Endings and Beginnings

[Lupin1]

After over 30 years, my head instructor is leaving our school after next week.

Mr. Smith started our program in 1985. He charges today the same price he did then-- $1 per lesson. He provided quality, traditional training to lower income kids such as myself who never would've had the chance to train otherwise. I've trained with Mr. Smith off and on since 1995 when I was 8 years old and received my Shodan from him in 2015. In a few weeks, Mr. Smith will be moving to Arizona to be closer to his wife's family. He will be missed.

I still don't know what the fate of the program will be. We have two qualified instructors, however both are getting older and have other commitments. I guess time will tell. Our program will be shutting down for the summer, however, as it has every summer. We'll see what happens in the fall.

In the meantime, I've decided to try something new. I have an appointment for Saturday morning to try out Buzz Durkin's Uechi Ryu School. I've never trained Uechi before and I know there are both similarities and differences to Isshinryu. According to Mr. Smith, Mr. Durkin's program is one of the best in the region. I'm looking forward to trying something new and, if it's a good fit, perhaps beginning a new leg of my karate journey.

[sensei8]

Your mixed feelings are quite understandable. The bad...your longtime Sensei is moving, and this puts the program in dire straits. However, the good...new training opportunities are just over the horizon.

First off, you could, if available, continue running Mr. Smith's program. After all, you're a black belt...one of Mr. Smith's Yudansha's.

If the Uechi dojo is to your liking, across the board, then your MA training can continue!!

Good luck!!

[Lupin1]

First off, you could, if available, continue running Mr. Smith's program. After all, you're a black belt...one of Mr. Smith's Yudansha's

I've thought about it, but there are a few things keeping me from doing that. First, I'm definitely not qualified as an instructor in our system which requires at least 3rd Dan. I feel comfortable teaching beginners, which is who I teach now, but I don't know if I'd be able to give the more advanced students what they need.

Second, the space we use is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I work Thursday nights and will have to for the foreseeable future (I've asked my coworkers-- no one is able to switch nights with me) so I'm currently only even attending one night a week. Only one of the qualified instructors is able to teach on Thursdays, and he has other responsibilities that he's actually putting aside to teach. He's a manager at the Boys and Girls Club the program runs out of and is responsible for everything going on in the building while he's upstairs teaching karate. I think he's also a bit burned out on it. He works with those same kids all day at the club and they can be a handful.

It's a tough spot.

[sensei8]

First off, you could, if available, continue running Mr. Smith's program. After all, you're a black belt...one of Mr. Smith's Yudansha's

I've thought about it, but there are a few things keeping me from doing that. First, I'm definitely not qualified as an instructor in our system which requires at least 3rd Dan. I feel comfortable teaching beginners, which is who I teach now, but I don't know if I'd be able to give the more advanced students what they need.

Second, the space we use is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I work Thursday nights and will have to for the foreseeable future (I've asked my coworkers-- no one is able to switch nights with me) so I'm currently only even attending one night a week. Only one of the qualified instructors is able to teach on Thursdays, and he has other responsibilities that he's actually putting aside to teach. He's a manager at the Boys and Girls Club the program runs out of and is responsible for everything going on in the building while he's upstairs teaching karate. I think he's also a bit burned out on it. He works with those same kids all day at the club and they can be a handful.

It's a tough spot.

Yes, it is a tough spot. One that appears to have no saving grace; it's a sad thing.

Is there a Sandan and above, that's close so that you could still teach, and the visiting Sandan and above could administrate the testing cycle?? Have you contacted your Hombu/Governing Body for feedback??

Edited June 8, 2017 by sensei8

[Wastelander]

I'm looking forward to meeting Smith Sensei, in person, when he moves out here--we've interacted online for a number of years, but never actually met. Unfortunately, I know that does leave you in a bit of a tough situation. If you're up to it, I would keep the program going on Tuesday nights, even if you can't do Thursdays, so there is at least something, and if things change with your schedule you could add Thursdays back. That said, I would ALSO still check out the Uechi-Ryu dojo, so that you can advance your karate, even if it means you take a different road going forward.

[Lupin1]

Have you contacted your Hombu/Governing Body for feedback??

