Fairfax_Uechi

Do some more research. As others said. The most understood path is China to Okinawa to Japan. Digging deeper, the theory goes India to China, etc... I'm not an expert about the Korean arts (and haven't done much research, but if I'm not mistaken some of the influence comes from Japan, and some from China. I know there is a really good chart on a web site that shows a pretty good tree. I'm not sure of the link, but if I find it I'll post it. If not, I'm sure someone else will.

Krazy Carol, Congrats, and we won't hold the Red Sox thing against you! As for the belt thing. I'm suprised no one mentioned it. I got mine in a few minutes. Walked into Walmart, picked one out, took it to the register and paid for it. The one around the Gi took much longer. And as others have said, being a black belt isn't just a piece of cloth around your waist. It's also not what you know. It's what you become when you've earned it. I've heard it said that a Uechi green belt can hold their own against black belts in many other styles. Why, because the training is different. But in our style they're not blackbelts. Just like a Shodan has a great deal more to learn. In Uechi they still have several Kata to learn. Now with all of that said. Please enjoy your success, and get back in the dojo and get back to training. Nothing annoys me more than someone quitting right after they earn their blackbelt.

I did but wasn't impressed, but I'm always on guard against Martial arts scams. I didn't want to bring it up but since you did, I'll comment. Anyway, the great thing is you can disagree with me and that's fine. I also came across this after reading this thread. It's worth looking at, I haven't verified all of the facts, but I know some of the facts are accurate. http://judoinfo.com/karateranks.htm

Ok. I think we agree, just using different terms, or saying it differently. BTW, for the first time, I got all sorts of strage junk all over my Gi. I"m not sure what the deal is. Lots of Shout gel and a little bleech pen to get all of the dirt and junk out.

Ya think? I didn't read the ad that close before. Not only some exageration, but I'm willing to be even a few OUTRIGHT lies. If I'm not mistaken, the Japanese government is pretty strict about what arts the recognize and something tells me that these folks don't qualify. But I COULD be wrong, but don't think so.

Well Uechi-Ryu is based on the Tiger, Dragon, and Crane. The hard techniques are based on the tiger, and some dragon, the soft and balance techniques are based on the dragon and crane. I don't know much about styles that are based strictly on one animal, but you can do more research to find out more about the various animal styles and styles based on them. I would do some research into this Master. Find out his lineage, his style and any information you can. Find out if he's saying this strictly because this is what he knows, or because he wants to teach you crane techniques. BTW, what is your build? If your small, think, or lanky then crane techniques are more suited to you than a larger muscular person who is more tiger like. But these are just general comments, since anyone can learn any type of technique, just some are better suited to different people.

Thanks. I appreciate the comment. I've been training longer than I care to think about. Too long to be a novice, but too short to be "good". As I said, I have a feeling these classes are more aerobics than actual kickboxing. But I'll keep your comments in mind. BTW, I don't think they'll spend much time doing front toe kicks or edge foot kicks like we do in Uechi. And since these are all of the kicks of the style I don't see it as a problem.

Bruce Lee was pretty remarkable. Not to insult him or his legacy, but keep in mind that some of the things told about him are pure legend. Others are exaggerations and some are actually true. Often after someone dies they become larger in death than in life. Bruce Lee and Elvis quickly come to mind. Anyway, my point is that you can look up to him, and learn from his teachings, but don't get so awe struck that you dismiss other systems and teachers. Just as there are many horrible styles and teachers, there are also great teachers and styles. Take the time and do some more research, you'll be suprised at what you find. Also, just my opinion, but you might want to look at a traditional style like Uechi-Ryu or Gojo-Ryu to get a great foundation. Once you do, you can then apply Bruce Lee's teachings to go even further. But a solid foundation would really help you in the long run.

Like SoonerJohn siad in Traditional arts Dans only go up to 10. Any time I hear anything above that my scam meter goes off the scale. But then again, I don't know much about MMA and the make your own stuff that's out there. As for the question about how long to earn rank. One general rule is take the grade and multiple the number of years to the next rank (as a minimum). So from 1 Dan to 2 Dan is 1 to 2 years, 2 Dan to 3 Dan is 2-3 years, etc. As you can see, the higher you go up in rank the longer it takes. So someone who is above 3 or 4 Dan and doesn't have 15 or so years of training indicates something suspecious. And this doesn't include the time in the Kyu ranks which can be anywhere from 2 years for someone exceptional to over 5 years for the "average" student. Again, all of this is general, and different styles handle things differently but this is what I've seen.

