Written by Throwback Thursday – Part 2
After I finished my study in 2004 I had to move back to my parents. Job market for civil engineers in Germany was super bad at the time. Over the course of a year I wrote 300+ applications all over Europe trying to find a job. During that time my karate practice was reduced to only me in the back yard or our local gymnasium. My dad was working for the city and managed to get me in during the early afternoon downtime. I managed to not forget my katas at least, but there is no bunkai or sparring alone.
Eventually after one year I landed a job as a development engineer in the solar industry. The job was in Potsdam, Brandenburg, a city close to Berlin, the capital of Germany. Not bad a trade with rural Saxony-Anhalt for the last 12 months.
Again, my first sensei, Andreas san, helped me out and made a connection to a dojo in Berlin that was teaching our style Shorin Ryu. That is how I met my second sensei, Simon san.
Often, together with other students, we travelled to our Honbu dojo (a honbu dōjō is the central training facility and administrative headquarters of a particular martial arts style) in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate. This beautiful city is ancient, founded by the Romans and still has some well-preserved Roman structures, like baths and amphitheaters.
However, after several years of training in Berlin with Simon san, I passed the test for a Shorin Ryu black belt in 2008.
I owe Simon san a lot and I am grateful for his guidance and teachings over the years in Berlin. I will always look back with a smile. Recently, while doing this year of Isshin Ryu black belt testing, I am thinking often about the good times we had together.
I hope to practice with you soon again as well, Simon san. Thank you very much for everything you have done for me. I would not be where I am today without you – Osu!