Unfortunately it's independent-- not connected to any governing body. I think we'll be able to keep at least the Tuesday night classes going. We have enough adults on Tuesdays that at least one of us can be there to run the class. It's the Thursday class that'll probably have to fall by the wayside.

I'm looking forward to meeting Smith Sensei, in person, when he moves out here--we've interacted online for a number of years, but never actually met.

He's a good guy. He has a lot of cool stories, but after complications from chemo a few years ago he has a very difficult time talking. You have be patient and listen closely to understand what he's saying. Don't be afraid to ask him to repeat or clarify something-- he's use to it. He's also pretty opinionated and doesn't think very highly of things like MMA and sport karate. He's a traditionalist. You can definitely learn a lot about the 70s/80s karate scene from talking to him, though.

I think between the adults in the program we'll be able to keep it going for awhile. I definitely don't feel ready to take it on myself at the moment, but I think we can keep it going at least on Tuesdays (though Thursdays may fall by the wayside). The kids won't progress very quickly, but at least they'll get some karate.

I'm looking forward to trying the Uechi and learning something new. It's a very different school. Mr. Smith's program is very small and informal and cheap and run out of a room that's used for other things most of the time. This place is a very large commercial school with a ton of classes to choose from, a dedicated dojo, full time instructors, the whole nine yards. It'll definitely be a different experience.

[Lupin1]

Just wanted to update that I went to check out the Uechi school today. It seems like a great school. Beautiful inside-- several different floors for having multiple lessons going at a time, clean locker rooms, private lesson areas, a student lounge area-- nice! Especially for me being used to training in the upstairs room of a Boys and Girl's Club.

I signed up for their summer special for two months for the price of a month. After the two months are up I'll be able to decide if I want to continue. They offer six month or twelve month contracts (discount for going longer) or a no contract monthly option (which is out of my price range, so if I stick with it I'll choose either six or 12).

The way they do it is new students start out in private lessons and then work up to group lessons, so I had a half hour private with one of the instructors this morning.

It was a good lesson. He did some research on Isshinryu last night and knew some of the similarities and differences and we skipped a lot of the really basic stuff that usually makes up the first lesson. We did some pad work so he could see how I did some basic kicks and strikes (he said the way I'm doing them are pretty much exactly how they teach it and only corrected my palm strike) and he taught me Uechi Sanchin (their bread and butter kata).

I've got two more private lessons scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. I'm not sure how long new students usually stay in privates before moving to group lessons, but I'm guessing within a week or two I should be ready.

[JR 137]

Uechi Ryu is all about Sanchin. While I prefer the version I know (Miyagi's closed hands and with turns), I love the way they train it.

I worked out at a Uechi Ryu dojo for a semester while in college. I could only make their open mat night once a week, but it was a great experience. The way they "check" your stance, posture, tension, and breathing is the way the kata was meant IMO. We don't do enough of it in my dojo.

If you stick with Uechi Ryu until the day you die, you'll be doing Sanchin until the day you die. Don't get me wrong, you'll do other stuff too; but Sanchin is the basis for everything they do. Or at least it is in the old-school Uechi dojos.

Another thing I really like is less is more. They only do about 8 kata total, and if I'm correct, the last two or three are relatively new and not practiced by every dojo. While they only do a few kata, the practice the bunkai every which way. They have very few kicks; one Uechi guy told me there's really only one kick in Uechi Ryu - the front kick with toes.

To be honest, the first night I was at the Uechi dojo, I hated it. The blocks were these shortened and awkward versions of the way I was taught. The sparring hands position was weird. Then I learned Sanchin and thought it was a stupid way to do it. I tried keeping an open mind, but I thought these guys were out of their minds. Then we took our CI tops off to "check our Sanchin" which I thought was dumber. Then they started nudging me here and there - shoulders, arms, fingertips (it's all open hand), legs. About 2 minutes into that, I realized exactly why they do what they do; it all came together. If fell in love with it.

A few weeks later they had me try the Sanchin jars. Talk about difficult. Mine were empty. Then I looked over at black belt next to me (no idea what dan rank he was, as stripes on black belts don't start until 6th dan) who's jars were filled with sand.

Those guys and ladies were tough as nails. You couldn't hurt them, and they could put a serious hurtin' on you. Coming from a Kyokushin offshoot at the time, I honestly felt like a weakling that was made of glass. It was a great eye opener.

