Aikido Centrum Delft

A record number of 11 students in one go have passed their lower kyu exams: Jamie, Johan, Kalle, Pjotr, Sylvana and Tom B. were awarded 6th kyu, Alwin and Shoreh 5th kyu and Anthony, Bart and Reno 4th kyu. Well done, and congratulations to all of them!

In order to mark the end of the first half of the aikido season and also to celebrate the new year, albeit a bit late, the whole group went to an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant in downtown Delft.

Since we altogether went to such a restaurant in Rotterdam three years ago, these all-you-can can eat Japanese restaurants have been mushrooming all over the place, having recently provided us with one quasi right at our doorstep.

Every year Wilko Vriesman organises a 5-day intensive aikido seminar. Each day there are two sessions of 2,5 hours, separated by 2 hours of rest. There were between 20 and 50 people on the mat, varying between sessions. From Delft, Mark and I attended the seminar.

This year, at the traditional Christmas seminar at the Aikido Centrum Alphen, we Delftenars were present with a substantial delegation comprised of Anthony, Bart, Gerdien, Guido, Jin, Mara, Martin, Reno and Roel. Together with some further 60 aikidokas from other dojos in the region, we trained key features of the line Tissier. At the end of the seminar, Roel successfully passed his 2nd kyu exam, and Jin and Guido their 1st kyu exams. Congratulations!

Op zaterdagmiddag werd in de dojo van het Aikido Centrum Leiden weer een zwaardstage gegeven. Drie uur lang werd er hard getraind. Zwaard is niet alleen heel erg leuk om te doen, het werkt ook als ondersteuning voor je aikido. Omdat er nogal wat aikidoka's rondlopen die geen of nauwelijks zwaardervaring hebben, zijn deze in het bijzonder uitgenodigd om te komen ontdekken wat je ermee kunt. De eerstvolgende zwaardstage zal zijn in begin volgend jaar.

Bron: Aikido Centrum Leiden

So the aikido group isn't all about aikido! Not at all. We also do some social events from time to time, and we're planning to do this more often. We went this evening to a movie and after that for a drink in some cafes and this is what it looked like. And indeed, we had a good time. With Anthony, Tom, Guido, Mark, Pjotr, Roel, Mara, Reno, Jamie and Sylvana (not in photo).

I am Spanish, and I have been visiting Delft for a month. I had the opportunity to practice at the dojo at TU Delft. I have to say that it has been a great experience.

I have been training in Spain at the Ametsuchi Dojo, with Shihan Yasunari Kitaura, and the dojo at TU Delft has become to me an opportunity to practice Aikido from a slightly different point of view. This has definitely improved my abilities when I have been back to Spain.