June 29, 1997: Finally had time to update the site. Check out the July Mailbag for new and interesting letters. As new instructors send back their seminar summaries, I'll be posting them to the July Mail segment. All the old-timers, like Jim Maloney, Bob Campbell, Art Rabesa, Ed Huff, Bill Glasheen, Simon Lailey, Dave Mott, Windsong Blake and at least 40 others, have already contacted me and are coming. If I have time, I'll summarize their seminar content. Susan will be distributing a camp seminar package at the camp during registration that will contain the complete camp itinerary.
I received a rather disturbing e-mail last week from a student who does not wish to be identified, asking my advice concerning a Uechi/Shoheiryu dojo training policy of combining kata with a sort of "blackmajik" power! He explained that his teacher told him to "think certain word-thoughts during kata to create a power over your opponent. He told me that I could experiment with this "power", but not to use certain "thoughts" which he described, when practicing with my students, or I would seriously hurt that person! What bothered me most, was that the teacher said this information was secret and that the student must not disclose it to anyone! (The threat of retaliation was inferred - and guess how the teacher would "get even"?)
I've heard about "cult-like" martial arts groups, who use various mind control techniques to extract huge sums of money from their followers, but thought our Uechi/Shoheiryu community was free of such charlatans. A few months ago, I learned that we have teachers who have taken advantage of students in this manner, using the threat of violence to keep their students and junior instructors in line. I asked Bill Glasheen to comment:
"What can you say to this
stuff? Not a lot.
I've been trying to stir up a little interest in the power of the
mind in the Dojo Roundtable. Notice I have tried to keep both
feet firmly planted to terra firma (figuratively speaking) while
discussing this topic. Now everything I can say about this power
in a positive sense can also apply in a negative sense. For
example the power that Voodoo witch doctors have over people is
the BELIEFS that they cultivate in their victims. If I believe
that bad things may happen to me, well they just may happen.
There are plenty of examples in modern medicine. In the
Ali/Foreman Thrilla in Manilla, Ali employed a group of witch
doctors to spook a young George Foreman into believing he was
being hexed. Ali knew it was all "psyche", but used it
anyway to its full advantage.
Frankly I think I would get a lot more out of seeing the first of
the Star Wars Trilogy. At least the authors of this Movie/Book
took it as fantasy. However the whole idea of a "force"
with both good and evil sides persists across cultures and over
time. There will always be believers in majic. People WANT to
believe. Why do you think the National Inquirer, psychic
hotlines, and faith healers stay in business? The truly evil in
our society prey on these hopes and fears.
It's a shame that a good, sincere guy like this gets in the hands
of a bunch of lunatics and charlatans. Even worse, these guys
might actually know it is bunk and be preying on their students."
Anyone like to comment? GEM
June 23, 1997: Attended Bill Bauknecht's 60th birthday party last Saturday. Bill, you remember, was one sick puppy last year, battling for his life with cancer. The prognosis was not good. But Bill is a fighter and after some very extreme chemo therapy and a bone marrow transplant, his body appears free of the disease. At last year's camp, Bill was walking with a cane and in lots of pain. What a pleasure to watch him dancing, laughing and joking like his old self. Welcome back Bill!
If you tried to reach me by email Saturday, Sunday or today. . . you didn't! My server's E-mail computer is down. They say it will be up "sometime" today. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Susan reports a record number of camp applications received. Keep them coming. Would like to see 500 students and teachers attending this year.
June 19, 1997: Lots of new mail. If you haven't had a chance to check out Bill and Ron's Forums, take a few minutes and drop in. Lots of great "threads". If you have a question or comments, post it directly to the Forum. It is very easy to do.
Last night I had an old student drop in to the Natick class for a workout. Tim Horgan, former sports writer for the Herald Traveler is visiting Boston for a few weeks and took the opportunity to visit our class. He asked me to say hello to all his old classmates and friends. Tim will be attending this year's camp and is looking forward to working out with everyone.
June 12, 1997: Decided to modify the auction site into a simple buy and sell Martial Arts "Emporium". I don't have the time to maintain an auction site and after a couple of completed transactions, I've decided to make the change. The concept is simple: Check out the "Emporium" and lets buy and sell!
New mail. See you tonight at Mark Brelsford chat session at 9:30pm.
June 11, 1997: Susan has obtained the names of a couple of
inexpensive hotels, motels and B&Bs near the Mass Maritime
Academy for those people wishing to bring their families on an
extended vacation before or following this year's camp.
Bay Motor Inn - Buzzards Bay. 508-759-3989 ($54 - 74)
Onset Pointe Inn: 800-35-ONSET (14 room inn)
Bay View Motel in Onset: 508-295-5937
Fox Run Bed & Breakfast- Buzzard Bay 508-759-1458 ($50-85)
Mulberry Bed & Breakfast: Wareham 1-508-295-0684 ($50-65)
Quite a few families are attending this year and we will have a number of "new students" seminars for those who wish to give Uechi-ryu a try. Cape Cod is very beautiful at this time of year and we will try to arrange group activities, including sightseeing, boat trips and shopping sprees.
