This years Asai-ha Shotokan-ryu Karatedo Summer seminars here in Christchurch were enjoyable to teach, especially due to the exclusiveness of them, however they were also an extreme challenge as I was (and still are) recovering from a severe chest infection. To explain the extent of this health condition, it literally sent me to hospital twice in the week leading up to the clinics! Without exaggeration, merely standing up for an extended period, let alone doing karate, has been highly fatiguing, thus the footage featured below is all the more satisfying. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER TAUGHT A SEMINAR IN SUCH BAD HEALTH!
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Video footage content: The clip starts off with a slow version of Kakuyoku-nidan kata (this was the way Asai Sensei taught it, his refined version, just prior to passing away). This is followed by some slow fundamental techniques, basic technical pointers for traditional `martial arts' karate technique, and some techniques at regular speed to display `snap'. The footage was taken at the very end of the final seminar on Sunday concluding the full eight hours of karatedo keiko.
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No excuses, just train: Ironically I write this post (the draft) whilst bored, sitting in outpatients at Christchurch Public Hospital. It reminds me that there are very few valid excuses in karate (that is 99.9% of them are lame). The key is to "Just Train" even if it means we moderate what we do in accordance with our physical condition. Karate-do as a martial art is unlimited and must surpass our physical state at any given time, because as Asai Sensei used to say "one cannot choose when they may need to use their karate". Nevertheless, after the seminars I crashed big time, and needless to say, I certainly won't be telling the specialist what I did over the weekend!!! Here's a link to the footage:
© André Bertel, New Zealand 2011.
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