Carolina van Haperen - integrale Aikido Amsterdam

Carolina van Haperen - integrale Aikido Amsterdam Integral Aikido Amsterdam. Head-instructor Carolina van Haperen holds 5th degree black belt aikikai. It is a gracious and non-competative art.

Dojo is affiliated with Evolutionary Aikido Community, and friends of TAE. De aikido training brengt lichaam en geest in balans, respecteert ons welzijn, geeft ons energie en biedt een perspectief aan van vrijheid in beweging en zijn. Wij trainen conform advies richtlijnen RIVM, NOC*NSF en Aikido Nederland Bond. Aikido is a martial art in which we harmonize with the energy of conflict, and leading

this to a better place. It contains many principles that benefit our quality of training ánd daily life.Through training body-mind-heart it increases our potential for a more conscious and awake life. Training is possible regardless of age or condition; we train on all levels. Classes: Monday and Wednesday, 19:15 – 21:00. Sunday, 10:00-12:00 (Vondelpark), or Open Training indoors. Instructor will publish dates. Beginners Deal, trial package: 10 classes for € 90. Membership for 3 months, unlimited classes: € 120. Membership for 3 months, 1 class per week: € 100. Visitors fee: € 10 per class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjFfo_seejY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZXgMJmpkE

25/07/2025

Before we can truly control another, we must truly control the Self.

“Many people think that through training they can make their bodies responsive and controllable…I don’t deny that this is an important part of learning.
However, it is only part of it. A part that is only relative to a greater factor which one should be more aware of.
This, I think, is more important: to develop an introspective attitude in training, with a more serious eye to self-examination. This is a matter of the quality within one’s training.
To recognize the imbalance, disharmony, or disorder within one’s system, sensed within the body, as well as between the body and consciousness, is a starting point for one’s growth…”

Excerpt from “Conscious Training”
by T.K. Chiba Shihan, Birankai Founder

19/07/2025

In our stance, give attention to the back foot and heel, try not to allow it to just ‘float’.
Focus to keep the heel of the back foot in contact with the ground.
Be aware enough to notice if it lifts up.
The back foot heel helps us project as we throw out. We connect it to the ground and into the action of the center. It helps keep the foundational base solid and stable.

Connection to the ground with the back foot heel plays a significant role in generating power, maintaining balance, and facilitating movement.
A grounded heel creates a firm foundation, providing a stable base of support and stability for powerfully rotating hips.
The back foot's connection also ensures smooth transitions between stances, promoting efficient movement.
If we work a ‘dynamic’, we can compress the back heel to draw energy up from the ground (Newtons 3rd Law).
Potential energy can be released from here.
The heel gives good forward drive. It connects to the glutes and into the hips.

One exercise: Rather than just noting that our weight is held up on top by the legs, try sinking Into the legs and into the ground. Relax and notice if a different feeling of heaviness can be generated.

Of course, there are circumstances where lifting the heel is conducive, but for now, keep back foot heel in contact with the ground for stability and power generation.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

Met Aikido Advice for Women...and a Few Men – Ik ben op hun wekelijkse betrokkenheidslijst gekomen door een van hun topb...
18/07/2025

Met Aikido Advice for Women...and a Few Men – Ik ben op hun wekelijkse betrokkenheidslijst gekomen door een van hun topbijdragers te zijn! 🎉

We also use kiai and atemi in our practice.Atemi is a secundairy tool in order to form the technique and uke's respons. ...
18/07/2025

We also use kiai and atemi in our practice.
Atemi is a secundairy tool in order to form the technique and uke's respons. The kiai generates a block or freeze in uke's respons. The sound o the kiai varies as well; sometimes low, mid or high; this comes from where your energy needs to be generated and extended. Also kiai grounds and unifies body-mind.

11/07/2025

The skill of learning how to self correct
involves understanding the principles behind technique. Not just the ‘how’, but also the ‘why’ of what we practice.

