Spotlight - Lucian Dollingher

I was born in Bucharest Romania and lived there till 1985 when I came to Israel. I have got a long experience in Martial Arts: 11 years in Judo (Dan2), 7 years in Kyokushinkai and Shotocan Karate, and more than 28 years in Aikido Aikikai (Dan 3, Hombu Dojo).

I found out about Aikido in 1965 when at the end of a Judo Competition in Bucharest, our National Team trainer Gheorghe Donciu performed an Aikido demonstration. At that time very little was known in Romania about Aikido and all of us were very impressed. I had been especially attracted by the continuous flow of the movements and the high efficiency of the Aikido techniques.

I have started Aikido at the beginning of 1970. My first Aikido teacher was Sensei Nicolae Gothard Bialokur (at present living in Lousane, Suisse). As a President of the Oriental Studies Commission in Romania he often used to invited Aikido masters from abroad for seminars, among them Sensei Rolf Brand- Germany, Roland Maroto - France , Juo Iwamoto – Japan. Click here for some pictures from my "Aikido early years ".

In 1985 I came to Israel. Next year, I established my first Aikido club, in Haifa town, under the name of “Aikido Haifa”. Shortly after starting Aikido teaching in Haifa, I learned about the existence of another Aikido Club in Tel Aviv under Sensei Eytan Ben Meir (Dan 6). At that time there were only two Aikido Clubs in Israel : that belonging to Eytan Ben Meir and mine. We have developed very good relations. In parallel with my Aikido teaching in Haifa, I used to participate almost weekly in Eytan’s trainings, in his Tel Aviv Dojo (about 100 km from Haifa), and Eytan often came for teaching in my Haifa club.

At present I have 3 Aikido Dojo’s, with about 40 students with different experience levels from beginners up to Dan 3, in three different towns in Northern Israel: one in Haifa town (3 trainings per week), a second one in Kiriat Motzkin (2 trainings per week) and a third one in Migdal Haemek (one training per week). My club members are mainly adults, most of them students . For the future, I am studying the possibility of children training too.

My most Memorable Aikido Experience
I have two really memorable Aikido experiences :
1. The high level Aikido Seminars held in Romania by Sensei Rolf Brand, developed in a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, with an easy to understand teaching style.
2. My meeting with Sensei Eytan Ben Meir and participation in his Tel Aviv Dojo trainings . I was deeply impressed by the quality of his teaching, his high level execution and also the friendly atmosphere in his club. We are still in contact, at present, I highly appreciate him and occasionally participate in his trainings.

	Featured Dojo-cho, November 2007

Lucian Dollingher, 3rd Dan Aikido Haifa, Haifa, Israel Division 2
I was born in Bucharest Romania and lived there till 1985 when I came to Israel. I have got a long experience in Martial Arts: 11 years in Judo (Dan2), 7 years in Kyokushinkai and Shotocan Karate, and more than 28 years in Aikido Aikikai (Dan 3, Hombu Dojo). I found out about Aikido in 1965 when at the end of a Judo Competition in Bucharest, our National Team trainer Gheorghe Donciu performed an Aikido demonstration. At that time very little was known in Romania about Aikido and all of us were very impressed. I had been especially attracted by the continuous flow of the movements and the high efficiency of the Aikido techniques. I have started Aikido at the beginning of 1970. My first Aikido teacher was Sensei Nicolae Gothard Bialokur (at present living in Lousane, Suisse). As a President of the Oriental Studies Commission in Romania he often used to invited Aikido masters from abroad for seminars, among them Sensei Rolf Brand- Germany, Roland Maroto - France , Juo Iwamoto – Japan. Click here for some pictures from my "Aikido early years ". In 1985 I came to Israel. Next year, I established my first Aikido club, in Haifa town, under the name of “Aikido Haifa”. Shortly after starting Aikido teaching in Haifa, I learned about the existence of another Aikido Club in Tel Aviv under Sensei Eytan Ben Meir (Dan 6). At that time there were only two Aikido Clubs in Israel : that belonging to Eytan Ben Meir and mine. We have developed very good relations. In parallel with my Aikido teaching in Haifa, I used to participate almost weekly in Eytan’s trainings, in his Tel Aviv Dojo (about 100 km from Haifa), and Eytan often came for teaching in my Haifa club. At present I have 3 Aikido Dojo’s, with about 40 students with different experience levels from beginners up to Dan 3, in three different towns in Northern Israel: one in Haifa town (3 trainings per week), a second one in Kiriat Motzkin (2 trainings per week) and a third one in Migdal Haemek (one training per week). My club members are mainly adults, most of them students . For the future, I am studying the possibility of children training too. My most Memorable Aikido Experience I have two really memorable Aikido experiences : 1. The high level Aikido Seminars held in Romania by Sensei Rolf Brand, developed in a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, with an easy to understand teaching style. 2. My meeting with Sensei Eytan Ben Meir and participation in his Tel Aviv Dojo trainings . I was deeply impressed by the quality of his teaching, his high level execution and also the friendly atmosphere in his club. We are still in contact, at present, I highly appreciate him and occasionally participate in his trainings.