Sorry... I just had to share my Uechi experience and love for it. If that dojo was where I lived after college, I'd be a permanent student.

[sensei8]

Shindokan, being an Okinawan style of Karate, I wanted to cross train with as many different Okinawa Karate Styles that I could. Why?? To learn about how they differed from Shindokan.

The road wasn't as long as I thought it might be, but one of the very first Okinawan Karate Styles I came across was Uechi. Eventually I found a Uechi Dojo in the Los Angeles area, and that meant that I was going to have to travel about 25 miles, but I thought it would be worth it, so I took the drive.

I thought the Shindokan Hombu was right out of the old days of Okinawa, but this Uechi Dojo was even more out of the old days, not by much, but, man oh man.

I wasn't there to train, but I was only there to observe the one class...Yudansha class. I was both intrigued as well as excited. Some of the "stretching" they did, I had never ever seen...

They'd be standing with their feet about shoulder width, then, they'd go from flat footed ONTO THEIR TOES, it looked as though their feet were curling into a fist. Over and over, they did this.

Blew my mind!!

Why do that??

My question was quickly answered.

There were about 4 planks sticking out of the ground, similar to what a makiwara would be, except there was no padding type whatsoever...just a plain plank.

The students, at the bark of their CI, lined up, one behind another, as though they were waiting for their turn.

My ears perked...my eyes widened out of sheer curiosity...

WHAM!! WHAM!! WHAM!! Then the next student would stand before those planks awaiting for the CIs command...

WHAM!! WHAM!! WHAM!! Then the next student, so forth and so on.

HOLY MOLY...OUCH!!

These students were kicking those planks with their BIG TOE!! Yes...their big toe!!

Blew my mind, and it made my big toe hurt sympathetically for these Yudansha's, but they seemed to not be phased one bit while one student after another seemed to relish the tar out of whacking these planks unrelentingly.

The class went onto Kata and up and down drills: Nothing really surprised me, even though some of their Kata's, I hadn't seen before.

Sokusen-geri...Big Toe Kick or Kick with tip of the toes!!

Whatever Uechi calls it, I call it painful. Which it is at first, like anything that's new to learn, but over time, as in anything in the MA, the pain is forgotten.

This, Sokusen geri, is the staple of Uechi-ryu, and it's said that if a student of Uechi-ryu don't master this kick perfectly, then a student of Uechi-ryu will not be possible to know the deep principles of Uechi-ryu.

I've crossed trained over the years with several different Uechi CI's, and I really enjoyed what I took away from these CI's in learning the methodology/ideology.

BUT...

I didn't, and I mean I DID NOT want to learn Sokusen-geri, and everyone of these CI's understood and just laughed. "It's not for everyone!!", referring to the Big Toe Kick. I wasn't ridiculed, nor was the CI upset; it was my choice...and it's still my choice.

I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to find some resources about Sokusen-geri on the internet.

Prepare for it...it'll be introduced to you whenever the time is right for it. Meanwhile, train hard...train well...enjoy Uechi-ryu!!

[Lupin1]

Well, it's been three weeks now, so I wanted to give an update--

I think I'm falling in love with the Uechi school.

My first two weeks of lessons were all private lessons-- five of them. Those were ok. At the end of it they promoted me to a white belt with one green stripe (they just do white, green, brown, and black, so each stripe is a full kyu rank).

Monday and yesterday were my first group classes in the white belt class. It was a small class-- two teenagers getting ready for their green belts (they've been at the school about six months), an older guy who's been there a few months and has a background in Kung Fu, and now me.

I LOVE how traditional it is. My Isshinryu instructor always told us we were traditional training, but this feels like a whole other level. Part of it is they have the space and equipment to do things we couldn't do at my Isshinryu school. We actually used the makiwara yesterday. I've never used one before though I'd heard and read all about them. I was all giddy. I'm definitely liking it.

Think I'm going to let work decide which one I do. Right now I can only make Tuesdays for Isshinryu. I work Thursday night. When my boss gets back from vacation next week, I'll ask her about seeing if I can switch my late night. If I can, I'll stick with the Isshinryu and volunteer to form a separate beginners class so the more advanced instructors can focus on the advanced students, which will keep them happy and hopefully keep them coming. If I can't switch my nights, I think I might just stick with the Uechi.