Sensei Matjaž Dobravec

The chief instructor and the club president is sensei Matjaž Dobravec, 4th DAN. He started practicing aikido in 1993, and has taught aikido since 1997.

He received his yudansha degree in 1999 from Shihan Fumio Toyoda, 6th DAN. In 2000 he was invited as an uchideshi to Toyoda's dojo in Chicago. There he received instructor training and learned the teaching methodology of Shihan Fumio Toyoda.

In 2002 he successfully tested for 2nd DAN under Sensei Steven Rechrauer, 5th DAN. In 2005 he participated at an instructor seminar in California where he successfully tested for 3rd DAN.

Three years later he attended Instructor seminar in Los Angeles under the guidance of James Nakayama 6th DAN, Where he was tested for 3rd DAN.

In 2007, the President of the AAA and AAI invited him with the group from the USA to his first travel to Japan to Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi 8th DAN and his son Hiroaki 6th DAN. He also visited the headquarters Hombu dojo in Tokyo, where he practiced under the guidance of the teacher and the President of the World Aikikai Aikido organizations Ueshiba Moriteru, 10th DAN, grandson of the founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba.

In May 2009 he attended an Insructor seminar in Tenshinkan dojo in Chicago, where he passed the exam for the 4th DAN.