| name | Jan |
| age | 65+ |
| grew up in | Utrecht |
| aikido since | 1997 |
| rank | 2nd dan |
How did you come into contact with aikido?
I read an article about a martial artist who attended an aikido demonstration. Anyone who wanted to could take on the demonstrator. The martial artist was going to teach the guy a lesson. But before he knew it, he was flying through the air. He thought that was a sport, and I thought it was a good one.
What do you find beautiful or inspiring about aikido?
Aikido looks simple, but it is not. At every level there are obstacles and puzzles to solve. Not only physically but also mentally.
What is your favorite technique and why?
I don’t really have a favorite technique, but I do have a non-favorite technique: shihonage. For tall people it is a challenge to get under the center (hara) of the attacker when performing it. Especially when someone is a lot smaller. The nice thing about this is to always try to improve this.
How do you apply aikido in daily life?
Tough question. I have fallen before and being able to break a fall certainly helps.
You also perform a technique on both the left and right, preferred and non-preferred side. That ensures that the body develops on both sides. When I play table tennis or football, I enjoy it.
I have been practicing aikido for so long that it has become part of my life. What would I be like if I had not been doing aikido all those years? Aikido works on a different, more subtle level.
What makes you laugh?
Absurdity. Coen brothers movies like The Big Lebowski and Fargo. Recently saw the movie ‘The Hand of God’, also with very absurd scenes.
What is your favorite quote?
I have two:
“A day without bad luck is also good luck.”
And one from the famous philosopher Frans Bauer:
“There is always something, then this and then that.”
What else should we know about you?
I am married, have two daughters and a house with a garden.