Other instructors

Beside Erwin van de Beek, also Maarten van Dieten (2nd dan), Randy Hollander, Mart Ottenheim en Elsje Paap (all 1st dan) teach Tendo Ryu aikido in the dojo in Den Haag. Below more information.

Maarten van Dieten was born on april the 22th of 1966 in The Hague. As a child he practiced Judo. At university he encountered Karate and Jujutsu followed by ten years of “the nobel art of defence” better known as Boxing.

When he met Tendoryu Aikido he was struck by the beautiful, smooth, intensive movement and its philosophy. To him Aikido is a sport and a constant learning process which can easily be applied in daily life. It teaches one to deal with (inter personal) tensions and stress. It doesn’t matter if this is caused by a (physical) attack with a weapon or a verbal attack from a person. This is what makes aikido extra interesting for Maarten, since he can apply this knowledge to his own profession, being psychology.

Randy Hollander
1e Dan Tendoryu Aikido

Randy Hollander was born on the 14th of April 1979 in The Hague. Even at an early age he was interested in the eastern martial arts and has studied many different “branches” before ending up with Aikido. He held degrees in Judo, Ninjutsu, Kendo, Tae Kwon Do and Muay Tai Boxing. In 1996 Randy was working as a military in the Dutch Royal Navy and due to many missions it was not possible for him to train a martial art with continuity. After three years he decided it was time to slowly pick up a new martial art and after extended search he arrived at Aikido Tendo Ryu style, which he’s been practicing since 1999. This Martial Art has taken a hold on him and hasn’t let go. Randy also practiced Aikikai style of Aikido for one year, but later decided that de big round movements of Tendoryu suited better with him and has been training with Sensei Erwin van der Beek now since 2003. What appeals Randy so much about Aikido is continual possibility of growth, be it physically or mentally. An unceasing learning process as you will. Randy is working as a firefighter and crane worker in The Hague since 2001.

Mart Ottenheim
1e Dan Tendoryu Aikido

Mart Ottenheim was born five kilometer from the Keukenhof and spent most of his youth between the bulbs. He teaches biology at the 'pabo' (a primary-school-teachers college) and  in his spare time he paints and sculpts (www.ottenheim.nl). In 1995 a flyer caught his attention and started practicing aikido which was very different from the other sports he previously practiced (judo, karate and fencing). To Mart, aikido is a way to work away stress and a means to get into contact with himself.

Elsje Paap (4-10-1953)
1e Dan Tendoryu Aikido

Body movement has always been important in her life. When she was young Elsje came in contact with sports for the first time: gymnastics. Later on other sports followed, individual as well as teamsports, like hockey, volleyball, basketball and badminton. She also came to love (hatha-)yoga and dancing, like jazz ballet, modern dancing, African dancing and nowadays the Argentinean tango.

As a 14 year old adolescent she was the sparring partner of her brother, who practiced Taekwondo. Although Elsje wanted to pick up self-defense sports herself, her parents didn’t allow that; she had to develop gymnastics.
Many years later, in 1998, a friend told her about aikido: it especially is an art of self-defense that can also be practiced at older age. The first lesson, learning how to fall while staying in control, was a success: happiness and self-confidence became tangible. That meant her love for aikido had begun. It was wonderful to be thrown, even more wonderful to get op again unhurt and after that it was sensational to attack again.

Since 2001 Elsje trains under sensei Erwin van der Beek.

In daily life Elsje works at a primary school and that means mental pressure, stress and a lot of thinking. Practicing aikido seems the best antithesis: it demands freeing oneself of thoughts. The mind must be empty and relaxed in order to get optimal concentration. Watching, doing and feeling what happens give her the opportunity to relax mentally and physically.

To be able to train in the dojo it is important to let go of your ego, because very often you are your own opponent. By releasing oneself of its ego, aikido will influence senses, thinking and acting in a positive way. For Elsje this means her year-long training has developed her stamina and courage and it gave her strength in difficult times in her life.

Also, practicing aikido has had a positive influence on quitting smoking and increasing her self-confidence outside the house. Now, aikido is embedded in her life and that is a development that continues to evolve.

After all these years the astonishment remains: what one sees happening is important, but for her the essence is what one feels.