Petra Reuffurth

Aikido teacher, 4th dan aikido 

Born in 1971 and initially raised in the Netherlands, I moved with my parents to Cologne in 1980. As a teenager, I discovered my love of climbing and mountaineering and was active in the German Alpine Club for ten years, including a time spent heading the work done with children and young people.

After graduating from high school, I started a degree in Remedial Education at Cologne University. During this period, someone recommended Dirk Kropp's dojo to me. I went to my first aikido lesson in May 1986 and was immediately bowled over by it. 

After completing my studies, I worked in two different social paediatric centres in interdisciplinary teams for nearly 15 years, in the last few years with an emphasis on promoting early parent-child interaction.

In the spring of 2013, I started doing a training course to become an aikido teacher after having practised it for 17 years.  As an art of self-defence, aikido fascinates me, because I can learn to protect myself effectively, but, at the same time, it has a peaceful and calming effect on me. In my experience, our meditative exercise style is very suitable for working on inner peace and serenity and developing a healthy physical condition. In addition, it releases vital energy and an inner strength emerges which enables one to deal with other people on a level playing field without any delusions of grandeur.

After finishing my training, I would like to open up my own dojo in the outskirts of Cologne and pass on to other people the experience I have gained during my training and practice.