1/20/03
Mongolian Aikido Federation Founder Visits Nippon Kan
On January 20th, 2003 Nippon Kan was host to the Founder of Aikido in
Mongolia, Mr. Damdinpurev. The history of Aikido in Mongolia began with the fall of Russian
Communist rule in 1991.
As Mongolia began to emerge as a democratic nation, so began the practice of Aikido in
this distant land. The first fledging practice was held in the basement of an apartment
building left over from the Russian era of totalitarian architecture in 1993. The following
year a Japanese instructor was sent to Ulaanbaatar from Japan’s Internation Cooperation
Agency (JICA) to teach Aikido. In 1996 Mr. Damdinpurev obtained official status and licensing
for Aikido from the Mongolian Government, and the organization began to grow. Last year
in 2002, JICA donated $4,000.00 US to help build a new facility for the new Mongolian Aikido
Federation of Mongolia.
Mr. Damdinpurev’s visit to Nippon Kan helped to further cement relations between
Nippon Kan and the Capitol City of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. At this meeting, ways to unite
Nippon Kan’s orphanage support projects in Ulaanbaatar with this capital city’s
Aikido Federation were discussed. Currently at Nippon Kan in Denver, there are Mongolian
students who train on a regular basis. The goal is to have these students work with the
Aikido Federation in Mongolia upon their return to their country. On this visit, Mr. Damdinpurev
was welcomed by Nippon Kan students and leaders of the Denver Mongolian Community with
a little Mongolian hospitality of our own.
