A picture speaks a thousand words: Some recent images from my daily self-training here in Oita

 Few words, just images from my recent daily self-training/practice. 

POSITIVE ENERGY TO EVERYONE!!!

A big OSU from Oita City, Japan.

 押忍!

アンドレ

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

UPDATES

 

      Greetings to all karateka here in Japan and around the world. 

UPCOMING SEMINAR OUTSIDE JAPAN

This month I will be conducting the first Technical Seminar in Poland. For those attending, see you soon!

IKS Goals: UNCHANGED

The goal of International Karate Shotokan is a to preserve and spread the highest level of Traditional Budo Karate without political restrictions and outdated organizational structures.

We have deep respect and cooperation with other Shotokan groups, Goju Ryu, Wado Ryu, Shito Ryu and other styles. This is critical for mutual understanding and higher levels of technical karate development.

I encourage all karateka to seek knowledge from multiple sources. Seek to maximize your potential. Organizations means nothing without this. That is, don't rest on a brand label; rather, become the best you can be. This is TRUE BUDO/BUJUTSU.

RENSHUSEI

Besides the seminars here in Japan and abroad, the Renshusei Program here in Oita continues to produce excellence amongst Japanese and foreign karateka.

This is year has been fully booked up until October. For those wishing to book places, it is important to do so 'at least three months in advance'. In sum, book early to secure your days (and times) to avoid missing out.

To conclude, I want to thank everyone for their support. I am training each day seeking the skill levels of Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei, Nakamura Masamitsu Sensei, Osaka Yoshiharu Sensei, and other masters who have directly contributed to my technical evolution, and as an instructor of Karate-Do. I am also grateful for my wonderful students here in Japan and around the world. A deep bow to you all.

  押忍!

アンドレ

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

一、力の強弱体の伸縮技の緩急を忘るな

Maizuru-Dai Kata: Hidari teisho age-zuki, Migi ashi mae sanchin-dachi.

Mae-geri keage with high reps... Sweating it out on the tatami, trying not to lose form: May 2nd, 2025.

Today's training was completely dedicated to KIHON and KATA. Here's an overview of my practice.

Movement 8 of Ransetsu: Hidari jodan mikizuki-geri, Usho-ate.

KIHON

The focus of my kihon was KERIWAZA and to supplement this I used the 'basic training kata' 'RANSETSU', which is Asai Sensei's original version of the now more commonly practiced 'RANTAI'. Special attention was given to: (1) Mikazuki-geri; (2) Kansetsu-geri; (3) Mawashi-geri; (4) Ushiro-geri kekomi; (5) Yoko-geri kekomi; (6) Various forms of Fumikomi, including 'Kakato-otoshi.

Ashi soto-uke and Ashi uchi-uke were also practiced extensively.

While Nidan-geri is also in Ransetsu, I did not practice this in isolation.

The basic Mae-geri keage, 'the staple kick of Shotokan-Ryu' was also trained as usual as Sonoba-Kihon.

Maizuru-Dai Kata: Hidari ashi mae fudo-dachi, Hidari hitosashiyubi ippon-ken chudan-zuki.

KATA

1. HANGETSU

2. JION 

3. KAKUYOKU

4. MAIZURU DAI

The second to final action of the three Kakuyoku Kata.

Movement 24 of Jion Kata: Hidari teisho, hidari sokumen chudan yoko-uke (Kiba-dachi)

Raher than say more, I will conclude this post by directly quoting and translating our styles founder (and 'my teacher's' teacher), Funakoshi Gichin Sensei:

一、力の強弱体の伸縮技の緩急を忘るな

(Hitotsu, chikara no kyōjaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyū o wasuruna)

"Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique."

押忍、

アンドレ

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

Why is it imperative to develop one’s ‘OWN KARATE’?

Kanku Sho Kata.

An aspect of karate, which is often not addressed optimally in people’s training, is the development of one’s own karate.

Sonkyo no mae-geri.

Obviously at Kyu level, Shodan and even Nidan, developing precise and strong ‘standard karate’ is the prime focus… However, at some stage, after passing Nidan, one needs to “…utilize standard karate kihon—as a reference point/baseline—and moderate their karate from there”. That is, to personalize their karate in order to optimize effectiveness.

Kakuyoku Nidan Kata

This is also for one’s health. Certain techniques are bad for certain body types, with particular health conditions, and so forth.

