New video of Asai Sensei on Youtube

I've just uploaded a clip on Youtube of Asai Sensei, slapping yours truly around with various open hand techniques. The emphasis in this clip is namely karada no buki (the weapons of the body): Karada no buki demonstrated include fundamental techniques with 'Shuto' (the sword hand); 'Tate-shuto' (the vertical sword hand); 'Seiryuto' (the ox jaw hand); 'Teisho' (the palm heel); 'Koko' (the tiger mouth); and 'Kakuto' (the bent wrist).

You can click here to check it out: http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=zGX6ty6jp-k

A big Oyasumi nasai from Kyushu, Japan.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

The NATURAL ELEMENT KATA

There are five formal exercises referred to as the ‘Shizen no kata’ (natural kata), nicknamed in English as ‘The Natural Element Kata’, by my late karate teacher, Asai Tetsuhiko.
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To state the obvious, only one, Unsu/Unshu, is amongst the ‘standard’ 26 Shotokan forms. However, Asai Sensei claimed that the other four kata, Kashu (Hi no te), Suishu (Mizu no te), Roshu (Nami no te) and Hushu (Kaze no te) were also koten (ancient/classical) kata. Other comments by Sensei suggested that Suishu, Hushu, Roshu and Kashu were actually ‘hybrid kata’ combining/recording a variety of koten-waza (ancient/classical techniques). I believe Asai Sensei did indeed engineer them based on numerous martial arts techniques, and strategies, not found within mainstream Shotokan. I personally think that these techniques came from a combination of Chinese Boxing, the karate of Okinawa, and Sensei's own kumite experimentation. Regardless of their origin, as a personal student of Asai Sensei, I didn’t concern myself with their history, only to improve my ability as a martial artist, based on his ‘karate way’.
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The reason Asai Sensei introduced the additional four ‘Natural Element Kata’: Sensei taught these kata to provide himself with a clear canvas to teach 'natural movement'. He said to me that “Unsu is enough, however, when teaching at courses, it is often difficult to correct peoples ‘use of energy’, they turn into robots * when you ask them to perform one of the famous Shotokan kata”. By teaching Kashu, Hushu, Suishu and/or Roshu, Asai Sensei could capture each students complete attention, (via their enthusiasm to learn something new, such as a fascinating kata) and therefore open up their minds to using ‘natural energy’.
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* Asai Sensei often said that "WKF karate kata is rubbish, it's gymnastics not fighting kata". He hated sports karate because he claimed it was invalidating karate as an effective martial art.

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Profiles of the natural element kata: Originally, when I started to compose this article, I thought of giving individual profiles of Unsu, Kashu, Suishu, Roshu and Hushu, based on what Asai Sensei told me candidly. However, I changed my mind, as that is not what Asai Sensei really emphasized. I know 100% that he would have preferred me to give a broader explanation based on 'natural movement', which is what these kata are primarily for. If I were to give descriptive explanations, based on what he said, I'm sure you'd be distracted by visualizations of calm rivers suddenly turning into rapids; the fluctuating energy of waves and tsunami's; typhoon's and tornado's; the unpredictable movements of forest fires; and the like. When Asai Sensei demonstrated movements, they really resembled these descriptions, and sadly, I cannot put these phenomenal displays of karate into words. Perhaps the best thing I can say, to anyone who reads this, is that Asai Sensei closely analyzed nature to develop his movement, and used the 'natural elements' as his own 'sensei'.

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For me personally, the practice of Kashu, Hushu, Roshu and Suishu has significantly enhanced my kata and kihon for effective fighting. Why? Because they have taught me that effectiveness is determined by natural movement. As Asai Sensei stressed about the forms he introduced; "There is no problem merely focusing on the famous Shotokan kata, but if you do, use natural energy. Don't perform kata just to look nice, do it for real fighting. Kata is more beautiful when it is bujutsu."

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OSU!

© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Wedding Anniversary

To celebrate our 2nd Wedding Anniversary we stayed in central Fukuoka at the beautiful Seahawk Hotel. We had to delay the celebration until the weekend (the 6th and 7th) as the anniversary fell on Wednesday, the 3rd of December.
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In addition to enjoying the luxury of the five star hotel, by recommendation from Hoshuyama Sensei, we had a very special dinner at Il Sogno (you can check out the their website here: http://www.ilsogno.jp/). Sensei and his wife celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary there, so we were very honored. Mizuho and I are very grateful for Hoshuyama Sensei's very kind recommendation (and even advice on directions to avoid the snow storm that hit Northern Kyushu). Domo arigato gozaimasu Hoshuyama Sensei!
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The five-course meal at Il Sogno was absolutely delicious, and the service was impeccable. I can only extend Hoshuyama Sensei's recommendation for this excellent Italian restaurant. If you are in Hakata, and enjoy high-class dining, Il Sogno is a must.

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I'd like to end by thanking my karate students who have sent us messages to commemorate our anniversary.
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André & Mizuho

© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Winter Training Regime

Finally I’ve up updated my training regime leading into the Japanese winter and the imminent kangeiko. I’ve made some profound changes, however, I’m not sure how significant they might seem to someone reading this? Nevertheless, I’ll outline them here, and from my commentary, hopefully you’ll see that they are particularly significant for me as a karate practitioner. As December looms, I happily can look back on 2008, and honestly say that it has been my most productive year, ever, insofar as my karate technique is concerned. My goal is to keep following this ‘karate way’, which was ‘set’ in January (when I upgraded myself to mukyu: click here to see my New Years day post – which set my practice pattern for 2008: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-years-day-2008.html).

On to the business… Here's my latest self-training routine.

KIHON
(1) Oi zuki kara niren choku zuki. Emphasis on perfect hiki-te and punch ‘connection’ and complete body power regardless of intensity/energy applied. Drive from kakato for oi zuki and ‘hips into the target’; (2) Gyaku zuki. Fundamental training of koshi no kaiten in stationary zenkutsu-dachi, also perfect co-ordination of tai no shinshuku from the compressed zenkutsu; (3) Mae keriage. Stationary practice from heisoku dachi and zenkutsu dachi. ‘Extreme’ compression in the load-up and hiki-ashi is the main focus. (4) Jodan age uke/Chudan soto uke/Chudan uchi uke/Gedan barai. Quite simply a full wind up of the torso (tight shomen) and full hanmi insofar as the ukewaza are concerned. In regards to the arms, Asai Sensei style ‘muchiken’ application of ‘snap’ power, that is, each technique is a whip like attack. (5) Chudan shuto uke. Focus on ‘locking in the posture’ on shuto uke and correct ‘line’ in kokutsu-dachi hanmi. Essentially, I am seeking a greater control over this technique, which to me, is 'forever' a challenge.

KATA
This month the focus is on Heian (presently Yondan and Godan), Tekki, Enpi, Jion and Unsu. The Heian kata are to address my core power sources, which need to be further explored, not to mention just getting to grips with kihon in general (a never ending challenge). Tekki (as always) to deal with infighting application, also to push my alignment, as mentioned in my shuto uke comments above. Jion, for perfection of the fundamentals that really matter in a real fight. And to be honest, I can never get past this kata… It is just technically so very deep - an 'exemplary' Shotokan kata. And Unsu for desert... Sheer technical diversity, dynamism and explosiveness. Gojushiho (Dai) has been dropped out of my training schedule.

KUMITE
I’ve really been motivated by Paul Kallander’s blog to practice my kaiten uraken uchi, which is Yahara Mikio Sensei’s tokui-waza. Asai Sensei referred to Yahara Sensei’s uraken as being “phenomenal”. He also said to me that “Yahara Sensei is the most dangerous karateka that the JKA Honbu ever produced”. I personally think that such a comment makes study of Yahara Sensei’s technique essential for anyone serious about JKA style Shotokan karate. My other focal point has been to further refine ‘go no sen’ or ‘taking the initiative later’. In jiyu kumite practice at the local dojo I attend, I’m essentially using deai all the time. What I’d like to emphasize here (especially for those without a JKA background) is that I’m not working on countering, but rather attacking, using my opponents initiation to my advantage (using their ma'ai, and both physical and mental 'gaps'). This training is not easy for me as sen no sen is my natural inclination, but is clearly optimal for my physique, talents, and weaknesses.

