YKR - Ju Jitsu Amsterdam

Dynamism

The ju jitsu in our dojo and the style that I want to develop in it is dynamic. That means that with a strong look at the traditions, we can also tend towards the modern aspect of the Art.

A very good teacher once told me: the ju jitsu that we teach now in our schools is different than the one that we used to teach 30 years ago. And that’s how it should be. We need to answer different questions.

The YKR dojo is thriving in these principals. Stay tuned…

Sekiguchi ryu - as my sensei said, it’s a marathon not a race. Embracing all the feelings of studying something new.

I’m grateful to have an excellent teacher, with great experience and knowledge 🙏🏼

Picture 📸 - courtesy of

thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us and for the meaningful insights that you provided during the lesson🙏🏼

We need more skilled teachers and we need more female teachers.

Ahlam is a high level teacher: 5th dan Shotokan karate with 30 years experience and her own dojo in Utrecht

I hope that this will be the start of long journey collaboration.

As part of the vision of our dojo, growth happens with confrontations between different martial artists and martial arts.

There’s always space to learn and there are always layers to add.

Dear martial artists, I’m working on something very special. Please read till the end.

A black belt, a title, or a high dan rank means nothing if the basics aren’t there.

Ju jitsu is not about collecting techniques or performing for the camera. It’s about building structure you can trust under pressure — in striking, takedowns, control, and neutralization. It’s about awareness, timing, and understanding yourself through practice.

I’ve decided to put myself out there more and share my path — not to sell an image, but to show the process honestly.

And this is not something I want to build alone. As a teacher, part of my responsibility is to keep growing: to challenge myself, learn from other teachers, and strengthen the areas where I’m less experienced or where other martial arts go deeper.

As a female teacher, I also want to open more space for women to teach, lead, and bring their own perspective into martial arts. The more voices, experiences, and ways of transmitting knowledge we have, the stronger the community becomes.

That’s why I’m working on creating a community dojo: a shared space where martial artists can train seriously, exchange knowledge without ego, pressure-test ideas, and help each other grow — on and off the mat.

Too much in martial arts today is about titles, image, and collecting techniques without understanding the fundamentals. I’m interested in something deeper: structure, awareness, and real development.

YKR Amsterdam together with is working on Generational Youth Leadership Model: a mentorship and peer-to-peer education program that uses martial arts as a tool to build confidence, discipline, responsibility, and trust.

Right now, 15 young people between 12 and 21 are actively involved in the program.

Through their commitment, they are reaching and supporting around 100 children and teenagers (ages 4–15) in their own neighbourhood. What makes this project special is that young people are not just participating — they are taking responsibility, becoming role models, and creating a positive impact for the next generation.

Martial arts are not just about physical training, they are a way to build resilience, community, and leadership in a practical and accessible way.

This is exactly the kind of long-term social impact we believe in:

creating spaces where young people can grow, support each other, and feel that they matter.

Proud of these kids.

Martial arts are personal study, constant research, and shared experience.
Refining the details, embracing humility, facing the frustration of our limits, then getting back to work, head down, to overcome them.

A special thanks to M. for the precious lesson, you can tell his dedication and his passion the moment you step on the mats with him.

Recently, we had a very fun kickboxing class with - this class is part of a project that I run with the foundation in which I try to keep sport, specifically martial arts, inclusive for everyone. The class was free of charge. I’d like to thank the people that donated money to support this project. TBC… 🥋

part IV - visiting experiencing an and tasting the food 🤤

Special class for Sinterklaas last Friday, together with

And thank you for the chocomel 😬

part III - Sengenkan part I - I have to thank thoroughly Takashima sensei for the great hospitality. The aikido lesson was accessible and valuable for every one martial artists and non. But besides that, the attention and passion in sharing not only his aikido but also the Japanese culture… TBC with the next posts ;)

P.S. here’s some info about the Sengenkan:

In Sengenkan, we follow the tradition of Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, who was a senior disciple of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Aikido’s characteristic is the rational use of the body that does not go against the law of nature.
In this way, we harmonize with the opponent (or partner) in order to control and subdue them – or better yet, to avoid fighting entirely. Aikido has a depth that goes beyond technique. At our Sengenkan dojos, we strive to improve our mind and body by performing our daily practice carefully and consciously.

At Sengenkan, we would like everyone to feel the wonder of martial arts (budo) and the power of traditional culture. When we think of martial arts, we tend to think of fighting. But in Aikido, unlike other martial arts and sports, there are no competitions and no winning or losing. Rather, it is more important to improve oneself, and increase the “zest for life” that is already inside of you, by accumulating daily practice.
In that sense, the “enemy” to be defeated is within oneself. This is the basic idea of pure martial arts.
In addition to regular Aikido training, we also hold many seasonal events that have been handed down from ancient times, and activities to familiarize ourselves with traditional Japanese culture, and exchanges with overseas practitioners.