Self correction also involves developing the skill of self awareness. How much do we actually notice about ourselves? Are we really moving the way we ‘think’ we are? Do we judge our success only by the fact that we can make uke fall?
Some might observe a surprising disconnect between what we think we are doing versus what we actually do.
Take ownership of this. Notice how we, ourselves, practice. Do not just point out what everyone else is doing wrong.
The ability to notice, acknowledge and learn from our own errors is crucial, not only for acquiring skills but also for personal growth.

Do not be too attached to the Self, and refrain from being too self critical. We are simply gathering information. Cultivate this kind of mental and emotional resilience.
Allow Self-correction to empower.
If we take responsibility for our practice toward refining and improving accuracy, we develop an enhanced Metacognition.

Study exactly how we think and how we learn.
Forge the Self by maintaining both confidence and a humility.
Practice, notice, and then reflect.

G.Breeland 6th dan

11/07/2025

Riai refers to the underlying principles that connect weapons techniques (bokken and jo) with empty-handed techniques.
This concept provides an immense tool in enhancing our empty handed technique.

The partner weapon forms address distance, timing, rhythm, and posture/spirit/presence.
In empty handed forms, Riai maintains our posture and alignment. Correct integration ensures movement comes from the center. Our power is unified and centered. It is far too easy to resort to segmented arms contracting and using the more familiar upper body strength - Riai keeps all this in check.

Excessive, wasted motion is also constrained. Tai sabaki is honed in, we move aligned, repositioning with uke as one in that connection. We employ the coordinated, whole-body as we seek advantageous position.
If we maneuver as if we are holding the Aiki Ken or Jo, we align, expand, extend, center and ground. Our hands stay together, movement is decisively expressed, strongly driven by the center.
Weapons can also clearly illustrate some good biomechanics, it allows a visual for trajectory, and it helps us view circles and spirals and the effect they can have on uke.

Riai is an ingenious concept/teaching beneficial to all serious aikido practioners.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

News will follow…
28/06/2025

News will follow…

20/06/2025

Remember that when we do any aikido technique we need to make sure to take balance. This is a core principle (many of you already know this).

It makes no sense to stand in front of uke when he can physically reach you. When moving our body completely off the line of attack, we disrupt ukes structure and stability, creating an opening to employ the technique. Remain outside of ukes sphere of strength.
If we do a technique in front of uke, he may fall to cooperate, but cognitively note that this position is not martially effective.
Be aware if we go into ukes effective range.
And it is up to ourselves to notice, do not wait for your Sensei to point it out.

Once balance is taken, maintain that imbalance throughout the entire technique. Transitions within technique can cause us to lose this advantage.
If we “lose” the lead and give ukes balance back, the teaching is to simply notice and adjust/correct.

Do your own study, know how efficiently or inefficiently we move.
We are practicing tai sabaki.
Work toward, then refine skills.
Note that mindfully noticing is the first step.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

13/06/2025

Remember that when practicing morotedori kokyuho we are essentially “uprooting” and “displacing” our uke.
Try not to “push” through.
We first drop the elbow and step in, taking balance as we absorb/compress/condense. We draw ukes center (taking his root) into ours.
Uprooting occurs as we expand into that connection. We place our hips slightly below uke’s center and expand from our root into theirs. We turn our strong hips as we shift our weight through uke and into our back foot.
We uproot, displace and replace uke’s center with our own.
And yes, throughout the entire movement we coordinate the Breath.

Once the movement feels consistently correct, do the technique with bokken in hand. This will magnify whole body movement with focused attention to legs, spine and crown. The bokken keeps posture intact, centers, aligns, grounds, and expands. With decisive intent, feel the whole body dynamic - center/hips initiating the rising bokken, the turn and the shift to strike.

Sense and feel the space and integrity for whole body connection and power.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

13/06/2025

Tend to the functionality of the feet.

