Andre Bertel - Asai Karate Seminar (Shibuya, Tokyo. January 2010).

[tryan1975]

Crisp, relaxed and fluid. What a pleasure to watch. Thank you, Sensei Bertel for posting this!

[OkinawaT]

Muy bueno. Esos movimientos largos recuerdan un poco a estilos chinos como Choy Li Fu. ¿Se habrá inspirado en Sensei Asai en estos estilos para realizar esos movimientos o son movimientos que existen en Shotokan en sí?

[MeanEyedCats]

Hi Mr. Bertel. I liked this video, and I'm a big fan of that Kaminari Arashi that I've seen you do.

Quick question; have you read Mr. Redmond's blog "24 Fighting Chickens"? If so, what is your opinion on his articles?

[andrebertel]

@MeanEyedCats

Hi, Rob is an articulate writer, and has trained in Japan. He brings up many valid points. I don't agree with everything he says, but if I did, I suppose it would be of great concern.

He is typical of an MBA guy haha.

All the best, Andre

[MeanEyedCats]

@andrebertel I enjoy reading his articles. I also don't agree with everything he says, although I find myself agreeing more often than not. Most of all I find it to be a very refreshing perspective. I think most of us could bring something valuable to our training based on some of his opinions.

[andrebertel]

@MeanEyedCats

About Kaminari-arashi... That is one of three very advanced Asai-ha Shotokan-Ryu Kata. The other two are Yokotawaru-tatsu and Shinobiyoru-hayabusa.

I relearned these kata just before Asai Sensei passed away in 2006, he changed them and I look forward to posting these videos or publishing them in a book!

[MeanEyedCats]

@andrebertel I really like that kata. In fact, if you published a book with diagrams or instructions or something, I would certainly buy it. I hope you do consider that in the future! Videos are great to get a general picture of a kata, but most of us don't have our laptops with us in the dojo, so I probably won't be able to learn it until I see it written down.

Of course, if and when I do learn them, I will do my best to see them widely practiced in my club!

[kamen25]

thank you for sharing sensei, are you ever going to come to san francisco? i would love to join for a seminar, osu!

[andrebertel]

@kamen25

I'd love to... We'll see! Perhaps Koss Yokota Sensei or Ken Funakoshi Sensei will invite me ;-)

[martialartsdude]

That was brilliant some really interesting techniques and angles that I haven't thought of using, thanks very much I'll try some of this at the dojo tomorrow :)

[shotokanbiker]

you can tell you trained a lot with Asai purely by watching this vid, i remember when Asai got me to do a mawashi geri, i went chudan and he managed to go under my kick and strike the groin. it was insane! :)

keep up the good work carrying on his style, after all he was the next inline to Nakayama.

[fisilk]

As always, YouTube obliges with providing commenters whose lack of insight, intelligence and quality prose almost make one feel guilty for finding it so amusing.

Whatever. Andre is a True karateka - honest, hardworking, humble and following the true spirit of the art. I'm bummed you left Japan before I had a chance to train with you, but hey - NZ is only a few (thousand) miles away :)

[mekarateka]

These people are they from cuckoo land? Staying like a dung to be stepped on. Asai Karate Seminar ?lol OY OY having a laugh ?did he (Asai ) pass away in the year 2006 ?this video is another scam lol phooo .The man at the end of the hall knows this is lots of crap ,look he is going out lol,

[andrebertel]

@mekarateka

The man leaving the room is Sakae Ibusuki Sensei, who was off to change into his dogi to teach the second seminar.... He is a former student of Funakoshi Gichin.

I will continue do my best to improve my karate, but perhaps, since you have offered some very strong opinions, you can offer me some of your expert advice?

All the best ;-)

[mekarateka]

Right He is Ibusuki Sensei former student of Funakoshi Gichin not from the cuckoo land! Did you know that in the world only 3 people trained with Asai sensei ?hah hah 2 self graded 8th Dan , then reached the nirvana hah hah one is K. Yokota . one is  Jan Knobe and the day dreamer balloon : Andre Bertel who has been kicked out of many associations, the most recent one is KWF Yahara sensei’s association. Those who have trained with Asai sensei never telling lies and making untruth statement..