I'm mailing out the instructor's questionnaire this week, requesting that all Summer Camp teachers submit a brief summary of seminars they will be conducting. I'm planning to organize the activities into categories: Healing Arts, Pressure Points, Ground Work, Uechi-ryu Kata, Kumite, Bunkai, Weapons, etc.. These charts will be distributed at the camp and will enable participants to better organize their time for the three days. Click here for a camp application.
I was checking out the Cyberdojo this
morning and came across a link to a fascinating article
pertaining to Gojuryu's history. If your are interested, click here.http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~026246m/martial/truth.html
Please join our chat/conference sessions. Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm with the Editor of Bugeisha Magazine and Thursday evenings at 9:30pm with Renshi Mark Brelsford. I try to have my chat page up and running every evening but Wednesdays from 7-8pm. While viewing the chat page in the bottom half of your window, you can "surf" the web in the top half of your screen.
June 7, 1997: Just returned from Lake Moray, Vermont, where I enjoyed a four day holiday. What beautiful country. I took my laptop and caught up with my email messages and updated the mailbag section with some interesting correspondence. Wasn't able to make my 7pm chat sessions though, but will be there tonight and most of next week. Drop in to say hello. My server still hasn't fixed the Microsoft extension problems, although Microsoft claims the problem has been solved. With my server, any problem becomes a disaster. Hopefully the extensions will be replaced soon so our new forums can be installed.
June 4, 1997: Continuing to received many calls and email messages from people who were at the tournament Saturday, expressing their impressions of the event. Most were very positive, but a few people had suggestions for improvements, which I also welcomed. A few of the parents wondered why the officials were unclear of the rules in the kid's divisions, not calling points for techniques to the head in some rings while other rings recognized the point. Some rings ran matches for two minutes and others for only one!
I wish there were an easy out, but I simply didn't follow-up with the officials regarding the point rules, once we decided to run point matches for the children. I mistakenly thought that the point rules were pretty standard and didn't bother to go over them with the officials. Since the officials were "certified" in the "no-point" format, a few had gotten confused over the change and assumed all "under black belt" division matches were for one minute. Apparently one center ring official had interpreted the rules regarding safety to disallow any points to the face for the children's division. In all fairness, this official did notify all competitors in his ring of the rules before the match, but many of the children had been training with the more standard rules and found the last minute changes difficult to incorporate. Aside from these two rule discrepancies, the matches were run safely and orderly. All of the officials heeded my plea for safe and fair matches.
One of the best suggestions received, was from Jay Salhanick. He urged me to begin training of officials immediately and not to wait a couple of months before the tournament. There is no question that the "no-point" matches are popular among the traditional styles and will become more and more common in the future.
June 1, 1997: Many thanks to all the officials who helped out yesterday. We had nearly 50 volunteers who showed up and worked hard all day, making the 3rd annual Uechi-ryu Championships a huge success. And thanks to all you teachers who supported the event by attending and who encouraged your students to participate. Everyone wins at the Uechi-ryu Championships. Every competitor who demonstrated the courage to face their fears, the huge crowd of spectators, the officials and the other fighters, learned a valuable lesson that can only be taught under stress not available in the dojo.
There are teachers who send their students to tournaments for the purpose of winning trophies in a vain attempt to try and prove that their dojo and their students are better than other dojo and students. This is a terrible attitude and sends all the wrong messages and lessons to the student. Any student who simply competes . . . doing their very best, is gaining experience in functioning under extreme stress. . . the kind of stress one will find on the street, when you must use your knowledge for real!
I watched proudly yesterday, as students walked into a ring visibly shaking. I watched proudly as these same students turned that fear into a powerful determination and resolve. I watched proudly as these students finished their work, bowed to the officials and walked out of the ring a different person. . . a warrior! No trophy can match the pride of accomplishment felt by these students. The teachers who participated felt this same energy and this same pride in their students. It was a good day.
Lots of pictures from the tournament to view by clicking here. Action shots of the children have been saved to the "Kid's Virtual Dojo" web. Lots of new mail in the June Mailbag.
May 30, 1997: Tomorrow's tournament should be lots of fun. Last minute officials are still checking in. Shoheiryu instructor Ed Oakley is able to attend and our own Shihan Al Wharton just called me from a Boston Hotel after arriving from Bermuda. Fedele Cacia called and reported that his teacher from England, Jim Hulse will be at the tournament, accompanied by son, who is nationally rated in Europe and will be trying to win the Championship belt tomorrow.
Its confirmed: Bugeisha editor, Angel Lemus will be hosting a weekly chat program every Tuesday evenings at 7pm (EST). If you have the time, drop in and say hello. Sensei Lemus will be very happy to answer any questions relating to articles in the magazine, Kobudo or martial arts in general.
May 24, 1997: We are looking good as far as officials, time-keepers and score keepers. Thanks for all the calls and email volunteering your services. I hope to see you all next Saturday at the tournament. We will be having a brief meeting of all participants and officials promptly at 9am, so if you are competing or helping out, please be on time.