The feet are the body's foundation - movement and stability begin here.
Feel the ground support as much as possible, grip the ground, distribute the weight evenly along the foot.
Stability with our foundation helps us dial in our mechanics.
Sense the center of the calcaneus (heel bone), connect to the edge of the foot along the pinky toe and toward the big toe.
Create this integrity, feeling it up toward expanding hips.
We reinforce our stance beginning with the ground and the feet.
We become firm/anchored yet mobile.
Heavy but light.

Root into the feet, ground with the legs, remain stable at the center.
Practice this.

G.Breeland, 6th dan

18/04/2025

In traditional aikido, we manage our body consistently around a set of principles.
In each encounter we move off the line of attack, take balance, and harmonize/blend to redirect.
These are core externally visible principles (note there are other ‘unseen’ principles).
We resist the impulse to confront, to not use reflexive strength, to refrain from pushing and pulling, to avoid contracting and forcing.
As we employ the constraints of traditional principles, we may find unlearning reactive reflexes to embody a counterintuitive response quite difficult.
And through the decades some of us may be surprised to find ourselves still struggling with these skills.

We remain patient and curious, investing time to digest deeper meaning in this physical manifestation.
The time required is truly an investment.

Know that body can lead the mind just as the mind can lead the body.
The mind-body connection is a two-way street. The body possesses a deeper, intuitive knowledge that the mind can follow.
The body's external physical state is reflective of our mind’s internal mental disposition.

Our struggle is visually discernible.
For a time, when we ‘blend’ we may still push and pull, resorting to strength.
If we are not completely off the line of attack and balance not fully taken, we may still rush in, using momentum to force technique.
If we are not fully connected to lead uke, we may still blame him for his stiffness and ‘poor’ ukemi skills.
And if we find ourselves seeking only those ukes that make us ‘look’ good, we should notice - and ask why…

A pitfall in aikido is that even if we fall short of these principles we can still remain somewhat successful.
If ‘Uke falling’ is our only measure of success, then we may attain, what my Sensei has described to me as ‘that false sense of confidence’.

Use deep awareness and mindful self observation to notice if we are actually fully meeting set principles.
Gain the information needed for our own private and sincere study.
The body action reflects the mind.
The mind reflects the body action.

So invest the time, the patience, the mindset, to be precise, to adhere to the principles fully and correctly. Shift into an exceedingly robust state, one that is palpable, tangible, relevant, and life changing.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

Adres

Amsterdam

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+31613692808

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Wie zijn wij? - Who are we?

De aikido training brengt lichaam en geest in balans, respecteert ons welzijn, geeft ons energie en biedt een perspectief aan van vrijheid in beweging en zijn. Aikido is a martial art in which we harmonize with the energy of conflict, and leading this to a better place. It is a gracious and non-competative art. It contains many principles that benefit our quality of training ánd daily life.Through training body-mind-heart it increases our potential for a more conscious and awake life. Training is possible regardless of age or condition; we train on all levels. Classes: Monday and Wednesday, Basics 19:15 – 20:15, General 20:15-21:15. Sunday, 10:00-12:00 (Vondelpark). Outdoor training dates are on the website. For free practice form 5th kyu and up we have 1 a month Open Training.

Our Aikido dojo website: https://aikicontact.nl/integrale-aikido-amsterdam/

Instructor: Carolina van Haperen, 5th Dan Aikikai. Practice in Iwama Ryu weapon system & taijutsu & free form Jiyu Waza. Other martial art experience: Pentjak Silat & Systema.

2 FREE TRIAL CLASSES. At any moment to try. Beginners Deal: 10 Basics classes for € 50, or 10 Basics + General classes for € 70. Buddy Deal: if you are joining with one (or more) person, we offer you both 15% discount on the Beginners Deal 10 classes. Membership quartely Basics, unlimited classes: € 100 Membership quartely Basics + General, unlimited classes: € 120 Membership quartely Basics, 1 class a week: € 70 Membership quartely 1 Basics + General, 1 class a week: € 90 30% family discount (same household). 25 % Stadspas discount. Visitors fee: € 10 per class.