They call him Shinan, meaning, "Supreme Instructor, the one who shows the way." Shinan is the designation given to the instructor at the highest level in Japanese-style Karate.

Photographs, letters of recommendations, diplomas, trophies and gold medals of Farhad Varasteh, 9th Dan, and his students, adorn the walls and display cases in his office at the World Union of Kan-Zen-Kai Karate-Do Organizations headquarters. Looking 10 years younger than his 66 years, he is in better physical shape than most 20-year olds.

• 1st Dan (1st Degree) Black Belt achieved in 1952.
• 10th Dan in 2004.

• For 15 years, he participated in various national and international championship competitions and won 1st place in all matches; awarded more than 50 gold medals and many trophies.

• Founded Karate in Iran in 1966.

• Chief Instructor for Karate, National Police College, Iran (1966-68) .

• Founder of the first official Karate club in Iran and founder of Kan-Zen-Kai Karate-Do Organization in 1968.

• Chief Instructor for Karate and Combat Karate: Special forces, Iranian Arm Forces (1967-78).

• Elected Vice-president of the World Union of Karate-Do Organizations (W.U.K.O.) at World Congress, 1972 World Championships in Paris, France.

• First President of Iranian Karate-Do Federation, 1972.

• Kan-Zen-Kai represented Iran in 1974 competing with Sweden and Norway. Coached and trained by him, the team won all competitions in Goteburg, Malmo, and Stockholm, Sweden.

• 8th Dan achieved in 1975 with the title HANSHI (Exemplary Instructor).
  Passed exams for World Judge and refereed at the 1975 World Karate Championships in Los Angeles, California.

• Chief organizer, European Karate Championships, Tehran, Iran, 1976, involving 13 European Countries. Kan-Zen-Kai participants won 1st place in the competition in one division and two second-place standings in two other divisions. (Despite Iran not being a European country, the level of his international involvement and skill in the sport of Karate earned Iran the privilege to host the competition. This is the only time in history that a non-European country hosted the European karate championships.)
  

• Soke Farhad Varasteh holds a Ph.d (1966) in Political Science from the University of Michigan, U.S.A., and a Bachelor of Science (1959) with majors in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland