Ifj.org.yu
Title
Iaido i Batodo Federacija Srbije i Crne Gore
Description
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.
