April, 2003 mailbag

Note: In the course of a month I get literally thousands of e-mail. I don't normally place correspondence in the "Mailbag" that are either labeled "personal" or contain information of a personal nature. As I read and answer mail, if I find a letter that I find interesting, amusing, topical or educational, it gets filed in my "mailbag" for future use in this feature. I try to edit out any personal information like addresses or telephone numbers, unless the writer specifically requests that I publish it.

I welcome all e-mail and will answer everyone in as timely a manner as possible. Don't be surprised if you find (or don't find) your message in this section. However, if you are concerned about your letter finding its way into the "Mailbag", simply include in the header or at the beginning of message "personal" and I will honor your request. GEM

Note: I finally figured out a way to catch up on all my e-mail (which I enjoy getting by the way)! Simply have a computer crash caused by a virus that wipes out your hard drive. Most importantly, don't have a backup! So if you don't see your letter here, you know why. GEM

I'm practicing Uechi-ryu karate as a beginner /one striped white belt karate-ka/. I'm searching for information of terminology of karate. If you could help me where to find this information.

Thank U very much.

Kind regards,

Eva S.
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Hi Eva:

We have a great CD, created by Gary Khoury, that teaches all the martial art terms you will ever use in Uechi-ryu and martial arts. Japanese and English translation. Also explains proper usage.

Check it out at http://karateworld.safeshopper.com/15/cat15.htm?448

Best, George Mattson
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Hello Mr.Mattson!

I just received the CD I purchased last week Basic Japanese for the Uechi Dojos. Arrived amazingly fast. Only I can say - It is fantastic.

Thanks for your help again.

Regards Eva Smets

Thanks for the feedback Eva. Every martial artist should take advantage of Gary's superb CD. GEM

Subject: Uechi-ryu

I would like to study Uechi-ryu. I live in Sarasota, Florida. Is there Uechi-ryu instruction in this area?

Chris Luty

I'm not sure who is in your area Chris. You might send Roy Bedard a Private Message on his forum. He knows most of the teachers in Florida. GEM

It's a great honor to be writing this e-mail to you. I am Jacob Paul from Nova Scotia but now living here in Boston and I would like to know where are the dojo's at here in Boston for I am new and don't know where to go for this.

I am a go-kyu, studied under Louis hopper for the first few months then to porter, Taylor, and my last teacher was mike Currie. I would very much like to continue in the syle. Oh and I am from the same community as sensei Maloney, just to add. I live on Washington street and would like to know where the closest dojo is? If that isn't too much to ask? I was thinking of the kung-fu dojo just across from the bus and train station but like I said I would very much to continue in Uechi-ryu. You can get back to me if you like with locations.
Thanks Jacob Paul

Hi Jacob:

Welcome to Boston.

Ed Huff teaches in Boston at a health club near North Station. Give him a call at 617-696-8046 and I'm sure he will be able to help you out.. GEM

Dear G Mattson,

Can you please help me to find a Shohei/Uechi Ryu Dojo in The Netherlands (Europe)? I cannot find anything on the internet.

I started with Shoheiruy 2 years ago in New Jersey and wants to continue this when I return to The Netherlands the end of the month.

Unfortunately hte dojo where I started do not know any dojo in Holland.

Thank you for your time!

Kind regards,

Marcel de Beus

Hello George, Thanks for the copy of the News Letter. I enjoyed reading it. It good to see that you are keeping things going. I'm going to try to get back into working out this spring. (If I can work it out.) Do you have a names of any local places around Boston? Please let me know if you do. Thanks!
Tim Burke

No BS help for martial artists:

Happy St Patrick’s Day!!

Wow! What great responses and questions please keep’em coming. I’ll get to them in the order I receive them. Some of the folks even cared enough to ask about my wife and daughter, their both great wife back at work, found a great nanny, babies about 13 lbs. and 4 months. Another benefit of being a professional minded Sensei (not commercial). My daughter doesn’t have to be exposed to the wild array of germs at a day care, or the revolving staff that has too many babies to watch, nannies are great, makes everyone healthy and happy, if you can find a good one and afford it.

