Carolina van Haperen - integrale Aikido Amsterdam

14/10/2026

https://youtu.be/I7hvWNTmYHI?is=lBMVEoj0lXrxUasK

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02/10/2026

https://youtu.be/Vn81WrJKcY4?si=-olZBDvk88hnQ2FN

19/09/2026

Moving From the Center

In Japanese martial arts, we often speak of the hara: the lower abdominal area from which we try to organize posture, breathing, and movement. In Chinese traditions, we find a related idea in the lower dantian, or tan tien. Yoga also includes practices involving the abdomen, breath, and navel region. These are different traditions and should not be treated as exactly the same, but they share an important practical insight: the body works better when it stops moving in disconnected parts.

In Aikidō, moving from the hara means that the feet, hips, trunk, and arms take part in one unified action. The arms stop doing all the work and begin to express the movement of the whole body. Modern biomechanics describes this differently, using concepts such as center of mass, base of support, stability, and force transfer. That center is not a fixed point; it changes constantly as we move.

You can feel it in a simple action. Stand up from a chair while tensing your shoulders and trying to do everything with isolated effort. Then repeat it by placing the feet well, shifting your weight slightly forward, and letting the pelvis and trunk initiate the movement. Try the same thing when opening a heavy door or moving an object. The difference is immediate: less isolated effort, more whole-body participation.

The hara stops being an abstract idea when you begin to feel it in simple actions. In the dojo, we train movement from that center. In daily life, learning to use the body as a whole can teach something deeper as well: to act with less fragmentation and with greater coherence between intention and action.

Gabriel Benítez©

16/09/2026

05/08/2026

Discover the EAC Summer Intensive 2026 experience: Aikido practice, teaching development and international exchange among practitioners

09/07/2026

Shikkō (膝行) is the traditional Japanese method of moving while kneeling in the seiza position. Instead of standing, you move smoothly across the floor by gliding the knees and driving the motion from the hips while keeping an upright posture.

Proper shikkō emphasizes relaxed shoulders, balanced posture, and quiet, controlled movement. The hips generate the motion, while the knees slide with minimal lifting and the body shifts its weight smoothly without unnecessary rocking. The hands rest naturally on the thighs, ready to move if needed.

Historically, shikkō was an important part of Japanese etiquette on tatami floors. It allowed people to move respectfully in the presence of high-ranking individuals without standing, while still remaining balanced and prepared to respond if the situation required it.

05/07/2026