The 2nd Anniversary of Andre Bertel's Karate-Do

On this day, two years ago, I wrote and published my first post here, on Andre Bertel's Karate-Do.

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In that first post I outlined the aims of my website, none of which have changed.

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"I decided to start this karate website upon returning to Japan, as in the past, I simply kept private notes of my training and experiences here. This blog allows me to update my Asai-ryuha Shotokan karate students, friends and family in real time, and also means that I can monitor my own training without the worry of misplacing journals, and worse still, countless pieces of note paper! It is my hope that this online karate resource might help those interested in the karate of my late teacher, Tetsuhiko Asai." (Here is a direct link to the first post: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2007/06/back-in-japan.html).

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I'd like to conclude by offering another relevant link, the first anniversary of my blog: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2008/06/1st-birthday-of-andre-bertels-karatedo.html

To all of the thousands of readers from around the world... DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU! I wish you all the very best in your karate-do keiko.

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Sashimi & Kihon

I enjoy eating sashimi (raw fish), a delicacy here in Japan. To me, the beauty of munching on sashimi is that you can really taste the fish. It's as if you are the actual predator eating it... Consuming something without any distractions (such as the addition of sauces, spices etc) gives one the 'real taste' of the food in its base form. Likewise, by eating fish raw, we can fully reveal the texture of it, in its original state.
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In order to maximise our kihon training, we must recognise, and practice the techniques, in their most basic/raw form. Only by practicing techniques in this way, in their rawness, like eating sashimi, can we fully understand them. The more we 'add to them', the more easy it becomes to be distracted, from what really matters (the technical depth - the definition required for practical application which is optimal). Therefore, a single technique such as an oi-zuki, jodan age-uke, or mae-geri, is far more valuable, than any elaborate combination technique, or fancy maneuver.
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In my opinion, the best way to establish a person’s level is by their execution of the most basic techniques individually. Because these waza in isolation cannot lie. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen people do an athletic Unsu, which may seem impressive to a untrained person, or poorly trained karateka, yet cannot do a proper Heian-shodan! Put in a slightly different way, “Simple things’ are more difficult, as they show everything. They reveal deeper layers of skill”…

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Advice for renzokuwaza: I'm not by any means implying that renzokuwaza (combination techniques), are not important, but more so stressing that they're only as good, as each individual technique featured within them. It is therefore crucial, throughout one’s karate career, to continue practicing the most ‘basic’ fundamental techniques, in their rawest form. Just keep in mind, that when practicing renzokuwaza and kata, we must ensure that each technique is full, not blurred, deteriorated, and thus cheating ourselves. We must still be able to distinctly taste the raw fish, even when the rice, wasabi and soy sauce are added.
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Time for me to down some sashimi then practice some kihon… All the best from sunny Kyushu.

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Tsuyu

Tsuyu (the rainy season) has arrived here in Japan and man it’s pouring down in Kyushu. The humid weather has arrived and the heat is rising fast… Actually I’m loving it as always! Needless to say, my junbi-undo (warm-up/preparatory exercise) time has been halved. Here’s my latest training routine, which I began yesterday. All the best from Nippon! - André
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Kihon: My kihon training has gone full circle, so I’m finally back to what really matters the most, the core fundamental techniques. These foundational techniques are those which make up the majority of the standard Shotokan syllabus, and are what I always find, the most challenging. They include: (1) Oi zuki; (2) Gyaku zuki; (3) Mae geri; (4) Mawashi geri; (5) Ushiro geri; (6) Yoko keage; (7) Yoko kekomi; (8) Gedan barai; (9) Jodan age uke; (10) Chudan soto ude uke; (11) Chudan uchi ude uke; and (12) Chudan shuto uke. Combination-wise my focus is on nothing more than the basic ukewaza followed by reverse punches, and some other ‘typical’ two/three movement renzokuwaza (such as mae geri kara oi zuki, mae geri kara mawashi geri, sanbon ren zuki etcetera). Of particular importance to me at present, is full (proper) koshi no kaiten at all times. To be totally frank, I can never get past ‘simple matters’ in my karate, well at least not for long... But I’ve come to the realization, this is ‘this is what kihon is’, and this is why “karatedo begins and ends with kihon”.

