Art of swimming – information in English

I offer swimming lessons for adults based on the Shaw Method, a special swimming method developed by Steven Shaw over 20 years ago. The method offers a holistic approach. The focus is on enjoying the water. We swim WITH the water. With the Shaw Method, students learn to swim all 4 swimming styles efficiently, effectively and gracefully. There is also a program for water beginners, who are introduced to the water slowly and in a relaxed manner using selected exercises.

As a swimming instructor, I initially work with learners out of the water to learn and internalize movement sequences. As soon as the body has memorized the rhythm and positions, it's time to get into the water - teacher and student. Working together in the water enables optimal communication and comprehensible demonstration. The instruction on setting impulses directly on the body is particularly easy for learners to implement.

The Shaw Method

The technique is based on the principles of the Alexander Technique. The focus is on body alignment and in particular the connection between the head, neck and back. Steven Shaw was a competitive swimmer and suffered from neck and back pain. Alexander Technique exercises helped him to leave the pain behind and gave him the idea of applying the basic principles of the Alexander Technique to swimming. He developed variations of the classic swimming style from all 4 swimming styles, based on the Alexander Technique.

Swimming without physical exertion is the aim of the Shaw Method. When swimming WITH the water, the joy of the element unfolds in a completely new way.

Find out all about the Shaw Method here: www.artofswimming.com

Let's get started

Get to know the Shaw Method and me as a trainer in a 30-minute trial session. Afterwards, you can decide whether you want to learn this special method for swimming with ease.

Love the water

Discover a relaxed approach to water! Thanks to special exercises, you will learn to overcome your fears and feel comfortable in the water

General conditions

I only teach in officially rented pools in Hamburg. For workshops, you will find location details on the respective dates. A 1:1 and 1:2 session can take place in different pools. Contact me and we will find the right location for you. As rents in the pools are different, I also offer my lessons at different prices and you can inquire about these with the date and location coordination from me. I look forward to hearing from you!

What students say about the training:

I learned "crawling with the Shaw method" from Kathrin. Every single step is easy to learn and in the end it really comes together to form a crawl. Kathrin is a very motivated and at the same time patient teacher. Thank you Kathrin!
[Axel, Hamburg]


Great lesson early on a Sunday morning in a lovely atmosphere. Kathrin clearly explains the essential elements of (crawl) swimming using the Shaw method; the practical exercises are easy to put into practice and are fun to do in the water. My curiosity about this new swimming technique is absolutely aroused!
[Stephan, Hamburg]

I can wholeheartedly recommend Kathrin as a teacher. She helped me a lot to overcome my fear of (under)water.
[Julia, Hamburg]


Kathrin is a really great swimming coach. She explains the exercises very patiently and with easy-to-understand examples. My child can easily remember the movements by the recurring terms (e.g. "Om"). My daughter has a lot of fun and she is motivated because Kathrin responds to her very well.
[Isabell, Hamburg]

For the summary: Kathrin is really fantastic to work with, extremely high recommendation from me! For the details: despite some difficulties to find a time (due to my schedule), she was really patient. During our training she was very well prepared, explained everything from start to finish, and did the demonstrations at my pace (never too slow or too fast). She was very mindful of ensuring my comfort. I was surprised how easily I could understand everything. Moreover she was very empathetic and also funny, so the communication was easy and the training was a fun experience. Overall super! 
[Suprita, Hamburg]