Ljubomir Vračarević

Ljubomir Vračarević
Born (1947-05-06)6 May 1947
Varaždin, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died 18 November 2013(2013-11-18) (aged 66)
Belgrade, Serbia
Style Real Aikido
Teacher(s) Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Hiroshi Tada, Gozo Shioda
Rank      10th dan, Sōke
Notable students Milica Mandić

Ljubomir Vračarević (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубомир Врачаревић; 6 May 1947 – 18 November 2013) was a Serbian martial artist and founder of Real Aikido.

Biography

Ljubomir Vračarević (black belt, 10.DAN - SOKE) studied aikido since 1967. His entire professional life he dedicated to real aikido - an authentic style of self-defense, which he had created for years.

During his first visit to Japan (1978) he was practicing in Hombu Dojo with Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the son of the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba.

Recognizing the knowledge and prestige of Japanese masters, Vracarevic started to create his own style adjusted to his body construction, mentality and tradition he belongs to. Working with the military and police units during the '70s motivated him to start improving practical, useful aspect of skills in order to increase the use of effective techniques in real situations.

During his second stay in Tokyo in 1993 at Yoshinkan, the school of Gozo Shioda, he met with master Shioda, who rarely received visitors because of his age. Master Vračarević was honored because of this encounter when he got a diploma which master Shioda personally signed.

For exceptional achievements in martial arts, Russian Academy of Sciences elected master Vračarević as its full member in 1998. This Academy awarded him the rank of General - lieutenant colonel in 2001, for solving problems of national security.

Programs of special training - military, police and bodyguards brought master Vracarevic international reputation. In the past 30 years he had cooperation with security services and trained bodyguards of the Presidents of several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. He has held courses to special units in several countries among which he specifies the work with the Russian "Alpha", for which he got the high military orden from the General Fetisov. Since 2002, the master Vracarevic was an authorized IBSSA instructor, and its representative in Serbia and Montenegro.

During his remarkable career,as a practitioner and teacher, master Ljubomir Vračarević held more than 200 seminars worldwide (Europe, Asia, Africa, America). Clubs of Real Aikido were host to more than 120,000 students.[1]

His special area of teaching was the Real Aikido school for kids. He worked with kids aged 4 to 12 through a program called “Through play to Mastership”, which is adjusted to children's physical and mental needs. Real Aikido was included in Serbian elementary school curriculum from 2005 as elective subject.[2]

Vračarević was the author of 12 books and videos dealing with Real Aikido and self-defense. The books are written in Serbian, while some of them were translated to Russian or English. These include: “Defense From Knife”, “Aikido-Judo”, “Defense Without Fear” (self-defense for women), “I Was Training The Bodyguards”, ”Real Aikido”, “From Beginner to Master”, “Licence for Trainer”, and “Knife, Gun, Stick Techniques”.[3]

The awards Master Vracarevic received in his exceptional career are numerous: Technical Director of Russian Real Aikido Federation, member of the Euro-Asian Kyokushinkai Federation, Vice President of the World Federation of Rukopashnii boi, the Honorary President of Wushu Federation of Shingjang area(China), honorary member of MAA - International Association of martial arts, with headquarters in Germany, founder and President of World Centre of Real Aikido, which coordinates the work of all real aikido clubs all over the world, founder and President of European Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Master Vračarević was an instructor in IBSSA, the International Bodyguard & Security Association.[4] Master Vracarevic was a professor at the College for sport trainers in Belgrade since 1997.

In August 2002 the United States Martial Arts Association elected Vracarevic to its Hall of Fame and awarded him the title Grandmaster, black belt 10th [dan (rank)|dan], Sōke.[5]

He appeared as actor with small roles in movies Kako je propao rokenrol where he played ninja instructor and Šejtanov ratnik (Devil's warrior) in which he appeared as himself.

References

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