Ari Anastasiadis

Also known as

Aristide Anastasiadis · Arry Anastasiadis · Aristide Anastasiadis · Arry Anastasiadis

Description

Pioneer of Shotokan karate in Canada. Of Greek origin, born in Egypt, Anastasiadis trained at the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in Tokyo under Hirokazu Kanazawa, and was one of the very first foreigners to earn his black belt there in the late 1950s. He became the first person to teach karate in Canada, opening his first club in Montreal in 1957. He was the first non-Japanese to referee the All Japan Championship. By age 33 (1965) he held mastery in karate, judo, aikido, and bogotsu. He founded the first Canadian karate federation and collaborated with Hirokazu Kanazawa on instructional books and videos for the Shotokan Karate International Federation (SKIF). Among his early students was Gilles Dufour, who later became the successor of Roger Lesseau in Kyokushin.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Hirokazu Kanazawa

  sports_martial_artsShotokan Probable

  Probable

  Goran Glucina's first-person video description states that he and Ari Anastasiadis both trained under Hirokazu Kanazawa; corroborated by the Karate Maskoutain hommage. The interaction period is inferred from Anastasiadis's documented Tokyo/JKA stay in the late 1950s when Kanazawa was a JKA instructor.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  location_onJKA Honbu Dojo badge (1956–1960)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Goran Glucina's first-person video description states that he and Ari Anastasiadis both trained under Hirokazu Kanazawa; corroborated by the Karate Maskoutain hommage. The interaction period is inferred from Anastasiadis's documented Tokyo/JKA stay in the late 1950s when Kanazawa was a JKA instructor.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “We all trained under the greatest Karate Master of modern times HIROKAZU KANAZAWA Soke who spread Karate -Do throughout the Western World.”

  — Glucina, Goran. (2022). KARATE DEMONSTRATION on NHK TV, TOKYO JAPAN 1985 Rare footagelink info

Lineage

• Shotokan Hirokazu Kanazawa ← Masatoshi Nakayama ← Funakoshi Gichin · 3 generations

Students (1)

• 
  Gilles Dufour

  sports_martial_artsShotokan Probable

  Probable

  The Zanshin documentary transcript states Dufour first trained in Shotokan under Ari Anastasiadis before switching to Kyokushin in 1965. Anastasiadis is documented as the first karate instructor in Canada.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1963–1965)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  The Zanshin documentary transcript states Dufour first trained in Shotokan under Ari Anastasiadis before switching to Kyokushin in 1965. Anastasiadis is documented as the first karate instructor in Canada.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Puis par la suite, c'est ça Shotokan. Puis par la suite, c'était Ari Anastasiadis, qui était instructeur. Par la suite, ça a été en 1965, décembre 1965, le Kyokushinkai a été implanté au Canada par Roger Lesseau.”

  — Zanshin - Épisode 9 - Maître Gilles Dufour - La passion d'une vie - Moi mes soulierslink info

Honours (2)

• receipt_longCanadian Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee Probable

  Probable

  Listed on the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame inductees page for 2010

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Title (2010)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Listed on the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame inductees page for 2010

  “2010 - Ari Anastasiadis - Karate”

  — Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame inductees list link
• receipt_longMaster Probable

  Probable

  The hommage article states he trained at JKA in Japan and was a master in multiple arts, but specific dan grade is not listed

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Title

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  The hommage article states he trained at JKA in Japan and was a master in multiple arts, but specific dan grade is not listed

  “Issu de la Japan Karate Association (JKA), Sensei Anastasiadis devient le premier à enseigner le karaté au Canada, ouvrant son premier club à Montréal en 1957.”

  — Ferro, Ricardo. (2024). Hommage à Sensei Ari Anastasiadis - Club de Karaté Maskoutainlink history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Senior Sensei ARI ANASTASIADIS Sensei who was one of the very first foreigner"s [sic] to gain his black belt in the late 1950's in Tokyo Japan.”

  — Glucina, Goran. (2022). KARATE DEMONSTRATION on NHK TV, TOKYO JAPAN 1985 Rare footagelink info

Sources