How I’m practicing my kihon routine: Presently I’m treating my kihon-keiko like weight-training. On days one, three and five I focus on tewaza (ukewaza and tsukiwaza), and on days two, four, and six, I’m focused on ashiwaza (keriwaza). To supplement this practice I’m doing relevant calisthenics to strengthen my techniques i.e. – plyometric and hand stand pushups for my hand-attacks/blocks, and a variety of squats and tobi-keriwaza (jump kicks) for my leg attacks. On all six days I work on kihon-tachikata (basic stances), shisei (posture), and unsoku/ashi-hakobi (footwork/leg movements). I’m taking Sunday’s off from isolating my fundamentals and concentrating 100% on kata.

Kata: I want to have four Shotokan forms, which I can seriously call tokui (favourite/specialized) kata, however, at present, I only have three, Jion, Empi and Unsu. I’m trying to choose from Gankaku, Kanku-Sho, Bassai-Sho, Sochin, Nijushiho, Gojushiho-Dai and Gojushiho-Sho but are admittedly still undecided. I know that if any of my former longtime students (or my mum back in New Zealand) read this, they will laugh, as over the years they have seen me go through 'big phases (usually several) with all of the Shotokan-ryu kata', but I’m sure this is the same story for all karate-do instructors. In addition to the standard Shotokan kata I’m currently working on, I'm also practicing the Asai-ryuha kata ‘Hakkaishu’. However, as opposed to being a tokui-kata, I’ve been using this as a 'tool' to monitor my junansei (softness). I find that practicing Sensei’s kata “creatively keeps me aware” of my power, and therefore, allows me to optimize it for maximum effect… As I’ve stated many times before, Asai Sensei’s advanced formal exercises are directly for jissen-kumite (actual-fighting).

Kumite: Ippon kumite is dominating my self-training at present, both kihon ippon and jiyu ippon kumite. However, at the dojo I’ve mainly been doing jiyu-kumite as that has been required of me. Regardless, my personal target has been to tune up my one-step sparring. I won’t go into too much depth here, except to say that my kihon ippon kumite is focused on koshi no kaiten (consistent with my kihon-keiko); and my jiyu ippon kumite simply adds tai sabaki and extreme tai no shinshuku to the equation. In both sparring drills I’m trying to retain precise technical form, and have optimal maai to achieve ichigeki-hissho.
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I’d like to leave you with some words of wisdom. “Whether kihon, kata or kumite one must harmoniously apply the maximum torque, and maximum propulsion of the body. Anything less, is nothing more than rehearsing a bad habit”.

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

New Hirota Dogi

Based on my experience of simultaneously having both a Hirota ‘Ichi-roku-san’ (#163) and a ‘Pinak Kata’, I decided to return to the Pinak Kata. The new dogi arrived on the weekend, so I thought I’d share the reasons for my preference.

For a past articles on both of these karate uniforms please click on the following links: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2008/09/hirota-163-dogi.html and http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2008/03/pinak-kata-dogi.html

Why I prefer the Hirota Pinak Kata… I’m going to make this as brief and honest and possible… (1) The Pinak Kata hangs better, and it doesn’t distort your form. (2) Is lighter, more comfortable and never restricts your rapid movement. And (3) dries faster and is easier to care for.

Of course, everything stated here is nothing more than my opinion, based on my experiences, and what I want from a custom-made karate suit. Regardless, both of these do-gi are superb, therefore, karateka will prefer one over the other, most probably based on 'weight preference'.

All the very best from Western Japan.

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Interview with Mike Dukas Shihan

I just read a great interview with Mike Dukas Shihan (7th Dan KWF) on the Shotokan Way. The humility and deep knowledge of this master karateka really stood out to me in the article.

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In addition to his own obvious skill, he has trained his son, Bryan Dukas, into an awesome karateka. Bryan's kata and kumite are nothing less than fantastic. In the 2008 WKF World Championships, Bryan outclassed Luca Valdesi in the first round, with a far superior Jion, however Valdesi's Jion (arms flapping with no hip drive) "won" as one would expect.

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Anyway... Here is a link to Dukas Shihan's interview (http://www.theshotokanway.com/aninterviewwithmikedukas.htmlhotokanway.com/aninterviewwithmikedukas.html), a humble karateka with world-class skills, and knowledge. A hidden gem teaching authentic Shotokan karate-do in South Africa.

