Aikido Centrum Delft

This year, the traditional Budo Day was upgraded to Martial Arts Experience. During the course of a Sunday, a series of martial arts workshops were held in parallel tracks, from which interested people could choose for free. As the dojo was too small for this activity, the event took place in the big sports hall, on separate mat areas.

For the third time, Aikido Bridge, a high-level international aikido seminar, took place in Amsterdam for three days. It prominently featured Hiroshi Ikeda from the USA and Christian Tissier from France as well as Wilko Vriesman, who also organised the event and made his dojo available for overnight staying. On the mat, there were aikidokas from several countries including England, Germany, France, Romania, Slovenia, Russia and of course the Netherlands. From our group, Anthony, Gerdien, Guido, Mark and Martin attended the seminar.

After months of following theoretical and practical weekend courses organised by Aikido Nederland as well as preparing a portfolio, Mark successfully completed his training towards a state-approved martial arts assistant teacher by teaching an aikido class in Dordrecht.

Since half a year I am in Bremen where I continue to practice aikido. It is also Aikikai, and the techniques are the same, but there are distinct differences because the German Aikikai follows master Asai, instead of Tissier.

Every year in spring, Caroline and Marc Jongsten organize the aikido spring school, which Christiane, Gerdien, Guido, Iris, Jin and Roel from Delft attended.

On Saturday morning, we started with an hour of aikiken swords training, as usual on whole day seminars. We did some reaction exercises (uke invites either a shomen strike or a tsuki) and later a small kata practise. The difficulty was in entering while uke attacks with shomen uchi. After swords, there was a small break and we went on with aikido. Because of the good weather and the hard work of the people present, the dojo turned quite hot. We were urged to drink enough and to watch our energy levels. Drinks, Easter bread (paasstol) and fruit were provided. Aikido practice continued until noon for a big break. We found ourselves a nice place in the sun in the courtyard in the back of the dojo, where we had lunch.

Our aikido group was started five years ago. For celebrating this lustrum, Martin had invited Wilko Vriesman, the technical director of the Dutch Aikikai Foundation, to give a special class.