I have listened to the pros and cons of a special "work" uniform for camp. With an average gi costing well over $65 dollars today, not many of us want to practice breakfalls on the grass wearing one. I've checked around and found a company that will custom make either a Camouflage or Forrest Green gi for us, at a price which is quite reasonable. They need 5 weeks lead time to deliver them to camp however, so please order early. Check it out by clicking here.
May 22, 1997: In case you are wondering, I've redesigned the opening page and frames section. If you were trying to log on yesterday, you might have experienced a few problems associated with these changes. Sorry. Because I'm trying to focus attention on the new Chat/Conference feature, the new format is easier on the eye and allows resizing of the frames in the top web-browsing window while monitoring the chat window in the lower screen. If you are experiences any trouble with the chat site, email client_help@ichat.com for very fast help. Be sure to give them as much information as possible.
I was very pleased to learn that Bugeisha editor, Angel Lemus, will be hosting one of the chat slots. Watch the Conference page for dates and times. Don't forget to visit Shihan Mark Brelsford's session tonight at 9:30pm (EST).
We have all our officials for the Uechi Championships next week, but Steve DiOrio reports that we need help in the timekeeper and scorekeeper area. All people helping in the tournament will get free admission and a beautiful "World Uechi-ryu Championship" T-shirt. Call Steve at 1-800-341-dojo if you would like to volunteer.
Lots of new mail and Forum contributions. Finally, Microsoft discovered a security breach in their server extensions which means that the Microsoft Front Page Forums do not work. (Point of View!) Our Server is working on reinstalling the extensions with the "fix" and hopefully will have it completed soon. Until fixed, we must put the new forums on hold.
May 18, 1997: Manny Neves and Gustavo Gondra worked out with my class yesterday in Newton. Mr. Gondra, I believe, represents the newest and freshest thinking in Uechi-ryu. He is very powerful, accurate and has a wonderfully versatile understanding of what he is doing. He is a firm believer of "cross-training", but never mixes the arts when practicing or teaching. Most importantly, he is a genuinely nice person, who abhors politics and treats all people with respect and kindness. Meeting Gustavo and working with him, gave me a renewed optimism about our beloved Uechi-ryu and its future. I hope you have an opportunity to meet him and work out with him during his visit to the Boston area.
May 13, 1997: The UFC sure has focused attention on "groundwork" and Ju-jitsu. I've been receiving quite a few seminar flyers featuring teachers who specialize in these disciplines. One caught my eye, because the instructor is also a Uechi-ryu practitioner. Gustavo Gondra, Uechi-ryu instructor and director of South American Jujitsu Federation will be presenting seminars at the Neves Karate Academy in Lynn, MA from May 16- 24th. Contact Mr. Neves at 617-595-8870 for information.
Steve Diorio is sponsoring a free seminar at the Gold Gym in Newton, MA on the 16th of May from 7-9pm, which should be very interesting. "Explore the hidden Kyusho (Dim Mak) applications in the kata Sanchin." Gold's Gym can be reached from Rt 128 by taking the Highland Ave to Newton exit. Second right onto 2nd street. Gold's is 2 blocks on left.
Don't forget to support the Uechi Championships at the end of this month. We have certified many highly qualified instructors as officials and as a group, plan to make this a fair and enjoyable event for all competitors.
May 12, 1997: The Chat server is now up and running. Stop by and say hello. Bill Glasheen's "Dojo Roundtable" sure has been active. Lots of interesting topics and fascinating "interaction". Check it out. Ron Klein's site has been working out details on the new Kobudo Association structure. If you enjoy weapon study, you might find this forum educational and interesting.
Dr. Paul Giella will be administrating the latest forum. He hasn't chosen a name yet, but will probably relate to the subject matter he plans to tackle - emotional/psychological issues relating to the martial arts. Watch for it's premiere next week.
Our Publication Review Committee Forum is waiting for USA1 to set up the security system before beginning work on it's first project. Still time to participate, either as an author or committee member.
Spring Dan Test at Ed Huff's dojo next Sunday at 10am. Call Ed for details. Good luck to all Spring Test candidates.
May 8, 1997: The Chat server is undergoing maintenance today and will be down. Sorry. It should be back on line Friday. Check out the Conference page for ongoing updates. New "moderators" are being signed-up on a daily basis. When logging on to the chat page, make sure your browser's "cookie" option is turned on. The program won't log you on without knowing who you are.
May 7, 1997: Last night we had our first on-line meeting at 7pm. It was well attended, with many interesting guests. Sensei Kimo Wall and his student Giles Hopkins were there, along with Paul Haydu, Mark Brelsford and students from the Brandeis Uechi club. Among the many topics we discussed were Kimo's attending camp again this year. . . which is great news for us all. Kimo Sensei is one of the hardest working martial artist I've ever seen. Kimo is meeting Dr. Liu in San Francisco later this month. Hopefully Dr. Liu will be able to make a return visit as well.
