Mohammad Seyar Azadani, 4th Dan

President and Branch Chief

Kyokushin-kan International - Afghanistan

Born in 1978, Sensei Azadani started practicing Kyokushin Karate at his early teens. Spending four to eight hours per day in meditation, discipline, and training, he won his first Kyokushin bare knuckle championship at the age of seventeen. He followed this win with participating in many international championships by the age of twenty-six. He is the first ever Afghan who obtained a Kata championship title for Afghanistan with placing third in the 2004 All Middle East Kyokushin Kata Championships. He has also contributed to Kyokushin by serving as either a referee or a judge in international and world tournaments. Besides attending many international training seminars under famous Japanese Kyokushin masters, he is the first and only Afghan that traveled to Japan and studied Kyokushin Karate under Kancho Hatsuo Royama in Kyokushin-kan International Honbu.

Having been appointed as the Branch Chief of Kyokushin-kan International Honbu in Afghanistan by Kancho Royama, he founded Kyokushin-kan Afghanistan branch in early 2006. Sensei Azadani had the honor of inviting Kyoshi Shihan Dawood Daneshfar, President of Kyokushin-kan International - Iran & Middle East, to the first All Afghanistan Kyokushin-kan training seminar in 2007.

Because of his achievements and services to developing Afghanistan Kyokushin Karate, Sensei Azadani proudly received Qazi Mir Bacha Khan governmental medal, honored by late, great, and much missed Mohammad Zahir Sha Khan, the last King of Afghanistan; and President Hamed Karzai in 2003.

Sensei Azadani participated in 2008 Kyokushin-kan instructors' international training camp in Fukushima, Japan and successfully passed his Yondan test under Kancho Hatsuo Royama.

He has dedicated his life to Kyokushin Karate and it is firmly believed that because of his discipline, management and leadership skills, Kyokushin knowledge, highly advanced Kyokushin skills, and hardworking personality, he will certainly help Afghanistan Kyokushin accomplish its milestones.

Currently, Afghanistan Kyokushin-kan branch has over 2000 members in 15 provinces of Afghanistan. While simultaneously managing the provincial branches from its headquarters in Herat City, Sensei Azadani travels to branches around Afghanistan to teach and spread the spirit of the Kyokushin Way to members of Kyokushin-kan International - Afghanistan.

Achievements of Afghanistan team from international tournaments under leadership of Sensei Azadani:

• Second place after Russia in the 1st All Asia Kyokushin-kan Karate Championships, March - 2010, Malaysia, among 21 Countries including Russia and Japan (1st and 2nd places in 65 Kg division and 2nd place in 80 Kg division).

• Successful participation of Afghanistan team in All Kyokushin Karate World Tournament, October - 2009, Hungary and reaching best eight in 80 Kg division.

• Successful participation of Afghanistan in the 2nd Kyokushin-kan European Championships in September, 2008, Moscow.

• Second place in the first SARC Kyokushin-kan Championships, November, 2007, India.

• Third place in 2007 Asian Open Weight Kyokushin Karate Championships, Pakistan.

• Second place in the Friendship Tournament between Iran & Afghanistan in 2006, Mashhad, Iran.

• Champion of the Friendship Tournament between Iran & Afghanistan in 2005, Mashhad, Iran.

• Second place in 2004 All Middle East Kyokushin Open Championships, Tehran, Iran.

• Third place in 2003 All Middle East Kyokushin Open Championships, Tehran, Iran.