...and besides holds fit body and brain !
Karate Do is a Life-Philosophy...
Maurizio M. Gerussi (1958)
Karate Do
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Kyoshi 7-Dan Shisui Ryu, Shotokan Ryu, Mushin-Do Ryu and Fudokan Ryu Karate Do
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Assistant of Hanshi Saiko Shihan Pavao Piacun 9-Dan, founder of Fudokan-Ryu and Shisui-Ryu Karate-Do and Shihan of Swiss Karate-Do and Kobudo Federation STKF
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Chief Instructor of the STKF
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Former President of the Swiss Karatedo Confederation SKC
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Karateka since 1975
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Bronze medal Veterans at the World Championships 2011 in Italy
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Silver medal Veterans at the World Cup 2015 in Italy
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Bronze medal Seniors at the European Championships 1993 in England
Close combat and self-defence
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9 years of experience as instructor for close combat and self-defence courses
Actual professional activities
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CEO of Gerber Holzbau Bern AG (wood construction company) in Berne
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Consultant for management, business and economy
Other activities
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Member of supervisory boards
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Expert examiner for marketing and market research for Swiss Marketing and the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET)
Former professional activities
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CEO
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Interim manager
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Regional director
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Controller
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Marketing manager
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Sales manager
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Project manager
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Key account manager
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Sales representative
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Product manager
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Site manager
Education
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Construction draughtsman
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Mason
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Site manager
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Sales manager
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Executive MBA
Languages
Fluently spoken and written on a high level and almost without accent (grown up quadrilingually):
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German (studies, business and common language)
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English (father tongue, studies, business and common language)
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French (mother tongue, business and common language)
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Italian (father tongue, business and common language)
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Basic knowledge of Spanish and other languages
My own thoughts about Karate Do
How it began
1975, at the age of 17, I began to study Shotokan Ryu (or rather Gigokan Ryu) Karate Do by Sensei Pavao Piacun in his Dojo at the Monbijoustrasse 10 in Berne, Switzerland.
The main impulse for my interest in martial arts and eventually the beginning of my Karate studies were, as it undoubtedly is for many others as well, the in this period by teenagers very popular Bruce Lee movies.
In all the years since 1975 I studied Karate Do by the following masters: Pavao Piacun, Ilija Jorga, Bruno Koller, Hiroshi Shoji, Yuji Sato, Koichi Sugimura, Hideo Ochi, Tetsuhiko Asai, Sadashige Kato, Masao Kagawa, Hirokazu Kanazawa and Hiroshi Shirai.
Today, by now over 60 years old, I still practice my great passion Karate Do several times per week and for my immense joy, since 2002, after being returned to Berne after 20 years absence, again by my proper Sensei (as one has only one father, one has also only one Sensei, namely the first) Shihan Pavao Piacun and this significantly still in the Honbu-Dojo in Berne.
Shotokan Ryu Karate Do
„Shoto“ was the surname of Funakoshi Gichin. Thus Shotokan means the house of Funakoshi Gichin what implies that Shotokan is the Karate style of Funakoshi Gichin. But the Shotokan Karate as we know it today has very few or nothing to do with the Karate style of Funakoshi Gichin. The style of Funakoshi Gichin was Shorin Ryu. The real founder of Shotokan Ryu is Funakoshi Yoshitaka (Gigo), the son of Funakoshi Gichin. Gigo, Egami and Kase developed the low stances and techniques practised in Shotokan Ryu.
That's why instead of Shotokan Ryu the Shotokan Karate should be called Gigokan Ryu, as I call it above.
Technique of Karate Do
In the martial art Karate Do power and dynamics are elemental for performing strokes, kicks and blows.
The techniques have to be brought on target with maximal acceleration and absolute body tension during a very short moment (Kime) impinging upon a surface as small as possible. Thus a very effective shock technique is obtained. Nonetheless, or just therefore, Karate Do but considers also the economic and ergonomic principle by firstly dodging an attack using dodging steps as for instance Tai-Sabaki, in order to let the attacker as in Aikido walk into nothing, thus diverting the attacking energy to another direction and eventually launch a counterattack. Finally to mention is also the principle of the direct counterattack (Sen-no-sen), trying to counter an attack directly by an even faster attack whereby disabling the attack of the opponent.
The proper sense of the martial art Karate Do lies in the fastest possible neutralization of the opponent and not in the collection of points performing risky techniques, which would be much too dangerous to use them in a real fight. Unfortunately this is exactly what is done in the today’s sports-Karate. The Karate, which is practised these days in many Dojo is merely sports competition and has not much in common with Karate as martial art and even less with Karate Do. Nevertheless, also sports-Karate has it’s eligibility, because it gives young Karateka the possibility to gain experience, be it in Kumite or Kata, single events or team events, and also to meet Karateka and Karate styles from other regions, countries or even continents.
Karate Do as Life-Philosophy
Karate is martial art, but Karate Do is much more. Karate Do is the way; Karate Do is to constantly work on yourself, not only physically but also especially mentally and spiritually. Sports-Karate can be practised only up to a certain age, but Karate Do the whole life up to old age. Karate Do is immensely more difficult, complex and demanding as Karate. My Sensei Pavao Piacun says: «Karate Do is a fight against yourself. Thereby you must try to defeat yourself, which is much more difficult than to fight or defeat an opponent. Karate Do is more difficult than the bible itself: the bible is read and studied, in Karate Do you furthermore have to apply yourself physically.»
Core point of Karate Do is first of all to achieve Mushin. Mushin is the achievement of a certain state of mind, in which you free yourself of all thoughts, creating an internal void. Trough this impartiality and absence of thoughts, feelings and judgements, which cloud the intuitive sagacity, the mind is calmed and is opened for the mental principles of Karate Do. By Mushin the spirit is freed before any intellectual process is activated.
Mizu no kokoro is to perceive in addition to Mushin and typifies the attempt to combine spirit and technique with the properties of water; to achieve a state of mind of tranquillity, calmness and non-aggression. Water is tough and soft at the same time, dodges any attack, but comes back immediately, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly and adapts itself to every form. Water cannot be seized; the tighter you try to catch it, the more you lose it.
The water surface doesn’t interpret anything, but reflects things, without thoughts, spontaneously, immediately.
Laotse has worded the properties of water perfectly:
«In the whole world there is nothing softer or weaker than water. But to compel the hard and unyielding, it has no equal. That the weak overcomes the strong, that the hard gives way to the soft – this everyone knows. Yet no one acts accordingly.»
In our style – Shisui Ryu Karate Do – we try to internalize and interpret the properties of water; the softness and smoothness of water; and out of this softness and smoothness the huge power and strength of water.
Shisui in fact means quiet water. Significantly Shisui was the nickname Sensei Pavao Piacun got from his teacher Tetsuji Murakami because of his fighting style: smooth and fluently, but also powerful and tough like water.
Somebody who exercises in Karate Do should be modest, selfless and gentle, but also, if the situation requires it, courageous and strong of character.
Besides he should have a distinctive code of honour, which is shown by the respect, estimation, friendliness and comprehension he brings to his entire environment – be this humans, animals, plants or material.
A deeper analysis of the Dojo Kun reveals how difficult Karate Do – the way – is, first of all if these rules are expanded outside of the Dojo. Karate is a fight against an opponent, but Karate Do is a fight against yourself and this is endlessly more difficult und endures not only three minutes, as a fight in competition does, but the whole life – and even more than that.