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Dear George,
Last week I tried to send you a request for registration
materials for the upcoming tournament. Though at this point I
believe it is moot, the link set up in the Tournament Info
section for "email information requests" doesn't fill
in a valid request. If it is not too late, I would like to get
registration materials from you for the tournament. Though last
year's event had serious flaws which, to your credit, you have
been clear in pointing out, I don't believe that they are fatal.
I strongly feel that your tournament rules, if properly enforced,
will make tournament competition into a valid part of traditional
Uechi-Ryu training instead of being a more extracurricular sort
of activity. I look forward to this year's event with high
expectations because of this potential.
Justin Giacoletti,
Contact Rich Baptista for last minute registration
information or register at the door on Saturday. (8:30am). Thanks
for the vote of confidence and for giving me another chance. I
agree that many mistakes were made last year. The strong actions
I took following the tournament "ticked-off" a few
instructors and students, but the majority of Uechi practitioners
approved of the sanctions and are supporting this year's event.
See you Saturday. GEM
Davor Lovincic
Barjanska 8
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
tel: +386 61 212904
e-mail: davor.lovincic@rujv.sigov.mail.si
Dear George!
Hi, it has passed a long time since we communicated. As I
remember it was in 1982 on Okinawa. Internet is great. For
approximately one year I am surfing trough it and always feel
great, lake at home, when I go trough Uechy pages. A lot of old
memories, when somebody I was with, writes or comments. Anyway I
am lazy on writing. Since we in Slovenia don't know anything
about Uechy in Switzerland we would like some more information,
address. The phone on list does not have area code and by now we
didn't detect the right one. On June 17,18 I will be in Bern
(Switz) and maybe will have opportunity to see them. The
communication with English, German and Croatian dojos is very
good.
Croation dojos:
Viktor Iglic, nidan,
Pionirski pr. 8.
51410 Opatija
tel: +385 51 714898
Namig Dizdarevic, sadan
5100 Rijeka
tel: +385 51 337714
Haw is your brother Jony and his family?
Sincerely yours
Davor
What a surprise to hear from you after all these years. I bet
a number of your old friends from the Cambridge Street Boston
dojo will be contacting you when they see this letter.
Apparently, my Swiss dojo numbers are incomplete. Maybe our
Australian Uechi friends will check their listing and update the
numbers for us. Johnny is now a very successful building
contractor. He got his start by building inexpensive dojo for me
back in the 60s and 70s. Now he is too expensive for me to use!
Are you coming to this year's Camp? GEM
Please confirm that brown belts CAN perform Seisan on
Saturday. There is some question in my dojo. Thank you in advance
Jayne
jdkramer@usa.pipeline.com
Because many students and teachers recommended we modify last
year's rules regarding kata, this year students may perform any
kata appropriate for his/her rank. Therefore a brown belt may
perform Seisan. GEM
Mr. Mattson,
First off, it was a pleasure to meet you at the NH Uechi-Ryu
Intramurals. I had a great time and I hope you found the
experience as wonderful as I did. This evening I spent a number
of hours viewing the Uechi-Ryu WWW site and enjoyed reading the
MANY articles and comments that have been made available. Thank
you for doing such a great job. One comment I would like to make,
however, is that you consider the practice of placing dates on
all comments, articles, and other information. I sometimes found
it difficult to determine whether or not the information being
presented related to something that has happened recently. Much
of the information presented is "timeless" but many of
the comments and thoughts shared by others (and even yourself)
often relate to a specific event or time period and it would be
useful to have it dated as such. Congratulations on a job (site
that is) well done.
-James Cameron, Rokyu, Buzz Durkin's Butokukai
George
Thought I would let you know that our kyu and dan test went well
on Memorial Day weekend. Mark Roscoe was kind enough to allow
Nestor and I to converge at his dojo in Fredricksburg, VA, which
is about half way between D.C. and Richmond. Master Uechi and his
son Kanji were in
attendance. Master Uechi observed the proceedings, and Kanji
joined us on the judges panel. I know it meant a lot for my
students to have the Uechis part of their test process, and it
speaks volumes of them to see their willingness to participate in
what many would consider a menial task. After the test, Uechi
Kanmei saw all the video cameras, and wanted to do some kata for
the group so they could record and study his motion.
Unfortunately we had a tight schedule for him. Seeing as how he
was so willing to demonstrate form for us, perhaps you could
arrange to have him filmed in a more professional setting and
distribute the tapes. I know for a fact that master Uechi has a
very clean but unique style, and I certainly would enjoy studying
his methods and interpretations. After the test, Nestor brought
the Uechis down to Richmond. We took them for a limo ride around
town to show him a little Virginia and Richmond history. We gave
him lessons in both colonial and Civil War history. We were sure
to give him a broader interpretation of the "war between the
states" than what a native might give. After that about two
dozen of us converged on a traditional Japanese restaurant. Both
Kanmei and Kanji seemed visibly pleased to get food that was
close to what their gastrointestinal tracts were used to. The
Uechis visit was a real treat for us. Thanks to Nestor Folta and
Mark Roscoe for making much of the weekend possible.
