13 years since Sensei passed away

I am off to Taiwan, then back to the United States of America for the first time in five years... After that I will be back home in Japan for a very busy week of Karate, then on to Germany for my last event outside of Japan for the year.

This seminar in Halle, will be very high level, however, it is going to be very technical as opposed to hard training. My objective, this time, is to convey key aspects for optimal development. Also, an  advanced kata from Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei will be taught, which will summarize the key points of the weekend. Do not miss this seminar, it is not only going to be great technically but socially; furthermore, many opportunities will arise.

By the way, and most importantly from this post, today marks the 13th years since Asai Sensei passed away. Osu, AB

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2019).

New Dojo in Oita City

Fantastic training in the city's new dojo and honored to be the first karateka to self-train there!!!

Kihon training, and Kata — 岩鶴 (Gankaku), 火手 (Kashu), 水手 (Suishu), 風手 (Hushu) and 雷光 (Raiko) — were the focal points. To be more specific, the applications of Hushu and Raiko were intensely reflected in my kihon. Furthermore, to answer many people, the Hushu/Kaze no te I practice is not the kata of Kato Sadashige Sensei but, rather, from Asai Sensei. That being said, while I do not practice Kato Sensei’s kata, I respect his work; furthermore, his students.

Training and friendly differences aside, now  we are being hit by a large typhoon.... Very relevant to my present kata training. Osu!!!

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2019).

Trainees from Ireland

A group of karateka from Ireland came for training at with me, here in central Oita City, on August 10th. After the two hours of practice we went to a local Oita izakaya restaurant.

I greatly enjoyed their company in and out of the dojo and hope that they learned plenty from the training. The overall theme was 'how to make karate work in a real situation'.

Wishing you all a safe and fun return home. Osu, Andre

 

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2019).

騎馬拳 （Kibaken）

This kata is very centralized both in stance and numbers. It has precisely 60 Movements and the kiai is found on movements 30 and 60. It is a useful kata in combination with the three Tekki - for an extension of self defense applications - as this kata adds the aspects of turning and so forth; furthermore, Asai Sensei recommended Kibaken in conjunction with the kurumaisu kata (the wheel chair kata). A key point in Kibaken, in relation to this point, is alternately 'squeezing' the chest and back/shoulder muscles for snap. This lesson is imperative for maximizing upper body mechanics and, in fact, is less challenging in Kibaken than than Shorin Dai (the first of the Wheelchair Kata). But I suppose this is another subject, which I can divulge another day.

Here is an overview of Kibaken... Please note, this Kibaken is different from others. However, it is how Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei personally taught me.

So here we go:       騎馬拳 (KIBAKEN)

1. Ryo ken jodan age-uke (Heiko-dachi).

2. Move the left leg to form kiba-dachi facing shomen with ryoken sokumen gedan-barai (the right arm is on top).

3. Ryo ken sokumen chudan uchi-uke.

4. Ryo ken sokumen jodan ura-zuki.

5. Hidari tateshuto sokumen chudan-uke.

6. Yori-ashi leftward with migi kagi-zuki.

7. Kaiten shinagara migi chudan yoko enpi-uchi

8. Mawari nagara sagatte hidari sokumen gedan-barai.

9. Hidari sokumen chudan uchi-uke.

10. Yori-ashi leftward with migi gyaku-zuki

11-16. Repeat movements 6-11 on the opposite side.

17. Hidari sokumen jodan uchi-uke with a simultaneous migichudan gyaku-zuki.

18. Yori-ashi leftward with hidari sokumen jodan ura-zuki.

19. Hidari kentsui sokumen kentsui yokomawshi uchi.

20-22. Repeat movements 17-19 on the opposite side.

23. Bring the right fist across to the left shoulder and make migijodan uchi-uke.

24. Migi jodan soto-uke.

25. Migi chudan mae-geri keage.

26. Hidari chudan choku-zuki (kiba-dachi).

27-30. Repeat movements 23-26 on the opposite side (Note: on the final technique—migi chudan choku-zuki —Kiai

31. Turn 180 degrees counterclockwise, using the right foot as the pivot, to face ura-shomen and make migi chudan uchi-ukeand a simultaneous hidari gedan-barai.

32. Hidari chudan uchi-uke and a simultaneous migi gedan-barai.

33. Hidari jodan ura-zuki (snapped back to the uchi-ukeposition).

34.  Leaving Hidari chudan uchi-uke in place slowly make migichudan uchi-uke to form chudan kakiwake kamae.

35. Migi nami-gaeshi.

36. Migi chudan choku-zuki.

37. Hidari chudan choku-zuki.

38. Slow kosa-aiyumibashi rightward.

39-45. Without the 180 degree of movement 30—repeat movements 30-36 on the opposite side.

46. Turn clockwise 180 degrees, using the left foot as the pivot,to face shomen with migi tateshuto-uke.

47. Flow immediately into hidari mae enpi-uchi.

48. Immediately make migi mae enpi-uchi.

49. Hidari hidari ashikubi kake-uke with a simultaneous hidarijodan choku-zuki.

50. Migi chudan choku-zuki (kiba-dachi).

51. Hidari chudan choku-zuki.

52-54. Repeat movements 49-51 on the opposite side.

55. Ryo ken jodan age-uke.

56. Ryo ken kentsui chudan hasami-uchi.

57. Ryo ken kentsui chudan sokumen-uchi (wind up with the right arm over the left).

58. Slowly execute migi tateshuto chudan-uke.

59. Hidari chudan choku-zuki.

60. Migi chudan choku-zuki. — Kiai

© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2019).