedicated, enthusiatic & committed students, which he does very successfully in his Karate Academy. he has thus simplified the typical Black Belt Course, for his students, like a road map for them to achieve their ultimate success,in karate as a way of life.
Sham Aktars unique teaching point is to be able to take an average dedicated student way past his/her potential to the ultimate level of technique learning and skill by simplifying the essence of teachings of the great original JKA masters. Thus ensuring high quality effective karate and state of mind learning & development for all his students. You can be guaranteed an improvement in your physical & mental state when training with Mr Aktar, as he always,continually encourages you beyond your limits to find your true hidden potential.This is in nutshell a summaryof his teaching method. It is also in this way that many of his junior students continue to have successful first placings in JKAWF national karate competitions.
If you are interested in training in JKA Karate training under Aktar sensei's 47 years experience why not check out  Mr Aktars classes for yourself..Call now:0800 999 1959 text: 07956 553417

photo of Shirai sensei chief instructor to Italy and Sham Aktar after training

With Shirai Sensei 8th Dan of Italy..Great Master of Knowledge !!...

Photo of Yahara and sham Aktar after training on a course.

With Mikio Yahara sensei 8th Dan JKA's dynamite ..

photo of Yaguchi sensei and Sham Aktar sensei after training

With Yaguchi sensei 8th Dan
One of the great few old -timers..

Nick Macfarren Assistant coach at Shotokan JKA Academy
Nick MacFarren & Kawasoe Sensei after training in 2022

Nick MacFarren - 6th Dan
Nick MacFarren has been practicing karate and martial arts since 1975. He got his 2nd Dan Black Belt in Wado Ryu Karate with Hanshi Tatsuo Suzuki in 1985  .. then changed to Shotokan karate in 1990. He Joined Sensei Masao Kawasoe 8th Dan club in London and started again from white belt and has been with him ever since as he says he is a great inspiration.  He has had the privilege to train with some of the top karate and jujitsu instructors in the world. Recently he has been inspired by Sham Aktar's Shotokan JKA Karate & his approach to the teaching methods of the original JKA masters & their training ideas  & concepts. He decided to join Aktar's Shotokan Karate JKA Academy organisation to improve his own Karate to the next best optimal level. He is thus a great inspiration to all students at the Shotokan Karate JKA Academy of a truly dedicated karateka & instructor.

Photo of Nick MacFarren 5th Dan
Hassan Mehraj  2nd Dan assistant coach at Shotokan JKA Academy
Group photo of Naito sensei , Kawasoe sensei, Sham Aktar and Hassan Mehraj after training.

Hassan Mehraj  - Nidan - 2nd Dan - Assistant Coach 

Hassan Sampai, Nidan, 2nd Dan, started at the Shotokan JKA Academy as a beginner about 13 years ago and through his hard work, dedication, enthusiasm,and progression under Mr  Aktar's guidance & direction,quickly progressed through the grades upto the BBC ( Black Belt Club ) and leadership programme to become an enthusiastic Nidan Black Belt & popular assistant coach at the Shotokan JKA Academy, especially with the new special beginner students. He uses all his knowledge and skills gained at the Shotokan JKA  Academy to motivate and inspire beginning and elementary class students to progress towards higher levels through his inspirational teaching style that he has learned through Aktar's direct guidance. He patiently continues to improve his Karate through Aktar's guidance.

Hassan after his 2nd Dan grading with Naito sensei 8th Dan.
photo of Hassan and Naito sbesei after grading 2022
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Nathan Ucher - Shodan (1st Dan

Nathan Ucher started as a beginner at the Shotokan JKA Academy some 14 years ago and worked his way up through the Black Belt Club , BBC & leadership programs to become one of the youngest Black Belt coaches at the Academy. He is also one of our assistant coaches (Sampai) 

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