The year 2022 in review 

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With 34 seminars during this past year – 2022, although far from our record of 45 seminars set in the year 2018, it is undeniable that we still hold the epithet of “Most dynamic Dojo in Europe”. Let’s see what the numbers say about the past year. The teacher Igor Dovezenski, as leader of Bujinkan Macedonia, organized and taught during 27 seminars for Ninjutsu, meaning techniques from the schools that Masaaki Hatsumi Sensei inherited from Toshitsugu Takamatsu Sensei. From them, 12 were held in the yard or inside the Hombu Dojo of “Taiyou e no Michi”, 10 were held in the Skopje dojo, three were held in nature, and two were held internationally – outside of Macedonia.   We must also mention the seminars that took place in the countries of Serbia and Turkey, where Dovezenski was invited to transfer some of his knowledge about the schools of ninjutsu, there also was the organization of an international seminar in our country, during which the leader of “Taiyou e no Michi” taught together with his friend from Turkey – Erjan Sharbat.  If we are to go into details, this year for Bujinkan Macedonia went like this : two kid’s ninja marathons, one kid’s ninja summit, three seminars in nature, one seminar for Shinobi Taiso, one workshop for female self defense, three seminars in Skopje, seven seminars at the Hombu, two team building events for companies – during which Dovezenski taught segments from some of the ninjutsu arts, one international seminar at home, two international seminars abroad, one kids and one adults summer camp. Regarding “Daito ryu Macedonia – Koryu Dojo”, in 2022 we held seven seminars, of which six were for Daito ryu Aikijujutsu and one was for Ono ha Itto ryu Kenjutsu. In addition to all of these events, we had several television and news sites do segments and interviews about us, and furthermore we participated and donated during several humanitarian drives.  We must also mention the participation of the teacher Igor Dovezenski and his daughter Kosara in the first Macedonian action film (with ninja themes) in which ninjutsu techniques were used. The movie is in its final stages and has the working title of “Kill the children first” by the director Dimitar Orovcanec, who hired the teacher Dovezenski as a fight sequence choreographer, while Kosara was a stunt woman/stunt double for the movie’s main star – Matea. Concurrently, Dovezenski had a consulting role in all the areas of the movie where Japanese martial arts were used, and he also selflessly lent some Japanese items from his personal collection, so that the movie’s production could be enriched.  What’s more, we need to mention the bronze medal “Genin” that was awarded to sempai Taki Gakovski for his ten years of tireless training as part of Bujinkan Macedonia, and the publishing of the Macedonian version of the second edition of the manga “Takamatsu in China”, this time titled “The mission to Xilinhot”. Finally, as is tradition, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of the members of the Organisation “Taiyou e no Michi”, and especially to the older members of Bujinkan Macedonia, who through their tireless dedication have allowed us to continue enjoying this marvelous journey through the world of the traditional Japanese martial arts.  And how about 2023?  Well, we have great plans and many announcements to make, and we promise you that we will give it our all to uphold the high standards that we have set, not only in this region, but also globally. And we will continue to consistently show our fatherland – The Republic of Macedonia – in the best possible light, wherever we may go.  Bujinkan Macedonia – One love, one family!

Testing for the student degrees in Bujinkan Macedonia 

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A day before New Year’s eve, at the Skopje Dojo of the Organisation “Taiyou e no Michi”, the official testing for higher degrees of the members of Bujinkan Macedonia took place.

The official event began at 17:00, the first to be tested were the youngest members of the “Ninja Kids” section, and after came the testing for the members of the beginners and the advanced groups. 

We would like to congratulate all the students that successfully passed their tests and managed to advance to a higher degree, and we would like to especially mention the testing of Vedran Cicov, who was tested for the highest degree out of all the other candidates (he reached the third kyu). 

After the testing was completed (Shiken), at ten o’clock the New Year’s party got underway (BonenKai), which is an occasion during which all the bad and unpleasant things from the previous year are forgotten and forgiven so we can enter the new year with a clean and calm soul.

The second edition of the manga “Takamatsu in China” has been published

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A few days before the end of 2022, the second edition of the first Bujinkan manga in the world was published, this time with the title of: “Takamatsu in China – The mission to Xilinhot”.

This edition by the Organisation “Taiyou e no Michi”, whose author is the teacher of Bujinkan Macedonia – Igor Dovezenski, has been illustrated by his student Taki Gakovski, it was completed in just a year and a half after the publishing of the first comic book: “Takamatsu in China – The fight with Cho Shiryu”. 

The first edition sold over 500 samples, of which 400 were in english. “Takamatsu in China – The fight with Cho Shiryu” found its place in and reached all inhabited continents. 

At this very moment we are working on organizing the official promotion of the macedonian edition, and at the same time the member of Bujinkan Macedonia – Ksenija Dovezenska is working on the translation of the english version, which will then be published and sold all over the world.

