About Shi zen Ryu

At the end of the 1980s a small group of aikidoka in Leiden, led by Tom Verhoeven, began to actively engage in the practice of Aikido. This led to the formal establishment of Aikido Club Shi Zen Ryu in December 1990. Since then Shi Zen Ryu has developed into a club of aikidoka who engage in all aspects of Aikido with enthusiasm and dedication.
Today Shi Zen Ryu has grown into one of the larger Aikido groups in the Netherlands.

Aikido dojo Shi Zen Ryu is an independent organisation which applies itself to the practice of the original Aikido, sometimes named Ueshiba Aikido, or more often Aikikai Aikido, after the headquarters of Aikido in Tokyo, Japan: the Aikikai Aikido So Hombu Dojo.
Characteristic of the Aikido practiced at Shi Zen Ryu is, among other things, the nonviolent approach to the practice of martial arts, the spacious circular movements which give Aikido such an aesthetic character, the precise study of the techniques and principles that make Aikido an effective method of self-defence, and the emphasys to the philosophical and spiritual aspects of Budo (martial art).

Training sessions take place in a large gymnasium on the Molensteeg in the center of Leiden. The dojo has over two hundred square meters of tatami (mats) and has its own library, it also publishes it;s own magazine "Aikido Nyumon," and organizes regular theme weeks, workshops, seminars and introductory courses in Aikido and T'ai chi chuan.

In the recent past Aikido dojo Shi Zen Ryu has hosted seminars with Alan Ruddock sensei, Henry Kono sensei, Kiichi Hine sensei and Ken Cottier sensei, all direct students of the Founder of Aikido

In the summer there is a shochu geiko and in the winter a kan geiko is held. Every autumn there is an intensive weekend training session held. Invariably the year begins with a festive kagami biraki.

All classes for adults are taught by dojo-cho Tom Verhoeven sensei.

Aikido vereniging Shi Zen Ryu provides also lessons Aikido for children. These classes are taught by Kim Fok (certified Aikido teacher, nidan, renshi).