We also discussed the chat/conference schedule. We will be scheduling interesting conference hosts on a weekly basis. I asked Mark Brelsford to take one of the slots and he accepted. Beginning tomorrow, and every Thursday evening after that, Mark will be hosting the "Open Dojo" Chat site with his "Living and Learning on Okinawa". Mark is a fascinating person who will be happy to answer any questions about Okinawa, Uechi/Shoheiryu or other related subjects. Mark will be on "Open Dojo" from 9:30pm until 10:30pm officially. . . as long as he wishes to field questions, unofficially. Please join him.
May 5, 1997: Spoke with David Mott this morning. I tried to convince him that using email would make communicating easier and faster. Someone told him that using the Internet just for email, would take at least a half hour of his time a day. . . time that he could not afford to spend on-line. Try as I might, Dave will, at least for the time being, remain in the "dark ages" of communications! He suggested that I "mail" to him, copies of everything of importance!!!!
Its amazing how email has changed the way many communicate. I used to spend a lot. . . and I mean a lot of time answering "snail" mail. Much more than a half hour, David! Telephone calls were another problem. So, in my case, email has greatly reduced the amount of time I spend communicating with my associates, friends and students. The amount of paper I receive has been reduced in proportion to the amount of email I get.
Now the downside to all this computer convenience, is that I've tended to communicate more with those who are on-line and use email. Many of my close friends, like Dave Mott, are in less likely to be called on for important issues, or are in a situation where they learn about something from a student who "downloads" it from the Internet.
I've become quite impatient in the communication area. An issue comes up today and I want to resolve it today! Bob Campbell is needed to answer a question. I can email him at 9pm and have the answer by 9:30pm, along with backup data. Phone calls are nice, but I find that people spend much more time chatting about the weather, making other small talk, rather than focusing on the reason for the call. David and I talked for over a half hour, which was a pleasant interlude to my morning routine, but the primary reason for the call was to ask about a student's missing 1993 black belt certificate.
I answer two dozen such questions a day via email. . . in - out, in less than a minute.
David's compromise to our dilemma, was to add a fax machine to his office. Certainly not much of a compromise in this approaching 21st century, but a beginning.
I was unable to make last night's 7pm on-line meeting. . . Susan received word that her father passed away earlier in the day and we were busy contacting family and friends of her father. Maurice was 90 years old and had been in ill health for a number of years, so the news was not unexpected.
If you have a chance, drop in to the chat/conference program tonight at 7pm. I'm working on a new chat/conference table of contents, which should be on line next week. Check it out.
The Auction page has finally been getting some action. However, I've been too busy to update the bids on varying items. The Uechi Kyhon did not get any bids. A few people expressed shock over the price asked. Anyway, I'll contact the person who wanted to sell the book and with his permission, will publish his letter. Anyone interested in negotiating with him can do so directly.
I've been getting quite a few calls from dojo owners regarding the Uechi tournament. In case you haven't heard, the children's freefighting division will be using the "point" rules. We haven't determined the cut off age yet, but I'm leaning towards youth under that age of 15. What do you think?
May 1, 1997: The new Chat/Conference page is now up and running. I've tried them all and this one is definitely the best. Its called the "Uechi-ryu World of Martial Arts" and its waiting for you to drop in. One of the neat features of this chat program, is that you can run it from the bottom half of your browser, while surfing the Internet on the top section. The best way to do this, is to enter the Uechi On-line Magazine through the chat program. (bookmark the main chatpage, then load the chatpage first.) Check out the "Conference" page for upcoming events, conferences and guest hosts. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.
Check out the new "Publication Review" Forum and post your suggestions for articles. Also let me know if you wish to participate in this feature.
New mail and lots of other things going on. Happy hunting.
April 27, 1997: Finally got my new Forums working. Spent the better part of this weekend working on them. Now that I have the framework for the discussion webs in place, I'll be able to use them for many of the new features of this site. The most important function of the "interactive" Forums will be that you can communicate directly with the Uechi world, without my involvement. I've devoted a couple of years to this site and have really enjoyed participating with you while learning the amazing world of the Internet. However, I plan to delegate more responsibilities to the many talented and imaginative people out there. . . namely YOU! I'll still be kept very busy, creating new features and programs, lining up guests for our new Chat Program, which should be up and running next week. (I know you've heard this before, but Service Technicians have finally promised to install it.)
I'm very excited about the future of the Internet. Its a wonderful way to meet other martial artist, share experiences, techniques, history and training tips. Thanks for making this site one of the most popular martial art's site on the net. GEM
April 22, 1997: Should the Japanese be able to redefine the
meaning of "Budo"? Angel Lemus, Editor of Bugeisha,
believes that traditional martial artist must stand up and be
heard. Check out the "Mailbag" for Angel's "call
to action".
". . . I have included below a disturbing
trend coming from Japan (and likewise the same mentality has been
adopted in Okinawa by the heads of many Ryu). To put it in a
nutshell, we are now supposed to acknowledge that the term
"BUDO" is "SPORT". When you read the letter
below, please note that the whole undertone revolves around
competition and "western sports principles". [From Mr.
