Sensei Ivan Zavetchanos — The Spirit of Traditional Judo in Australia

“Judo is the means of understanding the way to make the most effective use of both physical and spiritual power and strength. By devoted practice and rigid discipline, in an effort to obtain perfection in attacking and defending, it refines the body and soul and helps instill the spiritual essence in judo into every part of one’s very being. In this way, it is possible to perfect oneself and contribute something worthwhile to the world.” – Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo.

Judo is one of the world’s most wide spread and practiced martial arts, with reputedly more than 8 million students, (The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts, 2001. F. Goodman pg 132). Although now having reached the pinnacle of sporting status- being played at Olympic Games level, it is vital to remember that it’s originator, Jigoro Kano, “envisaged judo as the development of a lifetime art, as opposed to a sport” (U.B.M.A., 2001. F. Goodman pg 130), feeling that it was more a personal art, to train the mind and body.

The surfacing of judo in Australia, especially after the Second World War, coincided with judo’s worldwide appeal. Since its initial stages, judo has seen a great deal of development in Australia, primarily due to the endless efforts and propagation by key figures such as Sensei Ivan Zavetchanos.
I’ve highlighted just a few of Sensei Zavetchanos’ extraordinary achievements below, inviting you all, to realize the enormous influence this exceptional judoka has had not only on Australian judo, but also judo on an international level. From Australian open champion to Australian Olympic team coach, a true inspiration….

he commenced Judo training in 1942 aged fourteen
by 1948 he founded the Shudokan Judo Academy, which still remains as the oldest continuous club in Australia
he became co-founder of the Judo Federation of Australia (J.F.A.) in 1951, and obtained membership with the Australian Olympic Committee in 1952
1952 also saw the J.F.A. become one of the founding members of the International Judo Federation
he then went on to become founder of the Oceania Judo Union in 1954, which in 1956 was accepted by the Paris Congress of I.J.F. (International Judo Federation) as their regional body
after becoming the Australian Open Champion in 1954 & 1955, he went on to organize the first Australian Judo Championships by weight categories in 1956, and introduced women’s competition at the same time
became President of the J.F.A from 1958 to 1969
also became President of the O.J.U (Oceanic Judo Union) from 1958 to 1979
Vice-President of the I.J.F. between 1958-1979
Official jury member at the 3rd World Judo Championships, Paris 1961
Became a Kodokan Kensushei student in 1961-62
Official Australian Olympic team coach in Tokyo, 1964
Official jury member at the 4th World Judo Championships, Rio de Janeiro 1965
Official jury member at the 5th World Judo Championships, Salt Lake City 1967
Official jury member at the 6th World Judo Championships, Mexico City 1969
Official jury member at the 7th World Judo Championships, Ludwigshaven 1971
Official jury member at the 8th World Judo Championships, Lausanne 1973
Official jury member at the 9th World Judo Championships, Vienna 1975
Official jury member at the 10th World Judo Championships, Paris 1979
I.J.F. judo technical delegate to Munich Olympic Organising Committee in 1972
Jury member at the 1976 Judo Events Montreal Olympic Games
Participated as a national, continental and international referee
Kodokan graded to 2nd Dan in 1962, 3rd Dan in 1964, 4th Dan in 1968 and 5th Dan in 1975
Elected as a Life Member of the IJF (International Judo Federation) at the 1979 IJF Congress
became manager of the Australian Women’s Judo team to first Women’s World Judo Championships, New York, 1980
he founded the Australian Kodokan Judo Association in 1981. ( “In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Australia, like several other countries, began to invest more time and money into elite competition players and elite coaching than into the development of traditional teaching of Judo for all those who wished to participate. In 1981 the AKJA was established by Ivan Zavetchanos to teach and support the development and continuation of traditional Kodokan Judo, from the teachings of Professor Jigaro Kano. Contemporary Kodokan Judo is still based on traditional aspects of the founder and as such is dynamic in development and teaching”, AKJA website. )
Coach of the AKJA Team to the Hong Kong International in 1983 and 1986
Promoted to AKJA 7th Dan in 1988
Promoted to AKJA 8th Dan in 2001
Dispatched successful kata (forms) and shiai (competition) teams to USA annually, 1990-1998
Currently continuing as the Technical Director and Chief Instructor of the Shudokan Judo Academy, Melbourne, President of the Victorian Amateur Judo Union Inc., and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Kodokan Judo Association.

