January, 2006 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
The New Website Look:
George,
Not so crazy about the new look and function... but thats me... who am I? anyway, where is the memorial page..went to show it to ernies student and could not find it.. also is there a mail bag? are some things the old site had going to be abandoned? glad you at least fixed the forum page back to the old look..
later,
Steve
Hi Steve:
Always happy to receive constructive criticizm from our "fans". I've received so many pro and con email about the new look that I wrote an explanation for the home page this morning. The website is a dynamic work in progress. The nature of the web technology and the limitations of my skills will continually affect the site. . . hopefully mostly for the better. . . GEM
Friends in the News!
Roy
Bedard sent me the following information in his NewsLetter. Everyone who was
at SummerFest a few years ago will remember Dave Young. Great guy and a very
accomplished martial artist. Hopefully Dave will be able to join us at WinterFest
this February.
Dave Young hosts National Geographic's new show the "Crash Test
Human," premiering January 16 10pm est on the National Geographic Channel.
If you've been through one of Dave's classes you know first hand that he enjoys
pushing the envelope to bring it to you real. He promotes the philosophy "If
it doesn't work, don't use it" . His progressive training style has kept
the men and women of law enforcement safe for decades and now Dave is taking
on a new challenge... He is the Crash Test Human.
Focusing on the scientific and educational aspects of various equipment, objects
and every day items National Geographic puts it all to the test by putting Dave
to the test as the Crash Test Human. Investigating the truth behind manufacturers
claims Dave will go to harrowing lengths to prove or falsify what you've been
told to believe.
Episode one is on vehicles. Tune in to see Dave survive a head on collision
and T-Bone crash so you can see first hand how safety cages, crumple zones,
safety belts, and air bags really work. He'll test vehicle braking, and various
types of safety glass. How long does it take your car to submerge in the water
after being driven off the road and how do you get out alive? Dave takes the
plunge to show you!
This is the start of a new season of reality programming and folks, it doesn't
get more real than this. Good Luck Dave!
Roy Bedard
President
RRB Systems International
www.rrbsystems.com
Where the heck is Bolton, MA?
Thanks Steve for asking. Gave me an opportunity to post John Page's response to you and in the process promote the N.E. Uechi-ryu Junior Championships. I hope all the New England dojo will be partcipating. I'll be bringing up a couple of my Junior students so they can have their first experience in the ring, be with caring and certified officials and competing with a great group of kids. GEM
Hello,
As the instructor or the largest supporting dojo group of this tournament series I have just one thing to ask, where the heck is Bolton Ma? I may see a problem with this unknown location.
Steve Banchick
Okinawan Karate Stoughton,MA
=================================
Greetings to all:
First, If you notice the omission of any New England Uechi Dojo from this email, Please both forward it to them and either ask that they send me their email address or send it to me directly.
On behalf of Mr. Mattson, I am pleased to announce that his annual tournament in the NEJUKCS series - The Uechi Ryu World Championship and the culmination of this years series - will be held on April 2, 2006 at the Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton MA (conveniently located off Rt. 495)
Due to Mr. Mattson's relocation to Florida (Seems a wise move given the current temps. here in New England), I will be acting as the tournament administrator and ensuring that this tournament meets and exceeds all expectations.
Both Sensei Mattson and I are committed to concluding this year's competition with a flourish. It is hoped that as many prior, present and potential future participants will be in attendance to represent their home Dojos and Uechi Ryu in general.
This email is simply an initial notification and you will be receiving additional updates as the event approaches.
May this find you all well, working hard and full of the spirit of the season.
John Page
Rising Star East Martial Arts
This goes into my "How is this possible" file
Received a solicitation to become a sponsor and pay for their envelopes. I did a little investigation and discovered this company, because they are Canadian, are able to essentially steal dvd from their copyright owners and rent them to whoever they wish.
From Bushidodvd web FAQ. . .
I own the copyright to one of your DVD titles and I don't want you to rent it to your members! Is it legal to rent these instructional DVDs?
And now the answer to your question:Yes! All of the DVDs we rent are lawfully made copies, meaning that their reproduction was licensed by a copyright owner. Under Canadian law, copyright owners have no copyright control over rental of audiovisual works. Under United States law, as the owner of a lawfully made copy, Bushido DVD, is specifically entitled to rent them without the consent of the copyright owner. Sometimes copyright owners favor a sales model, but they have no right under law to prevent rental, and could violate antitrust laws if they try to restrain trade in the lower-cost rental option. Most copyright owners realize that rentals make the DVDs more widely available to people who would never pay the sales price, allow more people to discover their works, make it less profitable for pirates to make and sell infringing copies and require merchants like Bushido DVD to buy more copies to meet the rental demand from customers who would not have considered buying them.
