Black Belts in AKBAN
The mission of the Black Belts in AKBAN is to promote martial arts practice, improve physical and mental health while engaging in education, research, methodology, ethics, online teaching and technology development. These empower teachers and practitioners to create connected, decentralized, autonomous and humane, communities.
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (1889-1972)
Quote: "Strong as a bamboo, beautiful like a flower"
Masaaki Hatsumi, Founder of Bujinkan
Quote: "The first priority is winning without fighting"
Doron Navon, Meditation Master, Feldenkrais Method teacher, Judo 4th Dan (Kodokan), first Bujinkan western Shihan.
Retired
Quote: "Don't walk through walls"
Book: "The Guide for the Perplexed", Maimonides
Yossi Sheriff, AKBAN Academy founder, teaching since 1984
Quotes: Link
Books: "the Bible", "Elvi Burtanum Fjorden" Olav Hauge, "The Warrior Koans: Early Zen in Japan" Trevor Leggett, "Chovot HaLevavot" Bahye ben Joseph ibn Pakuda
Movies: "Les Bidasses S'En Vont En Guerre", "Arrival"
Assaf Hochman, assistant professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences Hebrew University. Interested in reducing climate and weather prediction uncertainties across spatial and temporal scales, especially over vulnerable populated regions.
Books: "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Teachings of Don Juan", "Journey to Ixtlan" Carlos Castaneda
Avishai Abrahami is the CEO and co-founder of Wix, the leading platform for website creation and digital presence, which he launched in 2006. An experienced technology entrepreneur, Abrahami has driven Wix's evolution from a startup to a global company serving millions of users worldwide
Quote: "I believe a CEO should be a 'brown belt' at everything—know enough to challenge the expert standing in front of you."
Avishay Mizrahi
Carmel Zitronblat, AKBAN Jerusalem Headmaster, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine,Birder, member
Books: "1Q84" Haruki Murakami,"Two She-Bears: A Novel", "His House in the Desert", Meir Shalev
Quote: "If one does not do, one is never wrong"
Dan Hashimshoni, PhD Physics, Epitomee Medical.
The most relaxing Book: "The Critique of Pure Reason", Immanuel Kant
Eli Shirian.
My book: The sea, the deepest book there is. And also, the lessons that big waves teach me, lessons about fear, happiness and flowing with the challenges.
Guy Renan, MA in East Asian studies, Japanese native speaker and lecturer.
Quote: "The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things... the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust in the wind." Heike Monogatari
Inspiration: "The Seven samurai" Akira Korosawa, "Gates of Fire" Steven Pressfield, "Born to Run" Christopher McDougall
Itai Abraham
Lior Katz, AKBAN Kfar Bilu Headmaster, Board Certified Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Sports injuries
Quote: "To do the same thing and expect a different result is insanity"
Books: "The Bible", "Born to Run" Christopher McDougall, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" Gabriel García Márquez
Michael Lissak, Corporate Environmental Responsibility, Teacher, member of AKBAN Think Tank
Books: "Two She-Bears: A Novel, Meir Shalev", "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Meetings with Remarkable Men, G. I. Gurdjieff
Quote:"To truly know the world, look deep within yourself. To truly know yourself, take a real interest in the world." Rudolf Steiner.
Nadav Dayan
Noam Hadari
Quote: Everyone should have two pockets, the contents of them he'll use when he'll need to. In one pocket there will be a note—"The world was made in my honour", and in the other pocket—"And I am dirt and ashes״
Book: "A Song of Ice and Fire", George R. R. Martin
Ran Ariely
Ran Levari, AKBAN Berlin Headmaster
Quote: "A job worth doing is worth doing well"
Teachers I like: Yoda, Mr Myagi and Chiun from "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins"
Shai Dekel, Mathematics, visiting Associate Professor, Approximation Theory, Harmonic analysis, Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence.
Quote: "It all has to do with 'geometry' of the data"
Shai Dill, Advocate,corporate law, securities and crowd funding, mergers and acquisitions, technology transactions and privacy and data protection issues.
Quote: "Give more than you receive"
Shmuel Bar Kana, Teacher, Personal coaching.