Kakuyoku Sandan Kata.

In the IKS, we not only encourage but require Dan candidates (above Shodan) to structure their training in accordance with their individuality. While this perhaps sounds revolutionary and modern, it is actually “the traditional way”. It was karate’s long held methodology: prior to the organizational power structures, which have now been in place since the mid 20th Century. Furthermore, this greatly expanded post 1989.


There are two obvious benefits of this more traditional “way”… Firstly, one maximizes their effectiveness and technical precision. Secondly, they do so in harmony with their physical attributes; thus, practices in a way which safely improves the body as opposed to harming it.


I’ll give you a concrete example. I had one Japanese black belt trainee who could do a perfect classical mawashi-geri in form. However, surprisingly, he told me it was painful for him. He asked me “what should I do?” I rhetorically asked him, “do you need this waza?”

Basic mae-geri keage practice. 

He said “Yes, an essential Shotokan waza”. I then said to him, “We both do Shotokan, but we are not Shotokan, only practitioners of it”. In sum, Shotokan is the vehicle, not the destination.


Of course, I’m 100% Shotokan, but this must be understood and trained accordingly if people want to maximize their individual potential.


If something is hindering you—‘in the vehicle’—and you’re long enough on your journey: reassess and, if needed, remove it.


This, of course, includes techniques which are damaging your body (like the aforementioned karateka with mawashi-geri).


I encourage senior grades to develop karate which maximizes their individual strengths and eradicates the weaknesses. This also protects their health; in particular, that of the musculoskeletal system.

Self-training: May 1st, 2025.

Good health and optimal training!!

押忍、アンドレ

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

New YOUTUBE Video: 日常空手道 ("Everyday Karate") Vol. 5

 

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

Kokutsu-Dachi and Fudo-dachi: Unique stances of Shotokan-Ryu

The forms of Kokutsu-dachi and Fudo-dachi are unique, in Karatedo, to Shotokan-Ryu (and breakaways from our style). That being said, of course, their applications are universal in Karate, other forms of Budo, and optimal human movement. One thing that I have been taught, and practice, is 'ACTIVE TACHIKATA'. The stances of karate are only reliably effective when they are active, which requires them to be adaptable, mobile and speedy, able to maxmize one's mass/transfer of weight for power, defensive evasion, and so on. 

Balance is, indeed, also a critical aspect, but also intentionally off-balancing to fully utilize gravity. Dropping and rising, different angles, and so forth, must all be used both reactively and optimally in any moment.

It is also beneficial for more experienced to understand the tachikata of other ryuha such Shiko-dachi and Bensoku-dachi in Goju, Mahanmi-nekoashi-dachi in Wado, and so on.

Correct positioning of the feet knees, thighs and hips is not only for the aforementioned purposes, but also an aspect of 'bodily control', which also encompasses self-awareness.

The Kokutsu-dachi and Fudo-dachi of Shotokan-Ryu are positions which maximize one's ability to attack and defend in fluctuation. Of course, this is the same in other stances but, again, these two are unique to our Ryuha.   

As one ages, and due to injury and so on, lower stances may become a challenge. In this case, one will adopt higher more natural positions. This is a natural progression; however, all of the foundational principles and applications remain the same.

押忍!

アンドレ  バーテル  

HIDARI KOKUTSU-DACHI

MIGI ASHI MAE FUDO-DACHI: In the IKS we continue to do the old form of this tachikata.

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

The integration of 力の強弱 (Chikara no kyoujaku) and 技の緩急 (Waza no kankyu) at a high level

Hidari ashi mae sanchin-dachi, Migi jodan yokoshihon-nukite.

 

At present my training is focused on ‘the integration of 力の強弱 (Chikara no kyoujaku) and 技の緩急 (Waza no kankyu) at a high level.

To achieve this I’m currently utilizing the kata 二十八歩 (NIJUHAPPO).

Hidari ashi mae nekoashi-dachi, SASHO SOEDE HIDARI CHUDAN UCHI-UKE.

To begin with, I’ll briefly define the aforementioned two aspects. Basically 力の強弱 (‘Chikara no kyoujaku’) is the ‘strong and soft uses of power’ and 技の緩急 (‘Waza no kankyu’) is the ‘rhythm of technique(s)’.

Migi zenkutsu-dachi (hanmi), Migi uraken tate-uchi

A high level of this practice is not merely external performance but, rather, a focus on optimal application via acutely correct 基本 (Kihon), which is all about optimal effect/application 応用 (OYO) in 実践組手 (JISSEN-KUMITE).

