About Us
Dreametal Kobudo is a newly formed brand but bearing big experience and legacy. Its founder, Mr. クリストス パパパノス has long experience in wood and metal transformation. After taking his diploma in Industrial Designing from Middlesex University, Mr. クリストス パパパノス took over his father’s business in Lighting Manufacturing and expanded it. Nowadays, Dreametal specializes in designing and manufacturing tailor-made and handmade furniture, lighting and other special projects.
Since a young boy, クリストス was watching martial arts movies. He was motivated by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and tried to imitate them. He started training in Tang Soo Do and mixed martial arts for some years with Sensei Antonis Olivotos. In 1997 he had met Kyoshi Babis Polychronopoulos, head of Suibukan Organization Greece (traditional Okinawan martial arts Shorin Ryu Karate Do, Matayoshi Kobudo and Yamasita Suikendo) and trainee of Master Tadashi Yamashita, through a business collaboration. Through the years Kyoshi became クリストス’ business affiliate, consultant, friend and Godfather to his children. In 2003 Kyoshi Polychronopoulos became クリストス’ teacher but above all his mentor. Kyoshi’s death in 2014, was devastating but on the other hand it was the “push” that Christos needed to take his love for martial arts to the next level and “give birth” to Dreametal Kobudo project. During this time, he trained at RyuKyu Kobudo under Sensei Katherine Loukopoulos. His love for Kobudo “pushed” him to travel abroad and meet Kaicho Hiroshi Akamine and Sensei Dell Hamby in Barcelona, Spain in 2018. Since then he is training Mukenkai Karate and Shimbukan RyuKyu Kobudo under Kaicho Hiroshi Akamine and Sensei Dell Hamby.
In Dreametal Kobudo, クリストス パパパノス combined his professional expertise in handling wood and iron with his personal research in traditional kobudo instruments. Dreametal Kobudo products and makiwaras are made of high quality materials in traditional shapes. Every piece of wood is personally selected and every piece of iron is specially treated. Every Dreametal Kobudo procuct is individually modified by hand in precision, it’s carefully inspected and cautiously packed till it meets its final owner.
In 2004, クリストス パパパノス designed and created another project, a mechanical dummy with flexible “arms” that can be moved or removed or added in different positions. This mechanical dummy can help with karate and Kobudo training.
Since 2019, Dreametal Kobudo is authorized to manufacture Shimbukan approved Kobudo instruments under the guidance and according to personal preferences of Kaicho Hiroshi Akamine.