Back to work…missed #5 last week, did # 4 twice so here’s # 6

No BS tip #6

Set reasonable standards for beginners- the first year of training should be a fitness, flexibility, protocol, history and basic foundation stage. We like the standards to be so that the students get their first colored belt in 60 days, 2nd belt in 90 days, 3rd belt in 120. Increasing in scope and difficulty. Black belt should be difficult but attainable, now I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, so be it. Black belt 1st degree isn’t that gigantic of a mountain. 3rd degree is where you get a title in the East, 3rd is expert not first. Trying to make a 1st degree an expert is difficult can be done. I make my 3rd degree super tough. It takes the average person, with excellent class attendance 3 1/2 years to graduate to 1st degree. Think of it like high school not getting a PhD.

No BS tip #7 Fitness as a requirement- No more obese black belts please. Now I’m a fitness enthusiast, always have been. I don’t expect the students to be in as good of shape as me or the other black belts, but they must be improving. We require adults under 30, 7:30 mile, 40 pushups in 2 minutes, 60 sit-ups as minimum standards for black belt. You can do whatever you want, make it gradual/increasing in difficulty, 4 parts of martial arts, longevity and health, character development, physical/self defense, and the path or arts aspect. Make sure you require they grow physically; it will help their other areas of development as well. Got an email of my fitness level?? 39 yrs old 6:40 mile, 50 pushups in 30 seconds, 115 in 2 minutes, 117 sit-ups in 2 minutes, 6’ 202lbs. need to drop 10 lbs.

No BS tip #8 Private lessons- As many of you know I was fortunate enough to coach in the NFL, and had several high profile private students, Laroi Glover, Jared Tomich, Willie Roaf, etc. I also have developed a powerful plan to get executives in the school to do privates that would never do group classes because they feel funny about it. Offering private lessons at lunch and early, 1 of my dr’s is at 5:30 am; it’s a great way to reach people that wouldn’t normally be students. They are willing to commit and pay an increased tuition as well, win win for you, the school and the new private student.

NO BS Tip #9 Safer Smarter Kids TM- Title of a program I did over 10 years ago and continue to update, mental self-defense, anti drug, education. It’s the main thing I speak about at schools. It’s our usp, I teach the whole program inside my Black belt marketing program. Here’s some for you to get started with

#1) Role play- “What do you do if a person pulls up in a car at your house and asks you to help them find their lost kitty/puppy/’ go inside and get and adult.

#2) What do you do if someone calls the house and asks your name/phone#/address/etc. You get an adult or hang up!

I’ll sprinkle some more of these in your FREE No BS Notes in the future, email any questions you have about doing this in your schools curriculum.

That’s all for now, Success Always, be the student and teacher you would like to have,

Mike Storms

sensei@stormskarate.com

George Mattson Sensei and Friends,

This coming June 23-28, Senseis Kiyohide Shinjo and his younger brother Narihiro Shinjo will be hosted by John Spencer Sensei for a full week of karate training, socializing and all around fun at the beautiful University of Connecticut campus in Storrs, CT.

Training sessions will be held throughout the day using University athletic facilities. Housing is available at the new Nathan Hale Inn on campus. Plenty of restaurants and watering holes nearby. There is plenty of info and pictures with plenty of links at www.Koshukai2003.com. Week and daily registration packages are available.

With 2 of my students, we recently had the pleasure to visit and train in the Shinjo family Kadena Dojo. It was a marvelous week of hard karate training as well as more cultural and historical education for us. Shinjo Sensei and our friends in Okinawa were gracious and generous hosts, beyond what I can fully describe here. During some detailed discussions, Shinjo Sensei made it very clear that he wishes all Uechi-Ryu karateka to feel welcome and to attend the Koshukai regardless of their affiliation.

As we are trying to project numbers for things like parties, lodging, etc., the earlier you can communicate that you are likely to attend, the better. Nathan Hale hotel rooms are first come first serve.

