My name is Mark van der Wolf, and I’m the instructor of the jiujitsu course at the RSC. I’ve been on the dojo floor since I was 19. I was born in 1978, so that’s now over 25 years ago. I actually wanted to start earlier, but in the village where I grew up, football and tug-of-war were the only “martial arts” around.
When I moved to Nijmegen for my studies, I suddenly had a lot more options. I started with karate and fencing, but eventually became hooked on jiujitsu. After taking a few courses, I co-founded NSJV Zanshin with some fellow students — one of the predecessors of Radbudo. Since then, I’ve become somewhat fused with the association; it’s where I met my wife and best friends, served on the board for years, and I’m still active as a volunteer, athlete, and trainer.
In addition to holding a first dan in jiujitsu, I also have a first dan in Okinawan kobudo and a third dan in Katori Shinto Ryu. I teach those two martial arts as well, though not at the RSC but at Migaku. In daily life, I work in the communications department of Radboudumc.
What I love about teaching at Radbudo is that I now get to pass on what I once learned here myself — completely in line with the Japanese tradition. I try to do that in the way our club is known for: with appreciation and respect for everyone, a bit of humor, and above all, a lot of fun!
Interested in jiujitsu? Sign up for a trial class!