Mawashi Uke

[SANCHIN31]

One of my favorite moves. It's open to many different interpretations and each one can be meaningful.

Possible applications are trapping/locking/breaking/throwing/pushing/pulling/striking/grasping... and it is a close-range technique either moving linear or moving circular. For beginners it is a very dificult technique to grasp but even for more advanced it is not easy to use in free fighting.

Classical application is the trapping of the 2 attacks (one jodan and one chudan) putting the arms in a lock hold but more vicious is the continued grasping of the testicles eye-gouche or the finger thrust into the prostate and throath (just below larinx) or base of the neck(sideways).

What are your thoughts on the movement?

[Fairfax_Uechi]

One of my favorite moves. It's open to many different interpretations and each one can be meaningful.

Possible applications are trapping/locking/breaking/throwing/pushing/pulling/striking/grasping... and it is a close-range technique either moving linear or moving circular. For beginners it is a very dificult technique to grasp but even for more advanced it is not easy to use in free fighting.

Classical application is the trapping of the 2 attacks (one jodan and one chudan) putting the arms in a lock hold but more vicious is the continued grasping of the testicles eye-gouche or the finger thrust into the prostate and throath (just below larinx) or base of the neck(sideways).

What are your thoughts on the movement?

Well since it's something we work on all of the time. I don't spend much time thinking about it. To me it's sort of one of those "it is" things. Like Sanchin it just becomes part of you. Like you say there are many applications.

The other day I was helping a young man with some defense techniques, and while he had some training it amazed me how many things I could have done to hurt him in a real fight. In this case, we were working on getting him to understand the basics and unlearn many bad habits. Not an easy task. He was amazed at how only using a few techniques, I could vary them to strike him in all kinds of places. Like you said, going from a simple trap, I could open him up, and build from there.

In my own case, I do drills hundreds of times slow to get the form down. Then when I speed it up, I have more power and speed.

[Uechi Kid]

Yes, it’s a very cool technique. Very basic but as you said Mawashi Uke has so many different applications. Maybe that’s why it is the predominate block in Uechi Ryu.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

Yes, it’s a very cool technique. Very basic but as you said Mawashi Uke has so many different applications. Maybe that’s why it is the predominate block in Uechi Ryu.

Ah, if some of the folks here spent some time in a Uechi dojo maybe their would be less discussion of how many techniques and such similar stuff.

I know that not too long ago, I was bored senseless doing the same exercise over and over and over. But as I grow, I'm learning that the more I do techniques, the more I need to improve. For instance, simple strikes, I've gone through learning the basic motion, to learning to keep elbows in to keeping the shoulder down. Not to over extend or to pull too soon. All of this sounds so simple but it's so difficult, and taken me years to understand, and I'm sure I'm just beginning to understand it (I have a long way to go).

As for blocks, I'm in the same boat. My blocks are OK. But I know I have a great deal of work to do. Some day they may be really good, and at that point, I'll step back and start over to see what I really know. Until then, I'll keep working them over and over and over.

The funny thing is watching folks of other styles. [disclaimer coming] As you know in Uechi we really put a lot of effort into learning the Mawashi Uke. Even an advanced beginner in Uechi looks good compared to some advanced folks in some other styles. [note SOME not all] I often wonder how these folks would actually protect themselves with a real strike coming in a full speed from someone big. My guess is that they'd be hit hard. It's amazing to me what a huge difference the difference between being in good Sanchin doing the Mawashi Uke correctly vs. bringing the block in say 2". And this is all before we talk about how it can be used as a strike (during the block) or as a tool to get someone off balance!

Anyway, I'd love to hear some of your insight.