[mekarateka]

@andrebertel kallenderumezu,saying The man who is going out is Ibusuki Sensei, 7th dan, former captain of Waseda Karate Club and a student of Gichin Funakoshi. He went out to change. That afternoon when we all went for a meal! so what you are saying he was off to change into hid dojo to teach the second seminar? was he teaching in a restaurant?lol look he is in his dogi you cukoo

[menc73]

@mekarateka Why do you say that? All demonstrations require a certain complicity on the part of the uke. If the sparring, demonstration partner always resisted full force someone would get hurt eventually. This is no more unreal than demonstrating an oi zuki or a wrist lock.

[mekarateka]

@kallenderumezu, So what if he is 7th dan,..... former captain of Waseda Karate Club and a student of Gichin Funakoshi.... Ibusuki Sensei most have been sleeping for many years or taking the pess saying that about this kid .some one posted few things about Andre and the language he has used on the facebook with a man from Netherlands called Jan Knobe /knoble .this kid is very rude in other words he is a scumbag.

[kataman123]

Whats new ??

[spin772]

Karateka will look back in years and recall they were once privileged to receive your instruction and for those of you who are yet to understand Sensei Bertel was the chosen son of a great Karate Legend Tetsuhiko Asai Syuseki Shihan Sensei

[SuperUnsu]

jaro here another

[shodo2007]

Very good tehnics Andre ! I wish you the best! Good luck!

Oss

[OkinawaT]

Muy bueno. Recuerda a las tecnicas de boxeo largo de algunos estilos de kung fu como el Hung Gar o el Choy li fut

[shodo2007]

vERY GOOD VIDEO ANDRE! HOPE TO MEET YOU SOON! WHEN DO YOU COME EUROPE?

GOOD LUCK !

[qiplayer]

Hello, I like very much your technics, most ov all is the way you do these.

Can I ask you, doese these come from karate? It seems to me the application of the teory I read in a famous book about trigger points (don't know the name in english). Thank you for the video :)

[jaimeneves]

Thank's for posting, Sensei André.

For the first time i saw the kind of karate Sensei Asai developed. I'm very surprised because this karate it seems very efective and dinamic.

Tell me Sensei André, are you thinking in coming to Lisbon (Portugal) to give a course? I would like train with you.

Please reply.

OSS

[ksennin]

Thanks for posting the video. I find Mr. Bertel's approach to karate very enlightened in his emphasis of the martial origins and application of the art, as opposed to single-track channeling into sport application. Karate ideally should be a strong, broad base from which you can branch sports, health, self-defense, etc. much like a physician can specialise in surgery or other kind of medicine OVER a strong base of general medical knowledge. Yet without forgetting its roots.

[NMCK69]

Very interesting. The "Long Arm" techniques found throughout the Chinese arts / applications do some very similar things. To take this idea by going past the initial basics is a good thing--food for thought, no matter what one's opinion or experience may be. I for one, was very enlightened the first time I "experienced" the long arm techniques of the Hung Gar...and after I picked myself up off the floor and shook off the dizzys, I learned all I could about it :O) . Great works, keep it up!!

[chevytruckjoe]

WTF why all the haters??? It's easy to sit in a chair and call someone out huh? I think the critisism comes from a gross misunderstanding of real martial arts. More then one way to skin a cat dude.

[andrebertel]

I've never seen the point of karate/martial arts or other physical activities on the internet, unless it is beneficial for sharing/gaining knowledge to improve people's physical skills. There is nothing wrong with being critical, however, there needs to be a constructive reason if one has genuine intent to englighten others. I don't claim to know everything about karate, nor to be "good". But I've been happy to share what I do understand with others. All the very best from Oita Prefecture, Japan

[shogunsan21]

@andrebertel I like this reply!

Syl

[MrMikeod]

lafingatyu is 54 yrs old from the U.S. I'm pretty average at karate but in 30 yrs of law enforcement I found it decidedly useful on the streets against the most violent criminals who didnt give a shit about rules. So from a street point of view, you are wrong lafingatyu. Again, post a video of yourself, however I suspect you won't have the guts, or stop reading the site.

[MrMikeod]

i note lafingatyu has closed their account. It appears that this account was opened to personally attack this site. One would have to question their motivation. Purely gutless spite filled. u-tube attack typical of the negative character of some people today.

