About Shotokan Karate JKA Academy

Affiliated to JKAWF Sensei Kawasoe 8th Dan Group

• Shotokan karate utilizes both the upper and the lower body to produce punches and kicks which are linear and forceful.

• Practitioners employ powerfully delivered, straight line strikes designed to quickly stop an attacker or opponent.

Learn the ultimate shotokan karate of the JKA original masters, as experienced by sensei Sham Aktar Ph.D (Ac.) D.Sc (A.M.)  6th Dan who has over 45 years of knowledge & experience in martial arts especially JKA Shotokan Karate, acquired in China & Japan by training under the worlds' best original masters.

​

​​

BRIEF RESUME OF AKTAR SENSEI Ph.D (Ac) D.Sc (A.M.) 6th DAN:

Sensei Sham Aktar 6th Dan is our Chief Club coach. His martial arts journey began in the early 70's when he was a young boy and watched Bruce Lee on TV and vowed to become good in martial arts just like him. Subsequently he joined the then Bruce Lee Fan Club and received all the news and articles about Bruce Lee's training methods and courses and attended many courses run by Bruce Lee's assitant instructors such as Sifu Danny Inosanto 

 who came over from the USA to the UK, to hold courses and seminars on Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do style of Kung Fu, in the 70's. He also started practicing Shotokan Karate with Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa 8th Dan with whom he was graded upto 4th Dan after many years of training with him both here and in Japan. At the same time he continued with other martial arts such as Kyokushinkai Karate with Sensei Steve Arneil 7th Dan,upto green belt, Kick Boxing, Taekwon Do, Judo, Grappling, Kung Fu & Tai Chi, also achieving his first Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo in 1982 under Richard Cox 4th Dan, teaching Master Heel ILL Cho's  8th Dan WTF Taekwondo.  Around this time, he also attended many courses run by Benny the 'Jet' Urquidez from USA, who was holding teaching seminars all over the UK at the time promoting his version of kick boxing/American full contact karate. Benny the Jet at that time was knocking out the world's best Muay Thai fighters in full contact karate matches using his style of kick boxing around that time.  

 Since Aktar sensei enjoyed the fighting aspect of martial arts & was regularly participating in karate competitions in his early years and wanted to devote his whole focus into one of his many martial arts that he was practising. A martial art that would help him best utilise his energy levels positively & effectively in terms of his health building as well as for competitions, and street self defence, as he always use to get involved in fights when he was young. He chose to stick with Shotokan JKA Karate. He was so enthusiatic that he decided to dedicate his life to  martial arts training & vowed learn from the world's best original JKA masters.  Subsequently, he took many trips to China and Japan between 2005-2008 to study, research and synthesise his training from the very best masters in the Shotokan Karate JKA style.. He spent 3 months in Japan in 2005, training at the JKA  HQ, Kanazawa Shihan's 9th Dan SKI, and  Sensei Yahara's 8th Dan Karate KWF   institutes.    Hence over a  period of 45 years,he has personally trained with the very best original famous masters of JKA Karate. These included Masters: Nishiyama 10th Dan, Kase 10th Dan,Kanazawa 9th Dan, Asai 9th Dan, Shirai 8th Dan, Enoeda 8th Dan, Tanaka 8th Dan,Kawasoe 8th Dan,Asano 8th Dan and many others. During his travels he also learnt Tai-Chi from many masters. His Taichi masters have included: Sifu's: W.Cheung, L.Deyin, Yang Zhengduo, and of course Master H. Kanazawa. Something which a very few other martial arts students have ever been able to do. All these martial arts masters have influenced & shaped Aktar sensei's Karate for the better, many of these masters encouraged Aktar sensei to also study and practice natural medicine and healing, alongside his martial arts practice, like they were doing, and thus Aktar sensei began to study Natural, Alternative, Complementary Medical systems of healthcare and healing alongside his Martial arts over a period of some 30 years, and was able to attain a highly qualified status as a registered practitioner of Chinese & Oriental Medicine & Acupuncture, Manual therapy, Homeopathy, Cupping and Exercise Rehabilitation over many years of study at some of the world's leading healthcare institutions, and which he still continues to practise up till now.  Many of his masters are sadly no longer alive today, but he continues to get inspiration from their teachings & train in their way and welcomes dedicated students who wish to learn the Shotokan Karate JKA , as taught by Aktar sensei 6th Dan.

He started to research their training methods and strategies and formed his own way of teaching based on the combined experiences of all of these great masters,together with his experience of concepts from other martial arts,such as Tai Chi ,Jeet Kune DO, & Grappling etc,which he tries to teach his advanced level grades at his Shotokan JKA Academy Dojo's. Many of hius students have gone on to win final placings at national JKA championships over many years. His former students in the community have included people from all walks of life, Students ,Medical students, Councillors,Military & Security personnel, Religious leaders, & many others, many of whom have gone onto becoming leaders in their fields. Aktar sensei is a modest and inspiring instructor & karateka, still continually practising everyday to optimal perfection, considering himself a student of martial arts on a journey of a lifetime with plenty still to learn. He is passionate in passing on his knowledge and skills to those dedicated students interested in taking their karate beyond their potential to the maximum limit,in order to make them the best that they can aspire to become.

 If you are a sincere & dedicated karateka or student aspiring to master the art of Shotokan JKA Karate , Aktar Sensei & his Black Belt coaching team will help tap into your hidden potential & inspire you to be the best in an easy step-by-step simplified way. Whatever your current level of fitness or technical ability,whether you are an absolute beginner or an advanced Black Belt,we can help take you to the ultimate level...guaranteed.. In addition, we can also help you to achieve and enhance the best life-skills and positive character traits needed to be the number one in your life,through the philosophy of our martial arts over a course of time. These can be transferred into any walk of your life, whether at work, or school, at home or in your social life. Interested ? ..Remember the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step..are you going to take that important step and discover the wonderful hidden gems in that journey ? ...Call us now and set up your FREE trial qualifier session now.

Call : 07956 553417 or  07813 680603

​
 

Aktar sensei Training with the worlds' leading masters of JKA at the JKAWF HQ in Japan  ( 2005 )

Our Locations

We run classes at two locations; Watford Woodside Leisure Centre and Foxdell Junior School in Luton. Click on the link below to see our locations and sat nav addresses.

Watford Woodside Leisure Centre

Saturday

Mixed Class,  beginners and intermediate: 17:00 - 17:45

Advanced class: 17:45 - 18:30

By Invitation only/personalised coaching 18:30 - 19:00

Sunday 

Mixed Class, beginners and intermediate: 10:45 - 11:30

BBC / Brown Belts Class: 11:30 - 12:15

Black Belt Class by invitation 12:15 - 1pm

​

St Margaret's Church Hall

Tuesday & Thursday

Mixed Class, beginners and intermediate: 18:00 - 18:45

BBC class: 18:45 - 19:15

BBC/Brown/Black Belts /personalised coaching: 19:15- 20:00

Saturday

BBC/ Brown/Black Belts 10am - 12pm

​