Last year`s report ended with promise that in 2011 we will achieve even better results. Today, with great pleasure we can say – we did.
According to the directions of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, 2011 was dedicated to the basics of the Budo, through the principles of Kihon Happo. Since the basics are trained continually in our dojo, we gave ourselves an additional internal theme: Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu.
We really enjoyed studying and practicing all katas of this samurai school throughout the year.
Concerning the organization of international seminars, this year we invited only one martial arts master to teach at our dojo. We were more than happy to have been hosts to Sensei Antonino Cherta, the only non-japanese Shihan for Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Ono Ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu (Takeda den).
Sensei Cherta is a teacher of instructor Igor Dovezenski, for both of the classical Japanese martial schools, and their relation is really special. During the five-day visit of this great master, a two-day seminar was held, and the instructor Igor Dovezenski used the rest of the time for private lessons with the teacher.
In the years passed, we strove to organize at least two international seminars, but this year the students of Bujinkan Macedonia decided to take a pause so as to dedicate more time to our activities which are indeed many.
On the other hand, Shidoshi Igor Dovezenski attended several international seminars organized by our friends.
This year he started with a visit to the seminar with Shihan Pedro Fleitas in Serbia, accompanied by Sempai Marjan Proshev.
In April, Dovezenski attended a seminar in Belgium conducted by one of the first shihans of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, Kancho Unsiu Manaka, and at the same time he enjoyed the training sessions held by the rest of the instructors of the organization Jinenkan. Shidoshi Igor Dovezenski was the only representative of Bujinkan dojo who took part in the last seminar of Manaka Sensei outside Japan.
In June, Shidoshi Dovezenski attended the BuYu Kai seminar in Germany, where in front of 20 shihans of the Bujinkan Dojo passed the godan (5th dan) test. The ten-day stay was used for many training sessions, and particularly memorable are those which were held in the dojo of our great friend, Shihan Steffen Froelich.
Besides these, we attended several other seminars 
of different martial arts so as to better understand the classical Japanese schools (Ryu Ha) which we study in our dojo.
On all these seminars it was delightful to see the old, but also to meet new friends.
This passing year, will be remembered by a record in the number of our outdoor seminars. As you already know, they are a trademark of our dojo and we strongly believe that the only way to practice ninjustu is to “step“ deep into nature and be in harmony with it.
Thus, we organized 12 outdoor seminars, and with special emphasis on the traditional “The Way of Shugenja“ and “Survival“ which are a trademark of our dojo.
During the month of August, the far famous Summer NInja Camp was held, in which 20 students of our dojo took part. As always, the memories and the lectures taught during the camp remain forever in one`s heart.
In addition to the other activities, we would also mention the traditional “Workshop for self-defense for women“, where our kunoichi showed excellent progress. Their technique advances so much, that in the future the event might be renamed in “Workshop for self-defence from women“. 🙂
Sempai Marko Opachich and Sempai Marjan Proshev held a seminar in Gradsko, and they also successfully have took over the trainings in our second dojo in Skopje which is a place dedicated for training the recently enrolled students (beginners).
This year we introduced a system called Shinobi Taiso which aim is to improve the condition needed for everyday trainings for classical Japanese martial arts. Instructor Igor Dovezenski gave a lecture on that subject, which drew great interest. We hope as the years go by, through practicing, the system will show results.
Regarding the public interest of our work, we continually reject most of the invitations by the media to be their guests. We believe that the traditional martial arts should remain for the little who will make the effort to find us themselves. Thus, this year we accepted only one invitation from “Life Magazine“ where two members of their editorial office made a report for our winter seminar.
Our greatest achievement of 2011 can freely be considered to be the start of the building process for our Hombu Dojo. We build it on our land, by our taste. It spreads on 100 m2 training area, and another 100 m2 as a place to stay for our students. According to plans, the dojo will be fully finished by July, 2012.
In Taiyou e no Michi, our organization, beside the dojo Bujinkan Macedonia, another on is succesfully functioning – the dojo for Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Ono Ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu (Takeda den). We remain fully devoted in practicing these two koryu schools, and as their representatives, in the period to come we expect an increase of the activities connected to them.
In this moment, the dojo of Bujinkan Macedonia counts approximately 40 regular, whilst in the beginner`s section train 12 students. In the Gradsko`s section regularly train around ten students. All of them have a goal to improve themselves in every aspect of their lives.
In the end, some statistical data for our web-page. Since the 1st of January, 2011 until today, our web-page has been visited by over 20.000 people, from 84 states, and this year the most regular visits are from USA, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy and Croatia (ordered correspondingly by the number of visits, excluding Macedonia which has the most “hits“).
We finish this report with the only bad thing that happened to us, and that is the severe injury of Shidoshi Igor Dovezenski `earned` in the fall of a seven-meters high cliff. Namely, the accident happened while free climbing of Elenachki Karpi. Although the doctor`s prognosis is bad regarding the injury`s development and consequences and prohibited all physical activity, Igor Dovezenski remains true to his love (koryu bujutu) and doesn`t miss a day without training.