Bill Glasheen
Hello George,
I'm Dan Bandieri and have studied with C.Earle for 23 years. I've
been awarded a Fulbright Teacher Exchange and will be living and
teaching English in Paris. I'm looking for someone who
studies/teaches Uechi so that I might work out while I'm there.
I'm 6th dan. I put a similar note on your b-board but I don't
think it got on. My E-mail address is cmhst003@llwsbe.wsbe.org
Thanks in advance for your help.
Dan
Check out the Dojo listing for Paris Uechi-ryu instructors. Good luck with your job. GEM
Hi George, Hope all is well. I saw David Mott was on the
Internet,(I think were turning him around) keep on him and I'll
do the same and we'll turn him into a *propeller head*. In any
case, I haven't been able to get my e-mail for a month and a
half(my provider went belly up, I just found out), so I have
hooked up with Rogerswave, a 500000 kbps connection through my
cable hookup, were the only town in Ontario (being tested in our
town of Newmarket)to have this service at the moment. I am pretty
excited, no more busy signals or lost connections and 1000 times
as fast as a 14,400 hookup. Please adjust your records, my new
E-mail address is drp@rogerswave.ca. I can just see that Uechi
Home Page come up in a flash, I'll be hooked this Friday.... Take
care, talk to you soon. Sorry, time flew and I will be unable to
attend the tournament as I had planned, will try for the
Summercamp by getting organized NOW!
Daniel Portelance
Uechi Karate Academy
Dear Sensei: This is Ed Kindermann. We have'nt communicated in
a while and I respectfully wish to request information about the
ninth kata that Master Kanbun Uechi's Chinese teacher's Great
Grandson introduced to you some years ago. Is there a video tape
available?
My very dear friend and mentor, Joe Lopez, recently asked me if I
knew where Larry Tan is. Do you know how he can be reached? Thank
you for including me in your Internet listing of instructors.
Although I became Bob White's Assistant Instructor in 1966 and
later became a Goju-ryu Black Belt Instructor under Chuck
Merriman in 1970, I never did become a Black Belt in Uechi-ryu
Karate-do even though Uechi-ryu has always been closest to my
heart ( divorce got in the way at the time). My highest rank was
Nikyu. I also earned the rank of Ikyu in Judo.
On the Internet, you listed my telephone number as being at my
previous place of work. My correct telephone # at home is (201)
797-7239. By any chance, do know Al Chu (or, Chiu) and where he
may possibly be reached? He was an original student of Bob
White's who later studied with Vince Pilari in Fort Lee, NJ.
Vince was affiliated with Walter Mattson, Sensei in the early
1970's before he moved to Italy.
Thank you for your assistance, support and understanding.
I've heard of Al Chu, but don't know his whereabouts. Larry Tan lives and teaches in New York city. He worked out with me last week (May 18th) in Newton. Also presented me with his new book, "The Universal Form". He doesn't list his telephone number, but I'll Email it to you. Hope you can make the camp this year. GEM
Thanks for reply...I wrote simon overseas but no reply...he may
not have gotten my letter..by the way...did you know that Ron
Edleman is a professional singing artist and composer...if he
visits your camp this summer, you must ask him about it...he is
great...!!! Thanks again stay well....Larry Abrams
I know Ron will be pleased to see this note! We will have to ask him to sing at this year's camp! He didn't pay you to write this note.....???
Dear Mr Mattson,
My visit to the USA was busy, but most pleasant, and I managed to
train with the Chicago Uechi group and spend time with my old
Sensei George in San Francisco,where he showed me some of your
videos. Is it possible for us to buy the recently released Uechi
Video magazine number 10 (with Master Uechi performing the main
katas), in video format for UK -Australia (not US format)? WE'd
be interested also to purchase for our club a large photo of
Kanbun and of Kanei Uechi,and to find out what other videos,
books, photos etc are available from your company. This coming
Saturday May 25th, my colleague and I are both attempting our
Shodan test, and if successful, we will become the first western
australians to get a black belt in Uechi Ryu. The grading board
is flying over from Sydney for the test.
Sincerely
John Long
Special formats are available. I'll find out the costs and
forward the information to you. Check out the products section on
this Website. Good luck with your test. GEM
Sensei:
I have have attended the last three summer camps and intend to
make this year my forth visit; with one important difference. I
am planning to invite my non-karateka wife to join me; primarily
so we can vacation for a few days afterwards around the cape
area. This raises some questions:
1. Can my wife stay with me at the dormatories and share meals
with us on campus?
2. Are any activities planned, in conjunction with the camp, for
non-karateka?
3. What costs are you attaching to non-karateka who stay on
campus during the camp?
4. We will be driving in from the Halifax, N.S. area and will
probably arrive Thursday evening. What arrangements are made for
accomodation on campus that evening?
