Personal tuition from Asai Sensei

Here is some video footage of Asai Sensei giving me personal training. Receiving such direct tuition allowed me to expand my physical knowledge and understanding greatly. The most obvious outcome of this training was the extensive amounts of kata I was taught (or corrected on, if not initially learned from Sensei himself). However, more important than all of the kata was how Asai Sensei taught me to use my body for maximum effect, and also to disregard 'trends'. That is, to simply do my own karate adhering to the 'key elements' that he propagated. This biggest honor for me was that Asai Sensei made me his pupil, and always asked me to train with him. These private lessons, unlike group seminars, really took me into Asai Sensei's karate world and still inspire me now. What's more, Sensei never charged me and publicly promoted me as his deshi. It is for these reasons that every day I train, I think of my teacher Asai Tetsuhiko, and will continue to practice, and teach the karate that he passed on to me.

VIDEO FOOTAGE

There is no showing off in this footage. It is like you are a fly on the wall watching Asai Sensei giving me personal training. This is how Asai Sensei taught me followed by kumite applications, and usually preceded by some of his unique kihon drills. It is also how he trained during morning practice (with the exception that one just 'tried' to follow along behind him). It may also be of interest to you that he rarely wore his dogi when giving private tuition, and never wore his dogi in his own self-training.

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Please click on the stills above to enlarge them and/or follow this link to watch the video footage on youtube: http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=wqTxz0NzbE8

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I hope that everyone enjoys this footage. Direct training from Sensei was, and always be, the highlight of my karate career. Naturally it is also the source of a large portion of the information found on this blog. It goes without saying that I was very blessed to be accepted as a direct student of Tetsuhiko Asai! As time goes by I'll upload more of my one-on-one lessons under Asai Sensei.

I wish you the very best on your karate journey.

OSU!

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008