Sensei

Photo Credit: Grace De Castro Phography

Main awards
2002: Fighting spirit award Ontario open Iaido tournament
2014: Shidokan Teaching award - 40th anniversary celebration
2016: Fighting spirit award 2nd Canadian Iaido Championship
2017: Silver medal Mu Mon Kai Iaido Taikai in Toronto, ON.
 
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Sensei Dean Jolly joined Shidokan Dojo in the early 80’s to learn Kendo under Funamoto Sensei.
During this time he met Okimura Sensei and started to learn Iaido. Being a disciplined and talented he developed a close friendship with Robert Miller and Santoso Hanitojo, both members and future teachers of the Dojo in Montreal.

As a student of Okimura Sensei, he received the classical training with slow dedicated progress of the traditional Japanese culture.  At the time Ohmori Ryu Iaido was the main focus on the Iaido practice in North America, a process that took years to be thought.

After an injury that stopped his kendo carrier, he devoted all his time to the study of Muso Shinden Ryu and ZNKR Iaido.
For almost two decades he was the sempai of Shidokan Dojo, until fall of 2006 he was asked by Robert Miller Sensei to take over the duties of teaching Iaido at John Abbott College.

Since then he teaches and leads a group of bilingual Iaido students on a weekly basis, sharing his experience and his valuable knowledge of a lifetime of training to anyone who wants to learn and commit to discover the art of Iaido.
He has participated in every main tournament in Canada as well as the 1st and 2nd Canadian Kendo Championship.

Currently he holds a 5th Dan in Iaido obtained in 2013 and a 2nd Dan in Kendo.

Our Dojo

What is the secret to swordsmanship?
practice harder, practice harder, practice harder.
Yamaha Tesshu ( 1836 1888)

Photo Credit : Grace De Castro Photography

Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. ”
Miyamoto Musashi