André Bertel's Karate-Dō

This site is based on my daily practice of Shōtōkan Karate-Dō here in Ōita City, Japan. More than anything else, unlike the majority of other karate websites, this page is primarily dedicated to Budō Karate training itself; that is, Karate-Dō as a vehicle for holistic development.

Sunday, 13 September 2026

Trainees from the Caribbean (Saint Lucia)

›

Three karateka from Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, just completed four days of Renshusei training: Mario Juan Lans (3rd Dan) Sensei, Randall...

Wednesday, 9 September 2026

The 'Core Essential Kihon'

›

Today rather than write too much I decided to simply post some pictures from today's training, which was dedicated to the CORE ESSENTIA...

Friday, 4 September 2026

A few tips for the 指定型 (Shitei-gata)

›

Regularly I receive technical questions domestically, here in Japan, and from around the world. Today I felt compelled to answer a few about...

Wednesday, 2 September 2026

平安五段 (Heian Godan) Kata

›

A bit of extra training outside of the dōjo today focused on 平安五段 (Heian Godan) Kata. Especially keep in mind the utilization of the 'M...

My current training regime: General Overview/Base Plan (日本語)

›

You can click to enlarge for easier viewing. ©️ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2026).

Tuesday, 1 September 2026

九月の空手道自主稽古 (Kugatsu no karate jishu keikō) — "September Karate-Dō self-training"

›

九月の空手道自主稽古 ( Kugatsu no karate jishu keik ō ) — "September Karate-Dō self-training". Here is my current 'general' daily s...

‹

›

Home

View web version

Andre Bertel: Japan; André Bertel is a Hachidan (8th Degree Black Belt) and A-Class International Instructor and Examiner in Shōtōkan Karate. He lives in the beautiful city of Ōita, Kyūshū, Japan. As a personal student of the legendary JKA Master, Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei, he is the Gijutsu-Chō (Technical Director) of the 国際空手道松濤館 (INTERNATIONAL KARATEDŌ SHŌTŌKAN—IKS). The IKS aims to pass on Traditional Budō/Bujutsu Karate in its purest form. He conducts a high-level instructor's program, and elite athletes training camp, in central Ōita City, which are both now world famous: due to the results achieved by participating renshusei/trainees. André Sensei has now trained for over 45 years and constantly in Japan since 1993. His daily self-training, firsthand learning from the very best instructors in the world, and overall experience is reflected on this blogsite. Welcome to André Bertel's Karate-Dō!

View my complete profile