As always, I am looking forward to taking instruction from the
many Uechi-ryu and other master intructors that will attend the
camp. In particular, I am anxious to meet Sensei Bob Campbell. Is
his attendance assured? Your response to these question will be
greatly appeciated and I am looking forward once more to sharing
a great Uechi-ryu experience.
Best Regards,
Brian Hutchinson, Sankyu, Dave Hunt's Karate Academy
Your wife and other family members are invited to attend the
camp. We are having many activities for new students and for
family members who do not study. Also, Cape Cod is a wonderful
place for day-trips. Our evening games and entertainment will be
enjoyed by all. We have a family rate which you can call about.
If you check out the application, there is a provision for
Thursday night stayovers. Check-in on thursday starts at 6 P.M.
And yes, Bob Campbell will definately be at the camp. Just talked
with him last week and he confirmed coming.
Dear Mr. Mattson; My name is Derek DeGrass and I am writing to
you from Truro, Nova Scotia. I am currently a student of Duncan
LacLeod's and I am a white belt with the ranking of Sichikyu. I
am writing to you to enquire about the summer camp. I beleive
there may be a couple students from the Truro club travelling to
Boston for the camp this summer. I am one of them interested. My
only concern is where my employment status changes so frequently
(I am on my 4th term position in a year) that if I send you a
deposit for the camp, will I be able to get it back if I find out
that I am unable to attend? The job I have right now ends at the
end of June and its very hard for me to predict where I will be
at the time of the camp and therefore unable to know if I can get
that time off. If you feel that you wouldn't be able to refund my
money if I were unable to attend, then that's a decision I'll
have to make, whether to take the chance and I hope I can get
that time off. I am really enjoying my study of Uechi-Ryu
studying under Sensei McLeod and hope that I can experience as
many aspects of it as possible. I see your camp as an opportunity
to do so. With Regards,
Derek DeGrass
Refunds are available prior to June 30th. After that, you
can sell your slot to another student. Once we commit to space
(June 30th) we own it! Looking forward to seeing you at camp! GEM
Are you going to have all these products at the camp store? I
am interesting in getting a set of the portraits but wonder if I
should wait till camp so they won't get crumpled in the mail.Also
want to tell you that your homepages are marvelous. A very nice
job.
Best regards to both of you!
-myrna riquier
All the products shown in the "Products" page of
this site will be available at the camp, including the portrait
sets. Thanks for the kind words. GEM
I accidently bumped into your scoring sheet while searching
for something else. Check out some of the demos at
http://vision.ucsd for some applications of automated video
integrated with virtual world technology for teaching and
learning marshall arts. Although not entirely shown here, our
researchers have done quite a bit.
Cliff
George: I've been playing around with a new account I have at
work. This one is on the company's ticket, so I don't want to use
it for Uechi purposes. Anyhow it has netscape within it. I have
been browsing the home page today with its netscape, and still
cannot click on the text within your images on the very front
page. Don't know how you are managing. My computer is a Dell
pentium with lots of trimmings. Be interested to know if others
have the same problem.
Noticed there was no convenient way to get into May letters. Had
to go into the previous batch of stuff in "What's New"
to find a path in.
Bill
Anyone else having problems with the "Map"? I've included links on the top of the "Whats New" page. Hope this helps. GEM
George:
Just a short note. One of the women in the "Women Only
Self-defense" class spent time before class looking at the
certificates hanging on the wall of the dojo. She introduced
herself after class as the mother of one of my students who is a
national champion in Judo. She signed up to take karate/kobudo.
Apparently she wanted to see what the dojo was like and meet me
in addition to taking the self-defense course. She was drawn to
the Senior Instructor certificate (which resides among my more
"elegant" certificates) and had a lot of questions
about what "Board Certified" meant. She knows quite a
bit about martial arts, and having spent many years taking her
son (age 17) to Judo competitions throughout North America has
visited a lot of dojo. Her general impression of martial arts
instructors is quite negative (and for good reason). She was very
impressed with the NAC instructor certification program and the
professional image of the NAC! Her decision to start classes with
me was in no small part due to the instructor certification
program! In addition, she is a local high school teacher and has
invited me to make a presentation on martial arts, self esteem
and personal health and safety to an assembly. I have had
discussions with others (including an attorney seeking an expert
witness on self-defense and martial arts) on martial arts
instruction. From these interactions is it very clear that we
should not underestimate the importance or responsibility of
"Board Certification" from legal, ethical and
instructional points of view. The professional image of the NAC
is really important!!!
Best wishes
Ron
Sensei Mattson:
Master Bill Glasheen will be holding a Dan and Kyu test on May 25
in Fredericksburg VA in conjunction with Sensei Nestor Folta.
