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Discover the journey of Ron NANSINK sensei in Taikiken and Taijiquan. From Kyokushin karate to intensive Taikiken study in Japan, learn from a talented sensei.
Ron started with judo training as a child. In 1967 he started to practice Kyokushin karate under Rinus Schulz, a then sixth dan karate instructor in the Jon Bluming honbu dojo in Amsterdam.
In the early 1970 ‘s he joined Jan Kallenbach’s Shin Bu Ken dojo in Amsterdam Osdorp, The Netherlands, where he was introduced to Taikiken. It was in the Shin Bu Ken dojo where Yoshimichi Sato (the son in-law of Kenichi Sawai) was teaching Taikiken. Ron, who did hold a black belt in Kyokushin karate, was deeply touched by the Taikiken simplicity and effectiveness. After training for a longer period with Sato Sensei, he joined Akio Sawai sensei (Kenichi Sawai’s son) and Iwama Norimasa sensei who took over the Taikiken training when Sato sensei went back to Japan.
Ron was a talented student, eager to study all the possibilities of Taikiken, this resulted in a direct invitation to come Japan for further study in under Master Kenichi Sawai himself in Meiji jingu. In 1975 he travelled to Japan for a seven-month intensive Taikiken study.
Sawai senseiappointed Masashi Saito, one of his senior students to support Ron with his training during his stay in Japan. Saito and Ron practiced Taikiken every day in the early morning in Meiji Jingu.
The training started with half an hour Ritsuzen (zhan zhuang), Hai (crawling), basis stepping (mo ca bu), Yuri testing force (shi li), some pushing hands (tui shou) and a round of taijiquan.
After breakfast Ron practiced Taikiken again in Meiji Jingu, often Hatsuo Royama was doing his training there.
It was Royama sensei who taught Ron his three line stepping system, a kind of tai sabaki exercise and his famous Low kick ‘Ro kick’ (mawashi gedan geri).
Every Sunday morning Kenichi Sawai joined the group in Meiji jingu to share his knowledge with his fellow Taikiken trainees as he used to call them. Sometimes Ron was lucky to get Sawai sensei’s personal attention, when he visited the sensei at home or in his little restaurant in Ikebukero.
Masashi Saito was also a taijiquan student of master Wang (O. Sensei), so Ron also started to learn ‘Orthodox Taijiquan a lineage from Wang Shu Chin - Wang Shu Jin (O ju kin) (1904-1981).
In the late 1970‘s his friend Hans Zending introduced Ron to Yashuhide Takagi, who at that time was very talented in karate instructor at the Hosei University in Tokyo. After Ron showed him some of his Taikiken, Yashuhide was so inspired that he switched to Taikiken himself. Later he became one of Sawai Sensei’s top students and a respected spokesman of Taikiken.
Ron was living in Tokyo when Sawai Sensei died in 1988, he attended his traditional funeral ceremony to pay respect to a great mentor, who deeply influenced his living, feeling and thinking.
Ron several times visited China where he stayed for longer periods to research the Chinese roots of Taikiken and material on Kenichi Sawai’s Yiquan teacher Wang Xiangzhai. During his stay he also researched Taijiquan, Shaolin wushu and Chinese martial arts in general.
The clarity and usefulness of the Taoist philosophy behind Taikiken and Yiquan inspires him in his daily life. In 1978 Ron had the rare opportunity to be initiated in the Wong Loo Sen See Chee Choong Temple, in Kuala Lumpur. This initiation into the realm of the Wuji (the supreme void) filled in the mystifying, metaphysical part of Taoism.
Ron Integrated Wuji (Nothingness) into Taikiken’s spontaneous waza as Sawai sensei used to call it.
Ron teaches Taikiken as a martial art, injected with Taoism and as a practical mind & body-enriching tool for leadership and management development. Ron feels that the essence of Taikiken - Yiquan, with its deep Taoist roots can increase the general understanding of fellow martial arts like: Karate, Aikido, Pentjak silat, Tai chi chuan, Shaolin, Kung fu, self defence and meditation.
Taikiken applications
Ron ritsuzen
Taikiken PDF publications in the Dutch language:
In het begin van de jaren 80 publiceerde het toen populaire krijgskunst magazine ZEN DO KAN twee door Ron geschreven artikelen over Taikiken en zijn belevenis van training op dat moment. Publikaties Zendokan 1.2.PDF
Eind jaren 90 publiceerde Jonas magazine een artikel over Ron en de filosofie achter zijn vechtkunst.
Jonas 99.PDF
Taikiken in Body & Mind magazine februari 2006: Tai ki ken Vechtkunst met gevoel. Taikiken Body Mind.pdf
Kijk voor seminars in Nederland op https://taikiken.org/agenda.html
Taikiken Summer workshops
Ron’s Flickr Photo sharing account
https://www.flickr.com/photos/savethepicture/
Contact Ron Nansink
