Frank Nowak Sensei
Patron and friend of Bukon Shotokan
Born 6th October 1947 in Germany, Frank Nowak Sensei first took up Karate-Do in early 1963. He practiced five to six times per week and after four years, at the age of 20, he scored a double success by winning the German National Kata Championship a day after being graded a 1st Dan black belt. Nowak represented Germany a number of times at international competitions, including the European Championships held in Brussels in 1968 when the German team gained third place in team Kumite. During that time he was a German team champion as well as Kata champion.
At the age of 22 Nowak moved to Japan for two years of rigorous training in the Instructors’ Class at the Headquarters of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). In April 1971 he was awarded his 3rd Dan by the late Master Nakayama, the 9th Dan Chief Instructor. Prior to leaving for Australia, Nowak and Kora Nowak Sensei were invited to stay with Master Nakayama while he took them through a rigorous training of all Shotokan kata.
Nowak moved to Australia on 12th November 1972 and was the first fully qualified Shotokan Instr uctor ever to arrive in this country. As the first JKA instructor in this country, he commenced teaching immediately at Miranda and South Sydney, and helped expand dojos elsewhere in the Sydney suburbs and Brisbane. He later joined his teacher, Master Kanazawa, 10th Dan, to establish the Shotokan Karate International Organisation. In 1988 this organisation was renamed Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF).
Nowak traveled to Japan more than 20 times in order to continue his own progress in the art. Promoted to 6th Dan by Master Kanazawa in 1981, Nowak was given recognition for his progress in 1984 by being awarded the Samurai title of Kyoshi, the mark of a senior teacher.
Nowak was highly active in the All Styles Karate scene. He frequently provided leadership to all Australian Karate-Do in his role as the Chief Judge of the Annual National Championships of the Federation of Australian Karate-Do Organisations - now known as the Australian Karate Federation (AKF).
As a Karate-Ka, Nowak was proud of the fact that his Karate lineage could be traced through his teacher Master Kanazawa and the late Master Nakayama, directly to Master Gichin Funakoshi, the pioneer of modern Karate-Do.
In 1986, Nowak formed Zanshin Shotokan Karate-Do with the aim of maintaining a traditional martial arts base with incorporating more realistic fighting techniques.
Frank Nowak Sensei passed away in November 1991 after a long illness. He left behind a wealth of memories and a lifetime of dreams for his loyal students. Sensei Paul Fenech, one of only a few remaining loyal students still teaching, dedicates his dojos to the legend of Sensei Frank Nowak.
Bukon Shotokan is built on the foundations of Sensei Frank Nowak and his perfection of Shotokan karate. His name is carried at the highest level and his karate will be taught as he taught it.