News from our Friends
Hello George,Susan, David and Florida students!
A big hello and holiday greetings!
We took a good hit this last snowfall in the mountains ( Tamar on picture) and so we decided to go in this mountain resort (just near the biggest ski-flaying place in the world) for New Year holidays. Ljubljana is in lights.
I just get from operation for hernia (on both sides). Starting to get all info for improvement of dojo list.
A big hug and best wishes for a great 2006. Love, Davor and family.
Sensei Mattson,
. . .
My plan is to leave this wonderful weather and to return to Boston after I get the OK from the doctors. I have left my life in Boston on hold for the last few months and it is only with the kindness of others that I have been able to focus almost exclusively on my recovery.
Returning to Boston I will have 2 missions to start looking for a job and to get back into my Uechi practice. Not in that order. I knew the minute I started my rehab that going forward, I want to make Uechi a more prominent part of my life.
I agree that a camp will be the best way to get back into the training (Sensei Campbell may have told you that I (along with 2 other Sempeis led classes in the Manila dojo (in his absence but your camp will be my first official class in many years) and will be honored to attend your camp. I have years of stories from Sensei Campbell about your camps. Now I actually may get to attend one. My only hope is that my recovery coincides with your dates. *(when is your winter camp?)
Every day has been an uphill journey for me but I can tell you that the warmth that I have felt from Sensei Campbell and from you have really made this Christmas special. If you do not think me to bold, I feel a renewed energy.
Having said that please allow me to share with you the reason for my need to contact Sensei Campbell, I needed to thank him for preparing me for the last 2 years. I do not think that I would have made it through with out the discipline and confidence that came with his Uechi class. My training instilled in me valuable life lessons.
I am not even bitter in any way for the accident. Days go by that I do not even think about it.
I share this with you because I am cognizant that I owe you thanks for bringing Uechi into my life as well.
Sincerely yours,
Andrew Camoes
Happy to hear that you are progressing well from your accident. I hope you will be able to join us at WinterFest (February 17-20) this year. Lots of great dojo in the Boston area. (see the dojo listing) Be sure to drop in to the "Hut" on Saturdays and work out with our gang there. GEM
Mr. Mattson,
I was a student with Walter Mattson about 10 years ago and had achieved my brown belt. I have since relocated to West Virginia where there is absolutely nothing that I know of around. I would ideally like to continue with Uechi and found the website "uechi-ryu.com" very interesting.
I would like your advice in deciding what steps I should take. I travel to Massachusetts several times each year to visit family and could attend a class however I would like to get back up to speed first.
Walter's school is still in Framingham however I have spoken with a good friend who had left his school for a couple of reasons so going there is no longer an option. Anyway, any info you can offer in order to re-start my training with your school would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Chris
Chris Malouf, Engraver
Hi Chris:
Sorry I missed your call last night. Sue and I were visiting friends at the time.
I’m ccing Bill Glasheen, our IUKF senior member in the area. He is familiar with most of the dojo in Virginia and hopefully will be able to connect you with a good dojo. I also highly recommend you try to work out with Bill whenever possible. He is one of the top Uechi practitioners and teachers in the world.
Best,
George Mattson
Anyone Interested?
Dear Master Mattson,
I am the President of Martial Arts 101 (www.martialarts-101.com) a website that seeks to provide supplemental martial arts instruction materials over the web in a subscription format. While we do not at this time cover Uechi Ryu (we are looking for a partner content provider who wants to bring their DVD to the web for on line distribution), I was hoping that you might take a moment to profile our company in your Eastern Arts On line Magazine.
I am available for any questions you might have, or should you have a suggestion for who we might contact about developing a partnership for Uechi Ryu content for a subscription site.
Regards,
Trevor R.F. Higgs
MartialArts 101, Inc.
Hmmm. And I thought we had political problems in the USA!
Received this e-mail last month. If anyone wants to view the entire letter, go here
George Yerolimpos:
The "Murderer"
of World Karate!
In October 1993 the 101 Session of IOC in Monte Carlo gave the two world federations, WUKO (World Union of Karate-do Organizations, of "technical" Karate), and ITKF (International Traditional Karate Federation, of "traditional" Karate) a draft of statute, so that they fuse into one federation, the WKF (World Karate Federation, with one branch of technical karate of WUKO and another branch the traditional karate of ITKF), so that Karate enters in the Olympic Games.
Send this page all over the world!
The "murderers" of Karate George Yerolimpos and Jacques Delcourt,
of WUKO chairman until 1994 .