Needless to say, in Budo Karate 実践組手 (JISSEN-KUMITE) means only one thing: SELF-DEFENSE.

Returning to the fundamental training needed to achieve this objective, it is imperative to fully understand optimal form for maximum effect; furthermore, and based on this, ‘moderate your actions, positioning and movements’ accordingly.

This approach is required from at least 参段 (Sandan) and a prerequisite for passing 五段 (Godan) as established by my mentor's teacher, Nakayama Masatoshi Sensei.

Mid-training break time... APRIL 22nd, 2025. 

Please note that I’ve intentionally not included: (a) impact training; 自由組手 (Jiyu-Kumite); and strength/power training, which are, of course, critical.

The 国際空手道松濤館 (IKS — ‘International Karate Shotokan’) will organizationally continue to follow such established standards, and this will also remain steadfast in my own daily Keiko.

I wish everyone here in Japan good health and excellent training. Greetings from central Oita City.

押忍!

アンドレ  バーテル 

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

Kiba-dachi, Hidari tateshuto naname-uke.

Daily Training here in Japan and upcoming Seminar in Szczecin, POLAND

Some images from my daily self-training this week. Sunday, April 13th to today (Saturday, April 19th). 

This time, next month, I'll be conducting a Technical Seminar in Szczecin, POLAND. I highly recommend this seminar!

Until then, it is training as usual here in Oita City, Japan. 

OSU! 

André 

©︎ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

 

South African Renshusei 2025 (PART THREE): YouTube Video

 The following YOUTUBE VIDEO is primarily for Jody Sensei and Wesley Sensei to give them subtle cues (to remind them of several key points covered).

I have not put them in the 'learning phases' of their training, which is personal for them; nor have I disclosed the teaching they received. This is exclusively for them as RENSHUSEI. The knowledge they attained is for them and for whom they choose to share it with.

What I will say is that, for their respective levels (and individual experiences in Karatedo), they did exceptionally well and clearly advanced whilst here.

I want to offer a big bow to both Jody and Wesley for their physical and mental efforts, and spirit, here in Oita: DOJO and OUTDOOR KEIKO. I hope this video reminds you of some of key points covered. OSU!!!

©︎ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).

South African Renshusei 2025 (PART TWO): 'Renshusei Experience' (by Jody Young)

"Disillusioned in the Best Way":  My Renshusei Experience with Andre Bertel Sensei in Ōita

(by Jody Young)

I. The Journey Inward

There is a quiet liberation in being disillusioned—not the bitter kind that sours the heart, but the kind that strips away illusion and reveals something raw and true beneath.

When I traveled to Ōita, Japan, to train as a renshusei under Andre Bertel Sensei, I carried expectations. I had attended his seminars before—experiencing his precision, depth, and laser-like clarity. I believed I had a sense of what was to come.

But what I encountered was something far more elemental.

From the outset, I was uncomfortable—through about 90% of every session. And that is the point. Growth is seldom comfortable.

This training felt alive. It wasn’t a curriculum to be absorbed; it was a living process shaped by presence. Bertel Sensei created conditions where something real could emerge. It wasn’t about acquiring more techniques. It was about stripping things away—filters I didn’t even know I’d built over years of training.

Karate stopped being something external to master. It became a dialogue—a raw, often confronting conversation with my own patterns, habits, and blind spots. What began as a pursuit of technical refinement became a search for something deeper and more personal.

II. Ōita and the Dojo

Ōita itself carries a quiet resonance. Its rhythm doesn’t demand attention—but rewards it. There’s a sense of order in the streets, the air, the light. And that atmosphere became the backdrop for some of the deepest training I’ve ever experienced.

The IKS Honbu Dojo is both architectural and spiritual—a purpose-built budō center that emanates presence. The first time I stepped inside, a stillness wrapped around me. Goosebumps rose before thought could catch up. This place didn’t just welcome training. It required honesty. Every detail of the dojo speaks to clarity: its symmetry, simplicity, and sincerity. You don’t just enter a room—you enter a shared agreement. To be fully present. To do the work. 

And the training wasn’t confined to those walls. We trained in forests, beside shrines, along mountain trails. Nature didn’t frame the training—it was the training. The environment shaped everything: breath, movement, awareness.