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

The Karate Specific Physique

Often people ask me “André, what do you do to keep in shape besides shotokan?” It is a nice compliment, but in actuality, I just do karate. From my perspective, getting in shape is merely a byproduct of karate practice. And the reality is I hit hard, very hard, because that is what I train for, and naturally my physique is a reflection of this.

My aim has never been to get bigger muscles, nor to lose weight, but rather, to simply optimize my karate technique (please refer to my 2007 article ‘The Optimum Karate Physique’: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2007/06/optimal-karate-physique.html). Always training myself for ichigeki-hissho makes it impossible not to be serious, and serious training changes your body.

Karate itself is therefore my key to motivation, not the byproducts of keiko. My secret is to never to be satisfied with my technique & impact power. I'm always seeking better form and more devastation with my blows. A karate specific physique from traditional karate training. It's as simple as that!

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© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Trainee from Kitakyushu

Mr. Lyn Jehu came from Kokura City for private training yesterday and also on the 16th of May. Lyn and I have corresponded several times, so it was great to finally do karate with him. I found him to be very modest and passionate about his karate, and budo in general.

Prior to arriving, Lyn emphasized that he wanted to work on kihon, and also that he was interested in my later teacher, Tetsuhiko Asai Sensei’s use of power (as he has a sports science background). So I decided to use kihon including choku-zuki, gyaku zuki, shuto-uchi, haito-uchi, mae geri, yoko geri, and mawashi geri to achieve this. We focused on using joint snap and transfer of body weight for power, as opposed to forcing techniques with conscious muscle effort.

I also stressed the fundamental and harmonious Shotokan coordination of koshi no kaiten (hip rotation), and tai no shinshuku (contraction and expansion of the body). We did a lot of work on the drive of the supporting leg towards the target (please refer to the yoko kekomi photo). However, Lyn seemed most impressed by the combinations of muchiken-waza (whip fist techniques) which Asai Sensei taught me, and the enormous power/impact they have.

All in all, I found Lyn to be a gentleman and seriously focused on improving his karate technique. So all the best Lyn! I sincerely hope these two lessons were beneficial.

© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Lifetime Budo

I am a very confident person in my life, but when it comes to my karate technique, I’m never happy with myself – never satisfied. That is the reason I’m so confident in my life outside of the dojo, and this is how karate-do builds its followers into stronger human beings. Karate training knocks us down, as it forces us to mercilessly face our weaknesses, and no matter how much we technically improve, we find more flaws… Unlike our lives, karate is never ending, therefore it serves as a vehicle to improve ourselves throughout our lifetime, hence it is ‘lifetime budo’.

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Shuseki Shihan Tetsuhiko Asai once stated “A karateka who thinks he is ‘good’ is finished, if they are trying to follow Karate-Do.” In my opinion, this statement says so much about authentic confidence/humility, self-motivation and the foresight to seriously seek improvement both physically and mentally (through the art).

How can a karateka, who is always seeking to improve, be or become arrogant? Well quite obviously, they can never be arrogant, and if they are and wish to keep progressing technically, they need to foster humility. That is, they must be, or become, legitimately confident in themselves.

I’d like to conclude by saying “If one is satisfied with their technique, or arrogant about their ability, their karate is stagnant, not only technically, but also in their personal growth.

My goal of one day having good karate, may never be achieved, but I will use the 'karate training process' to better myself as a man, throughout my life. To me, this is Karate-Do and what defines it as 'Lifetime Budo'.

OSU, André Bertel

© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Me no kubarikata

Introduction: Me no kubarikata means ‘placing the eyes’. In karate we typically utilize 'me no kubarikata' in four circumstances. The first and most obvious is in kumite against a single opponent. The second is when practicing solo kata or doing solo kihon. The third is when doing impact training against a static or moving target (makiwara, heavy bag, impact shield, focus mitts etcetera). And the forth is to deal with multiple opponents. In this article I’d like to primarily dedicate my time explaining me no kubarikata in solo kihon and kata (as this is the foundational training to perfect this skill for kumite).