The "door" of Olympic Family has been opened for Karate and was left
to do ONE step!!! If the step was done then, Karate would be in the Olympic
Games of Athens in 2004.
Having knowledge of this draft of IOC two years earlier (1991), the two "murderers" of Karate Jacques Delcourt (French, chairman of WUKO) and George Yerolimpos (Greek, member of DC of WUKO) put in action an unprecedented in duration and extent plan of athletic fraud in order to seize the legal rights of ITKF on the Traditional Karate: they renamed WUKO into WKF claiming that this WKF covers both kinds of Karate.
The same plan was put in action by the distinguished for his frauds in the sector of sports inside Greece George Yerolimpos in order his federation HAKF, member of WUKO, seizes the legal rights of Traditional Karate from the Greek TKF, member of ITKF. In Greece George Yerolimpos and HAKF lost in all courts (even in front of the Supreme Court) from Thimios Persidis, president of GTKF, and GTKF despite of the powerful economic and political leverages they had inside and outside of the General Secretariat of Sports and Greek Olympic Committee!
The "murderer" of Karate Antonio Espinos Ortoueta,
chairman of WUKO-WKF.
In December 1995(?), the seat of the "murderer" of Karate Jacques Delcourt (he was kicked out from the French federation because of economic irregularities!) took another "murderer" of Karate the Spaniard Antonio Espinos Ortoueta as new chairman of WUKO and George Yerolimpos became the general secretary. They were elected in Rio de Janeiro of Brazil (?) promising that they alone had contact with the Spaniard president of IOC Samaranh and they had "half-convinced" him so he recognizes WUKO.
The frauds of the two new "murderers" of Karate became more audacious and extensive. They were pressing IOC to recognize only WUKO, under the false name WKF, which supposedly covers both types of Karate: "technical" of WUKO and "Traditional" of ITKF, and they were “approaching" Samaranch, well known to the internet community for his ... "unique connections".
Certain of the big Greeks " monkey- masters- " of Karate, who had
supported for years Yerolimpos and hence are equally wholly accountable for
the destruction of Karate! To their students they are appear as … samurais
and for twelve years they have been giving unrestricted authorization to all
illegalities of Yerolimpos, absolute collaborators in the murder of Karate!
Now they are back to zero!
From 1991 up to 1999 the three "murderers" of Karate, Delcourt, Espinos
and Yerolimpos deceited tenths of times IOC and ITKF until they have managed
with the help of “dictator” Samaranch (worthy remain of dictator
Franco) so that WUKO-WKF was recognized by IOC in June 1999.
During the same years George Yerolimpos with all his ridiculous political means (certain conscienceless politicians helped him and still are helping him even today) and with all without exception the "chicken-karateka", who appear as " monkey masters- " in Karate and support him for their own personal benefits in the HAKF, they have lost in all courts in Greece, even in front of the Supreme Court, from the GTKF and Thimios Persidis.
The moral of the two Karate "murderers", Antonio Espinos and George Yerolimpos, was galvanized from this "half" recognition of IOC in 1999 and they have been spreading rumors super-certain that if Karate was not chosen in the Olympics of Athens, without fail it would have been sport of demonstration! What has happened to them I would call it… "cucumber Kaliviotiko" (technical term: big and long Greek cucumber a.k.a. big hardship!) Neither in, nor demonstration sport it was!
Fouras-Exarchos-Orfanos-Karamanlis and others were and even today are the main
"protectors" of Yerolimpos for the "murder" of world Karate!!!
Then, the two "murderers" of Karate, Antonio Espinos and George Yerolimpos,
started a world campain of misinformation, that supposedly ITKF is non-existent
and that the WUKO-WKF is "all" of world karate with 50 millions of
athletes all over the world, and as candidate sport among five candidates they
tried to enter in the Olympic Family at the voting of 117th Session of IOC in
Singapore, July 2005. Precisely that time … another "cucumber "came
up. Karate did not assemble the essential votes in order to enter in the Olympic
Games and remained out of them!
