Roman Hoffmann 5 dan Aikido Aikikai
Biographical note
Roman Hoffmann Sensei was born in Wałbrzych on 11 November 1961. He has been involved in martial arts since 1977.
After his very first fascinations with karate and judo he joined an Aikido section in Wałbrzych, which, at that time, was conducted and supervised by Mr Ryszard Bębeniec. It started off the greatest and everlasting passion of his life. For many years he had taken part in Aikido seminars conducted by Mr Mariusz Osiński, a pioneer of the Aikido idea in Poland, as well as in other Aikido events conducted by many respected instructors, from Poland and abroad.
In 1982, Roman Hoffmann completed a teacher-training course and, already as an experienced instructor, went to Warsaw to undertake studies at the High School of Special Pedagogy. He successfully graduated, obtaining an MA in the above-mentioned field. While a student he publicised and spread the word through about Aikido. In 1986 he obtained the first masterful qualification (1st dan) from the Japanese master Toshikazu Ichimura.
Over the years Roman Hoffman enriched his qualifications having practised under direct supervision of Christian Tissier Sensei who honoured him with 2nd dan and Y. Yamada Sensei, in New York, where he obtained his 3rd dan, in 1990.
Sensei Roman Hoffmann with
Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba
Roman Hoffmann Sensei was one of the main creators of the Polish Aikido Federation, in 1990. At the moment, the federation gathers under its roof over 50 Aikido clubs. Roman Hoffman Sensei acts as a technical consultant for a great many Aikido sections throughout Poland.
Many a time Roman Hoffmann represented Polish Aikido at the various international gatherings, among which the most spectacular was the congress of The Worldwide Aikido Federation in Katsuura, Japan, 1996.
During the 20th anniversary of the Aikido presence in Poland, Roman Hoffmann Sensei obtained 4th dan directly from the hands of Mr Cho Moriteru Ueshiba (the grandson of the Aikido creator) to prove his highest mastery in Aikido.
His hard work, devotion and dedication to the Aikido ideals together with his total commitment led him to the highest Aikido degree in Poland these days - 5th dan. It was granted to Roman Hoffmann Sensei on the 13th of January 2002, during Kagamibiraki ceremony.
These days Roman Hoffmann Sensei is one of the most active Aikido instructors in Poland. Not only does he run his own club in Warsaw, but he also provides assistance and expertise to many Aikido sections in Poland and in Latvia. He also acts as a co-ordinator for The Polish Aikido Federation.
Interview with Roman Hoffmann, Sensei, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Aikido presence in Poland - 1996
"If I were to compare what there is as experience for a person who wants to practice Aikido these days, with what there was in the past, I would be the first to admit that the Polish Aikido has transformed in many ways. The quality change is there, without any doubt.
Nowadays, when one feels they want to start to practice Aikido, all they have to do is to choose an ultimate instructor, join the nearest section and start their trainings. It was so different in the past… When my own fascinations with the martial arts started, it was virtually impossible not only to find the best instructor or dojo, but it was hard to find the art that one actually wanted to practice, either.
In my case, for example, it was karate and judo, the latter known mostly from the sports scene, definitely less; I would call it "mysterious"… If I were to answer honestly why I was so widely interested in the martial arts in first place, I would have to say that there were very personal questions like: where does this mysterious strength comes from? What is it and, how long one does have to practice to achieve this degree of mastery? How does this affect me, personally? What I do know for sure is that I was not looking for a self-defence programme because I felt threatened or weak. It was more of an exotic travel to me.
After my very first encounters with karate kyokushinkai and shotokan, I finally came across a group practising Aikido. I was already quite familiar with what Aikido was about and, what made Aikido so different from the rest of known martial arts, and enough to say, I was thrilled with it. I joined the Aikido section supervised by Mr Ryszard Bębeniec. Our intensive development was partly due to our own practice in dojo and, partly due to our constant contacts with SOMA, (Methodological Centre for Aikido, in Szczecin) run by Mr Marian Osiński. We would travel up to Szczecin almost every month to take part in the training seminars … those were our very preliminary encounters with some of the foreign instructors: Niels Bodker, Urban Aldenking, and some Italian instructors, as well.
When I look back over my shoulder now, I conclude that our enthusiasm and passion of those years must have well exceeded our technical capabilities but that they were bearing fruit in the end. After all, when I moved to Warsaw to undertake my studies I had already completed a training course (complying with the SOMA system which was the standard one at the time), and I had already had some experience as an Aikido instructor. When I arrived in Warsaw, I initiated contact with Mr Bogdan Rumas whom I had known from my previous training seminars and we decided to look for an Aikido section and join it. If I remember well, someone connected with karate put us in contact with Mr Jerzy Pomianowski, who was already well advanced in martial arts and who tried to run his own training sessions at the club, affiliated with the Warsaw University. I, as the one to have been most experienced, became an instructor, together with Ryszard Rumas and Jurek Pomianowski.
I remember how different it felt to practice Aikido with that group… they simply got all their knowledge from the manual by Gozo Shioda and Jurek's prior experience with karate. It was so very different from my personal experience… the moves were graceless and stiff; they were actually very similar to karate…As ever, the overwhelming enthusiasm of the students made it possible to gradually overcome the obstacles and to achieve a certain degree of technical development.
I have already mentioned my very first fascinations with Aikido. When I look at it from my 17 - year experience, I still bear in mind that it is like a never-ending travel. As I travel, I keep admiring a view from the window and it constantly changes…the same refers to my very personal approach towards Aikido. When I observe some changes within me, I am able to see how they affect my Aikido practice. But, at the same time, it is still the same framework, the same order, and the same form. I no longer trouble to wonder how I am going to feel Aikido after 50 years of practice but, I still believe, that we should set ourselves new goals and that we should, as we go forward, develop in a natural way.
It is like with a horizon line: we see it all the time but it keeps "escaping" and, it is still away from us. It should not cause us frustration because there are new elements on our way and they become clearer as they emerge.
I find Aikido so very appealing for one more reason: for its enormous respect for a human being. It makes Aikido so unique… unlike other martial arts, Aikido puts emphasis on your partner and, as you follow his/her moves, you apply an appropriate technique.
There is no room for an " offender - victim" relation; both partners are very much alike, while they practice. This key idea is my credo, both: at my club and during all training sessions I conduct."