Wow!Kimo Wall just sent me an e-mail, saying he is coming to WinterFest!I’m very pleased with the response this year. Should be a full house. Sunday, Jan20th will be the last day to register.
Last Minute WinterFest Registrations!!!!
Jan 25-27, 2008
[update: it is fixed!}
If you tried to register on-line within the last couple days, we did not get the information. Our new store had a problem while moving some categories from the old store. We didn’t know about this until today. A new store item is being built, but may take awhile to show up on-line. Meanwhile, if you wish to attend WinterFest and you didn’t get a “approved” confirmation, please send me an email ASAP.
Thanks,
George Mattson
New Web Store
One of the biggest complaints I receive regarding our website, is that our Store is confusing and difficult to navigate.
Well, about a month ago I decided to check out the new store programs and determine if a better alternative exists. Wow… five years ago when I subscribed to Free Merchant, there were only a few options. Today there must be over a hundred to chose from. Free Merchant, which began as a free service, soon decided that they better charge if they wish to survive. They began to offer bronze, silver and gold services – with the promise to add many perks for these upgraded programs. Well, there were a couple of benefits, but mostly they improved the method in which they collected their payments while holding off with the “improvements”.
The program I’ve selected seems to be perfect. It has all the features our readers have been asking for and is simple enough to edit, so that even I can add product and product options.
We have most of our items on the store, but we are still working on items. If you wish to order something and you have any questions about sizes or other options, just include an e-mail with the order with your questions and Sue will get any missing information before confirming the order.
Don’t forget to check our temporary martial art books store. These books will be moved to our new site during the next couple months, but can be ordered now.
Click Here to view our new Store!
Please “bookmark” the store site, since it will take awhile to change the links in the rest of the site.
The Uechi-ryu.com website has been extremely busy throughout 2007. I was most pleased with the number of visitors who spent hours on the site and that hundreds of people were here, nearly all of the time.
Someone mentioned that the reason people spend so much time here, was because they weren’t able to find what they are looking for! 🙂
I believe this comment was meant as a gentle criticism of the “George Mattson method of organization”. Although I felt the “jab” was unfounded, the very next day I spent an hour attempting to find one of the missing links that I could have sworn was just updated a few months ago.
Is it possible that this site has simply reached an “overload” situation where too much material has been saved over the years – been moved from one Internet provider to another and one folder to another, until our latest server has simply given up in frustration???
None of you will be surprised to learn that I don’t have any formal computer training and no one is more surprised to see the site pop up on the Internet every day than me. I get bored with the same format of the site and occasionally will decide to make a few changes! What I’m discovering is that any minor change at the top of the design pyramid will (if not carefully and accurately accomplished) have disastrous results throughout the web structure. Simple things like renaming a directory to help organize a section will obliterate everything in the directory and/or links in other page throughout the website.
Whenever a link points at a non-existing page, the viewer will be taken back to our home page. I’ve discovered that many of our more computer literate readers have made a game out of trying to find those missing pages by modifying the URL (address) of the link. . . somewhat like a complex puzzle or crossword game. . .
I finally found the missing link I was looking for and decided to begin fixing some of the major links appearing in the menus. (top and left)
The “news” section in the top menu contains the “WhatsNew” archives going back to 1995. Unfortunately, the original Forums, begun in 1993-4 when the site was hosted by USA1 is no longer on our current server. Bill Glasheen was the first Forum moderator (to my knowledge) on the Internet with a martial art theme. I’m sure someone must have transcripts of these original forums and I would appreciate getting a copy for our archives if that person/s would send them to me!
Tracking down missing links is extremely time consuming so fixing all of them will be a long-term project. If anyone would like to help out, please contact me.
IUKF requires a thesis or other work to earn their “titles” of “Renshi”, “Kyoshi” and “Hanshi”. Joan Neide, PhD and Bill Glasheen, PhD are in charge of the Titles Program. Some of the candidates submit DVDs to satisfy this requirement. Joan and Bill work with the candidates to determine an area of research that will advance the understanding of Uechi-ryu.
David Mott sent me his latest DVD as well last month. David is one of the strongest martial artist I’ve ever encountered, yet his approach to his martial arts has always been tempered based on a balanced perspective gained from his TaiChi and Chi-gong training. Unlike many former Uechi-ryu students who decided that Uechi-ryu was too “hard” or “limited” for them and opted to change styles, David understands that the “Way” of Uechi-ryu is not in the techniques of the system, but the applications and personal interpretations of the system – based on the individuals current physical/emotional requirements.Ironically, David’s latest work, entitled “Coiling Silk Exercises” emphasises a mode of training that I’ve been experimenting with since moving to Florida. Since opening my dojo here and facing the challenge of teaching brand new students once again, I decided to experiment with teaching methods that were quite different from what I was doing in New England. Although I was not familiar with the “Coiling Silk” style, my teaching method turned out to be very similar in nature to what David is practicing and describing as “Coiling Silk Exercises”.
Although the actual exercises (movements from the Uechi system) that David selected to demonstrate the principles of Coiling Silk are performed slightly different then found in the kata, I found them extremely helpful in my class where David’s technique and explanation clarify what I am teaching.
After three years of working with new students and seeing them advance to black belts, I can enthusiastically endorse what David has added to his Uechi program and the method I am using to teach Uechi-ryu. No program will satisfy all people, but I am confident that adding a “Coiling Silk” component to your Uechi-ryu will help your students become better athletes and will provide your dojo with a more balanced physical conditioning program.
I will be reviewing this Uechi teaching emphasis at this year’s WinterFest Symposium. There is still time to join us. Click Hereto register.