Darin Yee Interview

by George Mattson
Check out google – Type “karate”  Would you believe our site is on the 2nd page!!!!


Workout at the “Hut”:
Hi, Sensei,
Carlos Ciriza has arrived in Boston and will be teaching the class at the Hut this Saturday, 6/21, from 9:30 to 11:30. Would you mind posting a notice? Thanks.
Paul


SummerFest 2008 – You don’t want to miss this one!!!!
SummerFest VideoWow. . . . Click on the photo!

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6-11-2008: SummerFest Update – Dorm rooms for Thursday night are filling-up. (Other programs end Fri morning and we can only occupy one building Thursday) No problem with Friday & Saturday night lodging in the Maritime Academy dorms. If you are planning to stay “off campus,”  make your reservations early. August is the “high” season on the Cape and lodging will be very scarce.

Presenters: Please contact me ASAP regarding what your seminar(s) will consist of and please include a photograph for our program guide.
Everyone: Please remember that Susan will not have extra meal tickets to give out. The caterers have a new meal policy and we have a July 23rd deadline to give them our numbers.. If you register after this time, you must purchase your meals at the dining room entrance.


Whoops!
I was reminded by friends this afternoon, when I checked my email – This is June, Not July! SummerFest discount is good until JULY 3rd! Sorry about that.

Get those applications in early anyways please. . . Thanks George & Susan.


“Memories”

I still receive nearly 50 email a day from martial artists, past and present. I used to post some of them to the “MailBag”, but lack of time prevents me from keeping up this activity. I’m in the process of posting a few of my favorite email in the new “MailBag” (top table of contents), so check it out from time to time. I promise to post some of the best e-mail there every week.

Susan reminds me that the deadline for receiving the SummerFest “early registration” discount is July 3rd. Because of the new food service at the Maritime Academy, we will not be able to issue any food tickets after the July 23rd deadline. After that date, participants will have to pay for their meals at the dining room entrance. Please don’t ask me for tickets, because Susan and I won’t have them.

We will have, it seems, a record number of participants. A huge group from Bermuda and Canada have already signed up. It appears that the Master’s Celebration ceremony, held in the auditorium, will be filled with camp participants. If there is room, visitors will be welcomed. ($20 admission fee)

Get your application in ASAP. Thanks…. George

Memorial Day Spent with our extended Family at Fort Benning!
Khoury Family visit

Susan and I finally had an opportunity to visit Gary and Cindy Khoury over the weekend. Gary and I played golf on Sunday the rest of the time was spent sightseeing around Ft Benning and neighboring Columbus, Georgia.

Gary loves what he is doing and naturally, has a dozen projects he is working on. Cindy is busy being a very supportive wife and mom. Chaz is doing well at school and is growing like a weed! Rachel is an absolutely beautiful three year old, who wanted to come home with us. The baby, Jaclyn is adorable and one of the happiest babies I’ve ever seen. Naturally, “Indy” the dog took a liking to me! 🙂

Gary is trying to get time off for SummerFest so he can show us all some of the neat drills he has learned during training.


Darin Yee Interview

Darin Yee is a very interesting and talented person. He is also a very likeable person, who is always there when you need him.

Darin Yee Interview

Darin is a “builder” instead of a “whiner” and complainer. When you need someone who can help do something positive within the Uechi community, Darin is your man!
Today, in this era of mixed fighting arts, Uechi is struggling for survival. We need a lot more people like Darin. His dojo is always open to everyone, regardless of affiliation. As PR director of IUKF, Darin spends many hours every month visiting Uechi schools throughout the country, looking for ways for IUKF to better serve our members. And you can always count on him to bring his golf clubs! 🙂

Following his Saturday seminar, Darin stayed on and taught one of my classes. When I have time, I’ll post his very creative “Wauke Bunkai” which he taught to my group. I convinced him to come back to the house and submit to one of my “infamous” interviews and he agreed. We discussed his background in Chinese martial arts and why he ended up with Uechi-ryu. I’m sure you will find the interview as interesting and surprising as I did. Click Here to listen to it!

Paul Haydu's promotionPaul Haydu, Chairman of IUKF has been battling a recurring cancer and word got back to the board that he wasn’t doing well. Paul was scheduled to receive his Rokudan and Renshi certificates at this year’s camp, but because of his health issues, it didn’t look like Paul could make the trip this August.
The Board and I decided to move up his promotion to May 24th and Darin volunteered to fly to California and join our West Coast board member, Henry Thom and Uechi senior, Jerry McDonald, in presenting Paul with his promotions.
Paul was very moved by the gesture and send me this email:
Dear George,

Thank you for your confidence, expressed in my promotion to Rokudan.  The Renshi title is a huge honor too, and unexpected.

The visit by Darin and Henry was a total surprise.  Even my girls knew about it, but I was completely in the dark.  Seeing Henry and Darin get out of their car left me speechless (a rare occurrence).  That they would make a special trip to make the presentation has to be one of the great honors of my life, and a day I won’t forget.

As has happened before with promotions, it will prompt me to work towards being worthy of the rank.  Anyway, I learned from you many ranks ago, to just enjoy the journey, and that has been my byword.  Uechi practice is more fun than ever, and I get more bang for less effort.

I guess the tornados spared your area, and now it’s the start of hurricane season.  That’s the price of living in paradise, I guess.

My best to you and Susan.

Your friend,
Paul

Paul is making headway with his treatment and we are all hoping he will be feeling up for the trip to SummerFest where we can honor him formally, in front of his peers, with his rank and title.

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