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ENGLISH TRANSLATION (PHOTOS EXCLUDED)
International Budo-Karate Seminar with André Bertel Shihan (7th Dan) from February 04-05, 2023 in Freital
Relax, Snap: Karate works!
The anticipation of our course in Freital lasted a long time - several times the karate seminar with Shihan André Bertel (7th Dan) had to be postponed due to the pandemic. On 04 and 05 February 2023 we were finally able to welcome him again in Freital.
For me it was the third seminar weekend with Sensei Bertel. I knew with my 4th Kyu that a challenging weekend awaited me. I knew I was going to train on the edge in the hall full of Dan carriers. I knew I had to expect some bruises. And I was really looking forward to it all.
Sensei Stephan Pilz (4th Dan) had the organizational strings in his hand and a direct, private line to André Bertel. It is thanks to him that we members of the Shotokan Karate Club Freital were able to enjoy a special privilege: On the eve of the course, André Bertel gave us two training sessions in our dojo.
He had just arrived and apologized to us for his jet lag. What tiredness? With unbridled power, he whirled off. The beginners received an impressive lesson in greeting etiquette and the execution of the basic techniques, the higher graduates then honed their explosiveness and coordination under the attentive eye of the sensei. Everyone was spellbound – especially our little karatekas. "Snap!" was one of his most urgent requests - meaning the snapped, lightning-fast techniques in karate. Another often heard hint was the admonition "Relax!", because we were much too tense about the implementation of his training. Shoulders down – relaxed! Muscles loose – snap! My trouble with this was hopefully not so clearly visible.
On Saturday, many members of our association were on their feet early to ensure the smooth running of the karate seminar. We were all excited, but we already had practice – in 2019 we already welcomed André Bertel in Freital. And suddenly Freital became the center of international karate: about 200 karateka from 17 nations gradually revived the hall. The mayor of Freital had a similar view in his opening speech - impressed he watched the cheerful André Bertel for a while in the sports hall full of attentive karatekas.
I was totally focused, wanted to do everything right and knew – I won't succeed. After the warming by sensei Marco Herrmann (4th Dan), André Bertel attached great importance to the training of basic techniques. He impressively showed every technique to be practiced, every turn to be practiced or every jump to be practiced - even several times and every time perfectly. And we participants translate his demands on the technique into their own movement - some managed it almost as perfectly. Some, like me, are more like that.
This year's kata, which Sensei Bertel taught us in the seminary, was the original version of the Kata Suishu (water hands), which was taught to him personally by his master Tetsuhiko Asai. This demanding kata mimics the course of the water. Accordingly, we trained the alternation of flowing and energetic movements, speed, rotation and strength. Every arm and foot technique, every movement or position demonstrated by the sensei were ideals for me that required the highest concentration. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, predictably dissatisfied with myself, but happy.
Again and again André Bertel showed the kata with bunkai to prove the effectiveness of the techniques in combat. These demonstrations were always a firework of energy, speed and power. André Bertel's "Try this!" was the signal to implement his instructions on his partner: punches, levers, kicks, throws. Many thanks to my training partners for their patience – my insecurity after every "Try this!" was legendary. But the atmosphere in the hall encouraged me again and again: motivated karateka could be seen everywhere with a smile on their faces – even if they were lying on the ground.
However, this first day of the course did not end just like that - a party with buffet at the Feldschlösschen headquarters in Dresden rounded off the day.
Sunday started with the Kata Suishu. Some could be seen before the training, how they ran the 58 movements of the kata relatively safely. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. So it was time again: full concentration. In addition, André Bertel taught us in the militant implementation and effectiveness of traditional karate. We practiced this constantly on our partner and left this course with the certainty: "Karate works!". Andre Bertel took a long time to talk to individual course participants, to fulfill photo requests, to sign autographs. I saw many karateka thanking the helpers to take a last roll or a last coffee. Quickly everything was back in its old place with our many diligent hands.
But for us Freitaler Karateka it was not over yet: Sensei André Bertel gave interesting training sessions in our dojo on Monday and Tuesday. Nothing could have kept me away from this training. At some point, he also referred to his damaged forearms. That comforted me somehow.
My conclusion: André Bertel doesn't just teach karate. He teaches enthusiasm, motivation and technique that enables your own body to do incredible things. His way of praise, repeating, encouraging and being patient makes him a very good teacher. I understand why even karateka from Colombia travel to experience André Bertel in Freital.
We would like to thank Sensei André Bertel as well as all participants, organizers and helpers – together this course was an incredibly inspiring event!
(Report by Anja Blume)
© André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2023).