In the meanwhile and in the hellenic space, the "murderer" of world Karate George Yerolimpos, stepping for ten years on the corpse of karate and proving simultaneously the criminal athletic corruption as much of PASOK as of New Democracy (mainly), as a political member of it, sells illegally athletic equipment to the karate federation, seized the Greek Hockey Federation (!), he entered the Greek Olympic Committee and in the Olympic Academy via Hockey!, he founds and un-founds federations, he deceits the courts, he deceits the Greek and the International Olympic Committee, he dissolves Hockey (!), he "is planted" director of sports in "Athens 2004", he got kicked out from there for "collateral illegal businesses for the supply of security systems" despite Karamanlis’ efforts to rescue him (!!!), he is proved “close-bodied” with Orfanos and Karamanlis, who he deceits systematically and they sleep … “standing” (because I have written to all about him tenths of times in detail and they do not check, though they have absolute obligation in all the Greek citizens consequently to me also, (unless the "maxim of Bairaktaris" applies also here!), he organises the conquest of Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) for the sake of the "rapacious" Orfanos, he has been appointed by his politician "protectors" paid director in the International Committee of Mediterranean Games, he enters in the HOC via the Softball and he is today member of the Executive Committee of HOC and right hand of its chairman Minos Kyriakou!!!
Send this page all over the world!
Thus precisely, the New Democracy and Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis remunerates
the athletic criminality against Greek citizens!!! Where are you … Papadopoylos
so you can learn about … democracy! (Papadopoulos = Greek dictator 1967-1974!)
The final result for Karate is waiting a new effort of recognition and participation after the year… 2020 until infinity and those three murderers of Karate George Yerolimpos, Antonio Espinos Ortoueta and Jacques Delcourt to be moraly, legally and economically accountable to the international community of the sport, after they caused a without precedent destruction of Karate, its federations, its instructors, its athletes and sport fans!!!
Because if you see globally all this story, these Three International Athletic Fraudsters in the substance "removed" in 1993 Karate "out" of the Olympic Games, in which it would be already IN (if WUKO and ITKF had agreed, in 2004 in Athens Karate would be an Olympic Sport), with sole aim to be alone themselves emperors of Karate with all the economic profits of an unverifiable world federation, and they have lost every single occasion or effort to put it in. A destruction of twenty years to infinity for a sport with such world distribution as Karate!!!
Conserning George Yerolimpos and to the climate that prevails in the WKF and EKF I shall mention an illustrative extract from the web page of HAKF:
George Orfanos, Undersecretary of Sports in Greece.
"Solemnly Mr George Yerolimpos the General Secretary of European Federation
Karate (EKF) has been elected again and he continues holding also the two secretariats,
European and World Federation Karate (WKF).
It is worth being mentionned that Mr Yerolimpos took the 100% of votes, something which no other candidate has taken up to now. His candidature has been supported from all the 42 European federations of EKF that participated in its Congress of 12/5/2005 in Tenerifi."
In all the history of humanity …even Hitler could only exceed Yerolimpos, because for him also… deads voted! After July 2005 the web page of HAKF is silent!! Also, it is a web page that I would have made it for 200.000 Drs per year and the HAKF pays 2.000.000 Drs per year! And undersecretary Orfanos takes this money from pensioners and gives it to Yerolimpos!!! This is the athletic spirit and its "protectors"!!!
Send this page all over the world!
But today and after the common decision of the 25 countries of European Union
according to which the decisions of courts in a country-member of European Union
become acceptable and also applicable in the 25 countries of the Union, under
provision on the decision of the Supreme Court of Greece, Traditional Karate
is absolutely equivalent with the Karate of WUKO also in the 25 countries of
European Union and consequently IOC will NEVER dare to recognize the WKF, if
WKF does not include Traditional Karate equivalently with Technical Karate!
The Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Karamanlis attempted sometimes to speak
about "pimps" of the rival party, but this characterization applies
in his own party!!!
This is the big achievement that Thimios Persidis and the GTKF achieved for
the World Traditional Karate of the International Traditional Karate Federation!
I judge essential to denounce also here for one more time, as Greek and European Citizen, the criminal illegality of Undersecretary of Sports George Orfanos and Minister of Culture and Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Karamanlis, who do not hesitate to support the "bell-boy" of their party George Yerolimpos while not recognizing the Greek Federation of Traditional Karate violating in this way the Constitution of Greece, the laws and the decisions of Supreme Court of Greece, which as I reported are henceforth respectable in 25 countries of the United Europe!!!
In any case, I intend to take an action in justice against the Greek "murderer” of karate George Yerolimpos for an important pecuniary compensation proportional to the damage he has inflicted to the sport, to our federation GTKF, and to my association, and I call on any Greek or foreigner from any part of the planet to unite for the same aim!
With deep Japanese bow
Thimios Persidis
www.karate.gr
Now Mr Persidis, please tell us how your REALLY feel. GEM
Something to Check Out?
Greetings!
