Hanshi Shalom Avitan is the head of the West Coast Shorokan Karate Association International (WCSK), head of the World Federation of Karate-do Organizations (WFKO) – Israel, a member of the black belt committee of the Israeli Karate Federation (IKF) and the owner of Avitan Martial Arts School.

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Hanshi Avitan was born in Morocco in 1952 and immigrated to Israel on 1955.

His sports activity started at 11 years old, when he practiced Greek-Roman style wrestling and won many achievements, among them a gold medal in the Israeli championship. His Karate training began on 1968 and in 1972 he received his Shodan degree (1st Dan). At that year he founded Avitan Martial Arts School.

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Hanshi Avitan is a very well-known and dominant figure in the Israeli Karate domain, with a rich past in competitions and in representing Israel on European and world championships between the years 1983 to 1989. Avitan participated as a competitor in the 10th, 11th and 13th Maccabiah games and was a judge and the competitions director on the 14th, 15th and 16th Maccabiah games. On the 17th Maccabiah games he was the head of the IKF, the head judge and the competition director. Moreover, he participated in two Hapoel conventions, once as a competitor and once as the organizer and the head judge. Hanshi Avitan retired from competing in 1989 after a triple win that year: 1st place in the Southern California Grand Championship, a gold medal in the Israeli championship and on the 13th Maccabiah Games. Hanshi Avitan was elected five times as the north’s athlete of the year by the Hed Hakrayot Newspaper. In 1992 he acted in the movie American Samurai.

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In 1984 he was one of the founders of the IKF. In 1994, Hanshi Avitan was appointed the IKF head judge and head secretary. On may 1996, Avitan was appointed the head of WFKO Israel. In 1997, Avitan was appointed a member at the first degree-committee in the IKF. In 2004 Avitan was appointed the chairman of the IKF. In 2012 he had to retire from the role due to a severe car crash.

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His first acquaintance with Shihan Ed Hamile, the founder of WCSK, was in 1978, when Shihan Hamile visited Israel for the first time, in this occasion Hanshi Avitan received a Nidan (2nd Dan) degree. In 1980 Shihan Hamile was invited to Israel by Hanshi Avitan in order to instruct a training camp. On this visit a warm relationship developed between Shihan Hamile and Avitan and as a result, Hanshi Avitan was appointed the official representative of WCSK Israel. In June 1999, Shihan Avitan flew to Los Angeles in order to stay beside Shihan Hamile, due to worsening of his cancer disease. Hanshi Avitan was invited to Shihan Hamile’s house, as well as several key figures in WCSK California and the local priest. In this occasion, Shihan Hamile announced that Hanshi Avitan will be the head of the West Coast Shotokan Karate International Association, after his death, and as a token of honor, granted Avitan the WCSK ring. A week later Shihan Hamile granted Avitan a Shichidan (7th Dan) degree, the highest degree in WCSK at the time. A few days later Hanshi Avitan had to fly back to Israel and on the 22nd of June 1999 the bitter news of Shihan Hamile’s death arrived. In a memorial ceremony, which was held at the main dojo in the USA, his last will was opened and it stated that Hanshi Shalom Avitan is appointed the head of the West Coast Shotokan Karate International Association and that he is granted an Hachidan degree (8th Dan).

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In June 2013 Hanshi Avitan was given a Kudan (9th Dan) Degree.
In August 2019 Avitan was granted a Judan (10th Dan) degree, The highest rank in karate, which was given to him by the WCSK USA, WCSK Mexico, World Budo Karate Union and Honorable Colegio De Artes Marciales organizations.

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Hanshi Avitan is obligated to continue the way and work of Shihan Hamile and to invest his whole life in the existence and advancement of the West Coast Association under the philosophy of Shihan Edwin Hamile.

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Respect, But fear no man.