So that pretty much sums up my present karate practice schedule and should take me well into December. Where ever you are around the world, and regardless of style, organization and nationality, I wish you all the very best in your own karate training.

OSU, André.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Goodbye Autumn

Yesterday evening after karate keiko, to mark the final week of Autumn here in Japan, we drove two hours to Taketa City to visit Yujaku Koen for KOYO (紅葉). Coincidentally the park grounds are known for martial arts training, as the local bushi (warriors) used to extensively practice their strategic horsemanship and archery there. The beauty of the Autumn leaves and near-perfect mirror like reflections in the lake, located in the centre of the forest, has made Yujaku Koen very popular in Kyushu.

Anyway I thought I would share some photos of the beautiful Yujaku Koen with you. You can click on the images to enlarge them.

PS - I have updated my training regime and this will be uploaded in the next couple of days. My appologies to those of you who have emailed me asking when I'd put it online.

Kindest regards to everyone from Kyushu, Japan.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Karate Internet Forums

As some know I got particularly annoyed with karate internet forums. So much so, that I said some things I regret. Mostly I was just being nasty and highly sarcastic, as there were just too many idiots participating. Basically I was enjoying the comedy of it all. For this reason I ceased from participating in forums.
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I should have never bothered participating in the first place! The majority of posting I did was in-between teaching classes/training, sitting in the dojo office bored (and trying to get my energy back). I also posted a lot when waiting for my then fiancée, Mizuho, to come online (when she was here in Japan and I was back in New Zealand).

99% of people posting on internet karate forums are people who think too much and need to train more. Far more! The main participants simply haven’t got the technical skills or knowledge to back up what they say. There are certainly some excellent karateka who participate in karate forums, but in my opinion, certainly not enough to waste ones time chatting with, especially in such an amatuer environment.

Karate is all about physical training, and of course study of the art to improve one’s physical training. Obviously karate internet forums offer no training, and knowledge-wise, little more than trivial rubbish. I’m by no means questioning the integrity of those operating internet karate forums. However, karate forums have served little, if any benefit to the karateka who participate in them. I agree that potentially, karate internet forums could be useful, if people were using the knowledge in them to train... But with little investigation, it is not hard to see that the majority of content is crap, with little or no insight. This is because the participants are more interested in typing than they are in actual karate training itself.
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Waffling on with people I don’t know, and for the most part, people who clearly know nothing about karate, is nothing more than wasting valuable time. If I’m going to type something about karate now, I simply do it here on my blog, where it hopefully benefits peoples ‘karate training’.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Nishiyama Sensei dies at age 80

I just read that Hidetaka Nishiyama Sensei passed away last Friday (November 7th, 2008).
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Whilst I was never associated with him in any way, he was always ‘as senior as one can get’ amongst Shotokan practitioners. Quite simply, the name 'Hidetaka Nishiyama' immediately summoned your attention, especially if you have any links to the JKA. I remember Asai Sensei talked about his 'direct seniors' in his youth, especially Nishiyama Sensei and Kase Sensei. Sadly now, Asai Sensei, and both of these masters, are gone. One thing I will never forget was Asai Sensei telling me that his style, and what he taught, was “perfectly opposite to Mr. Nishiyama’s karate way”. He never said this negatively, he merely pointed it out to demonstrate the diversity amongst the kohai/deshi of Nakayama Sensei.

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A true karate pioneer: Here are just a few of the achievements that this legendary Shotokan master is internationally known for... Nishiyama Sensei was a co-founding member of the JKA (Japan Karate Association); the founder/chairman of the ITKF/International Traditional Karate Federation (previously the IAKF/International Amateur Karate Federation; - which ran the first few JKA World Championships); and the founder of JKA karate in the United States. It truly is an understatement to say that Mr. Nishiyama made a mark in the karate world! His influence was huge! For more information you can check out the ITKF website: http://www.itkf.org/
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I’d like to use this opportunity to give my condolences to the many students of Nishiyama Sensei, especially those in the ITKF, who have become my friends over the years. I sincerely wish you all the very best in keeping your teachers karate-do alive.