Quote: "Before we change the world, we must change our selves"
Books: "The AKBAN Desert Notebook", Dan Hashimshoni & Yossi sheriff. "The Methodical Pyramid" Yossi Sheriff, "Tree Climbing for Land walkers",Dan Hashimshoni
Vasilis Panagiotou, AKBAN Greece headmaster.
Ya'ad Ben David, AKBAN Holon Headmaster,
Books: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"Robert M. Pirsig, "Tao Te Ching" Laozi, "The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S. N. Goenka"
Yaniv Maimon, CEO Personal Trainers
Inspiration: Physical activity and movement research
Quote: "Train hard, fight easy"
Zion Cohen
Aris Pitas, AKBAN Atika headmaster
Adi Flint
Amir Zafon
Quote: "Life is what happens while you plan something else"
Inspiration: Robert Heinlein, Nature walks, History
Anastasios Konstantopoulus
Benni Summers
Daniel Bekker
Danny Luria
Danny Yafit,Physician, resident in ears, nose and throat medicine.
David Gedepker, Electrical and electronics engineering.
Quote: "Honor thy mother and thy father"
Dvir Adwi
Eli Robinson
Eyal Ron
Gaby Frishlander, Niradin teacher
Movie: "My Dinner with Andre"
Quote: "The unfearful heart harbours no malice"
Itai Ofzhar
John Branchcomb
Lefteris Kampalonis
Maria Dakalaki
Matan Diwald
Navot Pele Tamari
Noam Olshinka
Ofer Mizrahi, Contractor, Carpenter, Beekeeper.
Quotes: "When you make honey, suddenly everyone has jars", "Stories are mightier than swords. Swords kill in the immediate vicinity, stories kill for generations to come"
Three things I like to do: Listen to experienced people, wake up before everybody does, do a clean job.
Ofek Yaniv
Ohad Savion
Or Zvibach, Industrial Engineer, R.O.D
Quote: "When things get messed up, return to basics״
Book: ״The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game״, Michael Lewis
Papakonstantinou Theodoprus
Rami Lerner, VP Systems and Architecture
Ronen Nir, Advocate
Books: "The Bible", "Tao Te Ching" Laozi, "All Quiet on the Western Front", Erich Maria Remarque
Sefi Hauslich
Shmulik Karp
Tal Gadish, Software Engineer
Quote: "If you smile too widely, your missing tooth might show"
Books: Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, "The White Tiger", Aravind Adiga, "Kizurey derekh ha-baita" [Shortcuts Home] Alex Epstein
Movies: "Starwars", "X-Men", "12 Monkies"
Tom Shahar
Yair Mamo
Yaniv Brody
Yehuda Shahar
Yoni Ben Dor, Percussionist, Herbal Medicine expert, Instructor in "Shomrei Hagan"
Inspiration: Iron Maiden, Carlos Castaneda,Tao Te Ching, Star Wars, My Teachers, Old Civilizations.
Quote: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
Yuval Maron,Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Quote: "In the history of the world there is one thing that money can not buy, the dog's happy tail wagging"
Adam Myodownik
Alon Adika
Almog Cohen
Amir Haimi
Amir Swisa
Ariel Bino
Ariel Friedman
Arie Zaidan
Aviv Rabina
Boaz Yafe
Dan Calrman
Dan Gashai
Dan Pomer
Daniel Goldfarb, Freelance Illustrator
Quote:״Time is never time at all/ You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth״
Daniel Miodovnik
Daniel Oz
Danny Brudner
Danny Hershkovitz, Leadership studies, and Human System Analysis.
Dudi Ohaion.
Dudi Gordon
Elad Bar, Visionary Teacher
Eldar Riklis
Eshel Marko
Eyal Grontman
Eyal Rosenwein
Eyal Yaish
Gadi Hadad, Physical Therapist
Books: "Al Hatshuva" Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, "The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years"Chingiz Aitmatov
Quote: "Love work, loath mastery over others," Pirkei Avot
Gali Riemer
Gideon Zaghar
Guy Kligman
Guy Sharon
Hizkiya Yahav, Senior Electrical Engineer.
