Name Soleiman Mehdizadeh Years active 1976 – Present | Rank Kyoshi, 8th Dan Nationality Iranian | |
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Occupation Martial arts instructor | ||
Iran Kendo and Iaido Association
Biography
Soleiman Mehdizadeh (Japanese: ソレイマン・メヒディザデ, Persian: سلیمان مهدیزاده, Born 1955) is an Iranian master of Budō.
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He traveled to Japan in 1977, to Tokyo, and started practicing Kendo. After a while he returned to Iran; but, again, in 1978, he went to Japan and in Nishiyama's Dojo practiced Kendo. He also learned Iaido from Totsuka and Goju-ryu Karate under Yamamoto.
Foundation history: Kendo & Iaido in Iran
The teaching of the traditional martial art of Kendo-Iaido in Iran was founded by Soleiman Mehdizadeh. In 1980, the International Martial Arts Federation started supervising Kendo & Iaido (Samurai). The formal training, which was under the control of Mehdizadeh, was in the Fencing Hall (Martial Arts Hall at the time). In the same year the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) prepared a film about the first samurai martial arts training class in Iran and then broadcast it on Jan. 6th 1983. Simultaneously Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) filmed a documentary showing martial arts exercises demonstrated by Mehdizadeh. Since Mehdizadeh had to stay in Japan for several months each year, for follow-up technical and specialty exercises, his masters advised him to reside in Japan, in order to pass higher level exams in Kendo-Iaido. Returning to Iran in 1994, Mehdizadeh recommenced training of students, under the supervision of the Karate Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.