kyoshi Polychronopoulos
Kyoshi Babis Polychronopoulos is one of the most noted trainees of hanshi Tadashi Yamashita. He holds the rank of 8th dan in Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karate do and a 7th dan in Matayoshi Kobudo. Having been practicing martial arts for more than 40 years, in Greece as well as in the U.S.A., he has established himself as one of the most integrated trainers/masters worldwide.
In Greece, he is the founder of the Suibukan Martial Arts Organization and has inspired thousands of students to delve into the martial arts, quite differently from what one would experience in the contemporary martial arts world today.
Faithfully following in the steps of his teacher, master Tadashi Yamashita, kyoshi Polychronopoulos has established his training and teaching on transparent principles, not on fancy passing impressions. He continues to study and experience the “do”.
Kyoshi Polychronopoulos was born in Tripoli, Arcadia in 1956. His parents were both elementary school teachers. He spent all his childhood in rural villages, as his parents were government employees and were frequently transferred. In 1966, his family moved to Athens.
From 1969 to 1971 he attended Greco-roman wrestling classes at the Panellinios Athletic Club, under the instruction of Mr. Syntrofios. In 1971, he started practicing Goju Ryu, and continued for one year, as a trainee of sensei Timothy Johnson. Later, he practiced Shotokan Karate in the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.), as a trainee of sensei Nishimura, 3rd dan.
In 1975, he traveled to the U.S.A. for university studies. His first martial arts teacher in America was master Ernest Lieb. Master Lieb warmly received kyoshi Polychronopoulos and greatly encouraged him as a karateka and a counselor during his first years in the U.S.A.
Master Lieb was a friend of sensei Yamashita and co-founder of the largest martial arts association of the USA, the American Karate Association (AKA). Master Lieb taught a Korean system, Chi do quan. After his own teacher passed away in Korea, he changed the name of the system to American Karate System.
In the 70’s and early 80’s, master Yamashita often trained all of master Lieb’s students in seminars. And it was at these seminars that kyoshi Polychronopoulos first met and trained under master Tadashi Yamashita.
In 1977, kyoshi Polychronopoulos founded the Karate Club in the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. That particular club became the most popular martial arts club in the history of the University. During that time, kyoshi Polychronopoulos travelled throughout the country to attend seminars and competitions that master Yamashita organized.
In 1981, kyoshi Polychronopoulos graduated with a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering and entered the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. program. He participated in research programs for the Space Shuttle of NASA and the Center of Ergonomics at U of M. He also took part in projects for OSHA & NIOSH organizations and was one of the first students to organize the knee biomechanics laboratory of U of M. He obtained great knowledge and experience in biomechanical analysis, which he studied and applied the mechanics of karate and kobudo movements.
In the mid 80’s, master Lieb, after personal consultation with master Yamashita, gave kyoshi Polychronopoulos permission to become a personal trainee of master Yamashita.
In 1986, kyoshi Polychronopoulos was employed as the technical director of the Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) in Southampton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. ETC is considered to be the top designer and manufacturer of simulators for the physiology of flight. During this period, he continued to visit master Yamashita in Los Angeles, and traveled quite often throughout the country to take part in the many seminars that master Yamashita conducted. During these two years, he traveled back and forth to Greece to teach and maintain contact with his karate students who had studied under him from 1983-86, when he returned to Greece to serve in the military.
In 1987 he returned to Greece and in 1988 established the hombu dojo in Galatsi. In 1989 he served as advisor to the chief of staff in the Hellenic Air Force on the subject of training high performance aircraft pilots in the physiology of flight. In 1991, he decides to leave this post and thoroughly devote himself to the martial arts.
In 1988, the first Suibukan club is founded at the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A). In 1989 the second Suibukan club is established at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Later, the other Suibukan clubs followed at: Panteion University, University of Piraeus, University of La Verne (Athens Campus), University of Patras, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and University of Macedonia.
Today, apart from teaching martial arts, he is a business leader. He is a founding member of MMP Hellas, a world-wide dynamic business group affiliated with Jody and Kathy Victor, founders of MMP International. Babis Polychronopoulos is a dynamic motivational speaker on the subject of leadership. Along with his wife, Kalli Polychronopoulou, they travel throughout the world to speak in front of thousands of business owners in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the U.S.A.
Kalli Polychronopoulou is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She also holds a Master’s Degree in French Language and Culture from Middlebury College, Vermont. She is also a martial artist and holds a 4th dan in Shorin ryu karate and a 4th dan in Matayoshi kobudo. Babis and Kalli have two children: Juliana Polychronopoulou, 14 years old, 1 dan in shorin ryu karate and 1 dan in Matayoshi kobudo; and Vasilis Polychronopoulos, 11 years old, 3 kyu.
They have built a martial arts organization which is family-friendly: a place where all the family members can train, thus solidifying family values and creating strong relationships in the home and in the community. Today there are many families that practice martial arts together- husband, wife and children- and the results are spectacular.