Advice from the late Masatoshi Nakayama Sensei: Masatoshi Nakayama Sensei stated in his ‘Best Karate’ publications “If you fasten your eyes on your opponents face, you will lose sight of other things. When you are watching for his kick, you will not see his upper body. You must see all, from the top of his head to his toes. Take the measure of the opponent in front of you clearly, let your eyes feel as though they are looking at a distant object.” His advice was to comprehensively “see everything” when doing kumite (therefore this applies to every aspect of karate training; keeping in mind that “Kihon and kata are kumite, so we must practice this method at all times”).
Quote from Gorin No Sho: Nakayama Sensei also quoted Miyamoto Musashi in ‘Best Karate’, on the subject of heiho no metsuki (The eyes in combat). “It is important to keep the eyes on all things, seeing both widely and deeply. In seeing things, there are kan and ken. Penetrating the true nature of things is kan, seeing surface phenomena is ken. Accurately judging far away conditions and rightly grasping the nature of nearby phenomena is a secret principle of the art of war. The secret of success is to know the enemies sword without looking at it, to concretely assess his nature, and not to be seduced by his movements. It is vitally essential to take in both sides (left and right) without moving the eyeballs. Mastery of this is not easy.” In this case we are given a broader ‘martial view’ of me no kubarikata, however I’d like to comment on the last point of "seeing everything without moving the eyeballs”, which I believe ‘completes the equation’ (on a practical/training level for the karate practitioner). Quite simply, “Try to see everything, and try not to let your real, or imaginary opponent, see anything in your eyes...” In Japanese budo, besides not telegraphing techniques, this also means to not show ones emotions such as elation, fear, anger, disappointment etc.

Conclusion: Just like we learn to control the muscles of our limbs and torso, we also need to control the muscles of our face. Why? Because our facial expressions, especially our eyes, often ‘story tell’ our intentions and emotional state. Try to see everything, and 'present a detached or neutral expression' to your opponents. Give them nothing to read… By practicing proper me no kubarikata in solo training (kihon and kata) you will greatly enhance your awareness when fighting, and can also perfect an expression, which gives your adversaries little or no insights.

© André Bertel, Japan (2009).

Shodan Examination Kihon

At present my kihon training is completely dedicated to the Shodan Exam Fundamentals with emphasis on “Waza no naka ni waza ga aru” which roughly translates as “There are techniques within a technique”.

Essentially I am breaking down the shodan-shinsa kihon for some general ‘fine tuning’. Namely, my attention is on: (A) Technique start positions and initiations; (B) Tight chambering/Windups; (C) Trajectory throughout each technique and the corresponding footwork/body shifts; and (D) Smooth recovery. The overall theme is ‘Kihon for Kumite’, especially in regards to effectiveness in the quarter, half, and three quarter stages of techniques. Insofar as kata and kumite practice is concerned, please check my last training regime (http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2009/04/karate-do-keiko.html) as I’m still following last month’s schedule.

The Shodan Examination Fundamentals I'm practicing are as follows (please note, that all stances are zenkutsu-dachi unless otherwise mentioned in brackets):

(1) Tobi konde sanbon zuki; (2) Jodan age uke kara chudan mae geri soshite chudan gyaku zuki; (3) Chudan soto uke kara yori ashi chudan yoko empi uchi (kiba dachi), uraken yokomawashi uchi soshite chudan gyaku zuki; (4) Chudan shuto uke (kokutsu dachi) kara chudan mae ashi mae geri soshite chudan tateshihon nukite gyaku zuki; (5) Gedan barai kara chudan uchi uke (neko ashi dachi), jodan ura zuki soshite yori ashi chudan gyaku zuki; (6) Chudan mae geri kara jodan tate mawashi geri soshite chudan gyaku zuki; (7) Chudan ushiro geri kara chudan gyaku zuki; (8) Kaiten shinagara jodan uraken yoko uchi kara chudan gyaku zuki; (9) Yoko keage kara yoko kekomi; and (10) Jodan soto uke kara yoko yori ashi gedan barai, chudan mae ashi mae geri soshite chudan gyaku zuki.

Overall, my practice of the shodan-shinsa kihon has been very physically and mentally challenging, especially in regards to the dissection of techniques. It really is a case of eradicating those bad habits, which inevitably creep back in, and to continue seeking a higher level. All the best from Oita-ken, Japan.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2009