Books: "Menorat Hamaor" Rabi Yzhak Abuhav, "Chovot HaLevavot" Bahye ben Joseph ibn Pakuda
Quote: "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone."
Ido Levit
Kfir Mazaki
Lior Nahmani
Liran Sarig
Lotem Bergman
Matan Malewski
Merav Suissa, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Shiatsu.
Michael Koleman
Miky Federman
Muni Hershkowits
Nia Fayler, Developmental Astrology.
Quote: "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king."
Nimrod Lucas
Nizan Ravhon
Noam Shai
Oded Levi, Creative director
No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.
Oded Zilberberg
Ohad Wintraub
Oren Perez
Ra'am Manzur, teacher,
Book: "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Quote: "We are constantly preparing for the "moment" for something special to happen. Every workout is a "moment" and a workout without asking questions is strength. This is the power of habit. The power begins with the fact that we fight with our back to the wall. Training is not an option."
Ran Camun
Roi Golombik
Roi Reimer
Shar Gross
Shamulik Yeshaia
Shai Nahari
Sharon Ba'al Zedaka
Shon London
Silviu Berko
Steven Little
Tal Flint
Tal Rosenwein
Tomer Bernard
Uri Yariv.
Inspiration: "Book Of Five Rings", Myamoto Musashi, All the books of Haim Shapira, Ronen Bergman, "Life of Pie" The movie
Yaron Konigsberg
Ygal Kushnir
Yoav Alterman, Engineering and Communication systems.
Books: "Across the Nightingale Floor" Gillian Rubinstein, "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" Yuval Noah Harari, "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Movies: "Zatōichi", "Blade Runner"
Quote: "In a place where there is no man be a man" Pirkei Avot
Yoav Kfir, CPA, CEO Var Management
Quote: "In a debt settlement, one has to maximise equity because at the bottom line there is only one plate."
Yonathan Calderon
Yonathan Rosen
Yoni Ziv
Yoram Kligman
Yotam Yosefian
Yuri Nulman
Yuval Yarmolowski
Zvica Lekah
Zahi Grimland
Heritage
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (1889-1972)
Quote: "Strong as a bamboo, beautiful like a flower"
Masaaki Hatsumi, Founder of Bujinkan
Quote: "The first priority is winning without fighting"
Doron Navon, Meditation Master, Feldenkrais Method teacher, Judo 4th Dan (Kodokan), first Bujinkan western Shihan.
Retired
Quote: "Don't walk through walls"
Book: "The Guide for the Perplexed", Maimonides
Leadership
Yossi Sheriff, AKBAN Academy founder, teaching since 1984
Quotes: Link
Books: "the Bible", "Elvi Burtanum Fjorden" Olav Hauge, "The Warrior Koans: Early Zen in Japan" Trevor Leggett, "Chovot HaLevavot" Bahye ben Joseph ibn Pakuda
Movies: "Les Bidasses S'En Vont En Guerre", "Arrival"
Assaf Hochman, assistant professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences Hebrew University. Interested in reducing climate and weather prediction uncertainties across spatial and temporal scales, especially over vulnerable populated regions.
Books: "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Teachings of Don Juan", "Journey to Ixtlan" Carlos Castaneda
Avishai Abrahami is the CEO and co-founder of Wix, the leading platform for website creation and digital presence, which he launched in 2006. An experienced technology entrepreneur, Abrahami has driven Wix's evolution from a startup to a global company serving millions of users worldwide
Quote: "I believe a CEO should be a 'brown belt' at everything—know enough to challenge the expert standing in front of you."
Avishay Mizrahi
Carmel Zitronblat, AKBAN Jerusalem Headmaster, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine,Birder, member
Books: "1Q84" Haruki Murakami,"Two She-Bears: A Novel", "His House in the Desert", Meir Shalev
Quote: "If one does not do, one is never wrong"
Dan Hashimshoni, PhD Physics, Epitomee Medical.
The most relaxing Book: "The Critique of Pure Reason", Immanuel Kant
Eli Shirian.
My book: The sea, the deepest book there is. And also, the lessons that big waves teach me, lessons about fear, happiness and flowing with the challenges.