Jissen Heiho seminar 

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As a way to round up the year 2022, Bujinkan Macedonia held a seminar on the topic of Jissen Heiho, so we can remind ourselves of the fanatical seminars that once upon a time were a regular event at our dojo. It’s not a case of falling standards, but a case of careful monitoring of the generational flow and the changing times, so we can adapt our curriculum to them. 

During yesterday’s seminar, the participants came mainly from the Senpais, meaning the older members of the Dojo who in the past regularly trained in Jissen Heiho. For those that don’t know, it is a system developed by the teacher Igor Dovezenski, with the goal of completely utilizing the martial strategies of the traditional japanese martial arts and to modify them to suit the demands of the modern way of fighting. 

This upcoming Friday the annual title testing shall take place, after which there will be a simple New Year’s party (BonenKai).

Shinken Gata - Tora no Maki

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On the 27th of November, in the Skopje Dojo of Bujinkan Macedonia, a seminar was held on the topic of Shinken Gata – Tora no Maki.

This combat system that originates from the traditional school of Kukishinden ryu Dakentaijutsu is known for its dynamic and combative style. This is reason enough for the members of the Organisation “Taiyou e no Michi”, which are known for their willingness to partake in a hard and demanding pain filled training. 

During the event the teacher Dovezenski taught techniques from the first and second levels of Tora no Maki. 

The third international “BuYuKai” seminar has taken place 

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On the 29-30th of October, in the city of Istanbul (Turkey),  the third in a series of international BuYuKai seminars was held. In the event participated around 40 practitioners from Macedonia and from the host country.

This seminar is held twice yearly, and the instructors are the teachers Igor Dovezenski (Bujinkan Macedonia) and Ergan Sharbat (Bujinkan Turkey). Envisioned as a gathering and sharing of the instructors’ experiences, and to facilitate the creation of acquaintances and friends amongst the participants, the event keeps attracting a growing number of Japanese martial arts practitioners with each passing year. 

The next BuYuKai shall be held in Macedonia in may (2023), and during it it is expected that another renowned instructor from the Bujinkan Dojo shall be joining us.

The Autumn “Togakure ryu Ninja weekend” seminar was held 

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With this Autumn “Togakure ryu Ninja weekend”, the Dojo for classical Japanese martial arts Bujinkan Macedonia closed the 2022 Homby seminar season. In the seminar participated 14 members of our Dojo, and one guest from Turkey, making the seminar an international event.

During the event, the teacher Igor Dovezenski kept up a dynamic training rhythm,  often changing the techniques and weapons that the participants used to train the different attack and self-defense techniques. The multitude of combinations and variants only increased the exciting atmosphere, and the training sessions started to look a lot like a live battlefield. 

As is tradition, the leisure time was dedicated to social activities and board games, all with the goal of bringing the members of the most dynamic European Dojo closer together.

A significant event during this seminar was the awarding of a bronze medal “Genin” to sempai Taki Gakovski, as an acknowledgment of his dedication and service to Bujinkan Macedonia. We congratulate him and wish him the best during his advancement along the Way.

The teacher Dovezenski taught at the Serbian BuYuKai

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At the behest of Aleksandar Dujin from the ninjutsu club Bujinkan Novi Becej, whose dojo is a full member of Bujinkan Serbia, this past weekend the leader of Bujinkan Macedonia, Igor Dovezenski, taught the school of Gyokko ryu Koshijutsu during the event titled BuYuKai Serbia.

The event was attended by teachers from Croatia, Austria, and several teachers from the host country, together with the teacher Dovezenski from Macedonia came seven of his students whose knowledge and energy piqued the interest of the other participants. 

Delighted by the ways in which the katas were taught and interpreted by the teacher Dovezenski, the hosts immediately extended an invitations to teach during next year’s event, the invitation was happily accepted. 

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the event’s organisator who made sure that our stay went without a hitch and extended that extra bit of hospitality to the members of Bujinkan Macedonia.

A Yumi Ya (Bow and Arrow) seminar was held 

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One day after the seminar for Ono (samurai war ax), reinforced by several additional participants, the members of Bujinkan Macedonia had the pleasure of participating in another seminar, this time on the topic of Yumi Ya (Bow and Arrow).

During the event, the warriors from Bujinkan Macedonia tested their shooting skills, by targeting three targets with five different types of bows. 

The Yuni Ya seminar is one of the oldest events in Bujinkan Macedonia and has been continuously held since the Dojo was founded in 1995. 

See you at our next event.

Seminar for Ono (Samurai war ax) at the Homby 

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In the yard of the “Taiyou e no Michi” Organization, this past Saturday a seminar about the Ono was held. 

In the event ten members of Bujinkan Macedonia participated, some of whom had the pleasure of getting acquainted for the first time with this particular weapon from the arsenal of the Japanese feudal warriors. 

During the night, as is tradition, there was an amazing atmosphere and a lot of socializing between the comrades, and to top it all off there was a communal Okonomiyaki diner and some board games.