Actually, it's not. Both Goju-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu, the primary Naha-te systems, are generally considered to be "Shorei" styles, but there is no recognized Okinawan style called "Shorei-Ryu". I always get the Okaniwan styles that start with S confused as the spellings are so similar. Agreed about the Naha-te, but I know that Uechi is most unique of the styles. But doesn't say much. Guess I need some rest, before I add more confusion.

Like I said, I don't wash my obi. Only a wipedown if for some reason it gets real nasty. (dirt on the floor, or a lot of blood, or such) Gi goes in the wash as soon as possible. Other wise the SO gets very upset. Not something that we want around the house!

I'm toying with the idea of adding two kickboxing classes to my workout routine. My gym (Golds) has classes called Kickboxing and Interval Kickboxing. My guess is that these are glorified aerobics classes, but I'm not sure. I'm trying to decide if either of them would be worth attending (at no extra cost) to supplement my Uechi training. My goals would be to drop a few pounds, build up my stamina and to get some extra leg work in. Any thoughts on this. My gut tells me the "boxing" will be a joke, and the kicking won't be much more. But if it's worth putting a couple of hours in a week to drop the pounds and to help my kicks, maybe I should add them. FYI, I'm pretty established in my Uechi training so I'm not worried about learning any bad habits.

I agree with the last post. You are picking a HUGE topic. You don't mention what grade you're in. So that will depend on how much information you cover, and the detail. In my case, I could write a book on the history of Uechi-Ryu and still be working on volume two or three. I would suggest that you go to UVA's (University of Virginia) Uechi-ryu club. They have a site that gives information on the various arts. Depending on the number of pages you have to write, it will set the amount of research and how you setup your paper. In any case, you probably want to give a description of the roots from China, to Okanawa, then to Japan, and then the West. For instance, if you narrow it to Uechi you could write how Kanbun Uechi went to China in the late 1800's and studied there, then returned and how he went to Japan and then back to Okanawa. How his son, took over after his death, then his son followed as the current grandmaster. If you go on to the US you can talk about George Matson and how he went to Okanawa and then brought it back to the US. Pretty clean lines and easy to write. Or you can talk about some of the various other arts, how there are 4 major Okanawan arts, a ton of Japaneese, and several Korean. In any case, you need to do a little more research. If you need help feel free to private message me. I don't mind Helping you with ideas.

True, but you can think of it like a waiting period to buy a gun. If you study long enough you won't have the desire to fight. In my case, I started training to learn a traditional art. My goal was to learn self defense but also to make martial arts part of my life. Uechi isn't the fastest way to become a good fighter, but once you get up into the senior colored belts or black belts you develop a great deal of discipline, control, speed, technique, and body conditioning that makes you a handful for any punk who wants to mess with you. Can a street fighter beat you? Sure if he gets a lucky shot, or if he's real good, but the odds are in your favor with the right training. One other thought was when I started, I wanted to learn how to punch, kick, and block. I wasn't keen on getting hit, and if someone had told me about all of the body conditioning we do, I would have run out of the dojo faster than superman. But now I enjoy it, and just add it to my bag of tricks. Oh yea, the other day my SO was horsing around and punched me. Scared us both as we thought she broke a few fingers by hitting me in the muscle. Luckily it was just a bad jammed set of fingers. Anyway the point, is that the best things in life take time and effort. You get out what you put in.

Where are you located? I don't know much about Shorei-Ryu other than it's one of the 4 major styles of Karate from Okanawa. Another style to consider is Uechi-Ryu which I study (another Okanawan style). In any case, tell us where you're from and maybe someone can recommend a good Sensei. Besides the style itself, the instructor is as if not more important.

