Uechi-Ryu.com

He replied, "We don't call it Uechi Ryu anymore because it displeases one particular member of the Uechi family, but yes, I will show you what I do. I will perform Sanchin."

There are a few "common sense" issues to consider in your choice, I think.

In considering your Shaolin Kung Fu school, I suggest you go on line and do some reading. This site (click on the crane) http://www.yongchunbaihechuen.com/ will give you some material to consider. You might also look here http://www.freewebs.com/fiveancestors/ Perhaps after viewing the material, the notion that one school claiming the name "Shaolin", and teaching nine (9) disciplines, is somewhat far fetched, will manifest to your understanding.

Check out some reputable "Wing Chun" sites, and "Praying Mantis" sites. The discovery that each of these disciplines is a life long pursuit, may reflect upon the credibility of your "Shaolin" Kung Fu school.

The probability that one school would instruct in all these "styles" is preeety slim. They may 'claim' to, but real study to the end of mastery in any one is "lifelong", and would potentially exclude other pursuits.

I have this comment to make about any "Pangainoon" school. There is no discipline in China called "Pangainoon"! There never was! The word used by Kanbun Uechi is a "description of method" and not the name of a style.

The closest any one has come to actually finding out the "original" style name, only comes close to describing a broad category given the generalization of 'Southern Mantis Fist Group'. This is a broad generalization, based upon observation.

I believe personally, and I may stand corrected at some future date, that Uechi Ryu is a style combining elements of differing Chinese disciplines. Now whether this ingenuity was authored by Kanbun Uechi's mentor, or by Kanbun Uechi could probably be debated.

The style was introduced to Okinawa by Kanbun Uechi. He never disclosed a formal name for it, only it's methodology, being "half hard soft". Eventually the curriculum was given the name Uechi Ryu, in honor to Kanbun who disclosed it, and perhaps had a hand in it's inception as well. Is this not fitting?

Within Uechi Ryu there have been factions as time progressed. Now this phenomena is probably an inevitable manifestation of human nature. However, to assume that a school should claim to be teaching "Original Pangainoon" is bogus! I'm sorry but this is true. There is no "Paingainoon" that did not descend from Kanbun Uechi.

Any "modifications" that these schools have made in their methodology, have factioned off the Uechi template, and there has been NO input from chinese "Pangainoon" sources. Basically, It's "all in their head" or a gimmick of nomenclature.

You can trace every single "Pangainoon" lineage back to Kanbun Uechi, and ABSOLUTELY no farther! Themz the facts!

Now possibly some of these aberrations may intend to portray the mysterious "Shu Siwa" as the lineage head, and in so doing denigrate the Uechi rightful place. The truth is, none of these schools have ever had any input from Shu Shiwa.

There are no maxims of Shu Shiwa. There are no "dojo kun" of Shu Shiwa. There are no "students" of Shu Shiwa giving instruction. Shu Shiwa is a historical personage, only by way of reference to Kanbun Uechi.

Kanbun Uechi, the real flesh and blood soul, taught this style. Some of his "hands on" pupils have borne credible witness to Kanbun Uechi, and countless second generation witnesses are walking among us.

So, try and see things clearly. Your potential "Pangainoon" dojo is a faction of Uechi Ryu, authored probably by some disgruntled adept. And, if they claim to you that they are teaching the "Original Pangainoon", it's an outright lie.

Shotokan is a bonofide and legitimate discipline. The nice thing about it, is that you can actually trace it's lineage to Funikoshi. His maxims, biography, and Kyohan are readily accessible, and they will encourage you in your training.

You were instructed in "Uechi class" somewhere along the line. If you like "Sanchin" you can always keep doing it! You will find that the Shotokan "Hangetsu" Kata contains some similar concepts. You really can't go too far wrong with Shotokan. If perchance you change disciplines at some future date, your experience in Shotokan will not be wasted! You will be knowledgeable, and fit, and adept at "Basics" to say the least.

On the other hand with the Kung Fu school, I think you'll be "ripped off", and with the "Pangainoon" you may be putting a lot of effort into an art, that is not truthfully what it claims to be! You'll be laboring under a delusion.

One final suggestion, please read George Mattson's article, on choosing a Karate School. http://uechi-ryu.com/j/uechi-community/ ... g-students

i just realized i stink at karate anyway.

im 26 and turning 27 soon. i feel like a failure. how good can i possibly get?

I feel your pain... but is it really about 'how good can I get?'

Are you going to win national competitions? Probably not. Fill your house with trophies? Probably not. Become a movie star? Probably not.

However, if you want to do it to be good at something, anything at all; if you want to increase your odds of surviving a sticky situation; meet other like-minded people; complement a warrior's lifestyle; do it just to do it; or any other unmeasurable contribution to your own life... obviously it's something you want to do.

Why wait until you're 80 years old, and wonder 'what if?'