|
Visit to Macedonia
|
|
A visit to The Republic of Macedonia
by myself (John Mullin) as guest of the WTKO Karate
Association of Macedonia. The trip included 3 seminars,
two in Skopje the capital and one in Veles a small town
outside the capital. Macedonia a new republic that
emerged out of the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 has a proud
history of Traditional Shotokan Karate. I was the guest
of the chief instructor of the WTKO karate Association
of Macedonia and WTKO kata and kumite world karate champion Mr. Jovan Ivcev M.D.
 |
 |
| John Mullin &
Jovan
Ivcev M.D. |
John
Mullin, Boba Icvcev a future world karate
champion, & Nada Ivceva M.D. |
|
 |
| Ivanov Lupco, Zoran Petov, John Mullin, Jovan
Ivcev M.D., Nada Ivceva M.D., Nikloa
Ivchev, Bore, Videvski, Ljubisa Stojkov |
| Notice who the shortest guy is, I was thinking of more of a close up and I could have stood on a box. They are a wonderful group of people that love training in Shotokan and have great
sense of humor, I just couldn't get them to smile.
|
|
 |
|
| Ivanov
Lupco, John Mullin, Nada Ivceva M.D., Jovan
Ivcev M.D. |
|
 |
|
| My
host Jovan Ivcev M.D. and myself overlooking
Skopje. |
|
| Hospitality is the word for Macedonia, the people were warm
and hospitable. Their karate spirit was strong and they
engaged in the training with great enthusiasm. At each of
the first two trainings there were well in excess of a
hundred and fifty participants. The final class
was only for the instructors and was held on Friday
morning. My Macedonian hosts were prepared
to show me the sights of their beautiful city and whisked
me around Skopje and the surrounding country side.
We ate at rustic inns and visited Bovin Winery, the
finest winery in the country for lunch and wine
tasting. |
|
 |
Zoran insisted on
getting up at five thirty am to accompany me to
the airport on my departure. He is both a
champion and gentleman and it was a pleasure make
his acquaintance and to get to know him. |
 |
| Party
following the first seminar in Veles |
| Finally
everybody is smiling, well almost.
These guys train hard and party hardy.
The food was wonderful and there was a
wonderful variety. |
|
| Zoran
Petov & John Mullin |
|
|
| The WTKO of Macedonia
will be hosting the 2004 WTKO World Championship
in Skopje. Dr. Jovan Ivchev is working
tirelessly to prepare for the world
championship.
|
|
|
|