Well I hate to break it to you but if you spent $25 every year for 10 years that's only $250. Even twice that is $500. My good instructors Gi cost over $200. As good as it is, I'd be suprised if it lasts 10 years. Hard training multiple classes in a week, even with 2 Gi's it's still a lot of washing, and wear. The high quality Gis offer several benefits. First, they just look and fit better. Then they can handle just about anything you throw at them or get thrown with On top of that they make a nice snap when you throw a good punch or kick. My recommendation is for beginners to get an inexpensive Gi. Train for awhile and see if they're going to make a commitment. After 6 months or a year, then get a good Gi. Until then, there's just no point in spending the mondy. But after your art becomes part of you, it makes sense to get the best Gi you can afford.

As others have said, the basis of Uechi-Ryu revolve around Sanchin. If you want a video of a Uechi-Ryu version. Go to George Mattson's web site Uechi-ryu.com then look for the video. I also think there was a thread where folks posted clips of their Kata. Minor differences between some very good folks, but all Sanchin. As for breathing, and internal, these are the difficult parts of mastering Sanchin. In Uechi-Ryu, Sanchin is the first of the 8 kata that you learn. It has the fewest moves, but it is a very hard kata to master as it is more than just the moves. Keeping your body tense except for the limbs your moving, managing your breathing, and focus are all advanced techniques that take years to perfect. Also it's said that Sanchin works the whole body and that you should do 3 a day for good health. All I can say about this is that doing Sanchin properly is a tough workout and we all know that exercise is important, and Sanchin is a great exercise.

Yea, and that's only because we have 8 Kata in the whole system! Quality not quantity.

Sounds like something that the great Cal Ripkin said!!! Another thought that came to mind, is look at all of the great professional athletes and think about how many had coaches. Um, that would be ALL!! A good Sensei is not only a teacher, but also a coach! And another thought that just came to mind is the social aspect of traininig in a dojo. You'll make friends. These friends will be very close as you get up in rank. People who become closer to you than your biological family.

Why, trust me when I say with all of my years of training I still get corrected on a regular basis And my Sensei who is very very high ranking even gets corrected by his seniors when he trains with them. The differences are tiny. Take a white belt, and their technique is at a stage where they are learning the basic movements and that's fine, but take a brown belt, or even a Shodan (1st degree black belt), and they are working on what appears to be tiny improvements, plus internal improvements such as mental, and medative. It may not seem like much as a beginner, but when you get to the point where your art become internal you'll understand. All I can suggest is get a video or two and some books and try training that way for a few months. THEN go watch the original Karate Kid movie, THEN go to a good dojo and train under a qualified sensei. Come back and let me know what you think after training under a good sensei for a few months. You'll answer your own question. I promise.

On the topic of bleeching a Gi, if you have patches or sewing, you can use a nonclorine bleech like Clorox for colors. It won't mess up your Gi. Like others said, I just use Shout on my collars to get rid of the ring around the collar. I also use one of the new bleech pens for really tough stains, so you can try this. As for the Obi's, all I can say is that I don't wash mine. If it gets dirty, I'll wipe it down, with a damp towel or a rag with a little cleaner. But otherwise, it gets folded nicely and placed in my gear bag.

I have to second the Patrick McCarthy books. They have a lot of insight into the Okawanian arts. Also if you read the bibliography closely you'll see that he has references from all of the major masters in the books.

Thanks. Well I think you answered your own question if you think about it. Since you know the system, regular workout will help your speed, and power. You might not feel like it, but trust me if you lay off for a long period you'll feel like a slug. So practice, practice, practice. Also believe it or not, practice SLOW SLOW SLOW. Go REAL SLOW. Doing kata slow will help your form and help you get them perfect. Do a kata as fast as you can, then Try a few kata in slow motion, then try them full speed again. You'll be amazed at the results if you've never done this. As for turning in. Read as much as you can. There are many books like The Art of War that focus on the internal aspects. Also try to meditate, and try to only think about your kata and nothing else when doing your kata (if you haven't done it). In other words try to mediate during your kata. Breath slowly, and focus on your body. YOU WILL slowly get the internal aspects. FYI, I'm working on this myself, so thanks for mentioning this.

As I've said before. Sanchin is my favorite. Technically it's not a very difficult kata but SO HARD to master.