September 20, 2022
Martial art for Freedom Fighters
A bit of history
Kampkunst for Frihedskæmpere arose out of the resistance movements / freedom movements that emerged on top of the Covid-19 shutdown of Denmark in March 2020. We were a group of people who went to demonstrations together and who sometimes experienced that the police could be heavy-handed against peaceful protesters and activists. The possibility of abuse by the authorities against civilians suddenly moved closer. It made good sense to learn some self-defense in that context, both to be able to act appropriately in concrete confrontations, but also to be able to stand more clearly mentally and understand some principles in combat in general. Principles that also come into play in the more psychological aspects of the hidden struggle that we experience the authorities have initiated against their own populations.
At the same time, the regular sports activities were closed due to the lockdown in Denmark. People could not meet and do sports and exercise together.
It therefore made good sense to set up a team that addressed people who were skeptical of the whole corona narrative, who were not worried about close contact and who wanted to train martial arts.
This became the beginning of Martial Arts for Freedom Fighters - Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu. We got in touch with a very experienced martial arts practitioner and teacher Søren Emil de Roepstorff, who was part of the resistance / freedom movement. He offered to teach the team.
The team met for the first time at Amagerstrand on 6 May 2021. However, we soon moved the outdoor training to Damhusengen in Valby, where we stayed throughout the summer period. In October 2021, we moved indoors to a private apartment in Farum and have been training there ever since.
Søren Emil teaches two different Japanese styles which, however, are related. The one is Eishin ryu which is training with a sword (samurai sword, Katana) and the other is Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu which is an unarmed style. Both styles have roots in the Japanese samurai tradition. In Martial Arts for Freedom Fighters we train Diaito-ryu Aikijujutsu, but Søren Emil also brings in elements from his other areas of experience. (Hogokan)
Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is not very well known in the west and it may be difficult to form a picture of what it looks like and what it entails. Those who know the style Aikido, which is better known in the West, have a reasonably good starting point to form an image. Although the two styles are different, they come out of the same Japanese tradition and have many common features.
Daito-ryu is not based on physical strength, but rather utilization of the whole body and its natural movements and reactions. It is therefore possible for everyone, regardless of size and physical strength, to get something out of the training.
Current Training Situation
We are a very small team that trains every Thursday at 18.30 - 20.00 in a specially furnished private apartment in Farum. There is room for more on the team and interested parties are welcome to apply.
It costs DKK 50 per time, to train.
Administrative manager: Mikkel Meinike Nielsen
Trainer and substantive manager: Søren Emil de Roepstorff (Hogokan)
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