the

TAIKIKEN

pages

2024

Learn Taikiken, Taijiquan, and Qigong from Nadja KOTRCHOVA sensei. Discover Oriental philosophy and Chinese traditional medicine through martial arts.

In the mid-1980s, when Eastern Europe was still hidden behind an iron curtain of strict conformity and controlled ambition, a young woman named Nadja stepped onto a well-worn judo mat in Prague. It was 1985, and for Nadja—a restless soul seeking more than just physical prowess—this was the first of many fateful introductions to the martial arts world. The uniformed judo halls of the Czech Republic’s capital offered competition and technique, but the spark she found there never fully ignited the deeper flame she carried inside. Her true interest lay beyond medals and matches. Instead, Nadja craved something profoundly spiritual, infused with centuries-old teachings. She devoured books on Oriental philosophy and Chinese traditional medicine, searching for a martial art that moved both body and mind.

The late ’80s in Czechoslovakia were tumultuous and draining. The relentless grind of everyday life, especially under communism, often left ambition and self-discovery sidelined. But then came the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a tectonic shift that crumbled old restrictions and opened new avenues of freedom. It was a second kind of velvet revolution for Nadja, too: the dawn of Taikiken in her life. Here at last was a practice that harmonized training and philosophy, offering a balanced path she had long desired.

In 1998, a twist of fate named Ron Nansink arrived in the Czech Republic, teaching Taikiken and Tai Chi Chuan. His classes resonated deeply with Nadja. She embraced the “Taiki concept” wholeheartedly, reaping the kind of results that can’t be measured in trophies or ribbons. Before long, Nadja and Ron were partners, not only in training but also in life. She traveled back and forth to Holland, broadening her internal horizon with Taikiken, Tai Chi Chuan, and Qigong. Soon enough, Nadja stood at Ron’s side, assisting him during Taikiken workshops and management training sessions, transforming from student into a mentor-in-the-making.

As the millennium approached, Nadja and Ron embarked on an eight-month pilgrimage across Southeast Asia and China—a grand training odyssey searching for authentic roots and techniques rarely tasted by outsiders. They moved like nomads of the martial world. In Thailand, the subtle slap of glove against pad in a Muay Thai boxing gym became their daily soundtrack. Local fighters shared not only their muscle-honed skills but also their vibrant fighting spirit.

Bali offered something different—weight training under swaying palm trees and the mysterious Bamboo Kunning, a spiritual form of pentjak silat practiced on beaches where the horizon blurred the line between land and imagination. In Malaysia, Nadja explored the Wong Loo Sen See Chee Choong Temple in Kuala Lumpur, uncovering layers of Taoist ritual and subtle meaning.

Then came China, a sprawling tapestry of tradition and teaching. Nadja made a point of visiting Taoist mountains, climbing through the mist to places where meditation seemed to float in the air itself. At Shaolin, she stayed in the Dharma Hall, rubbing shoulders with monks whose dedication radiated from dawn practice to evening chants. In Beijing, she learned an extended form of “Eight-Length Brocade” baduanjin, breathing ancient wisdom into every stretch and stance.

Since 1998, Nadja has immersed herself in internal martial arts, and through this journey, she has discovered the grand truth that life’s paths are many and varied. With every class taught, every new student guided, and every personal milestone reached, Nadja has moved closer to mastering the balance of mind, body, and spirit. Today, she’s forging a career that’s as much about personal growth as it is about technique. Her story reads like a fighter’s travelogue, a seeker’s journal, and a philosopher’s notebook—revealing a life continually shaped and reshaped by the power and poetry of martial arts.

Nadja Kotrchova is a well experienced management and leadership trainer and personal coach, see more on https://martrix.org/managementtraining_taoism.html

Same page in Dutch: https://martrix.org/managementtraining_taoism.html

Taikiken PDF publication in the Dutch language:

Article over Taikiken in Body & Mind magazine February 2006:

Tai ki ken Vechtkunst met Gevoel. Taikiken Body Mind.pdf