Lemus's letter]
The whole issue of Budo is currently a "Point of View!" topic and was an active subject on the old Forum. I updated this topic recently, by posting the more interesting old Forum messages to this new section. Have a great day. GEM
April 20, 1997: Big day for runners in New England tomorrow! Boston is hosting it's 101st Marathon. Jayne Kramer told me after class Wednesday, that she has been running it (and completing it) every year for the past 5 years! Good luck Jayne and all the other Uechi practitioners who have entered.
Remember the "real old" photograph quiz? Well no one came close to identifying all of the people and as promised, here is their identities:
From left to right: Will Zachman, Walter Mattson, Bruce Borsaris, GEM, Harry Brawley, Dharuma, Donald MacCalmon (in front), Claus Arons (in back of Don), Charles Earle III, Charles Coughlan and Robert Fulton IV.
Donald MacCalmon posed with me for the cover of "The Way of Karate", Will, Walter, Harry, Charles and me are all very active in Uechi-ryu. I'm not sure what happened to Donald, Claus and Mr. Fulton. (yes, he is related to the steamship Fultons!) Claus was a long distance runner. I remember the Mattson Academy fielding a team for a 10 mile road race many years ago. Clause came in 4th place. . . running in a karate uniform pants, Mattson academy T-shirt and combat boots! I believe Harry and Charles also ran. I trained with them, but did not survive the training sessions. Harry comes on-line once in awhile. He can tell you about the 6am workouts and gourmet breakfasts in Newton. Those were the days!
Lots of activity on the site. . . check out the mailbag and forums. Drop in to the chat site and say hello whenever you visit the site.
April 17, 1997: Thanks to the many individuals who responded to my request for volunteers. We now have a highly qualified review committee that will help Uechi-ryu authors get their work published. Thanks also to those of you who asked for the committee's help with writing projects. I'll keep you posted as our authors get articles published.
The auction segment has stalled. Initially got lots of mail with items people wanted to sell, but few were able to provide pictures. This past week I haven't heard from anyone, either offering items or bidding. Any ideas on how to "jump-start" this segment?
The forums are extremely popular. Besides covering diverse topics on many subjects, they are a great way for students and teachers to get instant feedback. Check it out.
Thanks to the parent who emailed me four action photographs taken at the recent children't tournament. I've posted them to the "Kid's Dojo". Later. . .
April 13, 1997: Wouldn't it be nice to see more articles on Uechi-ryu in martial arts magazines and popular general interest publications? This was a question raised by one of the NAC seniors last week, which resulted in the formation of a "publication review committee", designed to help new and established authors get published. I will coordinate this project initially, putting the committee together and helping establish a formula for making the process work. Most of the work will be done by email. If you would like to be part of the project, either helping out as a committee member or as an author, please contact me by email. Our first project has already been selected and will be used as a model for future efforts. The committee will help suggest topics of interest, target publications, help in the editing of the article, suggest photographs and assist in getting the article published.
I've been very fortunate in finding a Japanese seamstress who has successfully duplicated (some say surpassed) the quality found in the embroidered Shoreido belts at half the price. The first dozen or so were OK, but lacked consistency. Slowly, the seamstress learned what we wanted and she has tuned out really great belts for the past two months, without raising the price. Only one request: "Please send in the orders together, once a month. . . best time is at the end of month!" So please take note, all embroidered belt orders will be placed at the end of every month, to be delivered in 2 weeks. Thanks.
Lots of new and exciting things happening on this site. . . check out everything!
April 10, 1997: Received permission to post one of karate's most interesting documents on our "China" hands vs. "Empty" hands "Point of View!" While reading the document, picture the meeting being held in Boston in 1965 or 1985 with just the names being changed! Many thanks to Wayne Muromoto and his fine "Furyu" Magazine for allowing us to reprint the minutes of this historical meeting.
Although no one has come close to guessing the individuals in the ancient picture posted a few days ago, many have tried! I'll give you the correct answer next week. Meanwhile, I still have a great gift for anyone who successfully identifies all faces! For those of you who enjoy looking at old pictures, I've posted another one last night. You shouldn't have any trouble guessing who is in this early 70s photograph.
April 9, 1997: The Spring Dan Test in Nova Scotia will be conducted at Dave Hunt's Karate Academy on May 24th, beginning at 12 noon. The New England test will be held on the May 18th at Ed Huff's Boston dojo. Please contact Dave and Ed regarding specific information.
Al Moulton has a great article in his "Instruction" section. Check it out. (Number 28 I believe)
The new Forums are really getting interesting. Why not let us hear from you.
April 6, 1997: 
Just
received word that Sensei David H. Freeman died after a lengthy
illness. The funeral will be tomorrow (Monday, April 7) at the
Peacedale Congregation Church on Columbia Street at 11am.[Rt 95
to rt 4. Rt 4 turns into rt 1 at South County. Take the Wakefield
exit off Rt 1. Take a right at the 2nd light unto Columbia.
Church is 4-5 blocks on the right.]
