July 2018

Schwäbisch Hall / Viktor Taschner 17.07.2018

80 fighters come to the Schenkenseehalle for the training course of the karate department of TSG Schwäbisch Hall.

"Ichi - ni - san," it echoes in a firm voice through the Schenkenseehalle. The Japanese numbers from one to three serve as commands. Fiore Tartaglia demonstrates the movements as "master" and counts in loudly. The 50 karateka with blue, brown and black belts standing five meters behind him try to execute the movements with the same precision. Tartaglia leads the so-called Kata, the imaginary fight, whose sequence is exactly defined The man with the Italian roots interrupts the exercise form again and again to point out small mistakes. Sometimes the shoulder has to be turned in further for a punch, sometimes the foot position is not quite correct. The "students" work meticulously and with concentration on their movements in order to get it as perfect as possible. Whoever joins later or returns after a short break, first bows slightly - according to Japanese custom - in the direction of the master.

Before the course of the karate department of TSG Schwäbisch Hall, Tartaglia is very relaxed Generally, on this Saturday afternoon, it is familiar and informal among the karate fighters. Even here, many greet each other with a slight bow, before a hearty handshake or a hug follows.

The atmosphere among the karate fighters was not always so familiar. 30 or 40 years ago, a black belt who was a guest was first tested. They wanted to see if he could fight. Then there were sometimes bloody noses," recalls Tartaglia, who runs a karate dojo in Göppingen, Germany. "Now it's much more friendly. It is a togetherness and no longer an against each other," says Tartaglia, who accepted the invitation of TSG Hall for the tenth time this year.

In the other half of the hall, the Kumite, i.e. the duel between two karateka, is on the agenda. First are the lower grades (yellow, orange and green belts) with about 30 fighters. After a break this group changes to Kate and the higher grades come to Kumite. Silvano Wagner, multiple German champion, German Open winner and European vice-champion, watches the fighters closely as the instructor. The 46-year-old from Löwenstein came to the karate department of TSG Hall as a 14-year-old. "At 19 or 20, I then moved to the base in Ludwigsburg and was then later in the national squad," says the successful karateka. However, he has always kept in touch with his old club.