CLUB
Iaido Club Moniri was created in 2011 as a desire of a small group of people for spiritual formation through the path of the sword. On May 27, 2012. year the club made its work official and entered the ranks of the Kendo Federation of Serbia as a full member, thereby becoming a member of the European Kendo Federation.
Collected years of knowledge translated into master titles and thanks to the wholehearted help of Sensei Mori, delegated by the All-Japan Kendo Federation as a holder of high Iaido and Kendo titles, Iaido in Serbia was raised to a higher level.
Moniri - The Iaido Club was basically aimed at raising awareness within the Kendo community and recalling the roots of its existence. However, over the years, the ranks were filled by Aikidokas, Karateists, Judoists... and all those who set out in search of spiritual-psychic development through the "way of the sword".
Iaido is proudly developing in our environment as a reflection of the forgotten values of moral principles.
In the Moniri Club Dojo, Seitei Iaido also known as Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido and Koryū style Muso Shinde Ryu are taught. Seitei Iaido is the "style" of the All Japan Kendo Federation. The twelve Seitei Iaido forms/katas are standardized for the training, improvement and dissemination of Iaido within the Kendo Federation.
In 2023, a Jodo section was established within our iaido club.
IAIDO
Iaido (居合道) is a martial art that involves the use of the Japanese long sword, the katana. The term 'Iaido' serves as a label for a number of related sword arts focused on sword drawing techniques performed with smooth and efficient movements. There are other Japanese sword arts that involve little or no drawing of the sword, these are generally collectively called Kenjutsu. Unlike arts such as Judo and Kendo for which there is no single unified program, Iaido is a general term used for many similar traditional ways of teaching known as Koryu. During the last century, Japanese fencing organizations formed representative forms (kata) adapted from some to the Koryu school. One of the more widely practiced sets of representative kata is Zen Ken Ren Yai as promulgated by Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (ZNKR), the main organization for promoting Kendo in Japan.
The name 'Iaido' is somewhat odd in the sense that it does not accurately describe the main activity of this skill. It is believed that the two characters that form the word 'Iai' (居合) are taken from the expression 'tsune ni ite, kyū ni awasu' (小师居て、急に合わす). A rough translation would be "constantly be ready, immediately confront the opposition". It conveys the idea that one should always be ready to react quickly to any events. In the practice of Iaido, this is expressed through developing a refined awareness of one's surroundings and through learning techniques to deal with various combat scenarios.
TEACHER
Veljko Djokovic
Date of birth: May 5, 1977; year Kendo master 4th Dan; Iaido's 5th Day; qualifications: Librarian, employed at the National Library of Serbia.
Licensed operational coach in sports.
Founder and coach of the Moniri Iaido Club. Currently in the position of Technical Director in the Kendo Federation of Serbia.
JODO
Jodo (杖道) is a traditional Japanese martial art based on the art of wielding the wooden jō (杖) stick. The discipline originated in Japan and combines technical precision, strategic thinking and the development of inner concentration. During training, basic techniques, pair work through kata, principles of distance, rhythm and interaction with a partner are studied.
Within the framework of the ZNKR Jōdō system (全日本剣道連盟杖道, Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei Jōdō — Jodo of the All Japan Kendō Federation) a modern standardized program is practiced, created for training, development and preservation of tradition. It includes the Seitei Jōdō (神道杖道)—a set of official kata developed from the classical school of Shintō Musō-ryū (神道夢想流). ZNKR Jodo combines traditional heritage and a modern approach to training, enabling the gradual development of technique, concentration, discipline and understanding of the principles of Japanese martial arts.
In 2025, Serbia was represented by us for the first time at the EJC (European Jodo Championship).
TEACHER
Sergei Semenovskii
master of Jodo 3. Dan; Iaido's 3rd Day
ALL JAPAN KENDO FEDERATION / EUROPEAN KENDO FEDERATION
Moniri Iaido club belongs to AJKF and EKF.
The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) or Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei (全日本剣道連盟 abbreviated 全剣連 Zen Ken Ren) is a national non-governmental organization founded in 1952 in Japan and officially formed on March 11, 1954.
www.kendo.or.jp/en/
The European Kendo Federation (EKF) is a non-profit organization of the traditional Japanese martial arts of Kendo, Jodo and Iaido. EKF consists of more than 40 federations.
CONTACTS
+381603331225 - Veljko Djokovic
email - iaidoserbia@gmail.com
email - jodo.serbia@gmail.com
Resavska 76 (KUD Abrašević) Belgrade
Iaido training dates:
Wednesday - 20:00-21:30
Sunday - 10:00-11:30
Jodo training dates:
Sunday - 08:30-10:00
