Japan - The Land of the Rising Sun

Welcome to my blog, if it is your first time here. Also a warm welcome to the many frequent visitors.

On March 26th we will have been back in Japan for one year, so we decided to start the month by visiting Matama (Bungo Takada) where it is proclaimed 'has the best view of the sun in Japan'. As everyone knows, Nippon/Nihon/日本 literally translates as 'the origin of the sun' (more commonly referred to as 'the Land of the Rising Sun'). Anyway, I hope you enjoy a few of the sunset photos I took today.

This new month, and particularly on the March 26th, marks another year of intensive karate training in Japan for me. This training has been essential, over the years, for my Shotokan. Namely to maximise my own potential, and to offer the very best (correct) technical tuition to my students. From this, my long-time senior students have particularly benefitted, and now have found their own 'way' in karate. This gives me great satisfaction as a karate teacher. That is, some of my senior students are now actually my 'karate collegues'.

Each day the sun sets, we end another day of our lives and our karate training. And at sun rise, we have the opportunity to begin again (with a 'Beginners Mind' or 'Shoshin'), aiming to further refine our waza. If serious about karate-do, we must maximise this opportunity or 'chance', while we still have it.

Yours in Karate-Do, OSU!
André Bertel

© André Bertel, Japan 2008