Two Reprensentatives

Two Reprensentatives
Two Representatives
1989
In October, Kobilza receives the official confirmation (" Letter of Attorney ") of his position as an
instructor and representative for Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha in Europe. As a first step he starts
with two clubs in Austria (his own club, Budokan Vienna, later renamed as Sobukan Vienna,
another one in Salzburg, Budokan Salzburg) and with one club in Germany, the Budoclub
Binzen, that was already affiliated then with Kobilza's Jujitsu Association.
Maroteaux also becomes a representative for Europe, and branch director for France. (We have
never seen the respective certificates, but we presume that they exist.)
Monika Werhahn-Mees closes her dojo, the Luxembourg Sobukan, due to private reasons and
moves to Arlon/Belgium.
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Two Reprensentatives
1990
With Nakamura's approval, a first European organization (EST = European Sobukai Takedaryu)
is founded with its headquarters in France; president is Roland Maroteaux (France),
vice-president is Siegfried Kobilza (Austria); these are the only two representatives authorized
by Nakamura for the whole of Europe. Monika Werhahn-Mees, who is also a foundation
member of EST, becomes second vice-president.
Kobilza, Morita, Nakamura and Maroteaux
(at the foundation of EST in Avignon, 1990)
Maroteaux is awarded a 5th dan in Aikido, Iaido and Jodo by Soke Nakamura and also receives
the school's Joden Menkyo (1st Shihan license).
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Two Reprensentatives
In the official magazine of Maroteaux's Aiki Goshin-Do Federation this event is covered in several artic
Kobilza
Bernard
and
Kobilza's
Monika
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Werhahn-Mees
isPiccin,
Takeda
certified
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EST
1991
Kobilza invites Maroteaux, president of EST, to a meeting in Vienna in order to exchange ideas
about the further development, yet it soon becomes apparent that Kobilza's vision for the future
of Takeda Ryu in Europe is quite different from that of the EST's president.
R. Maroteaux, P. Glorion and S. Kobilza (EST meeting in Vienna/Austria, 1991)
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Two Reprensentatives
Monika Werhahn-Mees, having also stopped teaching Aikido in Arlon, moves to Neuss
(Germany). In the future she never teaches Takeda Budo again, and after some years,
regrattably she retires completely from the budo scene. One of her students from Arlon, Valmy
Debot, is recommended by her to Sensei Kobilza, who accepts him as his pupil. With Kobilza's
support as his Sensei, Debot does not take a long time to establish his own club, the Budokan
Arlon, today directed by one of Debot's early students, Mrs. Osvalda Scimia, one of the few
female Sensei within the ISTB.
The Budokan in Arlon, a very beautiful
dojo directed successfully by
Kancho Osvalda Scimia.
In the same year, a first dojo in The Netherlands and further clubs in Austria and Germany
become affiliated to Kobilza's group.
1992
Kobilza becomes Joden Shihan. With Nakamura's approval, he decides to create his own
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Two Reprensentatives
organization, the International Society for Takeda Budo (ISTB), the name of which (Takeda Ryu
Sobudo Kokusai Kyokai) is given by Soke Nakamura, and the objective of which is the
worldwide promotion of the Takeda Budo. From now on, Kobilza is able to develop the Takeda
Budo according to his own standards.
ISTB foundation meeting in Vienna: (from l. to r.) Shihan Matsushita and Morita, Soke Nakamura, Shih
The 1st International Congress for Takeda Budo takes place in Vienna/Austria. There are
intensive training courses (for Aikido, Iaido and Jodo) conducted by Soke Nakamura, and for the
first time ever, outside of Japan the entire school is presented to the public in a big budo show,
"Die Nacht der Samurai" (The Night of the Samurai). This remarkable presentation, strongly
covered by the Austrian press and Television, is also recorded on a first video published by
ISTB with the title "The Art of the Samurai".
