Preserving the core and stimulating progress.

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mikemurphy
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Preserving the core and stimulating progress.

Post by mikemurphy »

Kevin-san,

What you say is true enough. Right now what you call yourself is simply a matter of semantics; however, it will be only a matter of time before that changes. Simply look at what has happened to Goju-ryu since the death of Miyagi sensei. It's only a matter of time my friend.

yours in budo,

mike
MFH
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Preserving the core and stimulating progress.

Post by MFH »

GEM,

1) So far all I've heard is that there are personality conflicts and issues around money between us and "them." Could you elaborate on the specifics of these or other issues issues that led to the breakup(s)?

2) What, if anything, is holding us back from having a cohesive organization in this country? Or do we?

I'd like to see us formulate several 3-year plans for making Uechi-Ryu THE karate style in this country. Or maybe it *is* and being in the hinterlands I'm just outta the loop.
Seems like we get at least one or two articles in Black Belt every year, but when I mention the name on the street I often get a blank look.

New Thread?

MFH
Jason Bernard
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Preserving the core and stimulating progress.

Post by Jason Bernard »

They say the Kyokushin style is in trouble. It seems all to often that organizations split into two or more organizations. They say it won't be long before it practically won't exist anymore. They say that maybe Sosai Oyama wanted it that way. I don't know if that last is true or not, but if it is Sosai was even smarter than I thought!

If I ever open up a school (doubtful, but you never know) I know for a fact it will not be Kyokushin. It will be "Jason Bernard's Karate Centre". Not for ego, not for glory, but simply because Sosai would have wanted it that way. Oyama was concerned about the state of Karate! He wanted people to learn good karate, and develop good spirit. This is the tradition that needs to be kept alive. Not the name Kyokushin. I will hang a picture of Sosai Oyama in the hall. I will bow in respect to him, because I do respect him and cherish the gift he gave me through his student. The gift was strong karate, not Kyokushin.

Without meaning any disrespect, perhaps the same should happen in Uechi Ryu. Did Uechi want the name to last, or his spirit of his karate? We can pay respect to the man without having his name on it, especially if it is his name that is talked of inside the dojo!

Osu!
Jason
gjkhoury
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Preserving the core and stimulating progress.

Post by gjkhoury »

Hey Jason:

Great post. Good ideas. there are others like you who reference the ancient proverb (I paraphrase): Seek not to do as the Masters did, seek what they sought.

Kyokushin Karate is a bit unique because of their emphasis on the fighting aspect of their art. To accomplish good Kyokushin, there are many roads, I think. Strong basics and a shared understanding of competiton rules seems to be the thread that binds; the rest is left up to the individual dojo. (In some, I hear that they do not practice any kata [and not that this is necessarily bad].)

For us, it seems that the proliferation or maintainence of certain "traditions" is critical to the style. And here's the rub.

Our friend Kevin says that ShoHei and Uechi are the same, but they are not. We can train as students in these styles with the same intensity and spirit, but there has been a fundamental fissure that started at the top.

Some of us see Shohei ryu as "change for the sake of being different". Others of us see the ShoHei modifications as modern day improvements to a decaying system of martial arts.

Either way, the styles are certainly headed in different directions, if not just in name then certianly in practice.

But like Kevin, I really don't see the difference as long as we can "just get along". Problem is, we can't. Of course, I'm not commenting on a personal level, but on an organizational, international one.

To take the Uechi out of Uechi ryu, be it by name change, kata change or other is to begin to hack at the fabric that so many of us have woven all these years.

Sometimes I'm not even sure why I'M so opposed to this. I just got hooked early on the idea of one family, one style, one tradition FOR LIFE and now I can't seem to want it any other way.

Not my way or no way. Just one man's perspective on one man's practice.

Repscefully, in Budo, I remain

Gary

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Gary J. Khoury
http://www.uechi-ryu.com/khoury
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