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Uncut Asai Sensei Interview on TSW

A while back Shaun Banfield from 'The Shotokan Way' contacted me about archiving some of my interviews with Asai Sensei.

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Shaun eloquently sold the idea to me with the following statement. "we are trying to expand TSW and make it as thorough and deep a resource as possible, with old and new material. We always have an influx of new material, but we are also eager to make this a primary resource to learn more about the many wonderful teachers in the world.”
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You can read the uncut version of the December 3rd (2003) interview by clicking here: http://www.theshotokanway.com/tasaiarchive1.html

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Palmerston North Karate Instructor visits

Morgan Dilks Sensei (4th Dan), New Zealand Chief Instructor of the USKU (Universal Shotokan Karate Union), came for some one-on-one tuition at my dojo this weekend. Dilks Sensei teaches Shotokan in Palmerston North, and it has been nearly two years since Mizuho and I last saw him. We also got to spend some great times catching up with his wife Yuko, and met his unbelievably very cute baby daughter, Yuri.
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I wont give a report on what I took Morgan through, as that is for him and his students. However, in addition to the two hour practice on the Saturday, prior to his departure this morning, we took some outdoor photos. With the private training he did here, and also he'll be receiving from Fukumizu Sensei in Miyazaki, I'm sure he'll be returning to New Zealand with lots of new, and refined knowledge, for his own training, and for his students!

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I asked if Morgan could make some comments, about his dojo, here on my blog, which he kindly agreed to do. Here is what he had to say: "My dojo is under the umbrella of Universal Shotokan Karate Union (USKU), which was established by my instructor, Fukamizu Kenichi Shihan (7th Dan) in Miyazaki-ken, Japan. The focus is on traditional Shotokan training, and preserving the karate that I`ve been lucky enough to have been exposed to whilst living in Japan, and continue to maintain, through regular training visits. If any of your readers are living in, or visiting Palmerston North, they are most welcome to come and train".
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Morgan is a person I have great respect for, and are proud to be his friend. He is a great person, kind hearted, calm spirited, and loves to train. I recommend his dojo to anyone interested in learning traditional Japanese karate-do in Palmerston North. For more information on class times, dojo location, contact details, and so forth, please visit his website: http://www.usk.co.nz/

© André Bertel, Japan 2008

Japanese Temples and Shrines

Finally the weather has reached an optimum period for outdoor training, in particular, at local temple grounds, and around the various shrines. No longer do I have to put up with multiple mosquito bites, and people coming over to get a free karate exhibition. At most, I occasionally get a friendly "ohayo gozaimasu" or “konnichi wa” from a Buddhist monk or Shinto priest.
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Coming from Christchurch, New Zealand, known as 'the Garden City', I have to admit that, comparatively speaking, Japanese parks are downright ugly. However, religious and cultural monuments are equally, if not, more gorgeous. In my experience, from my many times here in Japan, the very best gardens and parks in this country (with the least foot traffic) are located at the temples and shrines. The castles are also beautiful, however, people are always wandering around.

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Karate-do and Japanese religion: Another point worth mentioning is karate's particularly strong connection to Japanese Shinto. Most of the major Shotokan karate organisations (JKA, JKS, SKIF and others) here in Japan bow to the dojo 'kamidana', before and after practice. It is essentially worshiping the 'karate god's'. This is coupled with mokuso (meditation), which is connected directly to Zen-Buddhism. Even so, I've been told by Japanese seniors that outdoor training at jinja (Shinto shrines) is more meaningful for karatedo practitioners.

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Just train! Really speaking it doesn’t matter where you practice your karate, but if you have the opportunity to train outside, an aesthetically beautiful (and quiet/undisturbed) environment is a real luxury. Such training can only further motivate you to practice what you are learning, or working on, in the dojo. Here in Japan, if you decide to do outdoor practice, you simply cannot get ‘a better spot’ than the numerous shrines and temple grounds.

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I wish you the very best in your karate training.
OSU

André Bertel

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© André Bertel, Japan 2008