We invite you to the European Championship U18 which will be from Friday, September 23 to Sunday, September 25, in Gelsenkirchen – Germany in the Veltines Arena.  Organiser of the event, German Ju-Jitsu Federation (DJJV) and JJEU are wishing you a pleasant stay in Germany. More details will follow. Please visit us at Facebook where updates and additional information will be published on a daily basis. Registration deadline: September 5!

The JJEU Board would like to apologise to any inconvenience caused of the changed date of the event. At the last minute the German Ju-Jitsu Federation (DJJV) was faced with information that sport hall, originally planned for the event, will not be available on the desired date. Among many unpleasant solutions (move the date or keep the date and use smaller sport hall but prolong EC to 4 days which will be more expensive for the members) we choose one less unpleasant. Change of the date also cumulated a few international events on a very short period (Balkan Open at Cyprus, JJIF Session and Congress and Asian Beach Games, where ju-jitsu is also presented).

Among other things on the Agenda of 2016 General Assembly in Gent, Belgium, elections of the new Board took place. The composition of the new JJEU Board is:

Robert Perc, Slovenia, the President,
Rick Frowyn, the Netherlands, the General Secretary,
Michael Korn, Germany, the Senior Vice President,
Philippe Merlin, France, 2nd Vice President,
Dana Mortelmans, Romania, 3rd Vice President.

During the opening ceremony of the EOC Gent Belgium, on Saturday, June 4th 2016, the President awarded for their service to the sport and particularly Ju-Jitsu with Recognition of Merit to Mr Stefan Badenski, Poland (former JJEU Vice President) and with Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr Dario Quenza, Italy (former JJEU President) and Mr Roel van Ravens, the Netherlands (JJEU Referee Director). The referees also prepared a special emotional ceremony for their Referee Director, who has retired after more than three decades of active service to Ju-Jitsu worldwide.

In the opening speech newly elected President welcomed all athletes, coaches, referees, respected members of National Federations and viewers at the major Ju-Jitsu event in JJEU in 2016. Special greetings were given to the JJIF President, Mr Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, the JJIF General Manager, Mr Eugene Domagata and the Head of JJIF Legal Departments, Mr Nuvin Proag. He expressed the importance of having a good team and creating a good one in the future with committees and working bodies. The mission of the new board shall be good governance on all levels, protection of integrity of Ju-Jitsu and athletes, following the spirit of ju-jitsu and zero tolerance to doping with support given to JJIF project of Clean Ju-Jitsu. The new Board is committed to transparent work and leading with examples, encouraging mutual respect as (as the President strongly indicated) we understand enormous education role of sport, no matter of being athletes, coach, referee, official or parents.

In next three months’ committees and working bodies will be created. The Board will meet again in the middle of July and it is expected what all bodies will function up to the end of September.