Pain Resistance/Iron-Body


"You have what it takes to make a difference in your life."
-Grandmaster Safakhoo




The height of the Persian Empire circa 600bc, was achieved in part by the superiorly effective combat strategies and weaponry employed by the Persian soldiers during a time of war (Nabard). Great Kings of Persia equipped their soldiers with the best armament including heavy scimitars, shamsher and shields. These armaments were essential daily wear for Persian soldiers similar to the gun and bullet-proof vest of today’s police officer.
Persian soldiers were required to maintain great strength in order to effectively and efficiently maneuver their weapons in battle. This requirement was met by usage of daily techniques of body conditioning which included grasping heavy clubs and shield-mimicking planks, while rotating them around the head and back in a single circular motion. These techniques later grew into the Persian body conditioning art of Varzesh-e Pahlavani.

With roots which are traceable back to at least 400 bc Varzesh-e Pahlavani or “sport of warriors” has survived the test of time by maintaining its position as the number one revered body conditioning. Modern day Persian athletes implement Varzesh-e Pahlavani as a major pat of their daily Olympic training regimen. The effectiveness of Varzesh-e Pahlavani is exemplified by the fact that Persians proudly boast 15 Olympic medalists since 1952.

Due to its impeccable reputation of training superior Persian warriors for over 2000 years, Grandmaster Safakhoo dedicated the greater part of conditioning training in his art T.O.A.S. Nabard to Club Circle Training. In 1983 Grandmaster Safakhoo established his art in the United States and became the first and only Persian in the USA to teach The Persian Art of Combat T.O.A.S. Nabard which includes elements of Varzesh-I Pahlavani. With Grandmaster Safakhoo’s knowledge of biomechanics combined with Varzesh-e Pahlavani’s circular movements, Nabard practitioners are guided along the path of health to a perfectly toned and sculpted “machine of combat” physique. Through Grandmaster Safakhoo’s Iron Body Training with Persian Clubs and Logs, Nabard practitioners are prepared to proficiently handle, combat tasks such as: Grappling, throwing, weapons handling, pain resistance and endurance.

In Nabard, Iron-Body is regarded as the “physical exertion of mental discipline”. During club training Nabard practitioners achieve strength and muscular control by grasping heavy bat-shaped clubs and shield-mimicking planks, while slowly rotating them around the head and back in a single controlled circular motion. Similarly during log training drills participants manually maneuver heavy 4’-6’ logs in various, squat, lunge, overhead, posterior, and anterior positions. Club and log training movements are performed in both clock-wise and counter-clock-wise motions to ensure the honing of the major and minor supportive muscles and joints. During Iron-Body participants are challenged to perform all movements in unison while silently enduring each exercise with expressionless faces. The leading instructor or “Ostad” signals the start and stop of each movement by chanting a rhythmic guttural sound called “tabl” (Farsi-meaning drum rhythm or drum drum beat) intended to guide the listener into an active meditative state where it is believed mental and physical union is achieved. It is from this state that T.O.A.S. practitioners seek to discipline both mind and body to overcome pain in order to utilize proper strategies while in combat. This well rounded Persian Iron-Body training offers a challenge to any level athlete; from beginners to experts and invites the toughest critic to scrutinize its effectiveness.



Iron Body Trianing With Persian Logs and Clubs

Pain is inevitable; Misery is optional.

To deal with conflict in the face of pain, the mind must be trained to guide the body with confidence and resolution. Grandmaster Safakhoo has developed a regimen to enhance and increase resistance to pain. While sparring class prepares students for real life situations, pain resistance training enhances their performance.

"I have to get you into shape so I can teach you my art of survival." In the art of T.O.A.S. Nabard, body conditioning contributes to fifty percent of training time. The Iron Body training involves exercise routines in which the students gain strength and stability. The benefits of the training will further allow the students to perform and improve their techniques.