Bill's tests always include a verbal and/or written test, which I
might add are very difficult and require a great depth of
understanding of martial arts, the Uechi style, important
historical facts, and training and nutritional needs. As you
know, Bill has a well developed sense of humor, and often this
will manifest itself during the oral/written test. To be certain
of attaining a passing grade, and to assist the lower rank
students in doing well, would you advise me of the name and breed
of your dogs? I am certain it will be on the test, possibly for
extra credit. Please respond at your earliest convenience. If you
have any additional advice or words of wisdom, they would be
appreciated.
Best regards,
Rich Castanet Richmond, VA
"Herman", Bally & Tia are all Pit Bull Terriors, however "Herman" was half Standard Poodle!
Thanks for the quick reply. Bill G. really does put a number
of interesting questions on his tests. Bally was on my IKKYU
test. Bill even asked the origon of the name once, which I
believe to be a certain beer. The most creative was the answer to
'no place like home', a reference to always be certain to stay in
Sanchin stance during practice, kumite, etc. Bill pushes pretty
hard but believes that a sense of humor is a necessary and
important part of karate. The handshake rumor grew out of a
running banter we carry on and when we saw that new and old
members alike were extremely interested in learning it we decided
to play along. Do not be surprised this summer if several of
Bill's students, white through black belt, ask about it at camp.
As an aside, at my company, GENERAL ELECTRIC, the corporate
handshake is a great and honorable tradition. At NBC, a division
of GE, Jay Leno was selected over David Letterman to replace
Johnny Carson on the tonight show because on one of Dave's shows
Dave demonstrated and made fun of the handshake on camera. The
chairman of the board never forgave him, and insiders knew early
on Dave would never replace Carson. As a final note, Uechi Kanmei
Sensei will be at the test next week so this will be a great
event. By the way, any idea who Kanmei's girlfrind was in second
grade? Beleive it or not, this question came up during last
year's Dan test.
Thanks again.Rich Castanet
I wonder which beer ? GEM
Hello George:
Subject: Superempi kata - lost Uechi kata????
In a letter to you a couple of months ago I enthusiastically
endorsed the Superempi kata . I had since watched the tape a
zillion times and memorized the moves and have been doing the
kata every week. I like the kata and enjoy doing it, but,
nevertheless, I am having second thought that it might be the
"lost" Uechi kata, or if it is even from the
"original" Uechi style at all. I welcome comments from
your readers, Uechi instructors, and you, of course, on my
comments.
Uechi style is unique because of, among other things, its
emphasis on the Sanchin stance (feet, knee and elbow positions)
and circular blocks. The Superempi kata has quite a few movements
that appear to be similar to the Uechi moves, to the extent that
it got me all excited and invested hours in memorizing the kata.
But, all things said and done, and being as slow as I am, what
got me wondering now is the apparent absence of the Sanchin steps
and elbows positions, the Sanchin open hand thrusts, and most
important of all, the circular blocks that we use all over our
Uechi katas. As to movements in Superempi that are familiar to
the Uechi practitioners, well, I also noticed at least a movement
in Superempi that is also in the Hung Gar style, and another
movement also in the North Shaolin style (I 've studied both),
and I am sure that they have no more significance to those styles
than the fact that most if not all "Kung Fu" styles
basically originated from the same root, and therefore we should
give Superempi no more significance to its relationship to the
original style that Uechiryu came from.
In the tape you did mention that Simon performed the kata with
Goju interpretation. But being as important and basic as the
Sanchin stance and circular blocks in the Uechi style, I am
certain that Simon's Chinese teacher must have insisted that
Simon uses them if those Sanchin movements were in the style of
the Superempi kata.
I certainly understand that some movements may have been diluted
or changed since Master Uechi learned them a hundred years ago,
but the "basic ingredients" which are intrinsic to the
style such as the Sanchin stance and circular blocks should at
least be recognizable, if the kata is from the original style
studied by Master Uechi. I don't see those "basic
ingredients" in the Superempi kata nor do I see them in the
other short kata Simon performed in the same tape. I now believe
that the kata may be from a style close to the one Master Uechi
originally studied, but not THE style. If it is argued that the
kata might be from a spin-off of the original style, well, my
response is that I can not imagine that a Taekwondo spin-off
would eliminate the use of high round house kicks.
I hope that you and Simon are still planning to visit Fukien in
the near future and come back with more clarifications on the
Superempi kata and more information on the origin of our Uechi
style. Meanwhile I'll keep doing the kata but using Sanchin steps
wherever appropriate. I am also considering changing some of the
blocks to our circular blocks.
The above rambling is only my humble opinion at this time. I can
change my mind faster than a Uechi kick (sorry, almost as fast).
I welcome comments on the subject.
Respectfully,
Henry Thom
Hercules, CA George
Interesting! If you check out the 3rd tape of the 1965 Asian
Tour, you will see a version of Uechi-ryu in Wakiyama Prefecture
(where Ryuyu Tomoyose's dojo is located) that is a lot more like
the Superempi kata than what we currently do on Okinawa! Simon
did not have time to "master" the kata, merely learn
the sequences. His Goju signature is extremely strong in the
kata. Bill Glasheen "Uechisized" the set for last
year's camp. (documented in video #007) With a few modifications
the set looks like an extension of Sanseiryu! Of course, none of
this speculation means anything. For the time being, our position
remains that it is an interesting "link" with our
Chinese heritage. GEM
We are both curious and concerned.