Upon first meeting with Sensei Zavetchanos, (and as one would with a martial artist of his stature), I had an array of questions for him. How he started, when, why? He replied with the following;
“I commenced Judo in 1942 at the behest of my uncles who were wrestlers in their young days and had fought Judo players from a visiting Japanese naval squadron in the pre-war era and had been very impressed with the skills and attitudes of their opponents which led them to believe that Judo had a lot to offer over boxing and wrestling, and stressed this to me.

During those years Judo was better known as Ju-Jitsu and was extremely rough with none of the restrictions of present day Judo. Post war Judo gradually started to become better known, there were still only three or four Dojo in all Australia, but numbers of military personnel returning from Japan holding black belts were beginning to have some effect on the local Judo scene.

In the early 50’s I had an excellent teacher in Mr. K. Tsujino, 4th Dan, a former student of Kyuzo Mifune 10th Dan, and a former university champion. He was completely ambidextrous and very fast and skillful with his techniques. In 1952, my club, the Shudokwai in conjunction with a number of other clubs interstate formed the Judo Federation of Australia, affiliated to the then embryo international Judo Federation and the Australian Olympic Federation. I became senior Vice- president of the JFA, and held the post for six years becoming president in 1958 and also President of the Oceania Judo Union and a Vice President of the International Judo Federation, both the latter posts I held for 20 years.

Since 1981 I have been Executive Director of the Australian Kodokan Judo Association, a body dedicated to the practice of traditional Kodokan Judo and ideals as laid down by Professor Jigoro Kano”.

Regarding other members of his family;
“Apart from myself, my then wife to be, Celie Brown, and brother in law Gilford Brown, were both Australian Judo Champions. Gilford won both the men’s lightweight and Open championships in 1956, and Celie won the first women’s championship that year and several times later after we married”.
On training in Japan.

“The early years were difficult as there were no really high-grade experts to teach and if you found one you were extremely lucky. I was lucky in finding a competent teacher early, however in 1962 I arranged with Kodokan for two experts to visit Oceania and regrade and train the locals in Australia and New Zealand. Kodokan sent Mr Y. Matsumoto then 8th Dan, and the current All Japan Champion, Mr Y. Takeucki, then 5th Dan. From then on Judo started to progress in both countries.

I first trained at Kodokan in 1961-62 as a Kensushei student and it was during this time that I arranged for the Kodokan mission to come to Oceania. I have since been back innumerable times and have always found it informative in every aspect”.

On influential martial artists;
“Who has been the most influential martial Artist for me is a very hard question to answer as I have known a great many of them and all influenced me in some way or the other.
Probably the late Y. Matsumoto, 9th Dan and Ms Keiko Fukuda, 9th Dan who were both taught directly by Jigoro Kano (founder of judo), had the most influence on me. I brought Ms Fukuda to Australia in 1965 and 1969 and she lived with me for months on both visits. Her ability, knowledge and experience are outstanding.

The late Donn F. Draeger was another who had profound influence on me. He was a man ahead of his time. I lived with him in Japan and also had him out here in Australia. His ability, knowledge and proficiency in an enormous variety of Martial Arts apart from judo was extraordinary”.

The Australian Kodokan Judo Association.
“The Australian Kodokan Judo Association was founded in 1981 with the object of the practice of traditional Kodokan Judo in the widest sense and not in the narrow sense of concentrating solely on competition and elite Judo. The AKJA recognizes that competition is an integral training tool of Judo but is certainly not the end product.

The AKJA is established in every state, runs an annual National Kata (forms) and Shiai (competition) Championship alternating from state to state, (- this year it was in Perth) which attracts hundreds of competitors. Our members compete in International Kata Tournaments and Shiai, not at elite level but at a level the average member can participate in if they wish”.

Outlook on the future.
“You ask the question what does the future hold for the AKJA and me? Personally after 60 odd years in Judo and the Martial Arts my future will be in passing the baton to the younger generation which I have trained and are very capable, and acting as their mentor. I will continue to teach as long as I am able to.
The Australian Kodokan Judo Association has a good future and will continue to grow in the right direction with the young people available. The AKJA is gaining new members continually and will continue to do so for a long time to come”.

If anyone is interested in contacting Sensei Ivan Zavetchanos or the Australian Kodokan Judo Association, you may do so at [email protected]

Reference
“The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts”, F. Goodman (2001), Anness Publishing Ltd.