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Two Reprensentatives
1993
In January, ISTB is officially registered. President is Siegfried Kobilza. Pierre Glorion, who is not
only Kobilza's assistant since many years, but also an ISTB foundation member, becomes
vice-president. Soke Nakamura accepts the position of an honorary president. Shihan Sofue,
Morita, Toyoshima, and Matsushita, leading masters of the Nihon Sobudo Rengokai, are
appointed honorary members. A few years later, in 1998, Sensei Monika Werhahn-Mees will
also be appointed an honorary member in acknowledgement for her merits for ISTB and Takeda
Ryu Nakamura Ha in those early years.
ISTB has branches in Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and The Netherlands
and introduces its international budo passport issued for each member. This is the beginning of
an extremely successful era of spreading Takeda Budo in Europe.
In the nineties, Kobilza travels regularly to Japan and establishes the International Congress for
Takeda Budo in Vienna as a regular yearly event conducted by Soke Nakamura in order to
secure the high quality of budo development within the ISTB. Holding 23 dan degrees in Takeda
Ryu Nakamura Ha at that time, Kobilza is already the by far highest-ranked master of the school
outside of Japan. His travel activities within Europe increase rapidly, as he wants to teach and
promote Takeda Budo personally in the whole of Europe. The following years are shaped by an
intensive seminar offer for ISTB pupils and for its teachers.
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Two Reprensentatives
Kobilza provides tuition material for students and teachers; ISTB publishes further videos
including the first training video ever for Takeda Ryu Aikido. ISTB also begins to introduce the
various kinds of contest (shiai) as practised in Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha.
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Two Reprensentatives
On his journey to France, Nakamura visits also Kobilza in Vienna, on the one hand in order to
teach him personally (this time especially Jukempo) and, on the other hand, to prepare the 2nd
Takeda Budo Congress in Vienna and the gala presentation of Takeda Budo in Graz/Austria
planned for the same year.
In France, Maroteaux is awarded the 6th dan in Aïkido. As the president of EST, he is not really
happy about the fact that there are two European representatives and two organizations (EST
and ISTB) for Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha, but things are as they are, since Nakamura had
authorized two men to represent his school in Europe in 1989.
Kobilza is more content with this situation, because it gives him the opportunity to push the
technical development within the ISTB according to his own standards. It is owed to him that,
already at this early state of development, ISTB and its members represent a remarkable and
highly appreciated standard.
In July, the 2nd International Congress for Takeda Budo conducted by Soke Nakamura takes
place in Vienna with training courses in Aikido, Iaido, Jodo, Jukempo and Kendo, with special
emphasis on the shiai practice in all these disciplines; it is also the first time outside of Japan
that Takeda Ryu Shurikenjutsu is taught; and finally the new budo show in Graz/Austria is a big
success.
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Two Reprensentatives
A gala presentation in Graz/Austria
Matsushita
organized
Sensei (Japan)
by ISTB,and
1993
Glorion Sensei (Austria) demonstrating Iaid
1994 till 1997
During this period a conflict occurs between EST and ISTB and eventually between EST and
Nakamura. The Belgian branch of EST attacks the ISTB representative in Belgium, Valmy
Debot, and demands that he stops his "illegal" Takeda Budo activities. The EST
representatives, Richard Gillet (Takeda Ryu Sobukai Belgium) and Serge Charlopeau (General
Secretary of EST), claim that EST has an exclusive right to represent Takeda Budo in Europe.
Why they think and act like this, can't be understood, as such an exclusive right so far was
never granted by Nakamura. It is somewhat absurd, as Kobilza is an authorized representative
for Europe (since 1989 by Soke Nakamura's "Letter of Attorney"), and he presented the
respective document already in the EST foundation meeting in Avignon in July 1990. Kobilza is
furthermore the highest-ranked master of Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha outside of Japan, and
ISTB, which is directed by him, is a fully recognized organization, which was founded with the
approval of Nakamura who is the ISTB's honorary president. ISTB wants to avoid a juridical
case and therefore asks Nakamura to confirm all these facts, which he does by a document
dated January 25, 1995.
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Two Reprensentatives
Confirmation
Unfortunately
supposingly
conflict
organizations.
Kobilza
papers
Nakamura
EST
September
he
letter
the
In
Maroto
Continue
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July
December
and
fact
document
and
tells.
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to
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toMaroteaux
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Belgian
1996.
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1997,
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who
in
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