Guy Renan, MA in East Asian studies, Japanese native speaker and lecturer.
Quote: "The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things... the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust in the wind." Heike Monogatari
Inspiration: "The Seven samurai" Akira Korosawa, "Gates of Fire" Steven Pressfield, "Born to Run" Christopher McDougall
Itai Abraham
Lior Katz, AKBAN Kfar Bilu Headmaster, Board Certified Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Sports injuries
Quote: "To do the same thing and expect a different result is insanity"
Books: "The Bible", "Born to Run" Christopher McDougall, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" Gabriel García Márquez
Michael Lissak, Corporate Environmental Responsibility, Teacher, member of AKBAN Think Tank
Books: "Two She-Bears: A Novel, Meir Shalev", "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Meetings with Remarkable Men, G. I. Gurdjieff
Quote:"To truly know the world, look deep within yourself. To truly know yourself, take a real interest in the world." Rudolf Steiner.
Nadav Dayan
Noam Hadari
Quote: Everyone should have two pockets, the contents of them he'll use when he'll need to. In one pocket there will be a note—"The world was made in my honour", and in the other pocket—"And I am dirt and ashes״
Book: "A Song of Ice and Fire", George R. R. Martin
Ran Ariely
Ran Levari, AKBAN Berlin Headmaster
Quote: "A job worth doing is worth doing well"
Teachers I like: Yoda, Mr Myagi and Chiun from "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins"
Shai Dekel, Mathematics, visiting Associate Professor, Approximation Theory, Harmonic analysis, Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence.
Quote: "It all has to do with 'geometry' of the data"
Shai Dill, Advocate,corporate law, securities and crowd funding, mergers and acquisitions, technology transactions and privacy and data protection issues.
Quote: "Give more than you receive"
Shmuel Bar Kana, Teacher, Personal coaching.
Quote: "Before we change the world, we must change our selves"
Books: "The AKBAN Desert Notebook", Dan Hashimshoni & Yossi sheriff. "The Methodical Pyramid" Yossi Sheriff, "Tree Climbing for Land walkers",Dan Hashimshoni
Vasilis Panagiotou, AKBAN Greece headmaster.
Ya'ad Ben David, AKBAN Holon Headmaster,
Books: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"Robert M. Pirsig, "Tao Te Ching" Laozi, "The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S. N. Goenka"
Yaniv Maimon, CEO Personal Trainers
Inspiration: Physical activity and movement research
Quote: "Train hard, fight easy"
Zion Cohen
Aris Pitas, AKBAN Atika headmaster
Practitioners
Currently Training at AKBAN
Adi Flint
Amir Zafon
Quote: "Life is what happens while you plan something else"
Inspiration: Robert Heinlein, Nature walks, History
Anastasios Konstantopoulus
Benni Summers
Daniel Bekker
Danny Luria
Danny Yafit,Physician, resident in ears, nose and throat medicine.
David Gedepker, Electrical and electronics engineering.
Quote: "Honor thy mother and thy father"
Dvir Adwi
Eli Robinson
Eyal Ron
Gaby Frishlander, Niradin teacher
Movie: "My Dinner with Andre"
Quote: "The unfearful heart harbours no malice"
Itai Ofzhar
John Branchcomb
Lefteris Kampalonis
Maria Dakalaki
Matan Diwald
Navot Pele Tamari
Noam Olshinka
Ofer Mizrahi, Contractor, Carpenter, Beekeeper.
Quotes: "When you make honey, suddenly everyone has jars", "Stories are mightier than swords. Swords kill in the immediate vicinity, stories kill for generations to come"
Three things I like to do: Listen to experienced people, wake up before everybody does, do a clean job.
