Member interview with Dirk

name Dirk
year of birth 1996
grew up in Utrecht and Enschede
aikido since 2017
rank 3rd kyu

What do you like or find inspiring about aikido?

What I like about aikido is that you work with your whole body. For the different techniques, you don’t just use your arms, you use your whole body, your center. This also makes it easy to use techniques with people who are taller than you are.

What is your favorite technique and why?

My favorite technique is nikyo because it is a short but efficient technique. As with many other techniques in aikido, nikyo can also be applied from many different situations.

I also really enjoy the weapon training. This gives just another dynamic and different insights.

How do you apply aikido in daily life?

In daily life, I work more and more from my center. This creates more peace and overview, allowing you to make better decisions and not get too caught up in the moment.

What do you do in your daily life?

After studying mechanical engineering in Enschede, I am working as an energy consultant. The tasks I perform here are managing and monitoring zero on the meter homes and underground heat and cold stores. I also help develop new dashboards to get a better understanding of the different homes I manage.

What makes you smile?

Blackadder, Austin Powers and Jochem Meijer.

What is your favorite quote?

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” Elon Musk.

What else should we know about you?

I am a big fan of barbecue and I brew my own beer.