Looking back, I have to say that this seminar met all my expectations in full. It was certainly something special for me to receive information right from the source, almost as a private lesson rather than in a seminar with 100 or more other students.
The seminar proceeded as follows: there were areas of emphasis depending on the respective grades. GM Kernspecht taught everything from the 1st section in Chi-Sao and Biu-Tze Chi-Sao right up to long pole applications. My programme was the 4th section in Chi-Sao, in accordance with my level. What really caught my enthusiasm were the simple, clear explanations and eye-opening demonstrations given by GM Kernspecht.

Let me take the entry in the 4th section as an example. GM Kernspecht explained in detail that this is not an attacking move, but that the partner has to play along by making a mistake – in this case exerting pressure to the side – which initiates the entry in the 4th section. The task of an instructor or teacher is to make this mistake intentionally, so that the student is instinctively able to respond with this movement. The great skill lies in not getting into the habit of making the mistake oneself.
Beyond the section itself, GM Kernspecht gave us extensive explanations which greatly aided our understanding. I simply don’t understand how the accusations of secretiveness sometimes made by our competitors can have arisen.
GM Kernspecht explained details to us in “bite-size chunks“, so that we never felt overloaded.
Unfortunately this intensive seminar only lasted 3 hours, but I think I speak for all those taking part in saying that the time passed very quickly. At the end of the small group session Si-Fu Frank presented our Grandmaster with a gift in the form of a 25 kg barbell weight (converted from a ship’s porthole cover), with which GM Kernspecht had trained during the 70s.
I can only hope that GM Kernspecht enjoyed this seminar just as much, so that another one might be held in Kiel in the near future.

Martin Schulz 12th SG