A while back, I became aware of the Uechi Ryu secret handshake at
one of your camps. As you know, this is one of the benefits
bestowed on a chosen few who regularly attend your camps. One of
my more recent students and Mattson camp attendees, Rich
Castanet, is so thrilled at the Enlightenment received from this
morsel of knowledge that he regularly uses the existence of this
ceremony as motivation for beginner students. "You may never
learn the secret handshake if you don't practice hard
enough," he says. "And of course you have to be one of
the elite few at a Mattson camp to even be considered."
The other day Rich approached me with a dejected look on his
face. "I can't even begin to imagine the harm to our style
if that ceremony has escaped our inner circle," he said.
"Do you suppose anyone in the new Shohei Ryu group left with
the secret Knowledge?"
So is the news good or bad, George? Are our secrets safe or are
they exposed to the potential ill will of the outside world? Has
anyone in the Shohei Ryu crowd exhibited behavior that would lead
you to believe they have attained Enlightenment? Is the Knowledge
safe with the virtuous or should we brace ourselves for the day
when this power is used for malevolent purposes?
Bill Glasheen
hmmmmmm!
Good afternoon,
I am in charge of the Karate Program at Florida International
University. I am interested in starting a national association to
promote competition among colleges that have Karate teams. I am
currently forming a rough draft of a competition schedule for the
fall 1996 season, and am seeking interested parties to join.
Please forward the invitation to participate in our association
to the head of your schools Karate program. We are interested in
matching competitors in their respective regions with a large
semi-final and a national final competition annually. We are
eager to invite existing scheduled events to our organization. In
joining with us, your school will enjoy a wider variety of
competition. The prestige of participating in national level
competition will assist in your efforts to expand and strengthen
your Karate Program. If you are interested in joining the
American Inter-collegiate Karate Association, or want more
information about the AIKA, please e-mail me here. Thank you
Professor Manny Saavedra
If anyone is interested in this program, please contact me.
GEM
I am please to be able to announce that we will be hosting a
full day seminar to be instructed by the senior instructors of
this generation teaching on Okinawa today. Both Shorin-ryu and
Goju-ryu and the "Ti" that are the building blocks of
Karate will be covered. August Sat. 17th 1996
(full day seminar, banquet and demonstrations)***The first time
these two master visit North America*** Onaga, Yoshimitsu (Kyoshi
8th Dan Shorin-ryu): was a student of the late Higa Yuchoku
Dai-sensei. Onaga sensei trained with Higa Dai-sensei for over 35
years. He is currently the Shorin-ryu Chairman of the All Okinawa
Karate-do Federation, the director of the All Okinawa Karate-do
Grading Authority, and is the chief instructor of the
Shinjinbukan Shorin-ryu Onaga Karate Dojo in Naha city Okinawa.
Seneha, Shigetoshi (Hanshi 9th Dan Goju-ryu): has been a student
of Yagi Meitko Dai-sensei for nearly 40 years. Seneha sensei is
the President of the Okinawa Goju-ryu Federation (a body that
covers virtually all Goju-ryu groups on Okinawa). Seneha sensei
is currently the senior active teacher of Meibukan Goju-ryu on
Okinawa, and a senior GOju-ryu member of the All Okinawa
Karate-do Federation. This event will be a once in a lifetime
opportunity to see Okinawan Karate. Both sensei will share the
same stage. (Demonstrating the spirit of old style friendship and
co-operation among masters, the way Okinawan martial arts once
were!!)
For more information and a few GIF's please visit our information
site at: http://www.to-de.com/okb/seminar/seminar.htm Other North
American evnets are still being planned, and notice will be
posted ASAP. Thank you and hope to hear from all those
interested.
Daniel Kogan
Shinjinbukan (Canada)
Shorin-ryu Karate-Do
http://www.to-de.com/obk/sjbkan.htm
Dear Mr. Mattson: My name is Matt Carnaghan.I am a Kyukyu at
Dave Hunt's Uechi-ryu Academy, in Nova Scotia.I am realy enjoying
karate,and am interested in attending the summer camp this year.I
would apreciate it if you could please send me some more
information regarding it.I have found that studying Karate is
Very rewarding,and i have only been studying for a few months!
Sensei Dave Hunt and Sensei Pete Settle are both exellent
techers.
Thank You Sir,
Matt Carnaghan
Hallo from Norway!
I have visited you web site (one of the best) and seen the infor
on the 33rd Commemorative demo. Is this tape limited to
Uechi-ryu? Anyway, I want to buy this tape. How much will it cost
to have it sent here by airmail? Can I pay by Visa or Amex? My
VCR can take the US video format (NTSC). Thank you for your help.
