Richard Floris

3rd dan

"Inspiration" 

At the age of 15 I found a book in the library: "Aikido, know your sport" by J.J. Bruins. I loved what I read, but the school was in Purmerend. I chose Taekwondo, because this school was within cycling distance. In 1983 I found another book: "Aikido, what's that?" by Ian Onvlee. His school was in Amsterdam on the Lijnbaansgracht. That's where I started training: there were no mats, but there was a soft floor covering. I learned to roll on that very quickly, because if you didn't do it well, you were battered and brused.

My first teacher was Thom Verhoeven. I trained with him until he went to Leiden. Because of my physiotherapy study, I didn't have time to train anymore. Instead I started doing yoga.

Judo

In 1993 I started treating a judoka who claimed not to be able to train anymore. To prove to him that he was able, I went with him to the dojo and started with Judo myself. All judoka's thought it was striking that a beginner could roll and free fall so beautifully. Yes, that was aikido of course.

I started judo with Miep Hermsen, a purebred Amsterdammer with a golden heart, who was not afraid of anything. In 2005 I got my 1st dan. I trained with her, until she stopped at eighty. From that time on I train at Warner Salomons (6th dan judo) in Zaandam. He approaches judo as if you are fighting against an empty suit. This connects seamlessly with the principles I learned in aikido.

Aikido

In 1998 I started training Aikido again. I got lessons from Niek Remkes and Erik Louw. In 2005 I started doing katori shinto ryu (sword school), until my knee injury didn't allow it anymore. In the meantime I kept on training with Niek Remkes. He started a school on the Veemkade, with Pauline Suyl. After that on the Heinzestraat and that's where I stayed.

In 2009 I got the offer to teach beginners. I immediately noticed that transmitting Aikido is different from training itself and requires constant study ("he who considers himself a pupil is the best teacher" Morihei Ueshiba). I really enjoy doing it.