Progressing in Karate-Do forward requires the full circle

Movement four of Enpi kata: hidari chudan kagi-zuki (kiba-dachi).

While I am still strictly adhering to the training programme I started in August the prime emphasis has been on “referencing everything to Heian Shodan Kata”. In this way, whether doing kihon, other kata, kumite or oyo (applications) my training is `H1-centric’.

This training is highly technical pushing me to my limits; nonetheless, it is acutely renewing my understanding. It goes without saying, Heian Shodan always does this to experienced karateka; that is, it presents the ultimate challenge in karatedo: technically, psychologically and, of course, on deeper levels.

I’ll always be a beginner of karate-do in my heart and mind, and also in my training. In saying that and encouragingly, I am far beyond where I was, since returning to Japan in August of last year, “…yet I’m back at the very beginning”. My point here is that “Karate-Do is such a wonderful art”: it pushes us to become whole via a constant cycle. As the title of this post states "Progressing in karate-do literally requires the full circle". In this regard and in this way, I only hope that one day I can truly be a `good karateka’. Despite achieving this target, or not, I’ll continue pushing toward this goal.

Kindest regards from the first day of Japan’s autumn.
Osu, André Bertel  

Movement three of Heian Shodan kata: migi gedan-barai (zenkutsu-dachi hanmi).

© André Bertel. Aso-shi, Kumamoto. Japan (2014).