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How time flies. Seems like I was writing last year’s holiday newsletter just a few weeks ago. Must have something to do with aging and enjoying life! Today Sue and I are joining friends for a Thanksgiving “Brunch” at a local resourt famous for its two magnificent golf courses and five star restaurant. I always feel that eating there is somewhat wasted on me, since I can only eat a small sampling of what is offered. I’m usually fully satiated after a couple trips to the buffet table while I watch others enjoy endless trips, enjoying all of the dishes.
The first camp was 100% devoted to working on core training, which was essentially doing what we do in class. I continued to invite our Okinawan teachers, but expanded the list to include other martial arts that were compatible with our Uechi-ryu. Delegations from China began to attend starting in 1984, along with grandmaster Kanei Uechi and his family. For the first time we saw and studied root systems from Fuzou China that were very much part of what we were doing. In 1985 I conducted the first Martial Art Tour to Okinawa (Which was also the first WinterFest) that over 100 attended.
I would like to see the Uechi community throughout the world delete all the internet video clips of teachers breaking things over the bodies of their students and clips where viewers are entertained watching teachers beating the $#%^ out of their students while the students stands like a statue, submissively taking the beating. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of trying to explain to people that Uechi-ryu is not the famous karate system where people learn how to break things over their bodies and learn how to win fights by allowing their opponents to punch them until the opponent’s fist breaks!
passed on for generations. With nearly 500 pages of text and photos spanning over fifty years, it is a documented time capsule of the life of George E. Mattson and the development of Uechi-ryu karate in the United States. Complimented by a Gold embossed black hard cover, the book is surrounded by a sanguine-red dust jacket adorned with a beautiful new Chinese dragon.
Dec 24 2010
Holiday greeting Newsletter from GEM
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/holiday-greeting-newsletter-from-gem/
Dec 23 2010
Its that time of year!
To all our friends. . .
Have a very merry Christmas!
From George, Susan, Harley & Peanut
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/its-that-time-of-year/
Dec 16 2010
Sensei Vinny visits Mount Dora
My children’s class really enjoyed 7th dan, Vincent Christiano’s visit last night (12/15/10). Vinny took the kids through a Sanchin kata, then went on to explain the five principles of Sanchin that make this unusual and unique kata so important in our system.
Following the advanced class, Vinny agreed to perform his favorite kata for the camera so I could post it as part of the Uechi-ryu “masters” dvd series. Clip his picture to view the kata and also those five principles of Sanchin which he explains so eloquently.
Thanks Vinny.
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/sensei-vinny-visits-mount-dora/
Dec 15 2010
Another Archive Treasure!
This is the first instructional video tape made on Uechi-ryu and one of the first on any martial art system. For many years it was the most popular video and later, when converted to DVD, continued to be the most popular title in the Uechi store.
When I decided to have the original tapes professionally restored and edited, this “Overview” tape was selected to be one of the first to undergo the full treatment. The finished product is a quality two DVD set that covers the “core” Uechi system along with over a half hour of timeless quality tips and suggestions for learning this great karate system.
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/another-archive-treasure/
Dec 13 2010
More Archives. . . The VidMag Series
Virtual Dojo Information HERE
Back in the mid 90s I got the idea that our karate association should communicate with our members more often and decided to publish a monthly video newsletter and mail it out to subscribers. Obviously this was before Facebook and way before the internet was something everyone could access. I purchased a very expensive, state of the art video editing machine, a $3000 brand new “hand held” video camera and began cranking out video newsletters.
I thought you might be interested in where my head was back then and will be posting clips from VidMag 1 that were just returned to me after being restored and edited. One of the segments of this first video focused on the 1995 Uechi-ryu World Championships and the preparations our team went through putting it together. Here is a short audio clip I pulled from the video, relating to what our team envisioned to be the attributes of a true Uechi-ryu Champion:
G.E.Mattson Video Archives – VidMag1-1-a clip
Sue wants me to remind everyone that she must mail my new book out this week in order for you to get it in time for Christmas. Don’t wait until you have to buy it on Ebay!!!
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/more-archives-the-vidmag-series/
Dec 08 2010
OKINAWA BBTV web site
Dear KARATE Lovers
Thank you for checking our OKINAWA BBTV web site, “OKINAWA KARATE!”
It introduces One of the oldest ryu-ha “Kojo-ryu”.
One of the oldest ryu-ha, Kojo-ryu was established in 1392 when the best and the brightest Chinese called “Kume 36 families” came to Ryukyu kingdom and became a nationalized citizen of the country. The primogenitor of Kojo-ryu, Sai Jo, was from Fujian Province, China.