Dave was a very kind and gentle person and was always active in Uechi-ryu activities. His seminars at Summer Camps were always well attended and appreciated. He will be missed.
April 4, 1997: New England is enjoying warm and sunny days again as the record breaking April Fools Day snow accumulation rapidly melts. Unfortunately, mother nature wasn't the only prankster on this memorable day. My computer decided to play a joke on me during a brief power outage. I was in the middle of answering email, when the power briefly went out, then on again. The computer immediately "rebooted" and my new "Norton Utilities for Windows" (which runs in the background) promptly warned me that it had detected something wrong. Without thinking, I sent Mr. Norton to work, finding and fixing the errant hard drive. In the process, and without my knowing it, my email database, which had become "fragmented", was identified, isolated and "nuked" by warrior Norton!
While smiling to myself, pleased with my decision to purchase Norton's newest widget, my email program announced the bad news: "cannot find database!" Needless to say, I couldn't either. Mr. Norton's friendly tech-support people apologized and said "you really should back up your files", while I explained that's why I bought your program!
Bottom line. . . I lost my entire email address and message database! So if you were expecting a reply from me, please resend your post.
I was quite surprised over the number of posts the new "Point of View!" topic received. Apparently there is still considerable interest in the reasons why Okinawa changed the name "China" hands to "Open" or "Empty" hands. Check it out. While you are there, look over the newest "Point of View!" topic, "What Budo Means to Me!"
April 2, 1997: The new Forums are really going well. Lots of interesting topics with vastly different opinions. We appreciate "lurkers", but would rather have "participants". Get involved! New Point of View! topic, mail and much more. Those of us in New England are snowed-in so will have time to chat. Drop in and say hello. So far, no one has come close to identifying the group in the '65 picture. There must be a few "oldtimers" out there who are on the internet. Later.
April 1, 1997: Boston is in the middle of a blizzard! No April Fool joke either. Had some time, so began cleaning out my office. Can't believe a person could or would collect so many things. Pulled out of a dusty file a bunch of photographs entitled "bloopers"! Wondering if I might be able to blackmail a few seniors with them. Problem is that I'm in quite a few myself. I scanned one, which I've posted to the gallery site and I'll give a great gift to the first person who can identify the individuals in the group.
March 30, 1997: Lots of new Mail. . . Kid's Dojo contributions and more Point of Views concerning "experiments in the dojo". Have you checked the new Forums? This is an easy way to communicate directly and instantly to a topic or better yet, start a new topic. Service is still trying to get our new Chat system up and running. At $85 an hour, I hope they finish before my bank account is depleted! I've received many new items for the Auction site, but most entries were not accompanied with a picture. If you mail a picture to me, I'll scan it for you. However, many copy centers now offer this service.
While working in the office, I keep one of my computers turned on to the existing chat page. . . whenever possible at 10am, 2pm and 7pm (EST). The 10pm session is generally too late for me, but I understand Bill Glasheen often "lurks" around at that time! Drop in and say hello.
March 24, 1997: I've been working on a new "Auction Site" page for a couple of weeks and installed it today. You can't believe the number of requests I get for Master Uechi's "Kihon" (The Big Blue Book!) and an email this morning from someone wanting to sell one, was perfect timing. This book has to be the rarest of any martial art's book I know of and should generate some excitement on this site. After you check it out, why not dig out some of those items of interest, buried in the basement anyway, and offer them for sale here. If you are looking for something, let "Auction Site" know about it.
March 22, 1997: Busy day! Went to Steve DiOrieo's Kids' tournament and really enjoyed myself. The kids, their parents and the teachers had a great day. The Uechi kids were at a big disadvantage, in that most of them had never been at a tournament before and suffered from major "stage fright"! The experience reinforces my belief that tournaments may not be the best way to get "battle" tested, but its the best we have. David Moy has quite a bit to say about Bill's suggestion to do "research" in the dojo. Lots of new mail and much more! Later. . .
March 21, 1997: I'm very pleased to announce that Ron Klein has accepted the position of this site's second Forum administrator. Ron has a mission to inform the martial art's world about his experiences dealing with the legal system as a martial artist. You should listen, hear, question and get involved. The issues didn't affect you this time, but they could in the future. Ron is also heading up the committee working on the new NAC Kobudo Association. Although you might not be affiliated with NAC, we welcome your suggestions and comments.
March 17, 1997: Received a very disturbing letter from Ron Klein, concerning the trial of Bob Keith. According to Ron, the trial was not the best example of how our judicial system is supposed to work. Read Ron's unsettling letter in the Mail section.
I also read a headline in this week's Boston Globe where a "Black belt" was arrested for killing his wife. Although he was also a "hairstylist" and perhaps skied, bowled and jogged, the fact that he was a martial artist became a strong focal point in the article. People who read the article will subliminally make the assumption that since he was a black belt, he must be guilty of the crime. . . not because of the evidence, but because he studies and has mastered a violent sport!
Reading Ron's letter further confirms this belief that a martial artist will be judged by a different, more harsh and demanding standard than the general public.
