Author Archives: hanspdegroot

When you give yourself, you receive more than you give. ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY The act of giving a gift is a far more complicated undertaking than it might first appear. At a glance, it seems to be a fairly one-sided affair. You decide to give someone a gift, you spend time thinking about them, youContinue reading “The Gift of Receiving”

What is your martial arts mindset?  When people set out to train in martial arts, they typically have some preconceived ideas about what they will learn and why they want to train.  But sometimes there can be a disconnect between the mindset of the art they are training in and what the long term goalsContinue reading “Martial Arts Mindset”

Merci, Guy Lafleur. Guy Lafleur passed away last week … A sad day for hockey. When I heard the news, my thoughts immediately turned towards my childhood. I could see Lafleur charging down the ice — he played right wing — hair flowing, finessing his way through the opposition, scoring, smiling, celebrating. He was aContinue reading “Aiki Soku Seikatsu”

Chris Johnston Sensei and Paul Gagliano Sensei (Aikido Shindokan dojo) recently made a trip up to AYC Ottawa to deliver a Kigami Biraki clinic. Although I couldn’t join in the trip to visit Hans De Groot Sensei, the event inspired me to reflect on some of the clinics I’ve attended, with guest teachers from Vancouver,Continue reading “Let’s Get Clinical: 7 Tips for a Meaningful Aikido Clinic”

Why would anyone study something like Aikido? It’s an interesting question in a world inundated with martial arts clubs that profess to turn you into a back-alley bruiser or that dazzle you with tall shiny trophies all lined up attractively in their store fronts. It’s certainly a question I am asked every time a potentialContinue reading “Why Study Aikido?”

In Yoshinkan Aikido, the Kihon Dosa are considered to be a distillation of the key physical skills and principles inherent in everything we do.  They include:  Tai no Henko, Hiriki no Yosei, and Shumatsu Dosa.  Each of these has a #1 and a #2, so this gives 6 movements altogether.  They can be performed solo or in pairs.  The #1Continue reading “Kihon Dosa: The Basics of Basics”

In my previous blog post I spoke about how to perform a basic breath meditation circuit. This time I would like to look at how this type of breath training is relevant to Aikido training. Developing a relaxed breathing pattern is the only way to connect your mind with your body to allow them toContinue reading “Meditation and Aikido Training – Combating the “Four Sicknesses””

The term MUSHIN is referenced in zen meditation as well as martial arts texts, and translates to “empty mind”. Working to develop a Mushin state of mind means that one’s thoughts pass like clouds in the sky, where the mind observes them but does not follow them. This allows the mind to to be unboundContinue reading “Mushin”

There is a photo that hangs unassumingly in the living room of one of today’s top Yoshinkan Aikido instructors. In a social media world awash with depictions of self-aggrandizement, one reason that this photo stands out is because you are not likely to find it online. It is one of my favourite martial arts photos.Continue reading “Ma-ai”

One of the martial arts terms that has always resonated with me is “Agatsu”. A term that has much to do with mindfulness in martial arts and unlocking the real power in our training.   I remember discovering the term at the beginning of my Aikido studies , when I was devouring all the informationContinue reading “Agatsu – Mindfulness in Martial Arts”