Ofek Yaniv
Ohad Savion
Or Zvibach, Industrial Engineer, R.O.D
Quote: "When things get messed up, return to basics״
Book: ״The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game״, Michael Lewis
Papakonstantinou Theodoprus
Rami Lerner, VP Systems and Architecture
Quote: "Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words/ Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions/ Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits/ Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character/ Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny"
Ronen Nir, Advocate
Books: "The Bible", "Tao Te Ching" Laozi, "All Quiet on the Western Front", Erich Maria Remarque
Sefi Hauslich
Shmulik Karp
Tal Gadish, Software Engineer
Quote: "If you smile too widely, your missing tooth might show"
Books: Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, "The White Tiger", Aravind Adiga, "Kizurey derekh ha-baita" [Shortcuts Home] Alex Epstein
Movies: "Starwars", "X-Men", "12 Monkies"
Tom Shahar
Yair Mamo
Yaniv Brody
Yehuda Shahar
Yoni Ben Dor, Percussionist, Herbal Medicine expert, Instructor in "Shomrei Hagan"
Inspiration: Iron Maiden, Carlos Castaneda,Tao Te Ching, Star Wars, My Teachers, Old Civilizations.
Quote: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
Yuval Maron,Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Quote: "In the history of the world there is one thing that money can not buy, the dog's happy tail wagging"
Training Elsewhere
AKBAN black belts currently training in other locations
Adam Myodownik
Alon Adika
Almog Cohen
Amir Haimi
Amir Swisa
Ariel Bino
Ariel Friedman
Arie Zaidan
Aviv Rabina
Boaz Yafe
Dan Calrman
Dan Gashai
Dan Pomer
Daniel Goldfarb, Freelance Illustrator
Quote:״Time is never time at all/ You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth״
Daniel Miodovnik
Daniel Oz
Danny Brudner
Danny Hershkovitz, Leadership studies, and Human System Analysis.
Dudi Ohaion.
Dudi Gordon
Elad Bar, Visionary Teacher
Eldar Riklis
Eshel Marko
Eyal Grontman
Eyal Rosenwein
Eyal Yaish
Gadi Hadad, Physical Therapist
Books: "Al Hatshuva" Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, "The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years"Chingiz Aitmatov
Quote: "Love work, loath mastery over others," Pirkei Avot
Gali Riemer
Gideon Zaghar
Guy Kligman
Guy Sharon
Hizkiya Yahav, Senior Electrical Engineer.
Books: "Menorat Hamaor" Rabi Yzhak Abuhav, "Chovot HaLevavot" Bahye ben Joseph ibn Pakuda
Quote: "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone."
Ido Levit
Kfir Mazaki
Lior Nahmani
Liran Sarig
Lotem Bergman
Matan Malewski
Merav Suissa, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Shiatsu.
Michael Koleman
Miky Federman
Muni Hershkowits
Nia Fayler, Developmental Astrology.
Quote: "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king."
Nimrod Lucas
Nizan Ravhon
Noam Shai
Oded Levi, Creative director
No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.
Oded Zilberberg
Ohad Wintraub
Oren Perez
Ra'am Manzur, teacher,
Book: "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Quote: "We are constantly preparing for the "moment" for something special to happen. Every workout is a "moment" and a workout without asking questions is strength. This is the power of habit. The power begins with the fact that we fight with our back to the wall. Training is not an option."
Ran Camun
Roi Golombik
Roi Reimer
Shar Gross
Shamulik Yeshaia
Shai Nahari
Sharon Ba'al Zedaka
Shon London
Silviu Berko
Steven Little
Tal Flint
Tal Rosenwein
Tomer Bernard
Uri Yariv.
Inspiration: "Book Of Five Rings", Myamoto Musashi, All the books of Haim Shapira, Ronen Bergman, "Life of Pie" The movie
Yaron Konigsberg
Ygal Kushnir
Yoav Alterman, Engineering and Communication systems.
Books: "Across the Nightingale Floor" Gillian Rubinstein, "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" Yuval Noah Harari, "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien
Movies: "Zatōichi", "Blade Runner"
Quote: "In a place where there is no man be a man" Pirkei Avot
Yoav Kfir, CPA, CEO Var Management
Quote: "In a debt settlement, one has to maximise equity because at the bottom line there is only one plate."
Yonathan Calderon
Yonathan Rosen
Yoni Ziv
Yoram Kligman
Yotam Yosefian
Yuri Nulman
Yuval Yarmolowski
Zvica Lekah
Zahi Grimland