My name is Jason M. Silverman. I own EEMA Fitness & Martial Arts in Weymouth, Massachusetts. I wanted to let you know about a program called POWerful Words that we’ve developed, that has truly made our school one of the top Martial Arts and Personal Development Centers in our area. I thought you'd get a kick out of it, as we have recently had some FANTASTIC Uechi Ryu Schools find our program tremendously helpful to their staff and their students! If for some reason, this was sent to you in error because you don't teach martial arts, I apologize for the intrusion :-)
In any case, I am currently looking for forward thinking school owners to take a look at the POWerful Words Character Education Program. I´d love it if you´d take the time to visit our site, download the FREE MONTH and help me out with some feedback! If you happen to fall in love with the program (as many have) you can simply subscribe online and get yourself started immediately! We currently have a special price on the site)
This program has worked wonders at our school as well as many others around
the world (we have clients all over the USA, Bermuda, Israel, United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada!) and I´m convinced that it will help
thousands of others to implement a strong life skills program without struggling
to figure out how to do it. My wife is a PhD in Child Development and has spent
the last 6 years developing this program so that it can be implemented by martial
arts instructors all over the world! It is complete, it is easy to use, it is
systemized, and IT WORKS!
In any case, if you would take a look and let me know what you think, I´d
be really appreciative!
The site address is http://www.powerfulwordsonline.com .
If anyone has the time or interest, please check
this out and let me know if the program is worthwhile. Thanks. GEM
Words of Wisdom and Words to Live By
I was attempting to compose a few words to close off this new year's mailbag. Nothing I could write expresses my thoughts more than the letter John Page sent to me. I know he won't mind if I use it here.... GEM
Greetings to all:
I hope this finds everyone well, having survived whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, and anticipating with excitement the joys, challenges and potential accomplishments that lie within our grasp as we literally stand on the eve of a new year.
I was informed, rather enthusiastically, yesterday by my deeply loved albeit sometimes obnoxious son, that I was getting old - not real old, but old. "Less than 2 years until 50". The calendar or someone's reckoning must be wrong because I am certainly no more than 28 or perhaps 30 at the most!.
But honestly, the one true gift that is bestowed on us when we enter this existence is time. I say the one true gift because everything else we receive has some specific use or at least some parameters one its use; but TIME is what we make of it, do with it. And its shelf life is undetermined, maybe minutes, maybe decades, maybe beyond a century. But we don't know!
So I urge you all to make the most of all the time that 2006 brings. Make sure that you don't feel some pang of regret at having "wasted" or "misused" this gift. And I deeply hope that I have and take advantage of the opportunity to share my time in this coming year with you, my family and friends, hopefully face to face, but at least by telephone, cards, email.....
May you be blessed by the great spirit this year and experience the wonder that is life.
All the best,
John Page
Susan's Joke Corner
SENIOR HUMOR
A distraught senior citizen phoned her doctor's office.
"Is it true," she wanted to know,
"that the medication you prescribed has
to be taken for the rest of my life?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," the doctor told her.
There was a moment of silence before the senior lady replied,
"I'm wondering, then, just how serious is my condition
because this prescription is marked 'NO REFILLS'."
-----------------------------------------
An older gentleman was on the operating table
awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son,
a renowned surgeon, perform the operation.
As he was about to get the anesthesia
he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?" "Don't be nervous, son;
do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well,
if something happens to me ..
your mother is going to come
and live with you and your wife...."
-----------------------------------------
Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you
stop lying about your age and start bragging about it
------------------------------------------
The older we get, the fewer things seem
worth waiting in line for
------------------------------------------
Some people try to turn back their odometers.
Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way.
I've traveled a long way and some of the
roads weren't paved.
--------------------------------------------
When you are dissatisfied and would
like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
---------------------------------------------
You know you are getting old when everything
either dries up or leaks.
----------------------------------------------
I don't know how I got over the hill
without getting to the top.
----------------------------------------------
One of the many things no one tells you about aging
is that it is such a nice change from being young.
----------------------------------------------
Ah, being young is beautiful,
but being old is comfortable.
-----------------------------------------------
Old age is when former classmates are so gray
and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
-------------------------------------------- --
If you don't learn to laugh at trouble,
you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.
--------------------------------------
First you forget names, then you forget faces.
Then you forget to pull up your zipper.
It's worse when you forget to pull it down.
-------------------------------------------
Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground
with sticks, it was called witchcraft..
Today, it's called golf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A WELL PLANNED LIFE????
Two women met for the first time since graduating from high school.
One asked the other, "You were always so organized in school,
Did you manage to live a well planned life? "
" Yes," said her friend.
"My first marriage was to a millionaire;
my second marriage was to an actor;
my third marriage was to a preacher;
and now I'm married to an undertaker."
Her friend asked,
"What do those marriages have to do with a well planned life?"
"One for the money,
two for the show,
three to get ready,
and four to go