FYI ... Attached is a picture taken at an evening visit to Toyama Sensei's Dojo in Yomitan Okinawa. He is the last active (and perhaps living) practitioner to have trained directly under Uechi Kanbun; a living institutional memory who had some enlightening comments for us. In the front row from L to R you see Shinjo Sensei, Toyama Sensei, myself and my student Edilson Muniz san. In the back row is my student Stanley Crump san, and Shota Tsukayama san. Shota san spent a week at my home a few years ago and was a big help in our enjoying the sites of Okinawa.

George Mattson Sensei... Please feel free to post any of this on your website as well as to link any message you like to www.Koshukai2003.com.

Thanks on behalf of:

The Koshukai 2003 Planning Committee.

Rik Lostritto at UechiRik@aol.com 301-594-5765 (daytime) Jim Koch at Koch@engr.uconn.edu 860-486-5478 (daytime)

Greetings George Sensei,

Just returned from the 2003 Karate Classic Tournament in Sacramento. Hope you like the attached picture.

Leo was no more than two seconds away from winning first place in Jr. Black Belt sparring, --- until he threw a round house kick to his opponent's head. A beautifully executed kick, did not hurt this opponent, but got disqualified and ended up with second place. He also won second place in Kata. He did an excellent Seisan. I wished that the judges would place more emphasis on power and concentration rather than flashiness and loud screams (I sound like a typical disgruntle father and instructor, don't I?).

Humbly yours, Henry Thom

We wanted to write a brief note to thank you again for visiting with us last week, and ‘opening our eyes’ to the possibilities of 21^st century Uechi-Ryu!

The three of us (Jerry, Paul and Greg) despite all being a part of the Uechi family, come from very different backgrounds. Paul trained with you back in the Columbus Avenue and Hancock Street days, Greg at the Hut, and Jerry has done most of his Uechi on Okinawa. Despite our differences, we have all been training together here harmoniously in San Diego for the past several years - until you came along and shook us up! At this point, we’ve got more than enough to focus on to last us at least until summer camp…

One of the things that struck us during your visit was how well you were able to harmoniously integrate two apparently disparate perspectives – ‘traditional’ Uechi-Ryu and ‘practical’ self defense. We often see karateka segregate themselves into two camps: One group insistent that the kata, bunkai, and kyu/dan kumite should be untouched and unchanged, taught the way they were initially handed down and/or created, and the other group maintaining that these aspects of the style, while perhaps aesthetically appealing, have little if any practical value. In fact, even within our group here, we have at various times had both of these perspectives supported. It became clear to all of us during the course of your visit that neither of these viewpoints is adequate unto itself. The way that you were able to convey the idea that these exercises must teach karate principles (e.g. distancing, power generation, body movement etc.) to be worthwhile, and the way you modified them accordingly was extremely helpful to the three of us, as well as the rest of the students in our dojo. After experiencing this firsthand, we feel that those Uechi students who have not seen this exciting synthesis of perspectives should withhold any judgment until they have seen for themselves what you are doing. Although it is certainly worthwhile to enhance one’s Uechi practice by adding various supplemental training exercises, to throw out the ‘baby with the bathwater,’ by eliminating Kyu or Dan Kumite (for example) from one’s practice would necessitate the development of a whole new set of drills designed to teach the same concepts we should have been teaching by utilizing these kumite in the first place. By the same token, black belts performing them in the ‘standard’ mechanical “white belt fashion” (to use your term) will learn nothing new, and it is probable that this is to blame for the dismissal of these exercises by some as impractical…

Sensei, we truly enjoyed your visit and hope to have you out for another visit in the future. We look forward to seeing you and Susan at summer camp.

April, 2003 Mailbag

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April, 2003 Mailbag

New Mailbag Feedback Bulletin Board Respond to letters, Ask questions, Say hello. Read what others have written.

MailBag Feedback Forum archives.[please do not post to this archive forum]

Copyright 2002 Eastern Arts & Humanities Center, Inc. All rights reserved.

New Mailbag Feedback Bulletin Board
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Say hello. Read what others have written.