This is just a quick note to thank you for joining me for the annual kung fu dinner in Boston. This was always a great reason for Uechi people to get together for festivities outside of a workout. We get to join the largest martial arts organizations in Boston’s Chinatown and their associates from the entire eastern seaboard.
There were approximately 500 in attendance. Over 70 of the attendee were Uechi-Ryu people from the New England area. The Uechi-Ryu people came from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. I apologize if I did not contact you in regards to this event. I will truly try to include you next year. Please do not hesitate to remind me if you are interested for next year. This event will only get bigger as years go by.
This event included demonstrations by the Tiny Wu Shu School who came with 25 young ladies between 5 to 12 years of ages to perform their fan dances. The Wu Ching White Crane society performed some of their most well know forms. The Wai Lum School showed a wonderful performance of their flexibility and agility. In attendance was a Shaolin Monk accompanied by a few of his student who stepped up and demonstrated their version on training. We also saw a master of marital arts from India demonstrate their weapons training and their 2 person hand and weapon sets.
The anchor performance was our Uechi-Ryu people proudly showing the connection between Uechi-Ryu and all that everyone knows about their kung fu systems. My Tai Chi group performed our competition hand set, weapons and ball exercises. Sensei Tom Hallahan demonstrated the power we possessed as Uechi-Ryu practitioners. Sensei Fedele Cacia wowed the crowd with his body conditioning tested by Sensei Peter Blackman. Sensei Fred Lohse and his students demonstrated the Feeding Crane Forms.
A few of my students whom you will certainly hear about in the near future as they will be some of our up and coming greats also joined the show. Melissa McCarthy, Brianna McCarthy and Jordan Lippman demonstrated Seisan kata in unison proving how can smoothly flow and still maintain a maximum degree of force. David Wu demonstrated one of our methods of training to enhance our reflexes and movements while using a weapon. Sophia Candlen, Cassie Candlen and Araceli Sandoval demonstrated how we develop our aggressive fighting combinations. Jordan Lippman came out again to prove young people have tremendous power in their kicks with proper training. The big finally was 5 years old Patrick Candlen sparring with Ignacio (Nacho the “no man”) Sandoval.
They all proved there is a bright and successful future for Uechi-Ryu. As a teacher, there is no greater joy then to see the results of your dedication to these talented and wonderful children. They are the future of our system. “Teach them well and let them lead the way”.
Again, I want to thank you for your participation. I’m sure the 10 course meal which included lobster, steak, chicken, fish, fried rice, an assortment of vegetables and different sea foods provided plenty of food for everyone. I also like to give a special thanks to our friends Sensei John Griffin and Sensei Tom Piacentini from Connecticut for traveling such a great distance to celebrate with us.
Sensei Pat Saunders was there also. I have such great respect for her as a teacher and maybe some of her students will join us next year and demonstrate what a tremendous job she is doing at her dojo.
Darin Yee