When I left after my final session, it felt like saying goodbye to a friend who had witnessed something real.

III. Training Without a Mask

Each session peeled something away. It wasn’t about collecting details or refining performance. It was about confronting what was—without pretense, without escape. We began with the Jōkō kata. I had never encountered them in this way. They weren’t “forms” to be shaped into something pleasing or familiar. They were empty canvases—offering no place to hide. In contrast to more traditional kata that reward conformity, Jōkō demanded presence, awareness, and honest movement. It wasn’t about the final shape. It was about what was revealed through transition. Everything clicked—and then didn’t—and then clicked again. Each alignment felt like a discovery. Every correction was surgical, stripping away illusion. Breath, technique, and intent were recalibrated from the ground up.

I began to notice details I’d previously glossed over: shallow breath, misplaced weight, hesitation that came from thinking instead of feeling. The discomfort was honest—and it sharpened attention.

Sensei’s feedback was not a list of things to fix. It was an invitation to dig, feel, test, and take ownership. The goal wasn’t mimicry—it was to find the karate within me that was waiting to be shaped.

IV. The Instructor – A Lethal Gentleman

 

Andre Bertel Sensei carries a rare balance. His technique is as rooted and dangerous as any I’ve seen, yet his presence is grounded and gracious. He is disciplined, but never rigid. Exacting, but never harsh.

He teaches from principle—not repetition. He watches closely, listens deeply, and delivers precise, targeted insight. There’s no filler, no affectation. Just clarity. One moment, he’s adjusting a wrist angle. The next, he’s guiding your awareness to how mindset distorts your centerline. In his teaching, nothing is separate—body, mind, spirit, and intention are all part of the same thread. And he never presents himself as a brand or an authority to be followed blindly. He offers his karate as a personal, evolving path—and invites you to do the same. That humility makes the learning real. You aren’t given the answers. You are trusted to find them. Some people teach. Others transform.

V. Spirit, Soul, and Shrines

Karate, at its core, is not about technique. It’s about presence—showing up fully with body, breath, and spirit aligned. That invisible layer came into focus most clearly when we trained outdoors.

Among ancient shrines and running streams, surrounded by trees, karate took on another texture. There were no mirrors. No familiar reference points. Only space, silence, and movement.

These sessions weren’t rehearsed—they were lived. Organic, responsive, alive. Sensei adjusted to each location with natural ease, as though listening to each place’s rhythm. Nothing needed explanation. Everything was felt. Off the dojo floor, the same depth continued. I was welcomed into Sensei’s home. Mizuho prepared a meal that carried the same care and presence as the training itself. Their daughter Mia brought joy and laughter—reminding me that budō is not separate from life. It’s embedded in it.

These weren’t add-ons. They were expressions of the same values: authenticity, generosity, and respect.

VI. The Path Ahead

By the end of my first session in Ōita, I knew I would return.

This was not a seminar. Not a retreat. It was a recalibration—of body, mind, and direction. I came to deepen my technique. I left with something more enduring: a clearer compass. The transformation wasn’t just how I moved—but how I approached movement. It reframed how I understand Karate-do itself. This path isn’t about adding more. It’s about subtracting what no longer serves. It’s about peeling away until only what’s essential remains. This kind of training isn’t optional for serious Karateka. It’s necessary. If life allows, I will return every few months. At the very least, once a year. Each visit will mark another layer—another step inward.

I return home with more than sharper technique. I return with greater clarity—guided by attention, integrity, and truth.

押忍

Jody Young

FAQs

1. What is renshusei training, and how is it different from attending a seminar?

Renshusei training is immersive, personal, and continuous. Unlike seminars that offer snapshots, this is a living process, shaped by direct mentorship and introspection.

2. Why is the IKS Dojo in Ōita so impactful?

The dojo holds a unique energy—rooted in presence and simplicity. It’s more than a training space. It’s a space of clarity, honesty, and deep practice.

3. What makes Andre Bertel Sensei’s teaching so distinctive?

His approach is principle-driven, precise, and egoless. He doesn’t demand imitation—he fosters understanding. His guidance is personal and transformative.

4. How does Ōita’s natural setting affect training?

Training in nature removes distractions and deepens awareness. Forests and shrines strip away artifice and reconnect karate to its spiritual foundation.

5. What kind of transformation should one expect?

Expect to be challenged—and changed. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. You leave with fewer illusions, and more truth.

©︎ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2025).