Instructors - International Karate Daigaku Australia

Instructors

Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai, 10 th Dan, M.S., F.G.M.S

Frank Woon-A-Tai, 10th Dan, was born in Guyana in 1950, and began training in 1964. He holds a B.A degree in Japanese Studies from the University of Toronto. In January 2011, he resigned from the ISKF as Chairman and Technical Director of ISKF Canada, and co-vice Chairman of the ISKF Technical Committee to establish the International Karate Daigaku (IKD).
Master Woon-A-Tai is Kancho (Founder) and Shuseki Shihan (Chief Master) of the IKD. Throughout his distinguished career, he served as first president of the Caribbean Karate College and as chief instructor of Jamaica from 1976 to 1980. He is founder and chief instructor of JKA/ISKF Guyana, and the Guyana Karate College. He founded the Toronto JKA in 1981, and is presently Chairman and Chief Instructor of the Toronto Karate Daigaku, Ontario Karate College, and IKD Ontario.

After training in Japan in the early 1970s, he continued his training, until recently, under the legendary Master Teruyuki Okazaki, 10th Dan for 40 years. He also trained under Masters: Yutaka Yaguchi, 9th Dan, Hidetaka Nishiyama, 10th Dan, the great Masatoshi Nakayama, 10th Dan, and Hirokazu Kanazawa, 10th Dan all JKA legends, as well as almost every famous Japanese Karate Masters of the 1950 to 1970s.

He was the first Canadian Guyanese graduate of the JKA/ISKF Instructor Training Institute, and a 1978 Pan American kata champion. Master Woon-A-Tai is a recipient of the French Guiana National Medal of Service for over 25 years of karate service in that country. In 2005, he was inducted in the ISKF Canada Hall of Honour. In 2009, he received the Mayor of Georgetown’s Award for his lifetime of service to the youth of Guyana. He produced two DVDs; Eclipse of Life (1997), and Soul of Kata (2000).

A dedicated teacher, he has produced regional, national, and Pan American champions, as well as world karate champions, all of whom have outstanding tournament records. He hosted the prestigious 2008 ISKF World Shoto Cup in Toronto, and in 2010, the 11th ISKF Pan American Karate Championships in Guyana. This event was attended by His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo and was co-sponsored by the Guyana Government. At the same event, His Honour, the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green presented Master Okazaki with the ‘Key to the City’.

Master Woon-A-Tai received his first degree black belt in 1971 from the JKA in Tokyo, and his eighth degree black belt from Masters Okazaki and Yaguchi. He also received his A class Instructor, A class Examiner, and A class Judge licences at the same time. In turn, he has produced thousands of black belt students ranging from first to seventh dan as well as several international instructors, examiners and judges.

In 2011, he received his greatest honour from the government of Guyana. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Service of Guyana and awarded the Medal of Service for long and outstanding service as an exponent and trainer in martial arts at the national, regional and international levels by His Excellency, President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana.

His main goal continues to be of service to young people throughout the world by helping them find direction in life, helping to keep them off the drugs, and to break the cycle of crime and violence through the discipline of karate training. In October 2011, IKD received accreditation from the Guyana Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Watch the video of 10th Dan from Shuseki Shihan Woon A Tai

Okazaki Sensei talks about Shuseki Shihan Master Frank Woon-A-Tai

Order of Service Certificate

Shihan Maureen Woon-A-Tai, 9 th Dan

Maureen Woon-A-Tai, 9th Dan, is a Deputy Chief Instructor making her the first female traditional karate master in the world to hold such a position. She attained this rank in June 2011 by Special Resolution of the International Board of Directors and Shihan–kai. She received her First Dan in 1974 and seventh dan in 2006 from Masters: Okazaki, Yaguchi, Mikami, Koyama, Takashina, and Ueki (observer). She teaches at the Headquarters dojo in Toronto and travels extensively throughout the IKD world promoting IKDtraining methods and to administer rank examinations.
A quiet and unassuming woman, Master Woon-A-Tai has a long anddistinguished tournament career. She placed sixth in the world at the first International Amateur Karate Federation (IAKF) World Championships in Los Angeles in1975; second in kata at the 1982 Canadian Nationals, persevered, and finally became a World Champion at age 54, capturing gold and silver medals at the 2008 ISKF World Shoto Cup. She followed this up in 2010 by winning another gold medal at the 11th ISKF Pan Am Championships held in Guyana.

Shihan Woon-A-Tai is married to Frank Woon-A-Tai since 1974 and has four grandchildren. She recently retired as a Royal Bank of Canada officer after 30 years’ service. During her tenure at RBC she successfully completed several bank management courses. As well, she completed a course at the University of Toronto in Japanese language and has visited Japan on many occasions for training and tournaments. She brings to the IKD a wealth of experience.