A teacher has a very powerful influence over their charges. We would hope that this power be used positively, to build confidence in their students and motivate them to excel in their studies. When this power is used for any other reasons, especially illegal and/or immoral purposes, these teachers should be held accountable. But the law must treat the accused as it would any other person, not "guilty until proven innocent". In Bob Keith's situation, it appears as though he was unable to use normal resources, such as "expert" witnesses, to help establish his innocence and therefore was confirmed "guilty". What do you thing? GEM
March 14, 1997: Please go to the new "Dojo Roundtable" message forum and read Steve DiOrio's post regarding his March 22nd Westwood Kid's Tournament. He needs help officiating. Please give him a call at 1-800-314 DOJO. Kanji Uechi and I will be there and will be helping. Hope you can join us. We will be needed from 9am until about 1pm in the afternoon.
Getting caught up on a few of the web features. Check out the new Point of View!, Mailbag and of course the new Dojo Roundtable. And please. . . drop in to CHAT whenever you are on the internet. Our new, improved and AOL friendly chat program is being installed at this time. Hope to have it ready sometime next week. Meantime, our old German standby works just fine. Best time to check in is 10am, 2, 7 & 10pm (EST). GEM
March 12, 1997: Trying out a new online message forum while my server provider works on theirs. Will keep the original Forum as a reference, but don't add anymore messages there. The best way to use the new message forum is to first check the messages to make sure a category or topic isn't already listed. If it is, respond to the question or comment where appropriate. If you wish to add a new "thread", go to the bottom of the message form and click "Post New Message". GEM
March 11, 1997: Congratulations to Gary, Fedele and Greg and the very best wishes for the success of their three new dojo.
I spoke with a number of teachers who will be sending children to the May Uechi Championships about the sparring rules. Most of the instructors recommended that we use the conventional "point" method instead of the "non-stop" rules used for all divisions last year. (They believe the non-stop rules are a bit intimidating and confusing. . . not a problem for adults, but a 'turn-off' for kids.) This year, we will give it a try. There won't be time to do a general mailing, so please help get this information to as many dojo as possible.
Kanji Uechi has agreed to be the Head Referee in the Children's Free Fighting competition. (He will also be at Steve DiOrio's Kids Tournament) Kanji and his father Kanmei will be teaching special children's classes at the camp this year as well.
Although I've been critical of AOL and services that restrict access to the net, I'm aware that they will be an important force in the near future and those of us who manage websites, must do what we can to accommodate those who use these programs. I believe that on-line conferencing will continue to grow in importance and its a shame that so many students and teachers cannot participate. Although I personally prefer Java based chat programs over others, we must select programs that are extremely easy to access and use. Programs like Powwow, which are rich in features and options, remain difficult to download, unzip and install for people who use AOL type services or who do not understand "paths", "unzip" or other basics necessary to install or use a new program.
These same people will quickly pick up these skills with time, patience and guidance. But if a new computer user loses confidence in his/her ability to use the Internet, they will find reasons not to use it. Our role, as a website, should parallel the dojo experience. Often, we expect our internet participants to practice Seisan without knowing how to tie their belt or step using Sanchin! I'm excited over the potential of the internet and hopeful that this site will continue to explore new and better ways to serve all our members. . . white belts and Hanchi skill levels included. There will be many new features added to this site during the next few months. I hope you will be part of this process. Communications is best when it is two way. . . lets hear from you. GEM
March 8, 1997: Received a very interesting letter from an old student, that I'd like to share with you on this editorial page:
Subject: Just Some Thoughts...
Hi Sensei,
Found your site recently and have been going through the different sections slowly whenever I have some time to spare. Its' one of the better web sites on the martial arts I have seen yet -- lots of information, varying viewpoints, and obviously a open and democratic spirit that allows for that.
As you know, I had been away from the Uechi-ryu practice for quite awhile and have only recently began attending your Saturday classes on an infrequent basis (whenever family obligations are not in the way). There seems to be changes from when I first started practicing back in the 70's -- a little "softer" and more exploration of supplemental exercises (?from other traditions). I have found the classes much more enjoyable than in the past.
And, in practicing the katas, bunkais, and kumite, I have this sense of a "hidden" reservoir of knowledge, spirit or whatever, beneath the "surface" techniques that beckons for greater exploration -- something I never appreciated before. Perhaps, the Uechi-Ryu hasn't changed as much as I have changed as a "student".
I read with interest the "political" situation. In my time away from Uechi practice, I heard about the "split" through friends who have remained involved. Evidently, it was or has been a painful experience for many folks who have been around. Yet, for most students, I would suggest it's pretty useless to dwell on the political issues. Fundamentally, what's important is the practice itself with an instructor you trust. Everything else is extraneous. I say this because I mostly practice aikido these days. I went into Aikido with no idea of the "splits" that have occurred, and the resulting proliferation of "organizations" since the latter days of the Founder's life. I seen some students and instructors in my organization as well as others who are very caught up in it. The energy put into building and maintaining walls of isolation, distrust and denigration is such a waste and can be so much better spent on the practice itself. At the same time, I see many students and teachers who are not caught up in it, are willing to simply practice, and to practice with anybody who is sincere about his/her practice, regardless of affiliation. One of the attractions of aikido (for me) is in fact the ability to walk into an aikido dojo in another city and/or another affiliation, and be invited to practice with openness and warmth.