[MrMikeod]

Ignore the haters, let them post a video of themselves so we can compare. Lets see them at 50 full of athritis and memories. Keep the videos coming and let the key board warriors go elsewhere

[andrebertel]

So what is a real fighter? Is Asai-ryu & Shotokan real karate? And if my karate is so bad, why are you so into reading my blog? It appears you made a youtube account to simply have a go at me. It is rather strange. I'm big enough to take negative commentary, but how about you give some examples of your REAL KARATE? You are always welcome at my dojo to teach me! About living & training in Japan, being a personal student of Asai Sensei etc... I am sorry if these things have wound you up so much.

[Sundome1]

I wouldn't apologise Andre to this time waster, who seems to go out of his way in spending his time reading and viewing your work. All very strange and the fact his youtube account is now closed - I think says it all! ;-)

[njtr]

@andrebertel Its hard to believe that someone would make a youtube account to "have a go at you." Based on what I've seen, it seems that you are a very good martial artist. I've never seen these applications of haioto uchi that you have demonstrated here. I don't know whether they come from you, or from Mr. Asai, but either way, they are awesome. I suspect that the people that criticize you have never seen them either. I don't see how any objective person could find fault. Thanks for posting

[shogunsan21]

@andrebertel Just read this, again so sad, but as the song said "People are strange" anyway Andre, you do what you do and some of us do understand and are glad you share it!

Sly Walsh England

[Sundome1]

Little do you know. :-)

[andrebertel]

Thanks for taking the time to offer such constructive comments. ;-)

[itotsu1]

Brilliant!

[oldusedking]

This is an absurdly cool video! When Sensei Bertel produces a dvd, I'll buy it! Some karate exponents are obsessed by the APPEARANCE of power in their techniques, and their muscular tension interferes with their technique. That's not what's happening here! Fairbairn advocated the use of exactly this technique, which suggests that it has great utility for those unlucky enough to get stuck in a fight. Andre, THANK YOU for teaching these techniques, and for continuing the tradition of your Sensei.

[kuroobiya]

Toizinhosan, though you may think that Andre's performance looks like a poor version of your "God's ", There is probably no one else out there who can do Asai karate better. Of course Mr. Asai did have the advantage of inventing the techniques of "his style" and perfecting them over several decades, but I think Andre will one day catch up, judging by his dedication to training.

[kuroobiya]

What I liked best about this technique when Andre demonstrated it on me, was the unusal angle of attack and the "flow" of the kime, rather than the brute, stiff force of traditional Shotokan. I think Andre's point is that there is more to fighting than just static linear, or simple angles (45 /60/90 degrees) and that you can generate great power through whip like action of the joints rather than relying on muscle power or "false kime" common in shotokan, especially outside Japan.

[kuroobiya]

Nice video Andre.

Tokaidosan, I think you maybe missed the point. As Andre said, this is just a different basic technique.

Your argument about trying to apply it in kumite or against O'Niel or Hazard is mute. (Try applying ANY karate technique against them!). In karate we practice a lot of techniques which we do not or cannot use directly as practiced in kumite.

The point is what mechanics we learn from them and how we can apply variations of them, in kumite or combat.

[andrebertel]

To Nerubio, these are not my claws. ;-) If you read my blog article relating to this upload, you'd know "what's featured in video are only some very basic Asai Karate techniques". I'm not showing any advanced techniques, it is kihon. I find all the keyboard warriors on the internet somewhat entertaining. There is nothing wrong with karate discussion on the net, but it only means something if a person actually trains. I'll let my karate talk for itself. I'm always available to train with ;-)

[tokaidosan]

I would like to see this applied in Kumite. Beat still people is not funnny.

I would like to see these tecniques against Frank Brennan or Dave Hazard Senseis

[Nerubio]

脳ある鷹は爪を隠す. 爪をみるよ。

[chevytruckjoe]

Very nice, can't wait till I get a chance to train with Andre sensei.

[Winterdenni]

Now that brings back some memories ^_^

[deely66]

amazing.. so cute how one of the ladies was helping the other up.. it looked like an absolutely awesome seminar..

[christianbrecht]

fantastic!

[babettye]

Now *that* looks like *FUN*!!!  :-D

[kwfkarateka]

Ibusuki Sensei said Andre's Karate was some of the best he's seen in 20 years!

[NickGardiner1]

When it looks like Andre Sensei is hitting hard it doesn't really hurt as the target is muscle. When he demonstrates very slowly and softly on the real targets you can REALLY feel it. Great stuff.

[kwfkarateka]

Hahaha...I am so glad it was Pieter and Nick not me!

[NickGardiner1]

This was seriously awesome training!