Best regards
Rune Ingebrigtsen
You can now purchase products from this Website using Visa or
Mastercard. However, we recommend that you fax or call in your
card number.
Dear Sir
My name is Zwi Finkelstein and I am 12 years old. I practice
GOJO-RYU KARATE in Israel for 5 years. I've already sent a CV of
mine to all those interested through KARATE Digest #914. I do
love KARATE very much and - by my Daddy's help - I have access
from time to time to all the KARATE DIGESTS published in English.
(My father translates me interesting material which has been
published). I would like - if possible - to get some elementary
informative material about this big event which is going to take
place in Mass., under the name of 1996 SUMMMER OF TIGER, DRAGON
& CRANE MARTIAL ARTS FESTIVAL during the month of August. If
a get such material I'm sure that my Dad will help me understand
it. I'll be also happy if there is any possibility for me to get
some crests (or symbols) from this event. My postal address is:
Finkelstein Zwi
P.O.Box 344
Kfar Saba 44102
ISRAEL
DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU
Thank you very much respectfully,
Zwi (Shika-San) Finkelstein
Perhaps some of out readers will write to you with karate memorabilia from their dojo.
Dear Mr. Mattson,
I am a student studying Uechi-Ryu at C.S.U.S., and one of our
fellow students will soon be leaving us to go to Notre Dame. She
would like to continue learning the style. Are there any Uechi
dojos in or around Notre Dame? I can be reached at
sac16902@saclink1.csus.edu Thank you very much for your time and
attention.
Sincerely,
Wil Jorae
Dear Mr. Mattson,
Thank you for telling me about your organization's online
magazine. I was very impressed with the wealth of information
available. I enjoyed reading the forum articles about body
conditioning in preparation for karate training. I was thinking
more of writing about health and fitness in relation to karate
training but reading these articles certainly gave me a different
perspective. I like seeing the pictures from the summer karate
camp. Is that camp open only to members of your organization?
Thank you again for taking the time to write and offer help.
Sincerely, Janet McGlynn, sdtkarate@aol.com
The camp is open to anyone who is interested in the martial arts or "healing" arts. Thanks for your kind letter. GEM
From: Caesar <Caesar@virt.net>, on 5/4/96 4:27 PM:
If you would be so kind, would you tell me more about your style.
Maybe we can exchange knowledge.
- Doug Schultz -
I'll post your letter on the Uechi Website, Doug. If you tell
me a little more about what you have in mind, perhaps we will be
able to "share" knowledge. I'm always open to learn
more about the martial arts. GEM
Hi George: While I was a Judge during sparring at the end of
the class on Saturday, an incident occurred where I honestly felt
a tie between the two opponents. So when the referee asked the
Judges for a vote I didn't raise my hand for either one of the
fighters, thinking them both to be equal. This left two votes for
one and two votes for the other. The referee insisted that I
vote. Question: If I was forced to vote for a fighter that I felt
was equal to his opponent and my vote was the deciding one why
not let it be a tie? I hope you will address this issue.
Sincerely,
> Marty Goldberg
I can appreciate your concern for fairness and wish there was
a better way to handle "close calls". However, for the
tournament, the rules state "no ties"! This means that
the referee, when he/she asks the officials if they are ready to
vote, a decision must be made. All officials must raise one arm
at the same time. Every judge should have a system for
determining a winner, which will leave not room for a tie. Even
if in the final judgment the judge compares the number of
techniques thrown by each. If the side judges refuse to vote, the
decision, as in the case of your match, will be determined by the
center referee.
Dear Sensei Mattson,
Just after I posted my letter to you last week, I received all
the information you sent on Uechi Ryu summer camp in Buzzards
Bay. I am very interested in attending. Would you be interested
in having me present a seminar there on Sanchin? This session
could feature, among other things, a demonstration on kin gai
sanchin. Thank you for your interest and support.
Yours,
George Chaplin
I'll be honored to have you participate in our seminar
schedule. Looking forward to seeing you again in August. GE
Dear Mr. Mattson:
I am writing with the hope that perhaps you will be able to help
me in my search for a certain individual. Many years ago (back in
the mid 1960's)I had the pleasure of meeting a Karate expert from
Japan by the name of Yukiaki Yoki - (heused to just go by the
name of "Yoki"). This fellow "Yoki" and his
friend Shuichi Yamamoto had stayed at my parent's house in
Braintree for about a month or so (Carmine DiRamio is my father)
and it was during that time that I got to know both these young
men very well and got along wonderfully with "Yoki". I
had the pleasure of seeing Yoki again sometime around 1970 when
he came back to visit while on business - and unfortunately, I
had lost contact with him over the many passing years. I have
always wanted to try to get in touch with him again as time went
on, but did not know how or where to begin my search. It is with
great hope that you, Mr. Mattson, will remember "Yoki"
as I think you had the pleasure of meeting him when he originally
came over here to the United States. If you do remember who he
is, then would you also have been in contact with him over these
years? I would be so happy to be able to get in touch with Yoki
through the internet, if at all possible. This may be such a
"long-shot", however, it would be wonderful to
correspond with him after all these years. He was such a powerful
man - with a great personality! Also, just wanted to let you know
I enjoyed your newsletter very much.Thank you. Betty (DiRamio)
Greenberg
email: bettytax@capecod.net
I have not heard from "Yoki" since the 70's.