Hopefully, this is also happening in the Uechi-Ryu/Shoheiryu/Paigainoon dojos. The martial "path" is a deep one and calls for committed and sincere practice. That's where our energy and attention should be focused. Let's not get diverted by distractions.
Good training to all.
David Moy.
Great letter David. As one of the "oldtimers" in the martial arts generally and Uechi-ryu specifically, your perspective is greatly appreciated.
Hopefully you will be able to join my class in Natick on Wednesdays to pick up where you left off years ago. Your open-minded attitude and varied experiences in the martial arts will help you further understand what you correctly point out as a "hidden reservoir of knowledge, . . .".
Regarding your comments concerning "politics": I agree with your statement that we should all simply work out, without the "BS"! However, just as you ". . .heard about the split through friends. . ", so has everyone. People enjoy gossiping, speculating and getting involved with issues that have nothing to do with their performance of Sanchin. The problem was the "quality" of the gossip that was being passed around. Certain people used the gossip trail to further their own goals of discrediting seniors and spreading out and out lies. No one knew what was truth and what was fiction. Students would overhear things, which they wouldn't question and which they would pass on to others which would be passed on etc, etc, etc.
This website took the position that it was best to expose the rumors, gossip for what it was. . . and to give the principals involved the opportunity to air their problems in the open for all to see. Amazingly enough, the process took less than a year to complete. You are reading mostly very old letters, complaints, points of view and clarifications. People no longer gossip, since the person hearing the gossip can go directly to the source, be it here or on Okinawa, for the facts! And if you are following the latest news, you will realize that the senior Uechi-ryu community has tired of throwing around accusations and become interested in renewing old friendships and relationships. . . not based on ego driven, administrative posturing, but focusing on how we can work out together in the dojo, sharing and exploring techniques, which was the original reason we all started Uechi-ryu.
The "Political" page is not viewed by old timers to the site and I'm sure once you have checked out all the letters regarding the history of the "split" it won't be high on your priorities either. But there are still quite a few uninformed students and teachers coming on line daily, for which the page will remain a place where their questions and concerns will be answered. The Uechi website is like a library. Hopefully it will continue to grow with positive and useful information and discussion. The few negative experiences are part of our history. . . not something many of us seniors are proud of, but certainly nothing that we must hide from our students to protect them either.
Your final statement could be this site's trademark. . . "Let's not get diverted by distractions. Good training to all." I like that!
See you in class.
Best,
George
March 7, 1997: Back from an enjoyable vacation to Florida. Don't know if I could take those 85 degree temperatures all year. Maybe just during the Winter months!! Many thanks to Mike and Pat, who took care of the house and Tia during our trip. Florida has a stupid law about Pitbulls, so we were unable to take Tia with us. Wish people would learn that any dog can be trained to be a "killer" and that there is no such thing as a "killer" breed! Did you know that one of the best guard dog is the Standard Poodle? The reason they aren't used is because they have an image of being "cute" and friendly, unlike the Doberman, Pitbull and Rottweilder and would be less likely to scare away a thief.
Susan wouldn't let me bring a computer along on our trip. (Wonder why?) Anyway, whenever I could, I'd use whatever was available during the trip. Mostly, my (new to computers) hosts used America On Line services and all complained that they could not access many of the this site's features. After a few tries, I realized what they meant. Downloading AOL's special Netscape browser helped a little, but few people will understand or go through the trouble of first loading AOL, then activating Netscape for the few benefits AOL allows to sneak through their elaborate and self serving spiderWeb. Naturally none of the chat programs, other than those sponsored by AOL, worked. And for some reason or other, we were unable to download Powwow! Finally gave up after three attempts. Netscape suggested that more features could be activated if the user were to download the 32 bit version of AOL. . . then asked you to get this information from AOL! We gave up on this after an hour of searching.
The Internet has tremendous potential for those who have the tools to use it. But services like AOL don't want you to use this potential unless it is filtered through their layers of controlled access. I used to recommend AOL to new users of computers, but not anymore. AOL brags about its 2 millions hours a day family of chatters" who are locked into AOL in order to maintain their "family" relationships. As an "outsider", I can't participate nor can their "family" join in outside chats or conferences not sponsored by AOL. This is not the kind of freedom that the Internet was created to foster. It doesn't work in the martial arts and certainly won't work for the Internet.
Unless AOL changes it attitude, they will continue to be a revolving door for customers. . . a great place to get 50 free hours to learn how the computer can be used to communicate, explore and educate. . . but a place where few will stay for the long haul.
I'll be updating this site for the next couple of days. Many new letters and articles. For those of you who don't use AOL, join our "open" chats and powwow conferences. Check the Conference page for the latest schedules. Later. . . GEM
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