by Dan Taylor

Sensei Daniel Ivan passed away after a long battle with illness Nov. 14th at 7pm at the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif.. Sensei Ivan began training in hand to hand combat while in the military in 1945 and continued his formal training for many years in Japan. He has earned black belts in Karate, Judo, Aikido, and Kendo. Ivan founded the Japan Karate Federation of America, was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame, and became the first U.S. Director of the prestigious International Martial Arts Federation. In addition to his achievements in the martial arts, Dan Ivan has been an instructor to CID Agents, Law Enforcement Officers, and the U.S. Marine  Corps. He also earned a rare commendation from Japan National Police for undercover work on international cases. Sensei Ivan has long been instrumental in promoting the martial arts in the United States. He opened his first dojo in 1956 in Southern California eventually opening 8 additional locations. In 1965 he helped convince Shihan Fumio Demura to come to the U.S. to stay and together they co-authored numerous Karate/Kobudo books and videos. Sensei Ivan was an exceptional man and martial artist. He will be missed.