IAIDO
AND BATTODO FEDERATION OF SERBIA
The birth of Iaido in Serbia occured in 1993
on Mr. Dejan Damnjanovic's return from his three year stay in France.
Then a 2. dan in Kendo and 1. dan in Iaido, Mr. Damnjanovic established
Dojo Sabatier as the first Iaido dojo in Serbia. While living in
France, Mr. Damnjanovic actively studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu
Iaido in the Paris dojo of Philippe Sabatier sensei (kyoshi, 7.
dan) and participated in annual seminars taught by Esaka Seigen
sensei (hanshi, 10. dan), during that sensei's trips to France.
While teaching iaido at Dojo Sabatier, Mr. Damnjanovic hosted several
seminars taught by Philippe Sabatier sensei, who was representing
the Kokusai Budoin (International Martial Arts Federation). The
direct consequence of Mr Damnjanovic's regular Iaido training and
Sabatier sensei's several seminars in Belgrade, was the foundation
of new Iaido dojos and study groups in Serbia. On 17 July 2001,
was established the Iaido Federation of Yugoslavia that was later
renamed to: Iaido and Battodo Federation of Serbia (before that,
for a certain period of time, organization was called Iaido and
Battodo Federation of Serbia nad Montenegro). The first president
of this organization was Mr. Dejan Damnjanovic, who still remains
in this position.
A yudansha examination was held during the Muso
Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido seminar taught by Philippe Sabatier sensei
in Belgrade in October, 2000. On this occasion Dejan Damnjanovic
received his 3. dan; the following students received Kokusai Budoin
1. dan: Darko Gedelovski (dojo-cho of Bokuden dojo, Belgrade, and
the secretary of Iaido and Battodo Federation of Serbia), Nenad
Nastic, Aleksandar Lazarevic, Branko Borota and Radivoje Jankovic.
This seminar was of great importance for the history of Iaido in
Serbia because the members of this first generation of yudansha
in our country studied Iaido exclusively in Serbia -- they were
all students of Mr. Dejan Damnjanovic.
The organized practice of Battodo in Serbia
began at Taishukan dojo (new name of Dojo Sabater) in 2002, as an
adjunct to the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido curriculum. In April
2003, Guy Power
sensei (renshi, 7. dan) from San Francisco, USA, held the first
Nakamura Ryu and Toyama Ryu Battodo seminar in Belgrade, as a guest
of the Iaido and Battodo Federation of Serbia. It was the first
seminar of Battodo in our country. On this occasion Power sensei
explained the technical fundamentals of Battodo.
In April, 2004, Dejan Damnjanovic went directly
to the International Battodo Federation in Yokohama, Japan. During
his two-week visit, Mr. Damnjanovic participated in the ceremony
of the first anniversary of death of Nakamura Taizaburo sensei --
the founder of Nakamura Ryu Battodo and of the International Battodo
Federation. Mr. Damnjanovic also had the opportunity and honour
to receive intensive instruction from the senior teachers of the
International Battodo Federation at its headquarters dojo Kakuseikai
("Loyal Crane Society") in Tsurumi, Yokohama. On this
occasion Mr Damnjanovic received his IBF 3. dan, and the Iaido and
Battodo Federation of Serbia became an official member of the International
Battodo Federation.
In 2005, Iaido nad Battodo Federation of Serbia
hosted a seminar of
Sekiguchi Komei Sensei, 21st Soke of Yamauchi Ha Muso Jikiden Eishin
Ryu Iaijutsu.
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