international news _ 28th August, 2006
Martini Bros’ Karate Sporting Chance
Text by Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)
Berlin minimal-electro-rocking types Martini Bros chatted to Skrufff this
week in their Prenzlauer Berg studio and revealed that they’re no longer as
relentlessly upbeat about the German capital after thieves robbed their
studio last year.
“Whenever I’d visit my friends in South London, I’d always notice they had
hundreds of locks, and I’d think, ‘wow, I’m glad I’m living in Berlin’.”
said Mike, “But these days it’s become quite usual that people get robbed
here, especially in this area which is full of alternative people and new
Berliners who come from perhaps little villages where it’s so safe they can
leave their doors open even when they go on holiday.”
“Our studio was robbed last year and it really hurt, we loved our machines,”
Cle agreed, “And of course, they only stole the good stuff, the Moogs, for
example. They robbed Jazzanova who have a studio in the same complex one
month later too.”
Mike, the smaller framed of the two, said he’s also been forced to use his
seven years of karate training a number of times in recent years, both on
the street and in Berlin superclub WMF, at a night he was DJing at.
“I had my record crate with me and was a bit late and needed to get to the
decks but it was really packed with a mainly tourist crowd,” he recalled.
“Nobody would move or step aside so I pushed a guy and I clipped him on the
knee with my record bag and hurt him. I said sorry but he was drunk and
started shouting and punching me. There were people round me and he was
hitting me wildly so I hit him once, and knocked him down,” he laughed.
The brown belt karate expert also had to defend himself more recently from
an irate father he crossed by accident in the street, he recalled.
“It was hot and this guy, who was with two kids, was shouting and screaming
at me. When these things happen you’re always careful to keep a distance and
check with the eyes but he was trying to attack me, he sent his kids to one
side. He was face to face and you start thinking ‘what would happen if?’ but
that’s already too late, you should react immediately. Karate’s a defence
mode, it’s about taking up the energy and sending it back. What we learned
at karate is that you don’t have much time, so the first stroke has to be
the one,” he said.
“I still do karate and really like it and if there’s one thing I can suggest
to all clubber in the world, do some sport or exercise during the week,
every week,” Mike added,
“You might not feel any difference at the time but you’ll feel it ten years
after. Definitely,” he said.
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