Thursday 19 June 2008

THE 1ST BIRTHDAY OF ANDRE BERTEL'S KARATEDO

Today is the first anniversary of www.andrebertel.blogspot.com. Initially I was concerned if I could consistently publish posts making the site worthwhile. What finally convinced me to initiate the blog was the fact that I write notes after practice every day regardless. What’s more, it helped me to stop littering our small Japanese apartment with my training notes, and updated self-practice routines (yes… some selfish motivation in there as well).

I didn’t expect that so many people would proclaim my blog as being 'the best karate website in the world', nor did I expect to ever get over 320,000+ visits in a year! Also the staggering amounts of emails I’ve received from karateka across the planet (http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2008/05/visitors-to-this-blog.html). What probably makes this blog different (to the majority of other online karate resources) is that the contents are a result of actual training. The posts are reflective of what I'm currently doing, and more importantly what I have to do, to keep advancing my own karate (and hopefully help you on you karate journey as well). It goes without saying that this blog also offers very special insights into the personal karate training of my late teacher, Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei, which has also contributed its popularity.

I’d like to conclude by once again thanking you all for supporting my blog. And more than anything I’d like to take this chance to thank my mother for putting me into karate (and more importantly forcing me to keep going), my ever supportive wife Mizuho (who puts up with my training everyday), Asai Sensei, Stamoulis Sensei, and also my own karate students. DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!

OSU! – André
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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

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