Like her husband, she has trained with almost every famous Japanese and non-Japanese Karate Instructors the JKA has produced since the 1950s. As a deputy chief Instructor, she sits on the IKD Shihan-kai with IKD AAA credentials, some of which she obtained from the JKA and ISKF

Shihan Dr. W. Dexter Shim, 9 th Dan, M.B., B.S., DLO, FRCSA

Dr. Wesley Dexter Shim, 9th Dan, M.B., B.S., DLO, FRCS, was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1952. He was educated at the University of The West Indies (UWI), The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, and The Royal College of Surgeons in England. Dr. Shim is Associate Lecturer at the UWI Medical School and heads the Department of Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology at Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

He is Chief Instructor of Trinidad and Tobago and began training in 1968 at St. Mary’s College. He continued training under Sensei Woon-A-Tai while perusing his medical degree at UWI Jamaica and received his First Dan from Master Okazaki in 1976 and his seventh Dan in 2006.

Dr. Shim moved to Barbados in 1980 and contributed to the standard of karate there. During 1980 and 1982 he and his wife Frieda, visited Japan and trained under a number of world-renowned masters that included Shoji, Asai, Tanaka, Osaka, and Yahara.

Dr. Shim continued with his medical specialist studies that took him to England in 1983. There he had the opportunity to train under Master Enoeda. He represented Enoeda’s dojo and won medals on two occasions. He has also won several national and Caribbean championships. Dr. Shim is the originator of the Caribbean Karate College, a revolutionary new idea for including karate in the educational system. He elaborates on the rationale of such bold and pioneering steps:

There is clearly a need in the society to help curb the violence among young people and to offer people who might not have full academic qualification, but possess the necessary skill, the opportunity to obtain a viable way of earning a living. In addition to this, for the first time, karate has been included in the Caribbean Examination Counsel Physical Education syllabus. We see karate with its maxims of respect and discipline as an important vehicle by which we can help young people find direction. It builds self-esteem and gives an ethic by which a young person can live. As a result there is a need to train Instructors properly to carry out the task of imparting the correct principles by which a person can practice this art…It is also designed to cover the syllabus to be taught for the CXC program and in this way provide a cadre of Instructors who could adequately teach the practical aspect of the CXC martial arts syllabus.”

Shihan Hamid Mostofizadeh, 7th Dan
Chairman & Chief Instructor of IKD-Australia

Shihan Hamid is the founder and President (Kancho) of the International Karate Daigaku Association Australia (IKD-Australia) Organization and is recognised as Chairman and Chief Instructor of the IKD system in Australia.

Shihan Hamid has been involved in Karate for most of his life, beginning his training in Karate at the age of 11 in Shiraz, Iran. Here he started his training in Shotokan and has since trained nationally and internationally with some of the most renowned martial arts teachers.

He received his first-degree black belt by Master Keigo Abe (JKA) during his time in Iran. In November 2023 Shihan Hamid obtaind the rank of Shichidan (7th Dan) by Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai. (IKD)

He also received his A class Instructor, A class Examiner, and A class Judge licences at the same time.

In 2009 Shihan Hamid established his first karate club (JKS) in Gympie, QLD and bought JKS to the Australian shore for the first time ever. Later he established the JKS Australia under the recognition of JKS HQ in Japan, going on to found the branches of JKS in Maroochydore, JKS Maryborough and JKS Sydney alongside his already established JKS Gympie. Shihan Hamid also ran 7 successful International seminars during his time with JKS and trained with Kagawa Shihan throughout this time.

In April 2017 Shihan Hamid resigned from the JKS as Chairman and President of JKS-Australia. Following which Shihan Hamid changed affiliation to International Karate Daigaku (IKD).

Shihan Hamid’s Dojo is nationally and internationally recognised by the Australian Karate federation (AKF), Queensland Karate Association (QKA), International Karate Daigaku (IKD) and the World Karate Federation (WKF).

Throughout his teaching career, Shihan Hamid had trained many state, and national team representatives as well as state, national and international champions and medalists. He has proudly witnessed his students excel in life with confidence and humility gained, following years of disciplined training.

In 2007 Shihan Hamid retired from active competition himself to focus on the development of his students and karate organisation.

Sporting experience in other areas of his include Tennis, Fencing and Waterskiing. Following his move from Iran to Germany, sensei Hamid taught Karate, Tennis, Fencing and Waterskiing at all three major universities in Berlin (The Berlin University of Technology, The UDK – university of arts, The Freie University). His training skills were certified by the German sporting regulation authority.

During this time he completed his studies in mining engineering and mineralogy, going on to complete his honours, masters and other research.

Awards & Certifications