Perhaps someone on the web will remember him and know his
address. BTW, how is your father. GEM
Mr. Mattson: (follow-up email regarding Origins of Uechi-ryu)
I've been practicing martial arts since I was nine years old,
that would make it about 2 decades now. I am versed in both
internal and external Chinese martial arts but have settled down
to Taijiquan as my main art (traditional practice as a martial
art of course). A short list of the skills I practice: Shaolin 5
animal fist, Wudang Internal Boxing, Ba Gua Zhang, Taijiquan etc.
I'm a computer professional but write martial arts and TCM (I'm a
qualified TCM practitioner) articles as a hobby. You'll find some
of my works on this website:
http://www-public.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de/~franza/taiji/outline.html
It is unfortunate but Uechi-Ryu is not represented in Singapore
at the moment. It has always interested me because of its China
connection. When I was in Fujian, I was fortunate enough to meet
some friends who knew enough about it to obtain for me the book.
I have only the highest respect for Uechi-Ryu and really cringe
when people throw cold water on it and imply that its origins are
fake. I have, unfortunately, only had one opportunity to view the
art when I was in the States. I don't think I'll be able to get
out of Singapore (for the Summer Camp)at that time, there are
several large regional computer fairs going on at that time.
Best,
Peter Lim
Dear sir, I am wondering if you know of a Uechi school in the
Taunton MA area? I am currently looking for a place to practice
this summer, and two have been recomended to me, one in North
Attleboro, and another in framingham, I was justwondering if
there was one closer to Norton. Thanks for you help.
-sean
*************************************************************************
* Sean M. Gomez ** 97smg@wheatonma.edu ** C+C+1 != 2 Bits *
*************************************************************************
* http://155.47.1.126/users/97smg/sean.homepage.html
Both dojo you mention are excellent ones, but you might find the Brockton dojo worth checking out. Bob Bethoney is the teacher and the tel number is 508-583-4445. Check out the dojolisting on the Uechi website for a complete listing. GEM
Hello Sensei George Mattson
My name is Bob Inglis , I have had a great Uechi-ryu weekend this
past weekend,in Kentville. A Seminar was held on friday,with
master Jim Maloney. On Saturday morning a Tournament was held.
Saturday evening I passed the testing for my Nidan........Yes!!
I am writing to you regarding the "Summer of the
Tiger,Dragon & Crane" Martial Arts Festival. I would
like to know the following information.- attendence fee and what
would this fee include? - What would be the deadline for
registering ?
Thanks for your help
Bob
Thanks for the email message. Please log on to
www.uechi-ryu.com for complete Summer Camp information. There are
a number of programs, depending on your budget and time
availability for that weekend. If you pay in full by June 30th,
you will get a free TShirt. All applications and payments must be
received by July 31st. GEM
George:
Kathie and I returned from our visit to the Delta Country Budokan
in Escanaba, Michigan last night (it is a 7 hour drive from our
home)-we had a wonderful time. Dave Moyle and his students are
celebrating their grand opening at their new school located
downtown a few blocks from Lake Michigan. The school is
beautiful. It was a 1920 dance club than was allowed to decay.
After removing paint, varnish and trash what has emerged is the
most elegant dojo I have ever visited. The ash floor covers 3200
square feet, one wall is brick the shomen is knotty pine. Several
of the students and parents are carpenters or woodworkers who
crafted paneling, lattice and a knee rail. They also have built a
traditional tea room. The wood work is simple as is the decor.
When you enter the school you are greeted with a sense that you
are welcome and perhaps had in some other life actually trained
at the place. Friday evening 5:30-8pm was spent on the basics,
sanchin, balance points, relaxation in technique. The class was
introduced to sticky hands exercises and the enlightened form of
arm rubbing. All accepted with enthusiasm. Kathie and I were
surprised with a cake celebrating our 28 wedding anniversary! We
next worked on several kobudo kata until 10pm. I have been
working with Dave's students for quite sometime on erasing the
robotics from their kata. The student body is very receptive. I
might mention that women comprise about 50% of his enrollment. I
try to offer a broader perspective in training in that to be an
effective martial artist you need to remove the tension from your
kata; in order to be an effective and center human being, you
need to work on removing the tension from your life.