Sais started living in Kume village with other “Kume 36 families” and one of Sais family was named Kojo. Kojos became one of the warrior classes of Naha province. They worked for Ryukyu government for a long time and supported the kingdom. In the end of the 17th century, Kojo Pechin got together all the techniques of Kojo style and taught it to other Kojos. So Kojo-ryu as we know it today is based on Kojo Pechin’s style. The feature of Kojo-ryu is that you keep punching to attack and then finish with join constraint or throwing.
The original, Kojo Pechin was called “Umare Bushi,” means born warrior. The second, Sai Syo I was called “St. Tanme,” means great master. The third, Kojo, Isei was also called great master and he went to China, at that time Ming Dynasty, to practice Chinese martial arts under Chinese worrior, I Fa, with his cousin Kojo, Taitei.
Kojo, Isei also went to Ming in 1879, back in when Ryukyu became one of the Japanese prefectures. Hoewver, Ming was unquiet days at that time to change Qing Dynasty. Isei remained China and opened Karate Dojo there. As an aside, the primogenitor of Uechi-ryu, Kanbun Uechi practiced Karate under Kojo, Isei when he when to China.
Kojo, Isei’s cousin, Kojo, Taitei was also one of the greatest Karate masters and was good at many kinds of martial arts and Confucianism. It is famous that he argued with Kanryo Higaonna on Sanchin. And it is said that he taught Karate to Gichin Funakoshi for the first time.
The forth, Kahou Kojo [1849 ~ 1925]
The fifth, Saikyo Kojo [1873 ~ 1941]
The sixth, Kahu / Yoshitomi Kojo [1909 ~ 1996]
The seventh, Shigeru Kojo [1934 ~ 1999?]
All the masters of Kojo-ryu were great, but the seventh, Shigeru Kojo closed his dojo in 1975 because of sickness and after that, there is no listed dojo of Kojo-ryu in Okinawa. Since we don’t have Kojo-ryu dojo about 35 years in Okinawa, Kojo-ryu is called “Illusory Karate.” However, there is a Kojo-ryu dojo in Tottori prefecture, by Shingo Hayashi, disciple of Kahu / Yoshitomi Kojo.
It is said that every kata of Kojo-ryu was made along with Chinese zodiac.
In China, 36 mean many, a lot of. So “Kume 36 families” means “Many people of Kume village.”
References
・Okinawa Karate Kobudo Jiten
・Seisetsu Okinawa Karate-do
・Karate-jyutsu
・Okinawa Karate Retsuden Hyakunin
Thank you and please check our Web site! OKINAWA BBTV
◆OKINAWA BBTV is a free site, now why don’t you check it out?
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/okinawa-bbtv-web-site/
Dec 07 2010
More restored archive videos
I’ve been working very hard reworking the hundreds of archived films in my library. Since many of the films are of the seniors in Uechi-ryu, I’ve decided to start a series called the “Masters of Uechi-ryu”. In checking the many videos, I came across a really fascinating one and a half hour film taken in master Kosuke Yonamine’s dojo following the historic 1985 Okinawa WinterFest.
Yonamine sensei is truly one of the greatest martial artist I have ever known. He was the person who probably had the strongest body and techniques in the martial arts. Although the feats of strength he routinely peformed, amazed everyone, he strongly proclaimed that he was experimenting with his own body and asked that we all hold off practicing these extreme training methods until he could proclaim that such training was safe and something that might be added to the Uechi-ryu curriculum.
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/more-restored-archive-videos/
Dec 03 2010
1985 WinterFest on Okinawa
Click on the “Pictures” gallery in the top frame and check out the latest video clips I’ve uploaded on WinterFest 1985, which was conducted on Okinawa.
The first clips were taken during the training sessions and the last were of the All Okinawa Karate Championships. I put the tour together and over 100 participants came and enjoyed fantastic training, led by GrandMaster Kanei Uechi. We also enjoyed our evenings partying and having lots of fun.
The complete two hour film is available in our store.
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Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/1985-winterfest-on-okinawa/
Nov 27 2010
Proper Way to Check a Student in Sanchin
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/proper-way-to-check-a-student-in-sanchin/
Nov 16 2010
It is official . . .
SummerFest 2011 will be held the first weekend in August, 2011!
August 4 – 7th (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
Note: Airfare on Jet Blue are very low right now. Susan and I booked our flight today!
The hotels in the area are offering very reasonable rates for our group and if finances are a problem, we have been given permission to offer free sleeping space at Sensei Yee’s nearby dojo. Just bring your sleeping bag! Weather permitting, we will be able to run seminars and other events outside in the spacious field adjoining the arena. Watch this site for updates.
Permanent link to this article: http://uechi-ryu.com/it-is-official/