Saturday morning and afternoon was primarily sequential striking
and kata interpretation, with more kobudo in the evening. Sunday
we worked on compliance training,self-defense and rehashed
Saturday's classes. There were several corrections officers in
attendance who were impressed our approach to compliance control
through sequential striking ending in joint locks and pressure
point control. In addition to the demonstration how one can
accentuate a compliance control sequence by striking specific
muscle groups.
We found a camp to hold a yearly Uechi-ryu (NAC) retreat starting
next year (Spring or Fall). I visited Tom Moreno's school in
Manistique. Tom is currently an Ikkyu and will be testing for his
Shodan this summer. He opened his school in early April. The
school is above a Christian bookstore, and like Dave's is very
clean, simple and tastefully decorated. The training area is
about 24x32. His students are polite and very serious. Tom
already has 18 students and has had an excellent response from
the community. Rick and Lori Lambert (Uechi-ryu, Attitudes Dojo,
South Haven, Michigan) and their two small children were at
Dave's school this weekend. I think they were inspired by Dave
and Tom. We talked for hours about how to run a successful dojo
and Rick left with a huge stack of information from Dave. Overall
I am extremely proud of the Northern Michigan schools! I am
certain that you will be delighted at what they have accomplished
and the very respectful and positive reflection they are on
Uechi-ryu (NAC). It was also very refreshing to be with a group
of martial artists who genuinely care about each other. The Delta
County Budokan is truly a community dojo and I think an
inspiration for all of us.
On our next trip we will conduct Friday evening's seminar at the
Manistique Dojo and spend Saturday and Sunday at the Escanaba
Dojo.Best Wishes,
Ron
Thanks for the report Ron. Keep up the good work. GEM
Great page on the www, we need more like them in the martial
arts!
thanks,
Jon Dilley
nidan
Ryu Te Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu
Oyata Seiyu, Instructor
Hi George!
My company, Siemens Automotive, has offered me a position at a
new plant just
north of Atlanta, and I have decided to accept. Unlike my current
(software
consulting) job, which has me on the road fairly often, this new
position
should allow me to stick close to home 95% of the time. This is
good for my
family and good for my Karate: it allows me to open a dojo again.
We should
move to Georgia some time in July. Is there any Uechi-ryu
activity in the
area (whether dojos or unattached students), or will I be plowing
virgin
ground?
Second item: I haven't yet received a brochure / sign up
documents for the
Uechi-ryu Summer Camp -- have they been mailed out yet? By the
way, if they
are not on your mailing list already, please add the following
Uechi-folk:
HIRABAYASHI, Bruce (Godan)
626 River Bend Court, Apt. 101
Newport News, VA 23602
(804) 249-3965
The following are dojo Senseis in Europe:
KRONSCHNABL, Paul (Shodan)
Guttensteinweg 4
93059 Regensburg
GERMANY
Tel: 011-49 / (0)941-447-120
ROETTINGER, Joachim "Baer" (Sandan)
Naturbadstr. 47
91056 Erlangen
GERMANY
Tel: 011-49 / (0)9135-8370
011-49 / (0)9131-770412 (work)
STEINER, Juergen (Sandan)
Gartenstr. 7
97618 Strahlungen
GERMANY
Tel: 011-49 / (0)9733-4395
PRASNIKAR, Igor (Godan)
Kaliska 21
64000 Kranj
SLOVENIA
Tel: 011-38 / (0)664-332-647
LUKIC, Milan (Sandan)
Trnovski Pristan 10
61000 Ljubljana
SLOVENIA
Tel: 011-38 / (0)61-218-150
NOTES:
> The "(0)" in the phone numbers are only used when
dialing long distances
within Europe.
> O11 gets you out of North America; the next two digits in
front of the "/"
are the country code.
Best wishes to you and Susan!
Bruce
********************
Tel: +1-804-875-7911
Fax: +1-804-890-1632
Internet: bruce.hirabayashi@auto.siemens.com
Tel: 011-38 / (0)61-218-150
NOTES:
> The "(0)" in the phone numbers are only used when
dialing long distances within Europe. O11 gets you out of North
America; the next two digits in front of the "/" are
the country code.
Best wishes to you and Susan!
Bruce
Internet: bruce.hirabayashi@auto.siemens.com
Thanks for the information. I understand one of Buzz Durkin's
students will be visiting Germany this Fall. She will be happy to
learn of all the Uechi students there who will be able to show
her the sites. I wonder if she deliberately planned to be there
during Octoberfest!!!
I could not get the application form to open up on your
webpage. I am going to send the basic info (from memory) to you
with a check. This will be for a friend (Rik Lostritto) who is
coming up from Gaithersburg MD. This is the second person I am
bringing with me this year. Now if everyone who attended last
year brought two new people this year you would need lots more
french fries! (joke)
Best regards,
Myrna Riquier
You are the second person who has had a problem with the application form. I think it might have something to do with your browser... but perhaps one of our "experts" might help out. Regarding your suggestion about everyone bringing 2 friends... I like it... and our cook promises pleanty of food! GEM
Email correspondance to: George
E. Mattson
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